My cat is driving me CRAZY! Help?

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Pandacinny

Pandacinny

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I recently adopted a 16 year old cat. She's very sweet and gets along well with everyone in the house. In general, she's easy to take care of. She has developed one really annoying trait, however, that is disrupting my life HUGELY.

First some background: Every morning and night, she gets some cosequin in canned food. She LOVES the canned food. So much so that she's figured out my work schedule and will wake me up AN HOUR before my alarm goes off. She will literally stand at my door meowing (she has a really grating, awful meow, too) the ENTIRE TIME until I get up and feed her. If I woke up for work at say 7:00 or 8:00 am, this wouldn't be a huge deal. I currently have to get up between 4:30a and 5:00a and having my cat wake me (and my roommate and neighbors) up at 3:30 in the morning is NOT okay.

What do I do here? I can, theoretically, give her the cosequin in one dose only at night. However, she's used to getting canned food every morning now, so I don't think she's going to just let it go quietly. I've been trying to sleep through the meowing, but am just not able to and the lack of sleep from this is really getting to me (this morning, for example, she meowed off and on as loud as she could for an hour and a half. Cats have no concept of weekends. 🙄) My vet suggested trying an automatic feeder so she doesn't associate the canned food with me and so doesn't feel the need to wake me up. I tried looking for one, but most of them seem to only work for dry food.

Any suggestions would by hugely appreciated!
 
I don't really have a suggestion for you, just wanted to tell you that you are not alone. My Siamese wakes me up EVERY morning 1 to 2 hours before my alarm. He will sit on the bed-side table next to my head and scream over and over. If i lock him out of the bedroom, he jumps at the door and clings to the handle making a horrible bu-bump noise.
Maybe get an extra litter box and water bowl for your bathroom and put your kitty in there for that last hour so u can get some shut eye. My cat instantly quiets down in the bathroom; i think he knows that any of his efforts, at that point, are futile.
 
Well, one of my cats wakes me up every morning about an hour early for his *dry* food even though he usually has wet food left over from the night before. 🙄 I don't have any words of advice since I've tried everything myself and the only thing he is happy with is food 24/7, which I am NOT doing. I don't have any roommates and no neighbors can hear him (at least I don't think so) so I just ignore him and lose some sleep. I am not succumbing to him! Well, most of the time I don't ... 😛

He's a year old Siamese (oh god, 15 more years of this!) and has a terrible, terrible habit of meowing and finding ANY plastic (such as plastic bags or wrappers, even get in the trash to get stuff) and crumple them until you are annoyed enough to get up. 😡 When I had my suit hanging up for my interviews in the plastic cover it came with, he found the plastic hanging in the closet and would play with that. Argh! I always take care of the plastic around but geez, I didn't think of that one. It had some nice rips and chew marks in it, thankfully not my suit though. 😱

The kicker? You get up and give him the food and a few minutes later he's happy and back in bed with you, purring and snuggling. All is well in the world ... he's got his food in the dish. 😎

It could be worse! Meowing, scratching, and finding other irritating and loud things to do. Plastic crunching sounds REALLY loud an hour before you have to get up.

The bathroom idea is good but I just feed mine dry in the morning anyways so its just as easy for me to dump dry food in the dish than stick him in the bathroom. Thank god the two year old Siamese isn't like this ... darn smart buggers.
 
Don't you just love Siamese? When they are good they are SO good, but when they want to make trouble LOOK OUT!

I wouldn't trade mine for the world though, no matter how much sleep I lose because of him 😍
 
Yikes, I thought my cat was bad... he wakes me up a few times every night "attacking" my legs. But once I grab him and put him on the floor a few times, he generally gets the hint and stops. I keep telling myself it's because he's still a kitten, so we'll see how that goes in another few months. 🙄 Hopefully he won't stop that just to start something worse, like waking me at ungodly hours for food.
 
I just thought it is funny that....as I am reading this thread, my cat is in the background meowing like crazy! I feed him canned food as a treat every once in a while, and I keep it in a particular cabinet. EVERY time I go near that stupid cabinet (as I just did), the meowing begins and doesn't stop until I give in! 😀

I don't know if you guys have seen that family guy episode when Stewie repeatedly calls for his mom, but does this sound familiar?? :laugh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sumoyp61rGg&feature=related

(ignore the fastforward and slow ones....couldn't find the original)
 
I went to automatic feeder route. It wouldn't work for canned food, but its ok for dry. Helps some, but the bugger would still come meow a lot. So I changed his feedings from a nicely spaced 1/8 c 4x daily 6 hrs apart to feeding him at midnight, 4am, and 5:30am. Then again at 6pm. This way he at least has a shot of not waking me up at 5am. He still does it sometimes, though. I've started thinking now that he wakes me up at that time because he's decided he wants a snuggle buddy then (he isn't allowed in the bedroom).

Of course, he and my little girl are staying with my mom and dad right now as we're getting ready to put our house on the market, so I have a little break from it for now,
 
Sorry, no helpful advice here... but this is one of my favorites!

[YOUTUBE]<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w0ffwDYo00Q&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w0ffwDYo00Q&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]

Rats, don't think it worked and it is late, so here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q
It is "Simon's Cat" on You Tube.
 
My cat used to do the same thing. My advice is the same as the others. Automatic feeder. Despite my cat being really annoying and finicky sometimes I still miss her. We had her for 17yrs and had to put her down 4 months ago but I still catch myself looking for her sometimes.🙁 Enjoy your cat as much as you can while she's being sweet. It makes the early mornings a tiny bit easier.😴


R.I.P.
Christina Louise
+pity+
 
my cat wakes me up 1-2 hours before my alarm as well, every morning. He sits on me and meows, and if that doesn't work, he does things to annoy me, such as jumping at the doorknob, or using his front paws to push the picture frames off the wall. Also, once you feed him, he scarfs it and then comes back to yell at me again, this time to get up and play with him. My mom sometimes has to get up at 4 for her job, and so my cat hears her moving around downstairs and decides that I should get up at 4 as well. OP, you have my sympathy.
 
Wow - it sounds as though I may be stuck with a noisy, annoying cat! Oh well, at least she's sweet and cuddly when she's not being loud.
 
Automatic feeder -- tried that, didn't work. 🙁 The cats can get food out of it when they want to by sticking their paws up and grabbing food out of it. I tried different models, read up on all of them available at Amazon and not one of them is cat proof for me. They just snacked all day whenever they wanted it. It worked for a week or so and then they figured it out (well, one did. the one that doesn't meow for food in the morning or crinkle paper/plastic). Different models, same thing. There is one model out there that is expensive and you have to set it up yourself sort of (it's not made by a normal pet company) but it's made so that they can't get their paw up it. Ugh, but I gave up on them. :laugh:

TractorKid, yes I love them so much! 😍 Even if I do lose sleep and they are annoying sometimes 😛. They are beautiful and are so much company! I'm never without a companion around the house. And they are almost like dogs! My beagle/aussie gets tormented by the older one when he (the dog) doesn't feel like playing with the cat.

Pandacinny, kudos to you for getting an old kitty!!! If I had more $$ I would bring home all the elderly kitties. They are so sweet! Well, most of the time!!! 😉 I'm sorry I don't have any advice. I wish we could figure out a way to keep them quiet and happy.
 
My oldest cat thinks it's his job to get everyone up for school/work in the morning. He will into every room and scream at the top of his lungs until everyone is up. Then, he goes back to bed 😛. My mom has found this particularly annoying lately, as she has been getting up at 4:30 or 5 to go to work and so on days that she doesn't have to go in that early and sleeps in, he thinks she's late and freaks out!

Check out Kitty Wake-up Call:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl3YXbzzgdE
 
WishingnHoping said:
Automatic feeder -- tried that, didn't work. 🙁 The cats can get food out of it when they want to by sticking their paws up and grabbing food out of it. I tried different models, read up on all of them available at Amazon and not one of them is cat proof for me. They just snacked all day whenever they wanted it. It worked for a week or so and then they figured it out (well, one did. the one that doesn't meow for food in the morning or crinkle paper/plastic). Different models, same thing. There is one model out there that is expensive and you have to set it up yourself sort of (it's not made by a normal pet company) but it's made so that they can't get their paw up it. Ugh, but I gave up on them. :laugh:
Click to expand...

I wonder if the last one you're talking about is made by Superfeeder. We got that one for my big guy and it's really great (functionally). He can't knock it over, get the lid off, stick his paw up the chute to get more out, nothing.

I will, however, say that it's a HUGE pain in the a$$ to set up. It comes in pieces, the directions for assembly are quite poor (I think) with too much information that is confusingly worded, lots of pictures that are marginally useful (i.e. lots of close ups, but very few larger picture shots so you can see how all the components fit together), etc. That said, I did manage to assemble it with only one call to the help number. Then the controls for the amount of food to be dispensed at any given time are a pain to use. Both a positive and a negative to them, though, are that you can make as little or as much food come out at one time. You just need the patience to sit there and fiddle with it to get it just right. Also, the timer thing is a little tricky at first (again their directions kinda suck). But once you get it, it's not bad.

So, if you have the patience to get through the crappy set up and adjustment phases, it's a really great feeder. And on the plus side, once you've set it up (takes a few hours) you really don't have to muck around with it again.🙂

Ok, my boyfriend insisted that I edit this post to say that he thinks he could have set it up faster and with less issue (I assembled it when he was out of town). But he's an engineering type, so I'd say he's not the average target audience for these directions. So if you can find someone like him to put it together for you, all the better!😛
 
One of my cats is part siamese and he meows for everything. The funniest thing is that he sleeps with me every night, and if HE wants to go to bed for the night he won't go without me. He will find me wherever I am in the house, or even down at the barn outside, and meow non stop until I go to bed with him! My bed time depends on a cats! LOL. It's not a set time either, just when HE feels like going to bed! He also drives us a little crazy because he will meow to go outside and then run around the house to another door and meow to come back in. You let him back in, he runs to another door to go back out. :laugh:
I love him though😍
 
OSJ said:
He also drives us a little crazy because he will meow to go outside and then run around the house to another door and meow to come back in. You let him back in, he runs to another door to go back out. :laugh:
Click to expand...


lol, mine does that too, except it's the same door over and over again. He will to go out, turn around, yell to come in. He thinks it's a great game. (this is the same one that thinks it's his job to wake everyone up) You would never guess that he's around 17y.o.

My kitten on the other hand insists that the recycling must be sorted (paper separate from bottles), even though at the apartment recycling is combined in one dumpster. So, I'll gather up all the recycling and she'll go behind me and push all the bottles out. At least she puts away her toys at night though (even if sometimes that means putting them in my backpack😛)
 
VAgirl said:
I wonder if the last one you're talking about is made by Superfeeder. We got that one for my big guy and it's really great (functionally). He can't knock it over, get the lid off, stick his paw up the chute to get more out, nothing.
Click to expand...

🙂 That's the one!
 
maybe I am mean, but...
I keep my bedroom open and...
I keep a spray bottle full of water within arms reach while I sleep.

Any excessive meowing gets sprayed with water.

My cats (2) learned really quick not to wake me up 😀
 
chris03333 said:
maybe I am mean, but...
I keep my bedroom open and...
I keep a spray bottle full of water within arms reach while I sleep.

Any excessive meowing gets sprayed with water.

My cats (2) learned really quick not to wake me up 😀
Click to expand...

LOL! I do the SAME thing! It works great! My only cat is only about a year old though.. maybe it was easier to break the bad habit in a younger cat who hasn't developed a routine?

Before I had water bottles in the house, I used to just lock him up at night in a carrier so that I just couldn't be bothered period. I hope that is not too mean either?! He actually seemed to like it and would settle down nicely.
 
Cheska said:
Sorry, no helpful advice here... but this is one of my favorites!

[YOUTUBE]<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w0ffwDYo00Q&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w0ffwDYo00Q&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]

Rats, don't think it worked and it is late, so here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q
It is "Simon's Cat" on You Tube.
Click to expand...

And this was really really cute! 😍 (in a very annoying way of course.. hehe)
 
chris03333 said:
maybe I am mean, but...
I keep my bedroom open and...
I keep a spray bottle full of water within arms reach while I sleep.

Any excessive meowing gets sprayed with water.

My cats (2) learned really quick not to wake me up 😀
Click to expand...

:laugh: Yeah, I've attempted that too, but my cat LOVES the spray bottle! 🙄 He's the type that'll hop in the shower with you if you leave the door open. The penny in a can shaken up seems to do the trick, but my husband wants to smack me when I use it! 😀 My cat isn't that bad though, honestly. Its just every once in a while when he gets this way....when I haven't given him a treat in a while. I love him though and wouldn't trade him for the world. 😍
 
My kitten did the same thing, but I had a different way to resolve it than the automatic feeder, though it takes a lot of time and patience. I just ignored him. If he made any noise, I ignored him. If he made noise, I wouldn't feed him. Then when he was quiet, I would get the food and start to pour it into the measuring cup. If he made noise, I said "No!" and put it away. Then when he was quiet again I continued where I had left off before.
I didn't feed him until he stayed quiet, and after a few weeks it worked. Now he stays quiet and lets me sleep. Like I said, it takes a lot of time and patience, which I don't know if you have right now (I did this over my winter break while I didn't have classes). I just didn't want to purchase an automatic feeder, due to the cost. Whatever you decide, good luck! I know how frustrating it is!
 
chris03333 said:
maybe I am mean, but...
I keep my bedroom open and...
I keep a spray bottle full of water within arms reach while I sleep.

Any excessive meowing gets sprayed with water.

My cats (2) learned really quick not to wake me up 😀
Click to expand...

I'm thinking of trying this, actually.
 
cinc0009 said:
My kitten did the same thing, but I had a different way to resolve it than the automatic feeder, though it takes a lot of time and patience. I just ignored him. If he made any noise, I ignored him. If he made noise, I wouldn't feed him. Then when he was quiet, I would get the food and start to pour it into the measuring cup. If he made noise, I said "No!" and put it away. Then when he was quiet again I continued where I had left off before.
I didn't feed him until he stayed quiet, and after a few weeks it worked. Now he stays quiet and lets me sleep. Like I said, it takes a lot of time and patience, which I don't know if you have right now (I did this over my winter break while I didn't have classes). I just didn't want to purchase an automatic feeder, due to the cost. Whatever you decide, good luck! I know how frustrating it is!
Click to expand...

Right now, I'm trying to ignore her and see if that works, too. Provided that my neighbors don't complain, I'm going to keep trying it for a little while to see if it works. If it doesn't, though, I'm thinking of trying the squirt bottle method - provided it's not too stressful to my old kitty, of course. She's so cute. I have pictures of her here: http://dailyfloyd.blogspot.com
 
She doesn't look like a 16 year old kitty at all 😀
 
Before I moved in with my boyfriend my cats only got fed once a day in the evening (because of my older family dog who could only get fed once a day or he would poo in the house🙁) and I never got woke up in the mornings. However, my boyfriends cats got fed twice a day so thats the schedule I put my cats on. Well his cats act crazy for food in the morning and now my cats are learning the bad habits...I am not pleased.

We had to change there feeding schedule to noon and midnight, and feed them at lunchtime so we could sleep at through the morning (luckily our schedules differ enough that this works out).
 
Oh, I forgot to add that your cat is very cute and does not look her age😉
 
In response to a question on SO's Floyd log. A pet safe way to keep ants out of a water bowl is to get another bigger water bowl and put the original bowl inside. Fill the outer bowl until the water comes to the half mark on the inner bowl. This will create a moat and leave the inner bowl a safe drinking environment. I don't know how well this will work with a fountain style bowl. I would use a pie pan style bowl to minimize the obstruction of the inner bowl and perhaps accomodate possible shape issues with the fountain.
 
I just turn my fan on max power and lock the cat outside my room...usually works.
 
Thanks for the tip, Pouches Rock! I'm not sure if it was the weather or what, but the ants seem to have gone away on their own. I'm glad, too, they were a real pain.
 
Pandacinny said:
Right now, I'm trying to ignore her and see if that works, too. Provided that my neighbors don't complain, I'm going to keep trying it for a little while to see if it works. If it doesn't, though, I'm thinking of trying the squirt bottle method - provided it's not too stressful to my old kitty, of course. She's so cute. I have pictures of her here: http://dailyfloyd.blogspot.com
Click to expand...

My cat is like your cat's twin (obviously not the one in the avatar)...
 
Pandacinny, I feel for you. (Congrats, by the way, on adopting a 16-year-old cat!) One of our cats is super loud AND a face licker, so I know how annoying it can get. We have our cats on a feeding schedule, since some are on certain prescription diets and are fed separately. One thing that has helped to an extent is giving them a nighttime snack of some kibble, right before we go to bed. They're usually good until we wake up for work, around 5-5:30 a.m. The only time it's a problem is the one day per week that we have off and can sleep in, but even then they usually stop if we ignore them for a bit. We're OK as long as they don't see us open our eyes....🙂 Maybe a treat ball might help you get some additional sleep?

But just be glad that your cat doesn't do this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ONJfp95yoE
 
WishingnHoping said:
Automatic feeder -- tried that, didn't work. 🙁 The cats can get food out of it when they want to by sticking their paws up and grabbing food out of it. I tried different models, read up on all of them available at Amazon and not one of them is cat proof for me. They just snacked all day whenever they wanted it. It worked for a week or so and then they figured it out (well, one did. the one that doesn't meow for food in the morning or crinkle paper/plastic). Different models, same thing. There is one model out there that is expensive and you have to set it up yourself sort of (it's not made by a normal pet company) but it's made so that they can't get their paw up it. Ugh, but I gave up on them. :laugh:
Click to expand...
I have a friend with a rescued Egyptian Mau who has plumped up significantly after figuring out how to tease out kibble from his automatic feeder. I need to find some way to delicately let her know that if she wants him to lose weight she needs to start feeding him "manually" again or possibly consider the Superfeeder model...

I love cinc0009's suggestion (rewarding the cat only when s/he's quiet), but a lot of people probably don't have the patience for that.

I know water can be pretty effective in training cats. We used to squirt my cat in her younger days to teach her to leave the birds alone and after about age 1 she finally gave up.

Kudos for adopting a senior kitty, Pandacinny! Looks like retirement suits her just fine! 😀
 
Pandacinny said:
I'm thinking of trying this, actually.
Click to expand...

Worked on my rabbit. Not that he meows excessivly in the morning.

He would try to dig under my bed all the time. He has a lot of digging/chewing bunny safe alternatives in many bunny friendly locations and I'm not going to let him destroy my bed. So everytime he tried to eat/dig my bed he got squirted in the face via spray bottle. He got mad, but he quit. I was amused, he broke a bad habbit, everyone wins 🙂

edit: if he didn't learn from it, I was thinking of putting an annoying flavor/smell in the water. Good thing he picked up on it, I'm not sure what smell/flavor I would have used....
 
funny-pictures-black-cat-water-bottle-challenge.jpg
 
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