Moved house andcat meows all night

[jozzym]

Hi swampmaxmum

Thanks for replying. I'm afraid things have got worse this week, Tuesday night he started miaowing and scratching outside the door at 1.50am and I didn't get back to sleep until 5.15am. I'm afraid I did let him in in the end which I am annoyed at myself for, I know that he now thinks if he keeps it up he will get in! But I have to be up for work at 7 and he is soooooo stubborn and won't give in! He seems to be getting himself in more and more of a state now at night, really getting agressive. He sometimes gives up for 10 mins and wanders off but then you can hear crashes as he tries to destruct the place so still not the most peaceful.

Another miaowbag-I wish but we tried that once whe Theo was about 9 months, got Charlie a lovely little 12 week old. Oh my godness-Theo was having none of it, after three weeks and turnign Charlie into a petrified wreck it was not going to be and Charlie had to be rehomed. Theo went on hunger strike in this time and refused to let us near him, and nearly literally killed Charlie. I don't think we will be trying that again in a hurry!!!!!!

Roll on June and the new house-Theo will have a lovely big kitchen to sleep in and french doors to look out over the garden, and we will have lovely sleepfilled nights 2 floors above him! I can't take much more of this!!!!!

[swampmaxmum]

I'd second that. I would definitely keep him in. He's def trying it on at night too - battle of wits. If you give in.....you know the answer to that one! I used to take one of mine out on a lead and harness and he got used to it and started purring when he saw the lead come out, but I wasn't (at the time) moving plus it depends on his temperament whether he's going to then get annoyed or distressed if he's not out all the time or not. Mine didn't but came in himself after a bit. If you weren't moving and he's bored and lonely, I'd also say how about a companion miaowbag?!!!! Maybe for after you move though.
How about a nice warm electric vetbed and some catnip on it? He may settle down and let you sleep - a bit anyhow. Good luck! 

[Tiggy's Mum]

What a cutie 

I think you should definitely keep him until until you move to your new place, like you say it will be difficult for him to get his bearings and if he's not desperate to go out I think it's best all round to keep him in.

[jozzym]

Hi Debbie

Thnaks for your reply. Yes, we did think about taking him out on a lead but I wondered if this might make him worse, he does seem to be content indoors (during the day anyway) and doesn't try to get out so we wondered if we took him out on a lead he would demand to go out all the time then. He doesn't run to the door when we leave the apartment, and he has been out on the communal stairs but gets abit nervy and comes back into the apartment quite quickly. He only seems settled when the door is shut.

The other problem is that none of the windows that he looks out of are where he would go out to, as we are at the back of the block and the communal door which he would go out through is the front, so I doubt he would recognise where he was when he got out.

I think, as he is not putting up a fight, it might be best to keep him in until we move again. He does seem happy during the day, and in the old house he would have preferred to sleep with us but just wasn't allowed. He is probably trying his luck abit as he hasn't been able to sit outside the bedroom door before, he may well have miaowed all night at the old house but we just never heard him!

Thanks for your help

Jo x

[Debbie]

Ahhh how cute is he 

I love Tabby and whites.....but i am biased 

He might be better kept in or taken out on a lead?  He may get disorientated just let out on his own if you are on the first floor....

[jozzym]

Thanks for all your help and suggestions-the problem is with the place we are in at the moment (it's only until June when our new house is ready) it's an apartment on one level and there are no doors in between the longe/kitchen area and the bedrooms. In the new house it will be fine and he will stay in the kitchen.

He is still as bad this weekend-we were going to let him out soon but I don't think he settled enough yet, and if we are moving again in June it might be better to keep him in until then-especially as we are in a first floor apartment so not easy to let him out and get him back in. The new house has a lovely big garden so he will love it there.

Pics of my little love, hope they work

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/album_photo.html?c_photo=94674975

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/album_photo.html?c_photo=94674979

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/album_photo.html?c_photo=94675079

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/album_photo.html?c_photo=94675080

http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/album_photo.html?c_photo=94675377

The first few are when he was a kitten and the last one is more recent-his tag is far too big for him but it took so long to get it on him we daren't take it off!

Thanks for your help with this, I think I will try a feliway and hope for the best. It seems a long time until June!

Jo x

[Michelle (furbabystar)]

Stop being a spoil sport - let him in the bedroom 

Beds were meant to have cats on them 

[JackSpratt]

we don't have him in our bedroom and never did in the old house so he should be used to it

He is used to it....in your OLD house. Moving house is pretty stressful for your cat too, and although he'll have gained in confidence in two weeks, he'll still not be settled 100%. His environments new, and you and your partner are his constant. Add to that not being able to go out and explore for potential danger to reassure himself, he's likely to be being awkward. (By no means does that insinuate I think a cat should be let out immediately after moving.)

I do think the Feliway will help, and  keeping him in one room at night so he doesn't disturb your sleep is a good idea too. Good luck.

[Debbie]

Nothing further to add with the advice bit - but I too am waiting for a pic please    I am straining my eyes to see the little fella in the tiny pic under your name but he does look lovely 

[CurlyCatz]

Having been through this myself we had to shut our cat in the kitchen every bedtime..he hated it for the first couple of weeks but now he's totally used to it and he has everything in there that he needs.  He even knows that until the kitchen light goes on in the morning its not "time for him to get up"

I wouldnt worry about him becoming suddenly ill etc as that is highly unlikely if he is well at bedtime, just make sure where you shut him in is safe and has all his requirements met 

Good luck but most of us need sleep in order to function and go to work.

ps...get a feliway diffuser that might help calm him - put it in the room where you are going to put him at night

[forever_missing_my_boys(Lisa)]

awwww i have to let all of my lot have access to my bedroom or i wouldnt sleep as id worry what theyd b up to and if they needed anything id not hear them  if one was ill sick or something id not hear anything

[Beccles]

Hi Jozzy...

errm, your cat may not thank me for this but how about shutting him in the kitchen/downstairs with a cosy bed, his food and water, toys etc so that there's more than one door separating him from you?

That's what I do with my lot - I can't have them in my bedroom either except for special occasions as I don't sleep a wink if they're in there!

[Ela]

Have you got him chipped and if so dont forget to change your addy with the chip company.

Good point Gill, as you know so many people fail to do this.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Whats his name, how old and we loveeeeeeeeeeee pictures on here 

[jozzym]

Thanks for replying, I would love to have him in the bedrom but then we wouldn't get any sleep as he terrorises the place!

Yes, he has loads of toys and we play with him for at least an hour or so a night. He has some fishing rods and also loves chasing a screwed up bit of paper, we have him running all over the flat over the sofas etc to chase it. He has some bardboard boxes that he likes to hide in, and a big tower to sit and look out of the window on. He is a very loved kitty!

Not sure what to do next!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

  to Purrs 

I think thats a difficult one, purrrrsonnaly I would let him in the bedroom 

Has he got lots of toys to play with and scratching post and stuff?  He sounds like he needs lots of attention and playing with when you come home, try a fishing rod type toy and little soft runbber ball and ping pong balls. Things that he has to chase so he will use some of that energy.

Have you got him chipped and if so dont forget to change your addy with the chip company.

[Ela]

Any tips?!

  Sorry no, not from someone who allows all pets in the bedroom.

I assume he as a scratching post/play station, lots of toys including cat nip toys.

[jozzym]

Hi everyone, Im new and could do with some advice!

We moved 2 weeks ago and our cat was initially frightened, hid under the bed for the first day. He has grown much more confident during the day times and plays, eats, generally seems fine if only a little bored.

Come night time, he howls at our bedroom door and scratches (we don't have him in our bedroom and never did in the old house so he should be used to it) The first few nights I went out to settle him and he ust wanted to play really. Now we are trying to ignore him and eventually we hear him go back to bed, but how long should we expect this to go on for, we are so tired with the lack of sleep!

I think part of the problem is the boredom, he loved going outside at the other house and hasn't obviously been allowed out yet in the new house. We are at work all day and really try and play with him in the evenings but I dont think this is enough.

Any tips?!

Thanks