I'm at my witts end (kidney, howling, younger, vet)
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I think the idea of locking him in the bathroom, and spraying him with water 6 times in one night, plus your angry tone adds up to cat lovers feeling sorry for your boy. I agree that detailing all the money you have spent is irrelevant, "stuff" doesn't equal love. You can't expect to post this stuff on a cat lovers blog and not get push back, I wouldn't think of locking my cat away or spraying her with water, how would you like being locked away and sprayed with water when you're old, and having no idea why. I'd like to see this blog closed.
This kind of back and forth is definitely not helpful. I'd like to see where we get to a real solution because I think this is a real problem that a LOT of people likely experience. Cats do typically get up and down all night long, every couple hours or so, and if you're not a heavy enough sleeper you will definitely notice these comings and goings, and it won't be good for how you feel in the AM.
I wondered in my last post what would happen if the stairs to get up to the bed were removed. Thought process behind this: some cats are really persistent and might do something that would endanger them (or at least look dangerous), like try to jump and scramble up with claws digging into the covers, etc. This is what Amber did when I tried to change her over to a ramp instead of some steps that were kind of in my way. I kept tripping over them. Well, this didn't work because she avoided the ramp and would just try to jump way up to the mattress (it's pretty tall, taller than the other places she jumped up). So I figured out a different way to move things around so I could position the steps at the foot of the bed, and then I didn't trip on them (as much. ) Some cats though might be content to lie in a cat bed on the floor or similar instead if there's no way for them get up to the bed.
For most of us this is a tough call because it's not like we WANT to chase the cat out of the bed. It's just a matter of having the cat be calm enough that we can sleep. But some cats just won't be that way. Brushing it away as a temporary problem doesn't really cut it. Sometimes it's just not temporary.
I hesitate to even suggest closing the door to the bedroom, but it might be a possibility. This is assuming it is a) possible and b) the cat normally has the roam of the rest of the home. I'm not sure why the original thought was to close in the bathroom rather than just close out of the bedroom, but there are loft apartments and such that sometimes don't have bedrooms that can be closed off, could be something like that.
Wish I had more ideas. The heated cat bed seems like a reasonable bet. Seems like he's making a habit of burrowing in the regular bed though.
I wanted to suggest that the OP call her vet. I know she said he had a checkup 3-6 months ago, but cats age much faster than humans. At 19, even a lot can happen in a month's time. Make a phone call, ask to talk to the VET (not the tech), and explain what's going on. Perhaps he/she has an idea, or might want to do another blood workup. If this is a newer behavior, there is a reason for it. Your cat isn't doing it just to tick you off.
I think this issue touches close to many of our hearts--we too have elderly cats and know now fragile they can be.
Please, OP, call your vet and tell us how it goes.
The kitty's restlessness may be due to the mental changes of an elderly cat. Cats (and dogs) both get forms of dementia. And this can cause the wandering, the endless repeated behavior. It's called "feline cognitive dysfunction, or FCD"--which 80% of cats suffer from at the age of 16-20. Behavior Problems in Older Cats | ASPCA
I would ask your vet about gentle medication that can calm your cat's behavior. He may not be doing this behavior because he's a brat, but due to mental changes beyond his control. You need to find relief for kitty--as well as yourself.
Lack of sleep is very bad for your health..please read the linked article and proceed.
Key word being "necessary". The OP's dilemma is not the same as getting up to feed an infant.
THANK YOU. This creature didn't come out of my vagina. That is a totally different ball game. If I could have, I would have but that's just not humanly possible.
As for last night: no water spraying. Just yelled and pushed him away 3 times. So I think he's getting the picture here. He's not doing endless wandering. He's just trying to get underneath the covers a bunch of times during the night. Other than that he's sleeping in the hallway or eating or drinking water.
If he's not getting the picture, maybe try putting an extra blanket folded up at the bottom of your bed and put him under it when he jumps up....maybe he'll adopt it as his.
This has recently started. Before he would just sleep at the foot of the bed.
As you said, this behavior has recently started. Your cat is 19 years old. Why do you not think it's the onset of dementia? Age combined with a new behavior says it certainly--and likely-- could be.
This has recently started. Before he would just sleep at the foot of the bed.
As you said, this behavior has recently started. Your cat is 19 years old. Why do you not think it's the onset of dementia? Age combined with a new behavior says it certainly--and likely-- could be.
You are correct. As I stated in my first post in this thread, this is VERY COMMON behavior in elderly cats.
It doesn't go away.
It's how the cat is now, and will be, for the rest of his life. I have had the pleasure of living with three cats so far who made it into their advanced teens, and one who made it to 21. They all, every one of them, developed the night time/bed time behavior described in the first post. All night.
After giving it more thought, in addition to the vet check up (which I recommend, regardless of when the last one was) I would recommend a feliway plug in diffuser. Feliway plug in diffusers helped my most recent senior greatly in her general feeling of well being.
Don't give up on the bed. It's new, he needs time to get used to it.
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) Some cats though might be content to lie in a cat bed on the floor or similar instead if there's no way for them get up to the bed.
