Sgt Stripes here. When I moved in a year and a half ago, Mom used to complain that I got up too early. Every morning, I’d want to get her up at dawn. I was the first cat she had who had lived outside, and I was a hunter. Our feline ancestors hunted at dawn and dusk because of our ability to see well in low light. That’s called being crepuscular (cool word, huh?). It let them sneak up on their prey. Then they’d sleep during the day. I was just following the call of my tribe.
Mom solved a lot of the conflict by having a cat tree in the east window of our bedroom. It let me survey my domain and got rid of a lot of the zoomies. I also discovered that my human brother had a tree outside his window that was really good for cat TV. The three of us got into a pretty good rhythm.
Then Gypsy moved in. That cat is WILD. As soon as it is anywhere near light, she’s racing around the room jumping on things. She jumps on everything – the night table, the jewelry stand, the bed, the armoire. I thought it was obnoxious when she stole my side of the bed. She was NOT getting my tree. So I hang out in my tree, and she races all over the room (including Mom).
I started feeling bad for Mom because Gypsy wakes her up almost every morning. I thought that I would ask Mr. Google how to handle the problem. Mr. Google was not particularly useful in my opinion. Here is what I found:
Play Before Bed – It says you can use up all your cat’s energy by playing before going to sleep. Our human brother plays with us almost every night. I sleep nicely; she’s still racing around. I guess we need to get her a gym membership or something. Maybe she could do cat yoga.
Ignore the Behavior – I wonder how long that’s supposed to take. Mom doesn’t get up or play with her. She just lays there. It hasn’t worked so far. Although I have noticed that Mom is sleeping right on the edge of the bed so she can’t get in her face anymore.
Offer a Meal Before Bedtime – We get a bowl of kibble to share right before bed. And we have a running fountain of water. The food is supposed to direct our energy toward digestion instead of running around. Also, we’re less likely to wake Mom up wanting food if we’ve already eaten. Maybe she needs to give us a different kind of food. More protein. I haven’t had a vole or field mouse since I came inside.
Don’t Let the Cat in the Bedroom – NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. We all share the bedroom. I am not going to lose access to my bedroom because some other cat can’t control herself. And I don’t want to be locked in either. The door needs to stay open.
Keep the Cat Awake Longer – The human is supposed to keep the cat from taking naps in the late afternoon or evening. That’s crazy. Cats rule. We nap when we want to nap. What are they going to do? Take a stick and poke us to keep us awake?
Keep the Cat Entertained While the Human is Away – I kind of like this idea. They suggest leaving the TV on for us (maybe a nature show). Or using feeding puzzles or smart bowls to make mealtimes more fun. I think they should give us tablets or smart phones so we can order our own treats and games.
Be Patient – Most cats can adapt to sleeping through the night. The human has to be patient. NEVER punish the cat – cats don’t understand cause and effect according to Mr Google. (We’re not going to tell him any different.) I’m not too sure about the patience thing though. Gypsy’s a lot older than me. I would have thought she’d be better at waiting for Mom to wake up.
I hope Gypsy calms down soon. Mom gets grumpy when she doesn’t get enough sleep.
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Adventures in Cheeseland 