This is the point where I should be saying “I am the human. I am in charge here!” but apparently I’m not yet ready to put that plan into action.
Boots hardly ever goes downstairs except to go to the bathroom. It’s hard for me to put him in the sewing room at night because I know he doesn’t really like going in there . . which is my fault because I’ve let him stay upstairs. You never miss what you never had, right? If I’d kept putting him in the sewing room at night, I wouldn’t be dealing with this.
I sleep with the bedroom door closed so either Boot stays in the bedroom with me (though not in my bed), he has the run of the house (not happening) or he gets put in the sewing room.
The first few nights he slept in the bedroom, he found a comfy spot in the closet – probably in a box of clothes because I never could find him. Then he started sleeping under our bed. This entire week, he’s gotten up between 4 and 5:15 a.m. I’m ok with anything after 5:15 but this morning, it was 4:15 when he got up. He doesn’t have to go to the bathroom . . he just wakes up. I open the bedroom door, let him out, go back to bed, start wondering what he’s getting into and end up getting up.
The last couple of nights I’ve played with him with the laser light off an on from about 10 to midnight. I keep it by my chair so I can get him running and exercising without much interruption to my cross stitching or knitting. So far, that hasn’t helped him stay asleep later though.
Getting up early isn’t totally bad. By 5:30 a.m., I had the second load of laundry going.
I need to figure out how to keep Boots awake during the day, or at least during the evening.
I looked down at him to see what he was doing . . at 5:15 a.m., he was ready to go to sleep. Yes, Boots . . me too!
Dottie Newkirk says
That’s a cat for you, LOL. Have a great Saturday!
Elle says
I’ve had indoor cats since I was 10yo. Cats sleep about 16h a day. No matter how much hubster keeps our current cat awake (even midnight), it does not stop her early morning “prowl and yowl”. She also always comes in and does a brief “yowl” about 10m after I go to bed. She lasts about 5m and then she’s gone. Cats have never been allowed on our bed however, they do get the run of our home.
Good luck with training. I hope to hear from you if something you try works!
Twyla says
At our house it is Mavis our little chiweenie getting up several times at night to go out. Not to take care of business but to sniff out the other dogs who have strolled thru our yard. If she sleeps with me (not often) I take her out once about 1:30 and after that time I just say no lay down. James takes her out as often as she wants out. With a cat OMGosh!! Maybe you should get firm (lol) with him about sleeping in the sewing room so you can rest. Or plan for napping. Wahaaaa! I am laughing as I type. Controlling a cat. Wahaaaa!
Linda in NE says
Hate to tell you this, but as a cat, Boots is now in charge. If you can figure out how to keep him awake all day so he sleeps a little later in the morning, please tell me how you did it. I have two of the little monsters and they like to wake me up in the middle of the night to let them outside. Then chances are an hour or two later they wake me up by scratching on the door because they want back in.
wanda jordan says
Look on you tube for videos of birds flying and singing, try maybe videos of fish swimming. See if he will watch that. Also do you have bird feeder close to a window he can watch?. I put one close then sat George’s cat tree in front of window keeps him busy watching it . Do you spray his toys with catnip? What about giving him treats? I do greenies with catnip makes mine playful. Boots might not ever be playful. He was in sewing room and had to entertain himself when you weren’t in there. Beside cats just sleep a lot. I think average is 22 hours a day. Don’t ask me about getting up time. Mine gets up at 5:30 each day too. When time changes its 4:30. And if dark outside he really gets time messed up. I feed him 5:30 am and 5:30 pm. Cats are weird. Some are playful, talkitve and love being close to sleep some don’t.
Judy Laquidara says
He will sometimes watch youtube but not much and not long. Yes, there are bird feeders outside all the sewing room windows and he does watch those. No treats. I don’t give Rita or Boots treats. I have a hard enough time trusting storebought food (and make Rita’s food), I’m not risking adding something they don’t HAVE to have.