I have two cats: one male, one female, both under 3 years old, both
fixed, both have claws.  At around 4 am, they go bonkers chasing each
other up and down our long, wood-floored hallway.  This not only wakes
us up, but I'm sure it can be heard below by our neighbors (they've
never said anything specifically about this, but it's very loud).

To remedy this, I have tried two things.  First, I've given them a few
squirts with the water bottle.  This loses its effectiveness as soon as
I return to bed.  Second, I have put them in the laundry/bathroom.  It's
big enough for them to roam around, sit in the window, play, eat, drink,
poop, etc., so I don't feel especially bad about it.

However, since they sometimes start to cry or scratch on the door, I
don't want to do it unless necessary.  I thought that after several
weeks of doing this, they might learn that "Noise at Night = Locked in
laundry room," and therefore avoid making noise at night.  I'm sure they
understand "Noise at Night = Owners awake and give  attention."  Is it
unreasonable to expect that they might alter their behavior?  Should I
just break down and toss them in there before even going to bed?  I feel
a little bad about that since we're often away until 7 or 8 o'clock at
night, but perhaps as long as we give them their usual evening playtime,
they won't care.

Thanks for your advice,

eric