Today’s article will take from the “Life Tips” part of our website title, moving away from tech for just a moment (who knows, we might be able to throw some in there!).
Do you have a feline companion? One that will jump up onto the bed at some inordinate time in the morning just to wake you up and feed it? I do, and to say it’s annoying is truly an understatement.
I would like to present to you, eight ways to stop your beloved pet from waking you in the morning.
- Feed It Later In The Day – One of the main reasons a cat will come to see you in the morning is to tell you it’s hungry and wants to be fed. If you feed your cat early in the morning and then give it some dry food during the day, put in a smaller amount and feed the cat a little later than you normally would. Adding a small amount of dry feed before bed might placate the cat until which time you wake up and feed the animal it’s morning feed.
- Let Your Cat Out For The Afternoon/Evening – This point may or may not apply to your animals as you may decide you want them to be indoor pets. Cats when left alone will most likely take naps and sleep during the afternoon hours, awaking at night to simulate their nocturnal hunting around the house. If you are able to let your cat out later in the day and allow it to exercise and burn some energy doing different things, you may find the cat is less alert in the morning.
- Play With Your Cat – Playing with your cat is essential no matter whether your beloved pet is waking you up early or not. Interacting with your cat will encourage bonding, allow you to possibly train the cat and of course it will tire the cat out. Think of a cat as you would a child, stick a child in front of a TV and it will become bored and restless, the same happens with your cat. By all means get your cat some toys but don’t think they will replace real physical interaction.
- Take A Water Sprayer To Bed With You - This is a tried and tested method for many cat owners. Buying a small water sprayer and keeping it beside your bed can be handy when your cat is kneading you or sitting on you in the morning. A small spritz along with an audible “No” or “Shh” will disorient the cat and allow you to demonstrate it’s behaviour is not welcome. The same rule can be applied to cats who are shut out of the room but scratch at the door. N.B – This method is difficult for me because my cats love being in the shower and the sink!
- Shut The Door – Shutting the door can sometimes be all that your cat needs to get the hint but sometimes all it can do is add further annoyance to proceedings! I have read on other websites that having a fan by the door can help, as the cat will dislike having air blown in it’s face.
- Make Loud Noises – Cats hate loud noises, like banging, clapping and most definitely the Vacuum Hoover. If you own a handheld vacuum, use this to scare off the cat and show it that it’s behaviour is unacceptable.
- Carry The Cat Out Of The Room – Personally this has brought me little success. The little blighter is always half way back inside the room when I get back into bed. This, when coupled with the shutting of the door can be a useful deterrent.
- Change Your Behaviour Around The Cat – Cats are clever animals and will grow used to certain routines. By mixing up the points above, playing with the cat at different times and putting the cat out in the morning instead of the evening, you may notice a change in it’s behaviour. As with all animals, patience is the key.
Hopefully you will see a definite change in your pet if you use some of the suggestions mentioned above. Change might not come quickly but in most cases it will come. Remember that cats are not like dogs and don’t respond to a natural hierarchy, they operate on territories, meaning you should never physically harm a cat as all it will do is learn to fear you.
Being friendly with your cat and treating it with the respect it deserves will go much further than any drastic measure to curb their behaviour, and just remember they are only trying to be loving when they wake you up at that ungodly hour!
Please Note: These suggestions are merely suggestions. I accept no responsibility should you use these and one go wrong.
