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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / March 2006Basement cats
Otis has been terrible at night again. He gets up first at 2 AM and then at 6:30 AM. My face and collar bone have little scratches from him trying to get my attention. Fred and I are exhausted all the time. The boys have been in the basement for the last two nights and we've slept really well. I know I've written about this a lot and there's nothing new here. It's just sad to isolate them that way when we're so busy all day with the kids. The cats really want their nighttime attention and I love the nighttime purrs and cuddles. Just not the scratches! Oh well, we'll do this for a while and see if we become human again. We might start to like being awake all day ;-) Susan M Otis and Chester > Otis has been terrible at night again. He gets up first at 2 AM and then at > 6:30 AM. My face and collar bone have little scratches from him trying to [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Oh well, we'll do this for a while and see if we become human again. We > might start to like being awake all day ;-) Sorry the situation is still so difficult. I suppose I should be thankful for my little angels. The other night I did half wake up when Miranda was standing on my chest and kneading me, but I fell right back to sleep and just remembered it in the morning as a sweet dream (it was real, though). Caliban has decided that I should wake up at 5.30 every morning, but I'm an early bird anyway, so I don't mind. Besides, how can I be mad at him when he comes up and snuggles to my face and kneads and purrs his fuzzy little head off?  SignatureMarina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. marina (dot) kurten (at) iki (dot) fi Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/ Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki > Sorry the situation is still so difficult. I suppose I should be thankful > for my little angels. The other night I did half wake up when Miranda was [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > when he comes up and snuggles to my face and kneads and purrs his fuzzy > little head off? That's the way we feel about Chester. He wakes us up with his Kramer-like slides onto the bed where he starts purring and kneading in his gentle way. We don't mind being woken up by him. Otis' methods are supremely irritating (and painful). Susan M Otis and Chester > That's the way we feel about Chester. He wakes us up with his Kramer-like > slides onto the bed ROFL!!! This applies to Caliban, too. SignatureMarina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. marina (dot) kurten (at) iki (dot) fi Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/ Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki >> That's the way we feel about Chester. He wakes us up with his >> Kramer-like slides onto the bed I've been very worried about Otis since you posted he was barfing a lot. Glad to hear he's still annoying you....long live Otis & Chester >>> That's the way we feel about Chester. He wakes us up with his >>> Kramer-like slides onto the bed > I've been very worried about Otis since you posted > he was barfing a lot. Glad to hear he's still annoying > you....long live Otis & Chester Awww - thanks. Otis is still nauseated and still licks his lips. I'm not sure if I'll take him back to TED just yet though since he's not barfing and he had a couple months of this once before. He's had full blood work and urine in the last few months too for his dental and he was healthy as can be. Poor little guy. Susan M Otis and Chester Sounds like a time for soft paws > Otis has been terrible at night again. He gets up first at 2 AM and then > at 6:30 AM. My face and collar bone have little scratches from him trying [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Susan M > Otis and Chester > Sounds like a time for soft paws You mean those claw-covers you glue onto the natural claws? I was going to suggest those, but couldn't remember what they were called. I suppose it depends upon where you live, but I don't think a basement is a very good environment for a cat - too dark and too damp. (Unless, of course, there's a pet flap in one of the windows - but if you don't want them to be indoor/outdoor, that's no solution either.) > > Sounds like a time for soft paws > You mean those claw-covers you glue onto the natural claws? > I was going to suggest those, but couldn't remember what > they were called. I suppose it depends upon where you live, > but I don't think a basement is a very good environment for > a cat - too dark and too damp. I think he meant that Susan could put Soft Paws (or a similar product) onto Otis, so when he tried to scratch her, it wouldn't actually break the skin. And then he *wouldn't* need to be put into the basement! Joyce > I think he meant that Susan could put Soft Paws (or a similar product) > onto Otis, so when he tried to scratch her, it wouldn't actually break > the skin. And then he *wouldn't* need to be put into the basement! Well Joyce - Otis is a persistent boy and would find something else to do:D He also paws open the closet doors, finds plastic bags and licks them and makes a huge ruckus. He walks on my throat, trying to do a cat paw tracheotomy, he yowls, he knocks things off of the dressers, and, if you don't pay attention, will eventually pee on the wall. He hasn't done that since we've started letting him out again and he seems ok in the basement so far. He's near the litter boxes down there and there's a bed with a big comfy down quilt on top. We're keeping fingers crossed on that one. He's a real little monster sometimes! Susan M Otis and Chester >>I think he meant that Susan could put Soft Paws (or a similar product) >>onto Otis, so when he tried to scratch her, it wouldn't actually break [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Susan M > Otis and Chester You are so patient with Otis, Susan. Shutting him in the basement at least a few nights a week is a must, since you *need* your sleep too, Susan. And Otis has a nice bed there also, so he will be ok. Maybe you can cuddle with the kitties *before* you all go to bed and first thing in the morning. Hugs, Polonca and Soncek > > Matthew AKA NMR ( NO MORE RETAIL ) wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > onto Otis, so when he tried to scratch her, it wouldn't actually break > the skin. And then he *wouldn't* need to be put into the basement! Precisely! (What did you think I THOUGHT he meant?) > You mean those claw-covers you glue onto the natural claws? I was going to > suggest those, but couldn't remember what they were called. I suppose it > depends upon where you live, but I don't think a basement is a very good > environment for a cat - too dark and too damp. (Unless, of course, > there's a pet flap in one of the windows - but if you don't want them to > be indoor/outdoor, that's no solution either.) We live in such a dry climate that the basement is nice and cosy - not damp or icky like that so I think its healthy enough to be down there. We can't let the boys out at night here for safety reasons though - too much wildlife. They go out during certain hours in the daytime - after sunrise and they're in before dusk. Susan M Otis and Chester > Sounds like a time for soft paws Otis is an indoor/outdoor cat so I don't *think* that those would work. I'd want him to have a full set of sharp claws for safety reasons when he's out. Besides, I'm sure he'd find some other surefire way to get my attention like lying on top of my nose and mouth at the same time or something :-) Susan M Otis and Chester > Otis has been terrible at night again. He gets up first at 2 AM and then > at 6:30 AM. My face and collar bone have little scratches from him trying > to get my attention. Fred and I are exhausted all the time. I'm sorry to hear that Otis is still disturbing you in the night. > The boys have been in the basement for the last two nights and we've slept > really well. I know I've written about this a lot and there's nothing new > here. I remember I replied once before ;-) when I said I don't allow my cats in my bedroom. It's out of bounds 24/7 as I don't want them to get used to going in there. There are allowed the run of the house otherwise. I sleep very badly anyway so I don't want the possibility of the cats waking me if I happen to be asleep! > It's just sad to isolate them that way when we're so busy all day with the > kids. The cats really want their nighttime attention and I >love the > nighttime purrs and cuddles. Just not the scratches! I understand your feelings: but you need to sleep. Continually disturbed nights are bad for you. How about putting the boys in the basement Sunday-Thursday nights and letting them be with you on Friday & Saturday night? Then you could take turns napping in the day if you needed to. Just an idea for a compromise. > Oh well, we'll do this for a while and see if we become human again. We > might start to like being awake all day ;-) You can't really go on like this, can you? Otis seems over-attached to you and I can't help thinking that because you love him a lot and want him to be happy, that you are "enabling" him to remain so. It would be different if he would just snuggle up all night quietly with you, but he doesn't.. My two seem quite happy to sleep downstairs at night, or on the spare bed in the next bedroom. They are rarely noisy, sometimes I hear them galumphing around as if they are chasing each other and just occasionally Boyfie will forget it's not a weekday and will meow outside my bedroom door at 7.15ish to ask me if I realise that the alarm hasn't gone off and now I will be late for work. He's pretty good about this though, it's only once in a while. I hope you find a solution, Susan. Tweed > I'm sorry to hear that Otis is still disturbing you in the night. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > sleep very badly anyway so I don't want the possibility of the cats waking > me if I happen to be asleep! Rusty is not allowed in my bedroom either. He sleeps in his own room with the door closed. I let him out first thing in the morning. One time I got a complaint from a downstair neighbour about noises at 6 am. It was Rusty jumping on and off a horizontal heating duct. Now he is in a room where there is no furniture. Rusty also snores in his sleep. When he was boarded at the vet, the vet tech was surprised to hear his snores. She said she has never heard a cat snored like that. I also has trouble sleeping so I can't sleep in the same room as Rusty. Winnie > I understand your feelings: but you need to sleep. Continually disturbed > nights are bad for you. How about putting the boys in the basement [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Tweed occasionally Boyfie will > forget it's not a weekday and will meow outside my bedroom door at 7.15ish > to ask me if I realise that the alarm hasn't gone off and now I will be late [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Tweed//// LOL! I have to SET the alarm for my crew when I'm away, otherwise they don't bother to get out of bed when the petsitter comes to give them breakfast. Hell, I have to set the alarm for them to get out of bed on the weekend otherwise they don't get up! Talk about having a solid routine in the mornings! 7am, alarm goes, mommy switches the snooze button on, no-one moves.... 7.10am, Alarm goes off,mommy switches the snooze button on, no-one moves.... 7.20am... Alarm goes off,mommy switches the snooze button on, no-one moves.... 7.30am, Alarm goes off, OMG, we're running late, cats all suddenly wake up and charge down to the kitchen, and yell for breakfast... 7.31am, we REALLY yell at mommy because she hasn't got down the stairs yet, and OH MY GOD Mommy, our blood sugar is crashing and we're going to faint from lack of food! Helen M > occasionally Boyfie will >> forget it's not a weekday and will meow outside my bedroom door at [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > breakfast. Hell, I have to set the alarm for them to get out of bed on > the weekend otherwise they don't get up! LOL! Mine are always up before me, even in the week. > 7am, alarm goes, mommy switches the snooze button on, no-one moves.... > 7.10am, Alarm goes off,mommy switches the snooze button on, no-one [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > yet, and OH MY GOD Mommy, our blood sugar is crashing and we're going to > faint from lack of food! The first part sounds like me. 6.45 a.m, snooze button. 6.54 a.m, snooze button. 7.03 Aaargh!! Get up immediately or will be late for work. The cats are waiting downstairs. My bedroom is out of bounds but the spare bedroom (double bed with nice comfy quilt) is available 24/7. It seems this is only okay if the back door is open overnight. Boyfie kept me awake all night, meowing outside my bedroom because he had to be kept in for *one night!* to keep him safe. "Oh, I need to go out on rat patrol right now" Go away. "I need a wee desperately, let me out." No, use the litter box I gave you and SHUT UP and let me get some sleep. "I never wee inside der howse" Just do it for once.. "No, meow, meow, meow/ ad infin.." Until morning. When he still couldn't go out as the terriers had arrived, so he caved in and sat on the soil I'd provided and peed for what seemed like 5 minutes. Awww. Poor chap, but I would rather he stayed in the house and had to pee where he didn't really want to, than be killed by the terriers and they certainly would kill him if they found him. They are mean beasties, but bred for the job they are supposed to do. Kill. Tweed > Oh well, we'll do this for a while and see if we become human again. We > might start to like being awake all day ;-) Purrs for Otis to calm down soon so he can be allowed in bed with mom again. :) SignatureVictor M. Martinez Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM) Send your spam here: uce@ftc.gov Email me here: pistorLITTER@BOXaustin.rr.com > Otis has been terrible at night again. He gets up first at 2 AM > and then at 6:30 AM. My face and collar bone have little scratches > from him trying to get my attention. Fred and I are exhausted all > the time. I can imagine how exasperating as well as exhausting that must be. Sometimes my cats disturb me in the middle of the night - usually it's Smudge standing by the window (where my head is - right under the bedroom window) and howling loudly, I guess wanting to go outside. Usually, when that happens, I have to evict all the cats from the bedroom, since it wouldn't make sense to keep two stuck in my room just so I can shut Smudge out. (Occasionally, Roxy will remain sound asleep during all of this, so I let her stay. She's usually pretty well-behaved.) In general, I trade off having the cats sleep with me, and having catless nights. When they're not with me, I sleep much better, no question about it. But I'd miss them if I never let them sleep with me, so I tolerate less-than-perfect nights' sleep for the pleasure of their company - usually on a night when I don't need to get up at any particular time the next day (which is most days!). One thing I wonder is, how does Fred feel about this? You are deeply bonded with Otis, so even though it annoys you to have your sleep disturbed, you also adore him. Does Fred get upset? He seems to tolerate it pretty well, from how you tell it. Sounds like a really difficult situation, all around. But I think the idea of sometimes letting them sleep with you and sometimes putting them in the basement might be the best compromise. They might hate being stuck down there at night, but it's not *every* night of their lives. And you might hate having your sleep disturbed, but that's not every night of your life, either. Purrs for peaceful nights for everyone! Joyce PS - I second the suggestion for Soft Paws for Otis. At least you wouldn't get scratches all over you!
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