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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

1089.0. "Grumpy Cat" by WELSWS::CLIFTON () Wed Feb 03 1988 11:49

	We live in a two bedroom house that does not have a back door.  This
means that we cannot put a catflap in.  Since our cats tend to start running
around at about 3.00 in the morning, we are forced to put them out (even though
we would prefer to keep them in).  Sooty, the most grown-up of our two cats,
knows when its time to go out and complains bitterly, growling and hissing.
She will sit on the sofa and refuse to move.  Even gentle coaxing does not work.
In the end we have to pick her up, growling and hissing, and put her out.  Sox,
our other one, doesn't like going out either but doesn't complain half as much.

	Has anyone else had this problem ??  We feel so terible putting them out
at night, especially in the colder months; but if we dont they tend to play in 
the early hours and we don't get any sleep.  Has anyone got any suggestions ??

Paul.
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1089.1Would you want to sleep outside??FIDDLE::GERRYGo ahead, make me PURRR...Wed Feb 03 1988 12:334
    How about putting them in the cellar, or in another room that can
    be closed off??
    
    
1089.2Kitty BedroomMED::SECRETARYWhat's snew?Wed Feb 03 1988 12:4812
    Our answer to this problem is to put Carrington and Colby "to bed"
    each night in the bathroom.
    
    We have a small night-light left on for them along with plenty of
    food, water and toys. They take turns sleeping in the sink and opening
    the cabinet door with their paws and watching it bounce shut.
    
    They are used to this arrangement, and know when they hear, "time
    for *aaalll* kities to go to bed" in a high kitty-owner voice that
    it's time to go into *their* room.
    
    -Chris
1089.3CIRCUS::KOLLINGKaren, Sweetie, Holly; in Calif.Wed Feb 03 1988 15:173
    Try tuckering them out with games in the evening so they'll sleep
    thru the night.
    
1089.4I know how you feel...FSHQOA::RWAXMANWed Feb 03 1988 15:1925
    I can sympathize with your situation.  My kitty, Chauncey, is a
    terror when we are asleep.  If we close the bedroom door, he scratches
    at it until we acknowledge his presence, and if we leave it open
    he claws the bed in an effort to wake us up.  Usually, he wants
    nothing more than some attention, but it got to the point where
    I was getting up three to four times a night catering to his every
    whim and desire.  Finally, I decided to keep him outside in an effort
    to have a peaceful night's sleep.  Since I live in an apartment
    building, I prop open the main door of the building for him so he
    can get back in and he sleeps in the hallway until I wake up and
    let him back inside.  Everyone in my building just loves him, and
    he loves to be out at night - does not put up a fuss AT ALL.
    
    We will be moving soon into a new townhouse with a cellar and plan
    to keep him down there at night if he does not want to go outside.
    I think the suggestion of confining the cats to another room in
    the house is a good one - just make sure it is as far away from
    the bedroom as possible so you don't hear the "I want to get out"
    noises.
    
    Good luck!  Let us know what happens, as many of us have this same
    problem with our kitties.
    
    /Roberta
    
1089.6Third shift solutionRHODES::WARDTrouble follows me everywhereThu Feb 04 1988 04:0510
    Working third shift would solve the problem of being woke up at
    3:00 in the morning :-) .  Seriously though, my hubby hasn't complained
    about Trouble waking him up until 6:05 when she starts walking across
    his pillow.  She does however try to wake me in the early afternoon.
    I've just recently tried ignoring her (she usually wants to share/steal
    my pillow to sleep on).  So far it isn't working but you give me
    hope Karen.  All the ideas so far sound good.  
    
    Bernice
    Mother of Trouble
1089.7A Bedroom all their ownWELSWS::CLIFTONPole-vaulting pussyThu Feb 04 1988 08:2922
	Thanks alot for all your suggestions, I'll see if I can try some out.
Unfortunately, unlike some of the decent sized houses you have across the water,
we dont have anything close to resembling a cellar or basement (We have a small
house, and I mean really small; I just hope Sooty and Sox don't grow too much
more).

	The idea of putting them in a seperate room sounds good, we've got a
fairly decent sized second bedroom, however I'm a little concerned for the
safety of the carpets.  When they were very small kittens we kept them in the
hallway at night and after a couple of months the carpets were ruined where they
had tried to get into the kitchen and front room; I think they thought they
could dig under the doors.  Can anyone suggest a way of stopping the carpets
getting shredded ??

	This may not be a problem soon, since like Roberta (Re .4) we too will
hopefully be moving.  It's amazing how your feline friends can affect your
choice of houses.  We have seen lots that *we* like, but that are not equipped
to handle our furry friends; you know, road too busy, garden too small for them
to play in, no space for a cat-flap; and so it goes on...

Paul.

1089.8Ah tishoooo....pepperIPG::KCAMPBELLPussycat Power!Fri Feb 05 1988 08:1210
    Hello Paul,
    
    If you read note 1090.0 you'll see we've had a similar problem with
    our carpet...and had to take a drastic measure.
    
    But to discourage the scratching someone suggested sprinkling
     cat pepper or ordinary black pepper round the "area".  Might be
    worth a try...
    
    Karen 
1089.9Bless YouWELSWS::CLIFTONPole-vaulting pussyFri Feb 05 1988 12:229
    Thanks Karen,
    
    I'll give that a try.
    
    Paul.
    
    
    PS. They might keep us up all night with their sneezing now !!???
    
1089.10Let them spend the nite...ITSBIG::VACCARIMon Feb 08 1988 20:089
    We had the same problem... they would drive me crazy at nite...
    I used to kick them out of the bedroom and keep the door shut and
    they'd run around down stairs and the next morning I find lamps
    tipped over, the trash all over the kitchen and so on... Sooo, I
    decided to let them sleep in my room and close them off to the rest
    of the house... at first it didn't work too well... they wanted
    to play most of the night... but eventually the figured it out:
    nite time is for sleeping.  Now they spend the night and not a peep
    out of them... except they sometimes hog the bed :-)