My cat is waking me up at 4.00 am everyday?
do you know why, have you experienced something similar. At first I though he wanted food, but he has. He is now with my ex girl friend and he does the same with her, so she is suffering from sleep deprivartion because the cat doesnt let her sleep properly, even if she close the door of the room he scratches the door.
May be is he looking for attention, but I have had thim for 11 years and he started to do this may be six months ago only. His health is ok, recently went to vet.
Answers:
My cat used to wake me up at all silly hours of the morn, they just wanted to go out, so now they stay out all night and I get a miaow at the front door in the morn - after having a peaceful nights sleep!!
my cats are three years old an both in the habit of scratching at my door at excactly 6am.. they have done this in the past for periods of time at different times of the day.. i tend to find its following on from my routine.. through work i got up for 5 mornings o a row at 6,. now that are doing it!
Maybe it's the time the cats wanna wake their owners up. Cause I got the same thing with the cats in my family.
Your lucky this only recently started after 11 years mine does it every night for her whole life. They sleep all day basically and that's what time they are awake and want to play-I get it at 3am on the dot give or take 5 minutes.
If he is old he probably wants the company. Does he still go outside - can you not leave him out overnightor put him in a room where him scratching cannot be heard by you. Perhaps get him a nice comfy bed and some company toys.
Reset his alarm clock for seven
give it a kick up the ar.se and send it to the chinky's they'll make good use of the wee fecker
get him sniped that will sort your problem but watch his diet he may put a little weight on.
Mine does it about 4:30 am and she gets on the bed and licks my face until I wake up... After working out there was no physical reason for it (i.e. no need for food, water, invading cats etc) I started to keep her awake during the day when she did that, she has since stopped doing it (after 4 months of waking her during the day if she wakes in the morning)
Most cats do this I think. That is why at night we keep the cat in the lounge or conservatory downstairs, so that she cannot wake us up at an unreasonable hour. Well cats have no awareness much of time so..
Cats are very intelligent. Was there ever a time that you regularly woke up at 4AM? There are also other factors that can cause this. Is there anything that makes a certain type of noise that can either make them feel the need to wake you up or perhaps upsets them, such as a garbage truck, passing traffic, perhaps they hear a neighbors alarm clock which a human could not hear from a distance? My cat used to wake me up when someone delivered a newspaper to my neighbor at 5:30 every morning. I cured it by taking the cat out just before 5:30 and let her see the person who delivered the paper and what they were delivering, from that point on, she knew what the sound was and she let me sleep.
My cat is 5 years old and she does the same thing evey so often then she stops and I just wake up and pet her and play with her, also give her some catnip and she tends to calm down so I can get some more sleep. Have you tried getting him a companion of his own to see if that will settle him down? Some times that will divert his attention and then after he gets to know his new companion they will before long end up cuddled up together and he may sleep better.
I read a similiar problem in a magazine and the vet said you need to squirt them with a water pistol when they do it (seriously!) They will soon get the message that at 4am you are NOT wanting to play. He also said to make sure they have plenty of stimulation throughout the day so when night time comes they wont get bored.
I had that problem for a while with my kitten (he is not yet a year old) when he didn't get enough attention / play for a while. He would wake me up at exactly one hour before my alarm was set to go off (which time does not change, I guess he learned the timing of it somehow). It's not as bad as 4.00 a.m., but it's still very frustrating, because by the time I have settled him down somehow, I'm already alert. and by the time I manage to fall asleep again, I have about 20 minutes left, say, and waking up that soon is not a lot of fun.
What I did was that I took care to play with him in the evening, before we both go to bed. If he has fallen asleep earlier, I gently prod him awake (by using his toys and moving them before his nose until he decides correctly I am not going to let him sleep right then). A couple of nights I needed to play with him for almost an hour at a time, afterwards he got tired faster (I know he has had enough when he goes to his food and eats some - play = hunt, and when they have hunted enough, they eat, and then rest).
But again, mine is a kitten. I have no idea what would start such behaviour in a much older cat. I hope I help at least somewhat.
Good luck!
probably wants attention or food. get a large dog crate and a small litter box and put the cat in there before you go to bed and you won't have to be woken up. tha't what we do if our cats are making a lot of noise at night.
Many dogs and cats are very attached to their people and often solicit attention from them. The manner in which they do so can affect the manner in which the people interact with them. Pets that receive little attention from clients, those that are particularly needy for attention, or those that may never have had any guidelines set about acceptable behavior may resort to extremes to get attention.
Dogs may jump on their people, constantly nudge them, pull at their clothing, nip at them, or bark at them. Cats may scratch people, paw at them, pull their clothing, howl, pounce, or stroll up and down their person's body when that person is asleep. Sometimes pets become destructive or eliminate in inappropriate places. Both cats and dogs can learn to steal objects or knock them from forbidden surfaces if this gets them attention. Many cats scratch furniture because they know that it will result in someone chasing them.
It is important to remember that if an animal is severely needy of attention, for whatever reason, it will get that attention by any means possible. For an animal that craves attention, even negative attention is better than none. There is a parallel with children: if a kick is the only attention a young child receives, he or she will return for that kick. It is important that pets do not learn that misbehavior is the best way to satisfy their need for attention. This is particularly true for the pets that are overly anxious. These animals are not just misbehaving--they are abnormal, and negative attention can worsen their behavior. Many aggressive dogs are anxious.
The biggest obstacle in treating this mild but annoying behavioral problem is not the pet-it is our own tendency to automatically reach out and touch any animal that brushes against us. We are more likely to do this especially if our defenses are down-when we are reading a newspaper, napping, or watching television. Cats and dogs know this and take advantage of it. If the problem is bad enough to be annoying, people must be vigilant if they are to correct it.
The mode for the treatment of attention-seeking behavior is the same as for prevention. Although most attention-seeking behaviors are not dangerous, like aggression, they are annoying, and annoying behaviors prompt complaints. Annoying behaviors cause people to take their pets to shelters. It is critical to control such behaviors. Fortunately, this is not difficult.
First, people should establish a regular schedule of interaction. Some degree of predictability is particularly important for anxious animals. The person should focus on the pet at a regular time for at least 15 minutes twice a day. Scheduling this interaction makes it easier to do and allows both the person and the pet to look forward to it. During this time the pet could be taught obedience exercises (cats learn to fetch quite well for a food treat) or tricks (the American Humane Society has a videotape on this subject) or could be walked or encouraged to participate in aerobic exercise. The latter could be good for both the client and the pet. Some people who have treadmills can teach their larger dogs to use them. For people and pets with more sedentary style, the attention can involve grooming, massage, or petting and talking. Behavior modification exercises designed to teach a pet to sit, stay, and relax can help. It is important to tailor the type of interaction to both the person's and the pet's needs. Very young puppies and kittens have a huge requirement for aerobic, interactive play. A walk will not meet this need, but throwing a ball or frisbee might. The exuberance of youth will turn into obnoxious attention-seeking behavior if the dog's or cat's needs are not met. Structured time for play and attention provides an outlet for the pet but also ensures that the person does not feel guilty when he or she wants some quiet, non-pet time. Play provides an opportunity to strengthen the pet-person bond. That strengthened bond, coupled with an improved understanding of the pet's needs and behaviors, will make the person more patient with the pet and more receptive to its needs. All of these should decrease the pet's need to solicit attention through inappropriate or undesirable behaviors.
Whenever the person and pet are not interacting during the scheduled times, some mechanism must be used to reinforce the pet's good behavior and discourage its undesirable behavior. If the cat or dog demands attention by using one of the behaviors described previously, the person should ignore the pet. If the pet backs off or sits down and awaits the person's attentions, the pet should be commended and petted or caressed. If the person wants to then interact extensively with the pet, that's fine; but the point is that the person should be allowed to say no without being mauled or bothered.
Regardless, do not push the pet down. If the pet does not automatically back off, slough the animal off (stand up or back up and let them fall off) and say, "No! Down." As soon as the dog backs off, have the dog sit (cats can be taught this, too, but people generally do not seem to be as interested in training cats) and say, "Good dog (cat)". If the dog acts like a jack-in-the-box and comes back jumping, move further away and refuse to interact until the dog sits. Then repeat the reward. If the person is consistent, the pet will eventually learn. It is important that the person not push the pet down or shove it away using his or her feet. Dogs, especially, will interpret this as play and, rather than being corrected, will interpret the correction as fun.
Cats are very adept at getting people to play with them using their feet; every time the person moves his or her foot, the cat plays back by grabbing him or her again. It is important to stand still to dissuade the cat. If the cat persists, startle it. Use the minimum amount of startle necessary to get the animal to stop the behavior. Remember, the object is not to cause a fear or anxiety disorder. Once the cat stops the undesirable behavior, redirect its activity to a toy. Cats often nibble on their people for attention either when they are sitting in the person's lap or when the person is asleep. Any cat that does this should be unceremoniously dumped from the lap or bounced from the bed by moving the bed covers. It is important that the cat not be able to misinterpret the person's response as play.
If these measures do not correct the behavior, it is time to intensify your response. Get an air canister (the pressurized air used to clean computers and cameras), a foghorn, or a battery-operated water pistol. Use a holster and keep the behavior modification device of choice handy. If more than one person is being victimized, everyone needs to be so equipped. As soon as the cat or dog even looks like it might push on you or swat at you, startle the animal with the air canister or the water pistol. The earlier in the sequence of the attention-seeking behaviors that interruption occurs, the better the response.
If you need to be reminded to pay close attention to the pet, sew a bell to its collar. The point of any of these devices is to startle the animal sufficiently so that it aborts the behavior and leaves. As soon as you see the animal again, ask it to do a more appropriate behavior and reward it.
If the pet becomes aggressive when you ask it to perform a deferential behavior (e.g., sitting), more severe problems than attention-seeking behavior exist and you should get help in dealing with them.
If the pet still persists and is not aggressive, consider banishing the animal to another, neutral room. You can effectively banish aggressive pets by removing yourself to a place they cannot go. Remember, these pets are desperate for attention, and the worst punishment that they can receive is to be deprived of the potential to get attention. Do not cuddle them or verbally reassure them that you are not a bad person while you are doing this; this only either reinforces the undesirable behavior or sends mixed signals. Do not leave them in isolation. Give them the chance to demonstrate that they have corrected the behavior. When they are good, let them out and ask them to do a more appropriate behavior (sitting or waiting for grooming) and then reward them. Remember not to let the animal out until it has stopped any inappropriate attention-seeking behaviors, including meowing and barking.
The final step is the easiest and most frequently ignored: reward the pet when it is calm. People tend to ignore these pets when they are sleeping or being good because they are so used to them being pests and do not want to disturb them. This is unfortunate because this is the perfect time to talk calmly to the pet and, if the animal is stretched out, to rub its belly or gently massage it. The pet is now doing exactly what you wish it would do more often-encourage it! Tell the animal it is terrific and give it a food treat.
Finally, for dogs, this type of appropriate behavior can be reinforced daily by requiring that the dog briefly defer to you by sitting and staying for anything it may want. This includes love, grooming, eating, going out, playing, having a leash put on, being petted, or even having a wound examined. This is an excellent start to getting a dog to take all the cues as to the appropriateness of its behavior from you. All dogs should learn this, and any dog older than 6 weeks of age can learn it quickly. Make sure that as soon as the dog's bottom does hit the ground, you tell it that it is wonderful.
CHECKLIST
[] 1. Regular interaction schedule
15 minutes in the morning
15 minutes in the evening
[] 2. Correct with saying "no" and sloughing off. Redirect activity to more appropriate objects (toys).
[] 3. Do not push down.
[] 4. If the behavior persists, use a battery-operated water pistol, a foghorn, or an air canister. Use these judi-
ciously and do not use a foghorn if any animal in the house is afraid of noises, if there is a young baby, or if your neighbors would be disturbed.
[] 5. If the behavior still persists-banish the pet. Release and reinforce the good behavior with a command and reward the pet when it is quiet.
[] 6. Reward the pet whenever it is quiet and calm.
[] 7. For dogs, reinforce at all times that the dog must sit and stay for anything it wants.
This is the cat speaking. Why won't people get up and play with me when it is early? You would think they would get me some catnip mousies or some other toys so that I could bat them around the room. Also, there should always be some good dry food like Science Diet and lots of fresh water around and a window I can look out of. Oh, and I would like a round cat bed to curl up in, and I would also like a toy dangling from a string to play with. Well, thats about it for now. Love, your cat.
hmmm.simple answer bud- SHUT UR DOOR
Mine did this to the point where we almost got rid of them as they would not let us sleep. We then decided to keep them awake in the evenings, so from when I get home from work they are not allowed to sleep, I play with them, if they start sleeping I pick them up and make the run around chasing toys, it is hard to keep them awake but it does work, if they do not sleep between the hours of 6pm and 11pm, they generally sleep the whole night through.
Ya know, that's not a bad suggestion AmericanG...except that he already stated the cat scratches the door when it's closed. Ahem.
I'd just like to say I'm SO glad neither of my cats do this. I'm not a cheerful person when woke up too soon.
I think your cat is possessed. In the old old days , your cat soul were an alarm Clock someone set it on 4 am , then the alarm clock just died and its soul travel and sets into your cat ..
Next time your cat came to wake you at 4 am , press on his head it might pause ... :))
My cats do this every so often but that because my boyf gets up at 5 every week day. it's just their routine. however, I find that whe I started letting them out over night things got better. I feed tham about 9 at night and it keeps them going..
He obviously wants to go out for something, a wander round his territory or to answer a call of nature.
Firstly, does he have access to a litter tray? if not, get one.
Secondly, is it possible to have a cat flap fitted in an outside door? The only other thing is to leave him out all night, no harm will come to him (if he watches the road!) cats are very resilient and will always find shelter if needed.
Your ex should then start to get a good nights sleep!
I had a cat that did use to do that only because I woke up at five in the morning to get ready for school till one day i pushed out side and he stopped.
I am having the exact same problem with my 13 year old female cat. I don't know what it is, either. We also went to see the vet, just to be sure there was no health problem. She is losing most of her teeth, so I thought maybe she was having a problem with the dry food, and stepped up her canned food to several feedings a day instead of two. That has helped some, but she still does it (and yes it is right around 4:00 am). Maybe we should start a "Sleepless in Catsville" club!
he needs a company,,get a 5-6 months old kitten for him,,than,, he and the kitten will be happy ,I got the problem to,,your cat is feeling himself lonely,,,
he is just bein ur furry alarm clock, ive got 4 of them who get me up at 5am, one is a siamese so she shouts at me as well until i either play with her or get up and feed her. im 7 mths pregnant so its not funny at the moment, I NEED SLEEP. i wouldnt be without them tho.
Cat brains are about the size of a walnut. They're basically creatures of habit. Once they figure out they can get your attention at 4am, they'll file that away in their walnut until 4am rolls around again.
They're also eternal optimists. If you avoid making contact at 4am, they might forget in a few months.
Leave some toys near your door, maybe it will distract your cat so it won't bother you
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May be is he looking for attention, but I have had thim for 11 years and he started to do this may be six months ago only. His health is ok, recently went to vet.
Answers:
My cat used to wake me up at all silly hours of the morn, they just wanted to go out, so now they stay out all night and I get a miaow at the front door in the morn - after having a peaceful nights sleep!!
my cats are three years old an both in the habit of scratching at my door at excactly 6am.. they have done this in the past for periods of time at different times of the day.. i tend to find its following on from my routine.. through work i got up for 5 mornings o a row at 6,. now that are doing it!
Maybe it's the time the cats wanna wake their owners up. Cause I got the same thing with the cats in my family.
Your lucky this only recently started after 11 years mine does it every night for her whole life. They sleep all day basically and that's what time they are awake and want to play-I get it at 3am on the dot give or take 5 minutes.
If he is old he probably wants the company. Does he still go outside - can you not leave him out overnightor put him in a room where him scratching cannot be heard by you. Perhaps get him a nice comfy bed and some company toys.
Reset his alarm clock for seven
give it a kick up the ar.se and send it to the chinky's they'll make good use of the wee fecker
get him sniped that will sort your problem but watch his diet he may put a little weight on.
Mine does it about 4:30 am and she gets on the bed and licks my face until I wake up... After working out there was no physical reason for it (i.e. no need for food, water, invading cats etc) I started to keep her awake during the day when she did that, she has since stopped doing it (after 4 months of waking her during the day if she wakes in the morning)
Most cats do this I think. That is why at night we keep the cat in the lounge or conservatory downstairs, so that she cannot wake us up at an unreasonable hour. Well cats have no awareness much of time so..
Cats are very intelligent. Was there ever a time that you regularly woke up at 4AM? There are also other factors that can cause this. Is there anything that makes a certain type of noise that can either make them feel the need to wake you up or perhaps upsets them, such as a garbage truck, passing traffic, perhaps they hear a neighbors alarm clock which a human could not hear from a distance? My cat used to wake me up when someone delivered a newspaper to my neighbor at 5:30 every morning. I cured it by taking the cat out just before 5:30 and let her see the person who delivered the paper and what they were delivering, from that point on, she knew what the sound was and she let me sleep.
My cat is 5 years old and she does the same thing evey so often then she stops and I just wake up and pet her and play with her, also give her some catnip and she tends to calm down so I can get some more sleep. Have you tried getting him a companion of his own to see if that will settle him down? Some times that will divert his attention and then after he gets to know his new companion they will before long end up cuddled up together and he may sleep better.
I read a similiar problem in a magazine and the vet said you need to squirt them with a water pistol when they do it (seriously!) They will soon get the message that at 4am you are NOT wanting to play. He also said to make sure they have plenty of stimulation throughout the day so when night time comes they wont get bored.
I had that problem for a while with my kitten (he is not yet a year old) when he didn't get enough attention / play for a while. He would wake me up at exactly one hour before my alarm was set to go off (which time does not change, I guess he learned the timing of it somehow). It's not as bad as 4.00 a.m., but it's still very frustrating, because by the time I have settled him down somehow, I'm already alert. and by the time I manage to fall asleep again, I have about 20 minutes left, say, and waking up that soon is not a lot of fun.
What I did was that I took care to play with him in the evening, before we both go to bed. If he has fallen asleep earlier, I gently prod him awake (by using his toys and moving them before his nose until he decides correctly I am not going to let him sleep right then). A couple of nights I needed to play with him for almost an hour at a time, afterwards he got tired faster (I know he has had enough when he goes to his food and eats some - play = hunt, and when they have hunted enough, they eat, and then rest).
But again, mine is a kitten. I have no idea what would start such behaviour in a much older cat. I hope I help at least somewhat.
Good luck!
probably wants attention or food. get a large dog crate and a small litter box and put the cat in there before you go to bed and you won't have to be woken up. tha't what we do if our cats are making a lot of noise at night.
Many dogs and cats are very attached to their people and often solicit attention from them. The manner in which they do so can affect the manner in which the people interact with them. Pets that receive little attention from clients, those that are particularly needy for attention, or those that may never have had any guidelines set about acceptable behavior may resort to extremes to get attention.
Dogs may jump on their people, constantly nudge them, pull at their clothing, nip at them, or bark at them. Cats may scratch people, paw at them, pull their clothing, howl, pounce, or stroll up and down their person's body when that person is asleep. Sometimes pets become destructive or eliminate in inappropriate places. Both cats and dogs can learn to steal objects or knock them from forbidden surfaces if this gets them attention. Many cats scratch furniture because they know that it will result in someone chasing them.
It is important to remember that if an animal is severely needy of attention, for whatever reason, it will get that attention by any means possible. For an animal that craves attention, even negative attention is better than none. There is a parallel with children: if a kick is the only attention a young child receives, he or she will return for that kick. It is important that pets do not learn that misbehavior is the best way to satisfy their need for attention. This is particularly true for the pets that are overly anxious. These animals are not just misbehaving--they are abnormal, and negative attention can worsen their behavior. Many aggressive dogs are anxious.
The biggest obstacle in treating this mild but annoying behavioral problem is not the pet-it is our own tendency to automatically reach out and touch any animal that brushes against us. We are more likely to do this especially if our defenses are down-when we are reading a newspaper, napping, or watching television. Cats and dogs know this and take advantage of it. If the problem is bad enough to be annoying, people must be vigilant if they are to correct it.
The mode for the treatment of attention-seeking behavior is the same as for prevention. Although most attention-seeking behaviors are not dangerous, like aggression, they are annoying, and annoying behaviors prompt complaints. Annoying behaviors cause people to take their pets to shelters. It is critical to control such behaviors. Fortunately, this is not difficult.
First, people should establish a regular schedule of interaction. Some degree of predictability is particularly important for anxious animals. The person should focus on the pet at a regular time for at least 15 minutes twice a day. Scheduling this interaction makes it easier to do and allows both the person and the pet to look forward to it. During this time the pet could be taught obedience exercises (cats learn to fetch quite well for a food treat) or tricks (the American Humane Society has a videotape on this subject) or could be walked or encouraged to participate in aerobic exercise. The latter could be good for both the client and the pet. Some people who have treadmills can teach their larger dogs to use them. For people and pets with more sedentary style, the attention can involve grooming, massage, or petting and talking. Behavior modification exercises designed to teach a pet to sit, stay, and relax can help. It is important to tailor the type of interaction to both the person's and the pet's needs. Very young puppies and kittens have a huge requirement for aerobic, interactive play. A walk will not meet this need, but throwing a ball or frisbee might. The exuberance of youth will turn into obnoxious attention-seeking behavior if the dog's or cat's needs are not met. Structured time for play and attention provides an outlet for the pet but also ensures that the person does not feel guilty when he or she wants some quiet, non-pet time. Play provides an opportunity to strengthen the pet-person bond. That strengthened bond, coupled with an improved understanding of the pet's needs and behaviors, will make the person more patient with the pet and more receptive to its needs. All of these should decrease the pet's need to solicit attention through inappropriate or undesirable behaviors.
Whenever the person and pet are not interacting during the scheduled times, some mechanism must be used to reinforce the pet's good behavior and discourage its undesirable behavior. If the cat or dog demands attention by using one of the behaviors described previously, the person should ignore the pet. If the pet backs off or sits down and awaits the person's attentions, the pet should be commended and petted or caressed. If the person wants to then interact extensively with the pet, that's fine; but the point is that the person should be allowed to say no without being mauled or bothered.
Regardless, do not push the pet down. If the pet does not automatically back off, slough the animal off (stand up or back up and let them fall off) and say, "No! Down." As soon as the dog backs off, have the dog sit (cats can be taught this, too, but people generally do not seem to be as interested in training cats) and say, "Good dog (cat)". If the dog acts like a jack-in-the-box and comes back jumping, move further away and refuse to interact until the dog sits. Then repeat the reward. If the person is consistent, the pet will eventually learn. It is important that the person not push the pet down or shove it away using his or her feet. Dogs, especially, will interpret this as play and, rather than being corrected, will interpret the correction as fun.
Cats are very adept at getting people to play with them using their feet; every time the person moves his or her foot, the cat plays back by grabbing him or her again. It is important to stand still to dissuade the cat. If the cat persists, startle it. Use the minimum amount of startle necessary to get the animal to stop the behavior. Remember, the object is not to cause a fear or anxiety disorder. Once the cat stops the undesirable behavior, redirect its activity to a toy. Cats often nibble on their people for attention either when they are sitting in the person's lap or when the person is asleep. Any cat that does this should be unceremoniously dumped from the lap or bounced from the bed by moving the bed covers. It is important that the cat not be able to misinterpret the person's response as play.
If these measures do not correct the behavior, it is time to intensify your response. Get an air canister (the pressurized air used to clean computers and cameras), a foghorn, or a battery-operated water pistol. Use a holster and keep the behavior modification device of choice handy. If more than one person is being victimized, everyone needs to be so equipped. As soon as the cat or dog even looks like it might push on you or swat at you, startle the animal with the air canister or the water pistol. The earlier in the sequence of the attention-seeking behaviors that interruption occurs, the better the response.
If you need to be reminded to pay close attention to the pet, sew a bell to its collar. The point of any of these devices is to startle the animal sufficiently so that it aborts the behavior and leaves. As soon as you see the animal again, ask it to do a more appropriate behavior and reward it.
If the pet becomes aggressive when you ask it to perform a deferential behavior (e.g., sitting), more severe problems than attention-seeking behavior exist and you should get help in dealing with them.
If the pet still persists and is not aggressive, consider banishing the animal to another, neutral room. You can effectively banish aggressive pets by removing yourself to a place they cannot go. Remember, these pets are desperate for attention, and the worst punishment that they can receive is to be deprived of the potential to get attention. Do not cuddle them or verbally reassure them that you are not a bad person while you are doing this; this only either reinforces the undesirable behavior or sends mixed signals. Do not leave them in isolation. Give them the chance to demonstrate that they have corrected the behavior. When they are good, let them out and ask them to do a more appropriate behavior (sitting or waiting for grooming) and then reward them. Remember not to let the animal out until it has stopped any inappropriate attention-seeking behaviors, including meowing and barking.
The final step is the easiest and most frequently ignored: reward the pet when it is calm. People tend to ignore these pets when they are sleeping or being good because they are so used to them being pests and do not want to disturb them. This is unfortunate because this is the perfect time to talk calmly to the pet and, if the animal is stretched out, to rub its belly or gently massage it. The pet is now doing exactly what you wish it would do more often-encourage it! Tell the animal it is terrific and give it a food treat.
Finally, for dogs, this type of appropriate behavior can be reinforced daily by requiring that the dog briefly defer to you by sitting and staying for anything it may want. This includes love, grooming, eating, going out, playing, having a leash put on, being petted, or even having a wound examined. This is an excellent start to getting a dog to take all the cues as to the appropriateness of its behavior from you. All dogs should learn this, and any dog older than 6 weeks of age can learn it quickly. Make sure that as soon as the dog's bottom does hit the ground, you tell it that it is wonderful.
CHECKLIST
[] 1. Regular interaction schedule
15 minutes in the morning
15 minutes in the evening
[] 2. Correct with saying "no" and sloughing off. Redirect activity to more appropriate objects (toys).
[] 3. Do not push down.
[] 4. If the behavior persists, use a battery-operated water pistol, a foghorn, or an air canister. Use these judi-
ciously and do not use a foghorn if any animal in the house is afraid of noises, if there is a young baby, or if your neighbors would be disturbed.
[] 5. If the behavior still persists-banish the pet. Release and reinforce the good behavior with a command and reward the pet when it is quiet.
[] 6. Reward the pet whenever it is quiet and calm.
[] 7. For dogs, reinforce at all times that the dog must sit and stay for anything it wants.
This is the cat speaking. Why won't people get up and play with me when it is early? You would think they would get me some catnip mousies or some other toys so that I could bat them around the room. Also, there should always be some good dry food like Science Diet and lots of fresh water around and a window I can look out of. Oh, and I would like a round cat bed to curl up in, and I would also like a toy dangling from a string to play with. Well, thats about it for now. Love, your cat.
hmmm.simple answer bud- SHUT UR DOOR
Mine did this to the point where we almost got rid of them as they would not let us sleep. We then decided to keep them awake in the evenings, so from when I get home from work they are not allowed to sleep, I play with them, if they start sleeping I pick them up and make the run around chasing toys, it is hard to keep them awake but it does work, if they do not sleep between the hours of 6pm and 11pm, they generally sleep the whole night through.
Ya know, that's not a bad suggestion AmericanG...except that he already stated the cat scratches the door when it's closed. Ahem.
I'd just like to say I'm SO glad neither of my cats do this. I'm not a cheerful person when woke up too soon.
I think your cat is possessed. In the old old days , your cat soul were an alarm Clock someone set it on 4 am , then the alarm clock just died and its soul travel and sets into your cat ..
Next time your cat came to wake you at 4 am , press on his head it might pause ... :))
My cats do this every so often but that because my boyf gets up at 5 every week day. it's just their routine. however, I find that whe I started letting them out over night things got better. I feed tham about 9 at night and it keeps them going..
He obviously wants to go out for something, a wander round his territory or to answer a call of nature.
Firstly, does he have access to a litter tray? if not, get one.
Secondly, is it possible to have a cat flap fitted in an outside door? The only other thing is to leave him out all night, no harm will come to him (if he watches the road!) cats are very resilient and will always find shelter if needed.
Your ex should then start to get a good nights sleep!
I had a cat that did use to do that only because I woke up at five in the morning to get ready for school till one day i pushed out side and he stopped.
I am having the exact same problem with my 13 year old female cat. I don't know what it is, either. We also went to see the vet, just to be sure there was no health problem. She is losing most of her teeth, so I thought maybe she was having a problem with the dry food, and stepped up her canned food to several feedings a day instead of two. That has helped some, but she still does it (and yes it is right around 4:00 am). Maybe we should start a "Sleepless in Catsville" club!
he needs a company,,get a 5-6 months old kitten for him,,than,, he and the kitten will be happy ,I got the problem to,,your cat is feeling himself lonely,,,
he is just bein ur furry alarm clock, ive got 4 of them who get me up at 5am, one is a siamese so she shouts at me as well until i either play with her or get up and feed her. im 7 mths pregnant so its not funny at the moment, I NEED SLEEP. i wouldnt be without them tho.
Cat brains are about the size of a walnut. They're basically creatures of habit. Once they figure out they can get your attention at 4am, they'll file that away in their walnut until 4am rolls around again.
They're also eternal optimists. If you avoid making contact at 4am, they might forget in a few months.
Leave some toys near your door, maybe it will distract your cat so it won't bother you
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