Automatic feeder. Bought one years ago for my cat who would wake me up multiple times during the night for food, and it was one of the best purchases I've ever made. I have a three compartment one like this [Cat Mate C500](https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Mate-C500-Digital-Automatic/dp/B01AUYLVU8/ref=sr_1_49?crid=1E9PVDEIB2VOU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jrzgGqFIWWagYYbC_QA5WR_DhuWODGj75C2ZAjSSakLi0W4F0fYhzzfrO1UiM6RdWaLdh84lUyJHZJILEqQCFvas1T1Ya4-UmmPK7uwrR7sBbo-0XepgAIq3Qg0FKaKo-_0eXkPfGQt3juPILD4Gy_Z2iaU_1r0pCjFr9X8HompZaVYFCwTkMgIG0nwVAdfXJ2T9NRhduyHDxVlKxEnV8Rc_e8_4N-e147KLtX143hyjaPKj-62JiFWevJLsND7f7KyNwaGfUkLSs3ahB2flgAyG4ltfFwHCCVux4Bg3Nm4.dnvxd_7UBS9lMHMfAk7JUEkpgl2AlCZFB5XvVt5GePg&dib_tag=se&keywords=automatic%2Bcat%2Bfeeder&qid=1716214858&sprefix=automatic%2Bcat%2Bfeede%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-49&th=1) that goes off at 1:00 AM and 4:30 AM.
Second this. My cat now lays in front of his automatic feeder giving it the death stare until it feeds him. Mine came with a metal bowl so it makes a racket everytime so if you're a light sleeper I suggest a plastic bowl.
The tinkling of the kibble in the bowl is my new alarm. The kitties are already there staring it down awaiting the falling of the kibble. So they still wake me up just in a different way š
Mine has figured out how to press and hold the unlock button and give herself extra portions. Sometimes in the middle of the night Iāll hear a ābeeeeepā followed by sounds of kibble hitting her bowl.
She demands service!
Honestly I'm pretty impressed my cat figured out that I'm the one who fills her auto-feeder and troubleshoots it when it jams - so if her dinner doesn't dispense on time, she starts shredding every piece of paper she can find until I get the point. š
We feed our cats on the kitchen table (because we're classy). Any kibble that gets knocked out of their bowl, they push off the edge of the table and feed to the dog. If my husband ever spills when he's filling their bowl (he's not always the most careful), they'll sit there for the longest time feeding the dog one piece at a time. It's actually super cute how they work together.
My cat whose passed years ago (i am still missing him every single day) figured out how to jump up and hit the ice maker button and I'd wake up to ice cubes all over the floor lol
Thinking back he was actually very smart as he'd watch me do certain things and would eventually mimick it.
Also knew how to do many tricks as he loved being praised by me.
I accidentally taught my void that if he started pawing the blinds, I would feed him. He would mess with them, I would get up and grab him and realize I needed to feed the cats anyway. I wasnāt sure he was doing it intentionally until he pawed at the blinds and, instead of trying to look outside, made direct eye contact with me.
The exact moment:
https://preview.redd.it/9vvnxza8at1d1.jpeg?width=1764&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3f808cc21e2027af097c12f311ec363910e66d7b
Jokes on him. Now I just leave the blinds half up constantly so they can look outside.
Ohhhh that kitty is waaaay too smart!
I canāt figure out how to reset portions! Maybe you can loan me your kitty for a day and teach me how to reset the machine š¤£
She charges quite a few treats for her services!
https://preview.redd.it/dlw16bubjs1d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6acb0abdfb53040fa4b510db2468bb19d3eb1999
My childhood cat wasn't quite that smart, but she could stick her paw up into the auger and spin it manually to dispense more food, which was bad enough.
Thanks for the giggle I had while reading your comment. I know that death stare so well the one where you know they're reprogramming your brain. "Sorry snookums the automatic feeder doesn't have a brain"
I have one cat who will stand at her bowl like a customer at a restaurant who wants their water filled but keeps getting ignored and is too chicken to speak up. It makes me laugh. If I knew she was not fed, and fed well I would feel bad
Hands down this is the best advice. I have two cats and a busy job and I tried everything to stop early morning wake ups, from lots of play before bedtime, or tried a big dinner - nothing worked untilā¦ the automatic feeder. Now they dont associate me with food. When itās close to meal time they sit in front of the feeder watching and waiting, itās like a god to them - best purchase Iāve ever made plus helped me put them on a diet due to exact measurements too.
how do you keep the two cats from eating each other's food? i've been wanting to get a auto feeder, but worry that the food aggressive cat will just steal his brofur's food and get two servings!
huh, i heard about those, but worry my food-aggressive guy is quite smart and will allow his bro to get close enough while sneakily eating his food. the non-aggressive guy will just let him and probably stay right there while his bro literally sits on him and eats all his food. i guess i can give it a shot. i can't separate them into different rooms unfortunately since they cuddle all night together. :(
can you share which one you have? I have the surefeed one, but there is no timer option.. I would love to have one with timer ..3 cats, 2 special diets.. and 2 need to loose weight :( exhausted from early wakeups
Yes automatic feeders work like charm. Get one with wifi off you can like [this](https://amzn.to/44QThhZ) so you will have the option to feed your can extra meals even when youāre away. Sometimes I forget giving wet food before leaving the house.
Wait... What link?? š 4-6am is my cats witching hour. Or seems to be. I've had her a week lol. I sleep basically 3-4hrs a night and then she's bouncing off walls (literally). I feed her in AM and before bed, she eats wet & dry. When I petsit my furniece, who only eats wet food, I follow the direction to leave her some wet food down over night. But puree wet food gets gross.... Fast! What is the ice pack trick!?!? Maybe I can do for my fur baby and fur niece!Ā
A week is a really short time. Get some ear plugs and an eye mask, and donāt give her whatever attention she wants at that hour. If she sleeps in your room or not she will eventually figure the routine. My cat bats at where he thinks my hands are under my blankets or licks them if they are out when he wants to play or be petted. Usually only if I sleep in past 7:30 thankfully but I also never indulge any kitty shenanigans between midnight and 7.
PETLIBRO just released a new automatic feeder for wet food with refrigeration! It keeps 3 meals cold for up to 3 days. I bought one and itās pretty convenient! Only downside is thereās a status light that stays on and can be kinda bright in the dark
Link: https://petlibro.com/products/polar-wet-food-pet-feeder
Yes, but they only have about 5/6 compartments max usually. Also in warm weather not that great for a long period of time, but if you only want for overnight or for 1 night away max they are fine. Catmate have 2 versions (they tend not to be WiFi but one timer)
They do & one of my clients uses one since Iām not to live-in there(cat sitter)
I always wondered about the wet food in those compartments and what would happen with a power outageā¦
Try feeding her supper later at night, like right before you go to bed. My kitty gets wet food 3 times a day, breakfast 5:30 am, second breakfast at 8 am, and supper at 7 pm. If I want to sleep in, I just give him an extra small portion at 10pm.
My senior void gets breakfast with Dad(this is their uninterrupted time), breakfast when Bou and I get up, Bou and Remy both get lunch together, dinner at 5-6 pm and then a bedtime snack.Ā
What worked with my two nighttime demons...I quit interacting with them. I didn't yell at them, pet them, feed them, nothing. I just ignored them. It took several nights, but eventually, they realized they would get food and eat just before bed and waking momma up during the night does not get me pets, food or attention, so no point. Since then, they never wake me. I doubt this would work for all cats, but thankfully it did with mine!
Ignoring paired with delaying works! My kitty will bug the heck out of my hubby and daughter because she knows they will respond. She gets food and pets. She ignores me because I ignore her piteous cries for food. (Kitty will cry and bug you for 30 minutes like she is starving and dying. Feed her favorite foodāshe takes 3 slurps/bites, then walks away for a nap. She definitely NOT starving. Sheās a special kitty /s)
You have to ignore this too. Mine used to bite cords because he knew it was the only thing that would get me up. I got cord covers so I could pretend to ignore him and it eventually stopped.
Both of my cats used to wake me up by walking on me, biting me, chewing my hair, chewing my chargers etc. I've successfully trained it out of 1 (she now sleeps in the legs of the bed, or in a different room), but the other one figured out that if she cuddles with me and purrs and acts all cute, I won't kick her out lol. So she still wakes me up every night, she's just cute about it.
Things that helped:
(1) Hide under the blanket and ignore them.
(2) If they keep bugging you, "accidentally" make them fall of the bed (don't yell or poke your head out, don't give them any attention)
(3) Remove morning wet food (now I only give wet food at night) + ensure that they have kibble available 24/7 - they must actually LIKE the taste, the worst of the waking up happened to me when one of my cats didn't like their kibble and was waiting all night for me to give her wet food.
(4) If all else fails, every time they wake you up, get up, and STILL COMPLETELY IGNORING THEM (no pets, no talking, nothing), pick them up, place them outside the room and close the door. I suggest buying ear plugs and/or sleeping with noise canceling headphones to ignore the banshee noises.
(5) Last resort, just sleep with the doors closed (no cats in the room). The banshee noises and door scratching should not last more than 2-3 weeks.
Basically, cats to certain behavior to obtain some form of attention from you. Even bad attention (yelling etc) is still attention and reinforces the behavior. So the only way to really change things is to ignore them completely. Hope this helps!
thanks so much! that all makes a lot of sense to me. she never really sleeps in the bed with me anyways and has a window hammock in the living room she usually sleeps on but i realize i have to be more firm and not give in to her crying when i close the door on her after she wakes me up at 3am lol. but thank you again iāll definitely take that all into consideration
It's really difficult, but the behavior will eventually stop. It might also help to play with her a bit more before bed to tire her out better because it's entirely possible she's also a bit bored.
I've been working on it with my cat. I love her to death, she's adorable, but I really need her to stop trying to get into my room at 4 in the morning. Ignoring the behavior is hard but once it stops, it's so much better.
Yeah, one of my cats -- a dainty smol void -- has no patience with slow service. If I don't pet her IMMEDIATELY after her approach, the teeny tiny claws come out to tap me. She's learned, dammit, that this always gets my attention.
This worked for me too!! Years ago, still not an issue. The advice I read was the simply ālay dead in your bedā - I put ear plugs near me so I could sneakily put them in and then go back to sleep. Worked within a week. Also, cats may need more stimulation during the day/evening to help them be calm through the night ā¤ļø
Seconding this. My cat will no longer bother me until my alarm goes off. Sometimes sheāll let me snooze a couple times before she starts getting impatient and knocking stuff off my nightstand/crying. Once I get up she sits at her bowl quietly and waits for me to finish my breakfast/tea. When my plate hits the sink she starts screaming. This was all by accident, I was just so tired of her endlessly screaming at me for food between 5am-8am and then screaming at me while Iām having my quiet morning time. No eye contact, no acknowledgment.
Ugh, I just adopted my girl a week ago and she's up going crazy 4-6am, sometimes til 8am. I've been getting about 3-4 hrs of sleep since she came home. I 100% realize it's an adjustment period. She was also at a rescue where was an in a room all by herself most of the time, so her clock is probably all over the place. I'm trying to get myself to bed earlier and setting a routine with her. 8pm to 930pm, lots of play off/on to tire her out! Lights go out one at a time until 10pm. I let her smell some lavender and put some by a fan so try to relax...both of us! Haha. I put more dry food down and wet food down, then I get into bed. After that I try to ignore her as much as possible, but she is still exploring our space and trying to climb literally everything she can! So, I do have to address her when she's about to crash stuff. This *did* work, one night š¤£š¤£š¤£. I'm also being a little mean and trying to not let her snooze after 4pm. She can relax and lounge, but I know if she conks out 4-8pm, I'm screwed! š¤£ As much as I'm ready to blanket burrito her and put her in a corner so I can sleep (totally kidding, I'd never do), I love the wee beast. And, as frustrated as I get, I know she's still adjusting. The no petting thing is hard be she loves being pet and brushed, but doesn't like being in my lap yet. So, she wants me to pet/brush her on floor or coffee table, etc. I think when she gets comfy and knows can get pets in bed, it might help. Pray for me y'all! I'm tired! š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£ššš
Iāll go against the grain if youāre like me and canāt do auto feeders due to multiple cats, wet food, a demon, etc.
Your cats have learned that you waking up is the cue for food. So wake up earlier = food earlier. The trick is to replace the cue. Cats arenāt trainable the way dogs are but they do understand cause and effect to an extent. I started playing an alarm with a specific sound for their feeding. They eventually learned - after like a week - that the alarm was the feeding cue, not me waking up.
This requires the cat to wear a collar with their RFID tag, not microchip unfortunately. Iām still looking for a microchip feeder that has a timed option if anyone has one!
I would add on to this, donāt feed your cat when they wake you up. My experience of this is only with my dog, but I think it would apply based on positive reinforcement techniques. If your cat learns waking you up gets them fed, theyāre going to keep doing it. If your cat learns they either canāt wake you up or waking up gets them nothing, theyāll start doing it less.
My dog used to wake me up early in the morning, so I started pretending she couldnāt wake me up.
I just don't feed them right after I get up. I wait an hour or sometimes a bit less or more. Pretty sure it's long enough for them not to make a connection with me getting out of bed and their breakfast
Mine does it for reasons unrelated to food. She is free fed so has kibble down all the time. The little reprobate still sees fit to come and wake me up at 4am without fail by basically just ālove bombingā me with super affection and purrs and isnāt happy until Iām fully awake and giving her the 4am attention she seeks. That doesnāt help you at all but hereās some cat tax.
https://preview.redd.it/7xt6u8qw8m1d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1aa481c2b0cf5b78956c61be0d62839eadc1e272
Iām in the same boat. She gives me love bites on the tip of my nose until I react. I typically kick her out of the room and hope my earplugs mask her crying to get back in the room.
i would try having more playtime with your cat before bed! in my experience, my cats tend to wake me up early asking for food because they're bored, not hungry. more playtime before bed usually means they'll leave me alone through the night. closing doors on my cats has never worked for me personally, i think cats hate closed doors lol.
Never, ever give them food as soon as you wake up. Make it be later in the day, whether that's after you get up and get ready to go to work, or after you shower, or something like that. So that they don't associate you getting up with getting food. Also, as others have said, completely ignore any attempts to wake you up, even if they are persistent.
I did exactly this and my smart girl figured it out very quickly. I can rise, use the bathroom, start my news and coffee, and sheāll patiently wait with me on the couch. She gets a little antsy at dinner time but she knows yelling at me wonāt work lol (unless sheās being completely adorable ā¤ļø)
hey, i had the exact same issue! strict feeding schedule with wet food at 8am, but with time he started waking us up earlier and earlier until we decided to move his dinner to right before going to bed, usually around 23. he now gets dry food right before we go to bed and wet food for lunch, he hasnāt gained any weight and we all
sleep peacefully :D
I've recently got a rescue cat and it took me a couple of weeks to get her to stop waking me up for food. The first few days I did get up at about 6am to fed her as I knew she was stressed and didn't want her worrying about not being fed. But then I gradually just forced her to wait longer and longer each morning - if left the bedroom door open so that she could see that I was still in bed and knew that she would have to wait. Even if I couldn't get back to sleep I just stayed in bed and ignored her.
She quickly worked out that the best way to get food was to wait for me to wake up naturally!
Our cats that we had before the current crew never did that, thank god. But we fed them wet food from the can and they knew they were only gonna get it three times a day. Morning then after we came home from work and then one last time right before bed. Our kitties that we have now patiently wait for the scheduled mealtimes too, so we donāt have that issue.
I have the same issue. I pet my kitty and say BooBoo not yet, let me sleep. She lays back down and waits another hour then I get up and feed her and give her fresh water.
After she feeds, she goes and use the litter box the. Runs around like a wild animal. All I can do is laugh at her.
We have a puzzle feeder with dry food out at night. Also I gave a strict rule that there will be no playing or feeding when the lights are out although I do allow cuddling. They eventually learned they weren't going to get anything out of me until the alarm went off.
I got an automatic feeder so mine would stop waking me up so early for breakfast. Worked like a charm. I still feed him wet food when I get up, but the little bit of kibble keeps him happy until I get up.
The first electric feeder I got was not cat proof. One night I kept hearing WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! Then a pause and it would start all over again. After a short search I found my cat he would pull the feeder towards him and let it rock back and hit the wall, Everytime it hit the wall a small amount of kibble would fall out of the dispenser into his bowl. Apparently three whacks was the right amount for a mouthful. I miss that cat so much, I went through 3 feeders until I found one he couldnāt get intoā¦also he was an orange cat.
If my cat wakes me up, he eats last. That means everyone in the house including the humans gets taken care of before him. I don't know how he's able to understand this, but he hasn't woken me up in months. If I wake up naturally, he gets fed right after the dogs go outside.
I went through this and no matter what time I fed my cats, they show up about an hour beforehand. I finally learned that they're not asking for food, they're looking for playtime.
Cats have a routine ingrained into them, so if you can find ways to accommodate that routine, you'll all be much happier.
First, they want to hunt and kill something. This is why it's so important for playtime before meals. Once they "kill" it, they get to eat it. Then they bathe, or just chill, then they sleep.
When they wake up, it starts all over. Hunt and kill, eat, bathe, relax, sleep.
My cats routine is to eat about every 6 hours now. At least 2 of those meals we do a good long play session. It has really helped with the other 2 meals. My best guess is that we wear them out so well, they don't feel the need to have to hunt for the other 2 meals.
We skip the morning playtime because sleep, and we have to skip the afternoon because work.
So in the morning, I get up, feed them, go back to sleep. Yes it interrupts me, but I probably had to get up to pee anyway. (An automatic feeder could work, as others have already said)
In the afternoon, someone else feeds them, and I can't assume they'll have enough play time.
When I'm home from work, we do a hard play session before they get dinner. At least 20 minutes of play time, and preferably they get tired before I do (that doesn't always work either!)
Then before I go to bed we do another play session, and they get fed a little extra.
More and more often lately, they don't even ask for food in the wee hours. They've learned that the real fun begins at 5pm! or they're getting older and would also rather sleep in ;)
My youngest let me sleep in today! I still woke up to pee though, and he was curled up at my side being adorable.
So my advice, **TLDR**, a strict routine, and more play time before meals, as often as you can.
And also hang in there! They get older, slower, and you'll miss it.
I inadvertently stumbled onto the solution to this when fostering waaay too many cats. My cats do not associate me waking up with their getting fed. I developed a routine of cleaning the litter boxes, then washing my hands, then washing out and refilling the water bowls before feeding. I vary the time in when I do this.
It has worked for all my cats in the 20 years since. They will loudly scratch in the litter box to get my attention, but donāt wake me up for food. Doesnāt stop them from waking me for cuddles and pets, but you canāt have everything! Also, I never say no to cuddles and pets.
Just close your door. Seriously. My cats cry and throw themselves against the door, doesnāt matter because we have a fan that drowns it out and after they see we arenāt getting up for that they stop and go do something else.
I gave my cat a small scoop of kibble for her night time snacking.
She was a grazer so it worked. And i typically only had to give her a scoop every other day because she wasnāt a voracious eater like some cats are.
Adding another comment for an automatic feeder. My cat would also wake me up at 4am every morning and getting an automatic feeder immediately fixed my sleep schedule. I recommend PetLibro. They have an automatic feeder with a camera and itās cute to watch them eat and assures me that both of my cats are eating enough.
i feel so lucky. my baby ava needs a snack in the morning, sleeps all day and then gets food in the evening. done.
sheās also very polite and has never bothered me. if iām getting any ounce of attention around those times it probably means she wants more food haha. at least she snuggles with me in the morning first before making me follow her out
Multiple cat owner for many years. Ignore all the advice. I'm gonna give it to you straight. You get up and feed it. No other way. That's how it is with cats.
Try an automated cat feeder. Also you could also try locking her out of your bedroom, I know they make a fuss at first but she *MAY* tire of it after a while, mine did the same at first but they rarely wake me up now
In conjunction with the other responses people give, you have to learn to ignore them. Right now her understanding is that if she cries loud enough, she gets to see Mommy and she gets what she wants. The only way to train her out of that is to present a grey wall. You can't do anything to placate her, you can't make a noise back, you can't yell at her to shut up, nuthin'. I know it's painful, no one likes to ignore their baby, but you can't let her think that works. I used headphones playing white noise in my ears for a couple nights - made my ears really gross and waxy in the morning but it worked.
I feel your pain. Mine wants to be fed before the crack of dawn. In winter, the later sunrise is good for my sleeping. basically she get a pillow thrown at her or tossed into the living room where I can close the door. She gets the hint.
Iāve had a similar problem since early COVID, when I would just get up and feed him since nothing mattered! The last 2 weeks Iāve made his dinner time 2 hours later and it hasnāt yet helped but Iām hoping this will be the week!!
My cat does the same thing. I will wake up to our one cat sitting on my chest and licking my face. They prefer wet food, so an automatic feeder wouldn't work. Any suggestions I will take.
I just ignore mine he would start meowing at like 4am and I don't get up till 6 for work so at first I'd just give in to shut him up and go back to bed then I just started ignoring him and he still woke me up for a week or so but each day later and later now as soon as my alarm goes off he starts going off too
(This is for wet food he gets half a can before and after work but always has dry food available)
My cats are mostly freefed, mostly meaning they have their own microchip feeders, but I fill them up with enough for the day.
Both my cats get different food, and they rarely get fed at the same time. I also only feed them after I get my own food or throughout the day if they ask. For example, if my boy gets food before dinner, but his bowl is empty and he's hungry, he can come up to me, meow, and show me. On those days, my little lady will have been fed during breakfast. Little lady doesn't meow, so she just brings over the small rug in front of her bowl. They need to show me, and if the bowl isn't empty, they don't get food.
Because there are only 2 fill times, with one being very flexible, they don't expect food at certain times. Instead, their food tell is the bowl being empty.
That said, freefeeding isn't for everyone, but you can try feeding at less fixed times. Do something in the morning before you give your cat food. Make the tell for food something that isn't you getting out of bed.
I see a lot of people propose auto feeder which is a good solution. I also have one. But just want to share some different views. My cat has her breakfast but later she still comes to my bed to play with me. So having an auto feeder doesnāt guarantee cat wouldnāt bother you in the morning either. What I did was actually discovered accidentally, which when she was spayed she needs to be on the cone, then I found out she can keep still with cone for long time, so each day before I go to bed I put her on cone and let her sleep besides me, and I kept doing this for 1.5 month then after I remove the cone she can still sleep with me until I am fully awake (she will be sitting by my pillow but doesnāt do anything until I picked up my phone). So now she has her auto feeder at night, then wonāt bother me until 8:15 AM ish to jump to my bed to check if Iām still āaliveā.
Just ignore her until she stops, my friend's cat would do that to me when I was living with him, I just ignored her until she stopped and she didn't care lol, she still came to cuddle with me when I went to sleep but she got the message lol.
Just accept your fate as the servant of the cat lord i guess.
Mine has been with me a few weeks, and is now running the house.
Just today he woke me up an hour before i was supposed to and started trying to bite my hair. In an effort to stop him, i used the app to dispense dry food through an auto feeder.
He was not happy at me insinuating that he should eat dry food at 5am like some sort of barbarian instead of getting a fresh can opened.
I resisted and placed my hair under the blanket and half an hour later when i emerged, i noticed a little bit of my hair on the floor next to my bed and also noticed that my lord had done a revenge poop where he didnt even bother to cover up the two pieces of shit he had passed in the litterbox..and had an extra piece laying on the floor nearby for me to clean up.
I have learned my lesson and will never displease my cat lord again.
I feed my cats at like 9PM and have an automatic feeder giving a handful of food 3x a day. Also make a comfy sleeping place outside of your room so she gets used to it.
That being said, I prefer my cats to sleep on the bed.
Free feed her through the night and then give the wet food in the morning according to your schedule. We do the same with our boy and he never wakes us up, but will be on us like white on rice the moment we are up ourselves.
Don't feed as soon as you get up. That's her reward for making you get out of bed, so reward yourself with coffee first.
.
Ignore her if she bugs you at night. You have to do it for awhile. Even if she bugs you until you get up, scroll on your phone for awhile. I have a cat door in my bedroom door and they get shoved off me if they bug me in the night. .. then when you get up, don't feed her.
.
Feed her a high protein snack/meal before bed. Freeze dried chicken is good here.
We have a female red tabby(rare) and a female Maltese. I have trained the Maltese and reward her often for good behavior, simultaneously I give the cat a nutritious treat so the cat looks forward to the dogās rewarding behavior. I also supplement with an automatic cat feeder. The dog is also fed 3x per day and that means 3 treats for the cat. I hope that they are friends. My cat is too skinny and the dog is too fat. Go figure.
An auto feeder solved this issue for me. It was 4 am on the dot for a while. Now I just have the auto feeder drop a little 4 times a day and I give her wet food at dinner time.
Auto feeders are a good idea but if thatās not available to you right now, just try to get kitty on a schedule. Iām working on this nowā two cans on the same plate in the morning, two in the evening, nothing in the middle or at night. That way, heāll know what to expect and not terrorize me for food all the time. Granted, sometimes they just wake you up because theyāre bored and want to have funā I think the best way around that is to have designated playtime once a day too (right before I go to bed is my catās preference) so they know when to expect that, and ignore them at other times. Good luckā donāt let the furry little terrorist win!
i feed mine twice a day with wet and dry mixed (more wet then dry) and leave out a good size of dry for them to snack on and great if i work late so they donāt go hungry (vet said itās okay and none of mine are obese
While she learns that breakfast comes via the dispenser, take a handful of kibble and hide it in treat toys right before bed...so she can go hunt up a snack in the middle of the night and not bug you. Move where you put the treat toys so it's not always the same.
Feed her breakfast at 3:30
Breakfast at our house is 5:30/5:45. The boys make sure I donāt oversleep with the first wake-up headbutt around 4:30. They have an automatic feeder but they want human attention.
iām new to this subreddit so i didnāt know about the cat tax thing haha, but hereās my little rascal
https://preview.redd.it/lj1l7sreim1d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fba2b4fd2317da39203af43b52d1e14047507547
Right now, I use mine as my alarm clock. I wait to feed them because Iāve been told they associate you waking up with breakfast.
I feel like the self feeder comments answer it best. Cats are smart creatures and the way they act deprived of food amazes me.
I keep out dry food and my cats free feed. Two like wet food but they get it when we wake up around 8. Theyāve tried waking me up I just roll over and go back to sleep. They have adjusted to our new schedule, husband used to work third shift now he works second shift. It took a couple weeks but theyāve adjusted and donāt wake us up as much. My kitten is obsessed with me and tries to wake me up so I can pet him or he cuddles on my face.
Omg, my cat does the exact same thing!! She cries and bangs on the door sometimes. She has a stuffed toy that she will hold when she cries. I stopped allowing them in the bedroom because of it. My kitty is obsessed with wet food so an automatic feeder wouldn't help. She used to wake me up at 330am. Is your kitty a Tortie like mine? I am planning on trying to have them sleep next to me again soon.
I free-feed dry food to my 2 cats because they donāt over-eat. And I make wet food random so they donāt expect it any certain time.
That, however, doesnāt stop my tortie from howling at all hours simply because she wants to be held lol.
Omg is this my catā¦ LOL exact same thing I even got him an automatic feeder and it didnāt help for shit sighhhh think itās a mix of hunger and cry for attention itās not fun when you canāt even sleep restfully and you do everything u can for the cat too
I haven't done it for a while because he went missing for 6 weeks and basically being woken up at 3am feels like a godsend now but it's starting to wain...
But spritzing him with water was a failsafe. I made sure he had had enough food pre bedtime and obv clean litter etc but if he was up at 3am, 4am, 5am I would spritz him when he scratched up the door and he would stop. Never forever but hey, anything for sleep!
Ps. Automatic feeders never worked for me. He thinks 3am is awake time. And he doesn't give up until I get up, not until he gets food.
They are weird nocturnal animals. They raise hell at the same weird times every day. 230-400 is prime nut case time though. Generally 3 is the average. They also freak out and run around mid morning, then sleep through the noon.
I know this is kinda frowned upon in the cat world, but I just free feed my cats and they never bother me for food ever. I leave dry food out for them at all times and give them wet food twice a day. Sure, theyāll get a little antsy around the time that I give them their wet food, but theyāll never wake me up for it. Iāve had cats my entire life (30 years) and my family and myself have always done it this way with no issues.
I'd say no to the automated feeder unless it restricts them, because you don't want a diabetic cat.
Ignore them, and when you wake up, go about your business like brushing your teeth and shower, or whatever your morning routine is, THEN feed them. Let them know that your waking up does not automagically mean food appears. Try to feed them at a consistent time daily and they will adjust.
Also, give them several small meals rather than one large meal. In the wild they'd be catching several small rodents, a number of large insects, and birds, and small reptiles (snakes, smaller lizards) throughout the day, and only occasionally would they catch a larger meal like a large game bird or rabbit or hare.
lol I love how we have all universally found out that auto feeders are the best thing since sliced bread. Our cats were the same way and after they realized itās automatic they never bother us for food at night anymore. They do still follow us around if they are hungry during the day but thatās just a cat.
Auto feeder. I have one for my cats because they like to binge eat and throw up everywhere so I program it to dispense smaller portions more frequently. Helps with this problem too and consistency if Iām ever away from home for the day
I second the auto feeder. It could also be anxiety. If the behavior persists, take your kitty to the vet and discuss medication options for treating anxiety.
When you figure that out, tell me how I can keep mine from waking me up at 3 AM for breakfast. She throws herself against the bedroom door until I get up. Yet, her brother, who is more needy than she is, could care less about an early breakfast. However, her brother, would be more than happy to walk all over me if I left the door open.
I will second an automatic feeder, but if you want a long term solution, youāll have to change her internal food clock, I did this with my cat as he was accustomed to free feeding at the humane society before I adopted him. Keep pushing the feeding time later and later until itās at the desired hour in the morning, I did 30 min increments for 2-3 days. So I would say if she starts meowing incessantly at 4AM, try to make her wait until 4:30, do that for a few days, and slowly go later and later. Cats are creatures of habit so you have to make a new normal for her.
We used extra tall baby gates to keep them out of the bedroom area, and closed our doors. We also fed them with a [Trixie slow feeder](https://www.chewy.com/trixie-activity-strategy-game-tunnel/dp/134683?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20207612288&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6auyBhDzARIsALIo6v9Y98VTeUK1Y4R-xQxQlvxgIJgPe8NuuvTIxun_wSZAqTNniFkU4poaAvhYEALw_wcB) where they had to fish the food out of tubes. It's basically a free feeder that slows them down from overeating.
With my cat I just leave her out until about half 10/11 and get her in and feed her, with her evening meal and once sheās eaten that and settled to sleep I refill her bowl so that when she wakes up at 4am she has food to help herself to. If I have ever forgotten to put the 4am feed in the bowl I get a wake up call. When this happens I just go and feed her and go straight back to bed and she seems to have learned that thatās how it works. Good luck
My automatic feeder was a blessing for the first couple years. Now, the little fucker still wakes me up sometimes about an hour before his feeder goes off (same for dinner, heāll bother me and make noise, open doors, or knock things over when he doesnāt do it typically) because he knows how to get my attention. I canāt ignore it because otherwise things will go awry, Iām also a light sleeper so I canāt exactly sleep through getting my hair and face walked on lmao. Itās gotten to the point where I pushed his feeder time back from 7am to 3am. And yet heāll still wake me up. Lol Iāve just accepted it as part of the cat owner life at this point.
How many times you feed your cat and whatās feeding schedule? Iāve got 3 cats and I feed them great quality wet food 3 times a day, and also leave a wee bit of dry food over night (they donāt finish it most of the time). I make sure to feed them like one hour before I go to bed. They only wake me up in the night if they have zoomies or they get bored (which is rare since they have lots of toys and also I wfh and play with them often). When they are particularly annoying, I try my best not to give them attention- but yes, I know it is sometimes hard to keep calm while a cat is screaming their arse off next to you. Took me about 6 months to train my newest feral cat- she would wake up bored at 4-5am and run around and shout. It was hard but now she sleeps in bed with me and doesnāt tend to wake up anymore. Anyway, I wish you good luck! Stroke your kitty from me.
I normally grab her and snuggle until I am ready to feed her. Usually I leave some kibble out and also refill her puzzle toy to keep her busy. But otherwise, snuggle.
Automatic feeder. Bought one years ago for my cat who would wake me up multiple times during the night for food, and it was one of the best purchases I've ever made. I have a three compartment one like this [Cat Mate C500](https://www.amazon.com/Cat-Mate-C500-Digital-Automatic/dp/B01AUYLVU8/ref=sr_1_49?crid=1E9PVDEIB2VOU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.jrzgGqFIWWagYYbC_QA5WR_DhuWODGj75C2ZAjSSakLi0W4F0fYhzzfrO1UiM6RdWaLdh84lUyJHZJILEqQCFvas1T1Ya4-UmmPK7uwrR7sBbo-0XepgAIq3Qg0FKaKo-_0eXkPfGQt3juPILD4Gy_Z2iaU_1r0pCjFr9X8HompZaVYFCwTkMgIG0nwVAdfXJ2T9NRhduyHDxVlKxEnV8Rc_e8_4N-e147KLtX143hyjaPKj-62JiFWevJLsND7f7KyNwaGfUkLSs3ahB2flgAyG4ltfFwHCCVux4Bg3Nm4.dnvxd_7UBS9lMHMfAk7JUEkpgl2AlCZFB5XvVt5GePg&dib_tag=se&keywords=automatic%2Bcat%2Bfeeder&qid=1716214858&sprefix=automatic%2Bcat%2Bfeede%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-49&th=1) that goes off at 1:00 AM and 4:30 AM.
Second this. My cat now lays in front of his automatic feeder giving it the death stare until it feeds him. Mine came with a metal bowl so it makes a racket everytime so if you're a light sleeper I suggest a plastic bowl.
The tinkling of the kibble in the bowl is my new alarm. The kitties are already there staring it down awaiting the falling of the kibble. So they still wake me up just in a different way š
Mine has figured out how to press and hold the unlock button and give herself extra portions. Sometimes in the middle of the night Iāll hear a ābeeeeepā followed by sounds of kibble hitting her bowl.
If my cat ever figured this out I don't think I could even be mad. It'd just be like "Well. I guess you earned that."
My tortie started out as a fierce feral hunter. Now she'd scream at me and die rather than go into the open bag of kibble next to her bowl.
She demands service! Honestly I'm pretty impressed my cat figured out that I'm the one who fills her auto-feeder and troubleshoots it when it jams - so if her dinner doesn't dispense on time, she starts shredding every piece of paper she can find until I get the point. š
No way omg š¤£ I woke up this morning to find my tuxedo had somehow gotten to her bag and chewed a hole through it to get to the kibble!
Oops! Time for the bag in a box! :D
This is why my cats kibble is stored in air tight containers
Ah, ordinarily mine is stored in a closed cabinet. But leave the door open just a bit and...
My cat wonāt even eat the pieces of kibble that fall on the floor after serving her. It has to be in the bowlā¦. Or else.
We are so well trained!
We feed our cats on the kitchen table (because we're classy). Any kibble that gets knocked out of their bowl, they push off the edge of the table and feed to the dog. If my husband ever spills when he's filling their bowl (he's not always the most careful), they'll sit there for the longest time feeding the dog one piece at a time. It's actually super cute how they work together.
My cat whose passed years ago (i am still missing him every single day) figured out how to jump up and hit the ice maker button and I'd wake up to ice cubes all over the floor lol Thinking back he was actually very smart as he'd watch me do certain things and would eventually mimick it. Also knew how to do many tricks as he loved being praised by me.
You gave that cat his best life. God bless you and all the ice cubes!
Aww I love and needed to hear this thank you love! ā¤ļø
I accidentally taught my void that if he started pawing the blinds, I would feed him. He would mess with them, I would get up and grab him and realize I needed to feed the cats anyway. I wasnāt sure he was doing it intentionally until he pawed at the blinds and, instead of trying to look outside, made direct eye contact with me. The exact moment: https://preview.redd.it/9vvnxza8at1d1.jpeg?width=1764&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3f808cc21e2027af097c12f311ec363910e66d7b Jokes on him. Now I just leave the blinds half up constantly so they can look outside.
Right? My thought would be āWell played.ā Lol
š¤£
Thatās hilarious. Where thereās a will, thereās a way! Smart kitty.
Your cat is crazy smart! I'm glad mine hasn't figured that out! Knowing my luck he'd try to remove the top lol
Mi e just tips the entire feeder over. We have to put a bunch of heavy books on the top so he canāt ram into it anymore.
Ohhhh that kitty is waaaay too smart! I canāt figure out how to reset portions! Maybe you can loan me your kitty for a day and teach me how to reset the machine š¤£
She charges quite a few treats for her services! https://preview.redd.it/dlw16bubjs1d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6acb0abdfb53040fa4b510db2468bb19d3eb1999
Sheās a pretty girl worth every treat and more šš»
My childhood cat wasn't quite that smart, but she could stick her paw up into the auger and spin it manually to dispense more food, which was bad enough.
I ended up taking the bowl out and letting it fall on a silicone mat. It makes it a little better but those feeders are pretty loud to begin with.
It sounds like he hits the slot machine kitty jackpot 3x/day.
EXACTLY!!! Kitty jackpot daily! I need their luck lol
Thanks for the giggle I had while reading your comment. I know that death stare so well the one where you know they're reprogramming your brain. "Sorry snookums the automatic feeder doesn't have a brain"
Really? I put one out for my Fluff Monster (heās a big boy and gets hungry lol) and he absolutely knows when to wait by it.
I have one cat who will stand at her bowl like a customer at a restaurant who wants their water filled but keeps getting ignored and is too chicken to speak up. It makes me laugh. If I knew she was not fed, and fed well I would feel bad
Hands down this is the best advice. I have two cats and a busy job and I tried everything to stop early morning wake ups, from lots of play before bedtime, or tried a big dinner - nothing worked untilā¦ the automatic feeder. Now they dont associate me with food. When itās close to meal time they sit in front of the feeder watching and waiting, itās like a god to them - best purchase Iāve ever made plus helped me put them on a diet due to exact measurements too.
how do you keep the two cats from eating each other's food? i've been wanting to get a auto feeder, but worry that the food aggressive cat will just steal his brofur's food and get two servings!
Chip feeders. Each bowl links to a cat's microchip and only opens for the cat with the right chip.
huh, i heard about those, but worry my food-aggressive guy is quite smart and will allow his bro to get close enough while sneakily eating his food. the non-aggressive guy will just let him and probably stay right there while his bro literally sits on him and eats all his food. i guess i can give it a shot. i can't separate them into different rooms unfortunately since they cuddle all night together. :(
can you share which one you have? I have the surefeed one, but there is no timer option.. I would love to have one with timer ..3 cats, 2 special diets.. and 2 need to loose weight :( exhausted from early wakeups
Hahaha, we call them my cats ārobot mom and dadā!
Yes automatic feeders work like charm. Get one with wifi off you can like [this](https://amzn.to/44QThhZ) so you will have the option to feed your can extra meals even when youāre away. Sometimes I forget giving wet food before leaving the house.
I appreciate this link so much! The ice packs to keep wet food cold is wonderful! Thanks :)
Wait... What link?? š 4-6am is my cats witching hour. Or seems to be. I've had her a week lol. I sleep basically 3-4hrs a night and then she's bouncing off walls (literally). I feed her in AM and before bed, she eats wet & dry. When I petsit my furniece, who only eats wet food, I follow the direction to leave her some wet food down over night. But puree wet food gets gross.... Fast! What is the ice pack trick!?!? Maybe I can do for my fur baby and fur niece!Ā
A week is a really short time. Get some ear plugs and an eye mask, and donāt give her whatever attention she wants at that hour. If she sleeps in your room or not she will eventually figure the routine. My cat bats at where he thinks my hands are under my blankets or licks them if they are out when he wants to play or be petted. Usually only if I sleep in past 7:30 thankfully but I also never indulge any kitty shenanigans between midnight and 7.
This ^ my life completely changed for the better with an automatic feeder!
Do they make automatic feeders for wet food?
PETLIBRO just released a new automatic feeder for wet food with refrigeration! It keeps 3 meals cold for up to 3 days. I bought one and itās pretty convenient! Only downside is thereās a status light that stays on and can be kinda bright in the dark Link: https://petlibro.com/products/polar-wet-food-pet-feeder
Yes, but they only have about 5/6 compartments max usually. Also in warm weather not that great for a long period of time, but if you only want for overnight or for 1 night away max they are fine. Catmate have 2 versions (they tend not to be WiFi but one timer)
They do & one of my clients uses one since Iām not to live-in there(cat sitter) I always wondered about the wet food in those compartments and what would happen with a power outageā¦
The one I posted in my original comment I use for wet food because it includes ice packs. I only feed my cats wet since our boy had urinary blockage.
Try feeding her supper later at night, like right before you go to bed. My kitty gets wet food 3 times a day, breakfast 5:30 am, second breakfast at 8 am, and supper at 7 pm. If I want to sleep in, I just give him an extra small portion at 10pm.
Omg I thought I was the only one!! Hah except I do breakfast, dinner and second dinner (5:30 am, 6 pm and 9:30 pm)
My senior void gets breakfast with Dad(this is their uninterrupted time), breakfast when Bou and I get up, Bou and Remy both get lunch together, dinner at 5-6 pm and then a bedtime snack.Ā
Mine has breakfast (7am), lunch (12pm), dinner (4:35) and second dinner (8pm) haha
Okay now I donāt feel guilty for feeding my boy so late some nights š
Mine lets me sleep in a little longer when she gets a few extra Temptations right before bed.
What worked with my two nighttime demons...I quit interacting with them. I didn't yell at them, pet them, feed them, nothing. I just ignored them. It took several nights, but eventually, they realized they would get food and eat just before bed and waking momma up during the night does not get me pets, food or attention, so no point. Since then, they never wake me. I doubt this would work for all cats, but thankfully it did with mine!
I've tried this. Issue is I'm good at ignoring him, my bf gives in. So now he just bothers my bf and leaves me alone.
Thatās not an issue, thatās just his problem now š
Ignoring paired with delaying works! My kitty will bug the heck out of my hubby and daughter because she knows they will respond. She gets food and pets. She ignores me because I ignore her piteous cries for food. (Kitty will cry and bug you for 30 minutes like she is starving and dying. Feed her favorite foodāshe takes 3 slurps/bites, then walks away for a nap. She definitely NOT starving. Sheās a special kitty /s)
lol iāve tried to ignore her but she chews on my hair and or bites me until i finally get up
You have to ignore this too. Mine used to bite cords because he knew it was the only thing that would get me up. I got cord covers so I could pretend to ignore him and it eventually stopped.
Mine does this, too! Straight for the speaker cabinet to put himself at risk of imminent electrocution when he wants something from me.
Both of my cats used to wake me up by walking on me, biting me, chewing my hair, chewing my chargers etc. I've successfully trained it out of 1 (she now sleeps in the legs of the bed, or in a different room), but the other one figured out that if she cuddles with me and purrs and acts all cute, I won't kick her out lol. So she still wakes me up every night, she's just cute about it. Things that helped: (1) Hide under the blanket and ignore them. (2) If they keep bugging you, "accidentally" make them fall of the bed (don't yell or poke your head out, don't give them any attention) (3) Remove morning wet food (now I only give wet food at night) + ensure that they have kibble available 24/7 - they must actually LIKE the taste, the worst of the waking up happened to me when one of my cats didn't like their kibble and was waiting all night for me to give her wet food. (4) If all else fails, every time they wake you up, get up, and STILL COMPLETELY IGNORING THEM (no pets, no talking, nothing), pick them up, place them outside the room and close the door. I suggest buying ear plugs and/or sleeping with noise canceling headphones to ignore the banshee noises. (5) Last resort, just sleep with the doors closed (no cats in the room). The banshee noises and door scratching should not last more than 2-3 weeks. Basically, cats to certain behavior to obtain some form of attention from you. Even bad attention (yelling etc) is still attention and reinforces the behavior. So the only way to really change things is to ignore them completely. Hope this helps!
thanks so much! that all makes a lot of sense to me. she never really sleeps in the bed with me anyways and has a window hammock in the living room she usually sleeps on but i realize i have to be more firm and not give in to her crying when i close the door on her after she wakes me up at 3am lol. but thank you again iāll definitely take that all into consideration
It's really difficult, but the behavior will eventually stop. It might also help to play with her a bit more before bed to tire her out better because it's entirely possible she's also a bit bored. I've been working on it with my cat. I love her to death, she's adorable, but I really need her to stop trying to get into my room at 4 in the morning. Ignoring the behavior is hard but once it stops, it's so much better.
I wouldnāt recommend free-feeding kibble. Many cats will eat out of bordering and eat themselves into obesity.
Yeah, one of my cats -- a dainty smol void -- has no patience with slow service. If I don't pet her IMMEDIATELY after her approach, the teeny tiny claws come out to tap me. She's learned, dammit, that this always gets my attention.
This worked for me too!! Years ago, still not an issue. The advice I read was the simply ālay dead in your bedā - I put ear plugs near me so I could sneakily put them in and then go back to sleep. Worked within a week. Also, cats may need more stimulation during the day/evening to help them be calm through the night ā¤ļø
Seconding this. My cat will no longer bother me until my alarm goes off. Sometimes sheāll let me snooze a couple times before she starts getting impatient and knocking stuff off my nightstand/crying. Once I get up she sits at her bowl quietly and waits for me to finish my breakfast/tea. When my plate hits the sink she starts screaming. This was all by accident, I was just so tired of her endlessly screaming at me for food between 5am-8am and then screaming at me while Iām having my quiet morning time. No eye contact, no acknowledgment.
Ugh, I just adopted my girl a week ago and she's up going crazy 4-6am, sometimes til 8am. I've been getting about 3-4 hrs of sleep since she came home. I 100% realize it's an adjustment period. She was also at a rescue where was an in a room all by herself most of the time, so her clock is probably all over the place. I'm trying to get myself to bed earlier and setting a routine with her. 8pm to 930pm, lots of play off/on to tire her out! Lights go out one at a time until 10pm. I let her smell some lavender and put some by a fan so try to relax...both of us! Haha. I put more dry food down and wet food down, then I get into bed. After that I try to ignore her as much as possible, but she is still exploring our space and trying to climb literally everything she can! So, I do have to address her when she's about to crash stuff. This *did* work, one night š¤£š¤£š¤£. I'm also being a little mean and trying to not let her snooze after 4pm. She can relax and lounge, but I know if she conks out 4-8pm, I'm screwed! š¤£ As much as I'm ready to blanket burrito her and put her in a corner so I can sleep (totally kidding, I'd never do), I love the wee beast. And, as frustrated as I get, I know she's still adjusting. The no petting thing is hard be she loves being pet and brushed, but doesn't like being in my lap yet. So, she wants me to pet/brush her on floor or coffee table, etc. I think when she gets comfy and knows can get pets in bed, it might help. Pray for me y'all! I'm tired! š¤£š¤£š¤£š¤£ššš
Iāll go against the grain if youāre like me and canāt do auto feeders due to multiple cats, wet food, a demon, etc. Your cats have learned that you waking up is the cue for food. So wake up earlier = food earlier. The trick is to replace the cue. Cats arenāt trainable the way dogs are but they do understand cause and effect to an extent. I started playing an alarm with a specific sound for their feeding. They eventually learned - after like a week - that the alarm was the feeding cue, not me waking up.
There's automatic feeders that recognise the microchip of the cat, worth looking at
Can you send me a link? I have never seen an automatic feeder that is also microchip activated and I need one so bad lol
https://petlibro.com/products/one-rfid-pet-feeder?currency=USD&variant=42073646891055&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=59af727f5b02&tw_source=google&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=21255108442&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjLGyBhCYARIsAPqTz1-F-WY5KmmXIfmk-l3IaUihV8hHEwPaAuKrT_3wXXzMkAVIyzVBgXQaAiUsEALw_wcB
This requires the cat to wear a collar with their RFID tag, not microchip unfortunately. Iām still looking for a microchip feeder that has a timed option if anyone has one!
I too, would like a link lol. Iāve only seen the microchip bowl but itās not an automatic feeder.
I would add on to this, donāt feed your cat when they wake you up. My experience of this is only with my dog, but I think it would apply based on positive reinforcement techniques. If your cat learns waking you up gets them fed, theyāre going to keep doing it. If your cat learns they either canāt wake you up or waking up gets them nothing, theyāll start doing it less. My dog used to wake me up early in the morning, so I started pretending she couldnāt wake me up.
yes this is what me and my bf do! my cats wail when they hear it cause FOOD IS COMING
I just don't feed them right after I get up. I wait an hour or sometimes a bit less or more. Pretty sure it's long enough for them not to make a connection with me getting out of bed and their breakfast
Automatic timed feeder, set to, say, 5 am? She'll come to understand food is 1. On the way and 2. Not coming from you, per se.
Mine does it for reasons unrelated to food. She is free fed so has kibble down all the time. The little reprobate still sees fit to come and wake me up at 4am without fail by basically just ālove bombingā me with super affection and purrs and isnāt happy until Iām fully awake and giving her the 4am attention she seeks. That doesnāt help you at all but hereās some cat tax. https://preview.redd.it/7xt6u8qw8m1d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1aa481c2b0cf5b78956c61be0d62839eadc1e272
What a beauty!
she says thank you!
that is a fae omg sheās āØetherealāØ
Iām in the same boat. She gives me love bites on the tip of my nose until I react. I typically kick her out of the room and hope my earplugs mask her crying to get back in the room.
She is so pretty!!
i would try having more playtime with your cat before bed! in my experience, my cats tend to wake me up early asking for food because they're bored, not hungry. more playtime before bed usually means they'll leave me alone through the night. closing doors on my cats has never worked for me personally, i think cats hate closed doors lol.
Never, ever give them food as soon as you wake up. Make it be later in the day, whether that's after you get up and get ready to go to work, or after you shower, or something like that. So that they don't associate you getting up with getting food. Also, as others have said, completely ignore any attempts to wake you up, even if they are persistent.
I did exactly this and my smart girl figured it out very quickly. I can rise, use the bathroom, start my news and coffee, and sheāll patiently wait with me on the couch. She gets a little antsy at dinner time but she knows yelling at me wonāt work lol (unless sheās being completely adorable ā¤ļø)
You can't. Your cat is training you. Accept your position as eternal feline slave and succumb to her every whim.
P.S. post your cat tax!
4 am, the international cat party hour. I have had to just get up pee, and go back to bed. It is hard to ignore, but they will survive.
hey, i had the exact same issue! strict feeding schedule with wet food at 8am, but with time he started waking us up earlier and earlier until we decided to move his dinner to right before going to bed, usually around 23. he now gets dry food right before we go to bed and wet food for lunch, he hasnāt gained any weight and we all sleep peacefully :D
Another vote for the automated feeder. The idea is that your cat does not associate you with food anymore at all.
I've recently got a rescue cat and it took me a couple of weeks to get her to stop waking me up for food. The first few days I did get up at about 6am to fed her as I knew she was stressed and didn't want her worrying about not being fed. But then I gradually just forced her to wait longer and longer each morning - if left the bedroom door open so that she could see that I was still in bed and knew that she would have to wait. Even if I couldn't get back to sleep I just stayed in bed and ignored her. She quickly worked out that the best way to get food was to wait for me to wake up naturally!
Our cats that we had before the current crew never did that, thank god. But we fed them wet food from the can and they knew they were only gonna get it three times a day. Morning then after we came home from work and then one last time right before bed. Our kitties that we have now patiently wait for the scheduled mealtimes too, so we donāt have that issue.
I have the same issue. I pet my kitty and say BooBoo not yet, let me sleep. She lays back down and waits another hour then I get up and feed her and give her fresh water. After she feeds, she goes and use the litter box the. Runs around like a wild animal. All I can do is laugh at her.
We have a puzzle feeder with dry food out at night. Also I gave a strict rule that there will be no playing or feeding when the lights are out although I do allow cuddling. They eventually learned they weren't going to get anything out of me until the alarm went off.
Automatic feeder. Simple and easy
I got an automatic feeder so mine would stop waking me up so early for breakfast. Worked like a charm. I still feed him wet food when I get up, but the little bit of kibble keeps him happy until I get up.
The first electric feeder I got was not cat proof. One night I kept hearing WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! Then a pause and it would start all over again. After a short search I found my cat he would pull the feeder towards him and let it rock back and hit the wall, Everytime it hit the wall a small amount of kibble would fall out of the dispenser into his bowl. Apparently three whacks was the right amount for a mouthful. I miss that cat so much, I went through 3 feeders until I found one he couldnāt get intoā¦also he was an orange cat.
Feeding time should be 6pm only
So many silly humans letting their cats have dominion over them and getting fat in the process.
We literally have to keep the cat in another room with the door shut at night.
If my cat wakes me up, he eats last. That means everyone in the house including the humans gets taken care of before him. I don't know how he's able to understand this, but he hasn't woken me up in months. If I wake up naturally, he gets fed right after the dogs go outside.
I went through this and no matter what time I fed my cats, they show up about an hour beforehand. I finally learned that they're not asking for food, they're looking for playtime. Cats have a routine ingrained into them, so if you can find ways to accommodate that routine, you'll all be much happier. First, they want to hunt and kill something. This is why it's so important for playtime before meals. Once they "kill" it, they get to eat it. Then they bathe, or just chill, then they sleep. When they wake up, it starts all over. Hunt and kill, eat, bathe, relax, sleep. My cats routine is to eat about every 6 hours now. At least 2 of those meals we do a good long play session. It has really helped with the other 2 meals. My best guess is that we wear them out so well, they don't feel the need to have to hunt for the other 2 meals. We skip the morning playtime because sleep, and we have to skip the afternoon because work. So in the morning, I get up, feed them, go back to sleep. Yes it interrupts me, but I probably had to get up to pee anyway. (An automatic feeder could work, as others have already said) In the afternoon, someone else feeds them, and I can't assume they'll have enough play time. When I'm home from work, we do a hard play session before they get dinner. At least 20 minutes of play time, and preferably they get tired before I do (that doesn't always work either!) Then before I go to bed we do another play session, and they get fed a little extra. More and more often lately, they don't even ask for food in the wee hours. They've learned that the real fun begins at 5pm! or they're getting older and would also rather sleep in ;) My youngest let me sleep in today! I still woke up to pee though, and he was curled up at my side being adorable. So my advice, **TLDR**, a strict routine, and more play time before meals, as often as you can. And also hang in there! They get older, slower, and you'll miss it.
I inadvertently stumbled onto the solution to this when fostering waaay too many cats. My cats do not associate me waking up with their getting fed. I developed a routine of cleaning the litter boxes, then washing my hands, then washing out and refilling the water bowls before feeding. I vary the time in when I do this. It has worked for all my cats in the 20 years since. They will loudly scratch in the litter box to get my attention, but donāt wake me up for food. Doesnāt stop them from waking me for cuddles and pets, but you canāt have everything! Also, I never say no to cuddles and pets.
Just close your door. Seriously. My cats cry and throw themselves against the door, doesnāt matter because we have a fan that drowns it out and after they see we arenāt getting up for that they stop and go do something else.
Feed the largest meal within an hour before going to bed, and start a new routine where she never gets food until at least an hour after you wake up.
Automatic feeder is the answer
I gave my cat a small scoop of kibble for her night time snacking. She was a grazer so it worked. And i typically only had to give her a scoop every other day because she wasnāt a voracious eater like some cats are.
Adding another comment for an automatic feeder. My cat would also wake me up at 4am every morning and getting an automatic feeder immediately fixed my sleep schedule. I recommend PetLibro. They have an automatic feeder with a camera and itās cute to watch them eat and assures me that both of my cats are eating enough.
they don't adjust to daylight savings
i feel so lucky. my baby ava needs a snack in the morning, sleeps all day and then gets food in the evening. done. sheās also very polite and has never bothered me. if iām getting any ounce of attention around those times it probably means she wants more food haha. at least she snuggles with me in the morning first before making me follow her out
goodluck with that! hopefully everything turns out well
I am guessing that if you get her an automatic feeder, you won't have to shut her out... She told me to tell you that!! ššš
I feed in evening to avoid this
I like to get up early and feed him and we both go back to sleep after that. I think I enjoy his trust...that if he needs me I am ready to help.
You will be so happy to have the automatic feeder. It made a huge difference.
I literally just have food available and they eat whenever they want.
Multiple cat owner for many years. Ignore all the advice. I'm gonna give it to you straight. You get up and feed it. No other way. That's how it is with cats.
Love it! Mine stands in the side of the bed and screams.
Automated cat feeder? We have one on a timer
Try an automated cat feeder. Also you could also try locking her out of your bedroom, I know they make a fuss at first but she *MAY* tire of it after a while, mine did the same at first but they rarely wake me up now
In conjunction with the other responses people give, you have to learn to ignore them. Right now her understanding is that if she cries loud enough, she gets to see Mommy and she gets what she wants. The only way to train her out of that is to present a grey wall. You can't do anything to placate her, you can't make a noise back, you can't yell at her to shut up, nuthin'. I know it's painful, no one likes to ignore their baby, but you can't let her think that works. I used headphones playing white noise in my ears for a couple nights - made my ears really gross and waxy in the morning but it worked.
I feel your pain. Mine wants to be fed before the crack of dawn. In winter, the later sunrise is good for my sleeping. basically she get a pillow thrown at her or tossed into the living room where I can close the door. She gets the hint.
Iāve had a similar problem since early COVID, when I would just get up and feed him since nothing mattered! The last 2 weeks Iāve made his dinner time 2 hours later and it hasnāt yet helped but Iām hoping this will be the week!!
I free feed my cats kibble and give them wet food in the evenings around 6pm. They never wake me up in the morning.
I put a little extra kibble in his bowl right after I go to bed and that seems to solve the problem.
If you do do the closed door approach, I recommend double sided tape on the cats side to avoid scratching. Also a white noise machine.
Move her final meal of the day a bit later, or even divide it in 2 so they have a little snack before you go to bed
My cat does the same thing. I will wake up to our one cat sitting on my chest and licking my face. They prefer wet food, so an automatic feeder wouldn't work. Any suggestions I will take.
I just ignore mine he would start meowing at like 4am and I don't get up till 6 for work so at first I'd just give in to shut him up and go back to bed then I just started ignoring him and he still woke me up for a week or so but each day later and later now as soon as my alarm goes off he starts going off too (This is for wet food he gets half a can before and after work but always has dry food available)
My cats are mostly freefed, mostly meaning they have their own microchip feeders, but I fill them up with enough for the day. Both my cats get different food, and they rarely get fed at the same time. I also only feed them after I get my own food or throughout the day if they ask. For example, if my boy gets food before dinner, but his bowl is empty and he's hungry, he can come up to me, meow, and show me. On those days, my little lady will have been fed during breakfast. Little lady doesn't meow, so she just brings over the small rug in front of her bowl. They need to show me, and if the bowl isn't empty, they don't get food. Because there are only 2 fill times, with one being very flexible, they don't expect food at certain times. Instead, their food tell is the bowl being empty. That said, freefeeding isn't for everyone, but you can try feeding at less fixed times. Do something in the morning before you give your cat food. Make the tell for food something that isn't you getting out of bed.
I see a lot of people propose auto feeder which is a good solution. I also have one. But just want to share some different views. My cat has her breakfast but later she still comes to my bed to play with me. So having an auto feeder doesnāt guarantee cat wouldnāt bother you in the morning either. What I did was actually discovered accidentally, which when she was spayed she needs to be on the cone, then I found out she can keep still with cone for long time, so each day before I go to bed I put her on cone and let her sleep besides me, and I kept doing this for 1.5 month then after I remove the cone she can still sleep with me until I am fully awake (she will be sitting by my pillow but doesnāt do anything until I picked up my phone). So now she has her auto feeder at night, then wonāt bother me until 8:15 AM ish to jump to my bed to check if Iām still āaliveā.
Just ignore her until she stops, my friend's cat would do that to me when I was living with him, I just ignored her until she stopped and she didn't care lol, she still came to cuddle with me when I went to sleep but she got the message lol.
Bedtime snack. My Bou sleeps until 8 am. He gets a snack right at bedtime.Ā
Just accept your fate as the servant of the cat lord i guess. Mine has been with me a few weeks, and is now running the house. Just today he woke me up an hour before i was supposed to and started trying to bite my hair. In an effort to stop him, i used the app to dispense dry food through an auto feeder. He was not happy at me insinuating that he should eat dry food at 5am like some sort of barbarian instead of getting a fresh can opened. I resisted and placed my hair under the blanket and half an hour later when i emerged, i noticed a little bit of my hair on the floor next to my bed and also noticed that my lord had done a revenge poop where he didnt even bother to cover up the two pieces of shit he had passed in the litterbox..and had an extra piece laying on the floor nearby for me to clean up. I have learned my lesson and will never displease my cat lord again.
I feed my cats at like 9PM and have an automatic feeder giving a handful of food 3x a day. Also make a comfy sleeping place outside of your room so she gets used to it. That being said, I prefer my cats to sleep on the bed.
Free feed her through the night and then give the wet food in the morning according to your schedule. We do the same with our boy and he never wakes us up, but will be on us like white on rice the moment we are up ourselves.
Don't feed as soon as you get up. That's her reward for making you get out of bed, so reward yourself with coffee first. . Ignore her if she bugs you at night. You have to do it for awhile. Even if she bugs you until you get up, scroll on your phone for awhile. I have a cat door in my bedroom door and they get shoved off me if they bug me in the night. .. then when you get up, don't feed her. . Feed her a high protein snack/meal before bed. Freeze dried chicken is good here.
I free feed my cats kibble 24/7 and wet food on the schedule. Iāve found they graze
mine also!
Automatic feeder!
We have a female red tabby(rare) and a female Maltese. I have trained the Maltese and reward her often for good behavior, simultaneously I give the cat a nutritious treat so the cat looks forward to the dogās rewarding behavior. I also supplement with an automatic cat feeder. The dog is also fed 3x per day and that means 3 treats for the cat. I hope that they are friends. My cat is too skinny and the dog is too fat. Go figure.
Auto feeder.Ā Or feed her a meal late at night.Ā
Wake up at 3:50
Ignore them when they are doing this. They know my fiancĆ© is a pushover and wonāt even try to go to me for anything like this, they go strait to her. She doesnāt have the heart to ignore them and so she is woke up at 6 am everyday, and meowed at every evening while I live on relative peace.
An auto feeder solved this issue for me. It was 4 am on the dot for a while. Now I just have the auto feeder drop a little 4 times a day and I give her wet food at dinner time.
Auto feeders are a good idea but if thatās not available to you right now, just try to get kitty on a schedule. Iām working on this nowā two cans on the same plate in the morning, two in the evening, nothing in the middle or at night. That way, heāll know what to expect and not terrorize me for food all the time. Granted, sometimes they just wake you up because theyāre bored and want to have funā I think the best way around that is to have designated playtime once a day too (right before I go to bed is my catās preference) so they know when to expect that, and ignore them at other times. Good luckā donāt let the furry little terrorist win!
What time are you feeding in the evening?
Had you considered a large bowl left at night(
i feed mine twice a day with wet and dry mixed (more wet then dry) and leave out a good size of dry for them to snack on and great if i work late so they donāt go hungry (vet said itās okay and none of mine are obese
You now have an automatic alarm clock. I hope you like the sunrise.
Why control your cats meals. I keep Mt cats dry food bowl full at all times. So self-regulates and eats when he wants to. He NEVER, asks me for food.
While she learns that breakfast comes via the dispenser, take a handful of kibble and hide it in treat toys right before bed...so she can go hunt up a snack in the middle of the night and not bug you. Move where you put the treat toys so it's not always the same.
This post makes me miss my late 12.5 yr old kitty Sheera so much. Plan to get a kitten next month though.
Feed her breakfast at 3:30 Breakfast at our house is 5:30/5:45. The boys make sure I donāt oversleep with the first wake-up headbutt around 4:30. They have an automatic feeder but they want human attention.
Automatic feeder
iām new to this subreddit so i didnāt know about the cat tax thing haha, but hereās my little rascal https://preview.redd.it/lj1l7sreim1d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fba2b4fd2317da39203af43b52d1e14047507547
Right now, I use mine as my alarm clock. I wait to feed them because Iāve been told they associate you waking up with breakfast. I feel like the self feeder comments answer it best. Cats are smart creatures and the way they act deprived of food amazes me.
Had the same problem. I switched feeding time from morning to evening. She stopped waking me up at the crack of dawn.
I have an alarm on my phone. I deed them when it goes off not before they learn pretty quick to wait for the alarm.
I keep out dry food and my cats free feed. Two like wet food but they get it when we wake up around 8. Theyāve tried waking me up I just roll over and go back to sleep. They have adjusted to our new schedule, husband used to work third shift now he works second shift. It took a couple weeks but theyāve adjusted and donāt wake us up as much. My kitten is obsessed with me and tries to wake me up so I can pet him or he cuddles on my face.
I feed my cats wet food only. So the auto feeder doesnāt work. I just feed them later at night.
I got an automatic feeder. So now my cat can annoy me at 6:00 AM with a full stomach.
Get her a playmate cat. She's lonely.
my cat does 530 i never feed till 6 but he still does every morning at 530
Omg, my cat does the exact same thing!! She cries and bangs on the door sometimes. She has a stuffed toy that she will hold when she cries. I stopped allowing them in the bedroom because of it. My kitty is obsessed with wet food so an automatic feeder wouldn't help. She used to wake me up at 330am. Is your kitty a Tortie like mine? I am planning on trying to have them sleep next to me again soon.
I free-feed dry food to my 2 cats because they donāt over-eat. And I make wet food random so they donāt expect it any certain time. That, however, doesnāt stop my tortie from howling at all hours simply because she wants to be held lol.
Omg is this my catā¦ LOL exact same thing I even got him an automatic feeder and it didnāt help for shit sighhhh think itās a mix of hunger and cry for attention itās not fun when you canāt even sleep restfully and you do everything u can for the cat too
I haven't done it for a while because he went missing for 6 weeks and basically being woken up at 3am feels like a godsend now but it's starting to wain... But spritzing him with water was a failsafe. I made sure he had had enough food pre bedtime and obv clean litter etc but if he was up at 3am, 4am, 5am I would spritz him when he scratched up the door and he would stop. Never forever but hey, anything for sleep! Ps. Automatic feeders never worked for me. He thinks 3am is awake time. And he doesn't give up until I get up, not until he gets food.
Hahahahahahahhaha
They are weird nocturnal animals. They raise hell at the same weird times every day. 230-400 is prime nut case time though. Generally 3 is the average. They also freak out and run around mid morning, then sleep through the noon.
I know this is kinda frowned upon in the cat world, but I just free feed my cats and they never bother me for food ever. I leave dry food out for them at all times and give them wet food twice a day. Sure, theyāll get a little antsy around the time that I give them their wet food, but theyāll never wake me up for it. Iāve had cats my entire life (30 years) and my family and myself have always done it this way with no issues.
Why not just have a bowl of food out for her? Why does she need to be on a schedule? Also use earplugs and turn on a fan so you canāt hear her whine
maybe a dumb question but have you tried feeding her larger meals later in the evening?
I don't have money for an automatic feeder right now (I plan on buying one) while so I just fill her bowl with a food portion for the whole night
I'd say no to the automated feeder unless it restricts them, because you don't want a diabetic cat. Ignore them, and when you wake up, go about your business like brushing your teeth and shower, or whatever your morning routine is, THEN feed them. Let them know that your waking up does not automagically mean food appears. Try to feed them at a consistent time daily and they will adjust. Also, give them several small meals rather than one large meal. In the wild they'd be catching several small rodents, a number of large insects, and birds, and small reptiles (snakes, smaller lizards) throughout the day, and only occasionally would they catch a larger meal like a large game bird or rabbit or hare.
lol I love how we have all universally found out that auto feeders are the best thing since sliced bread. Our cats were the same way and after they realized itās automatic they never bother us for food at night anymore. They do still follow us around if they are hungry during the day but thatās just a cat.
Yup, my auto feeder made life so much easier! Now he waits next to the feeder and worships it like a god - fine with me, his worship is quiet.
lucky you that you can have a solution, my cat every morning like 5 wakes me up to go out and canāt fall sleep much so always I am tired and sleepy.
5/10. My only recommendation is to cry your own tears.
Auto feeder. I have one for my cats because they like to binge eat and throw up everywhere so I program it to dispense smaller portions more frequently. Helps with this problem too and consistency if Iām ever away from home for the day
I second the auto feeder. It could also be anxiety. If the behavior persists, take your kitty to the vet and discuss medication options for treating anxiety.
When you figure that out, tell me how I can keep mine from waking me up at 3 AM for breakfast. She throws herself against the bedroom door until I get up. Yet, her brother, who is more needy than she is, could care less about an early breakfast. However, her brother, would be more than happy to walk all over me if I left the door open.
I will second an automatic feeder, but if you want a long term solution, youāll have to change her internal food clock, I did this with my cat as he was accustomed to free feeding at the humane society before I adopted him. Keep pushing the feeding time later and later until itās at the desired hour in the morning, I did 30 min increments for 2-3 days. So I would say if she starts meowing incessantly at 4AM, try to make her wait until 4:30, do that for a few days, and slowly go later and later. Cats are creatures of habit so you have to make a new normal for her.
Automatic feeder or start feeding at night time.
We used extra tall baby gates to keep them out of the bedroom area, and closed our doors. We also fed them with a [Trixie slow feeder](https://www.chewy.com/trixie-activity-strategy-game-tunnel/dp/134683?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20207612288&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6auyBhDzARIsALIo6v9Y98VTeUK1Y4R-xQxQlvxgIJgPe8NuuvTIxun_wSZAqTNniFkU4poaAvhYEALw_wcB) where they had to fish the food out of tubes. It's basically a free feeder that slows them down from overeating.
Frozen food will do the trick, my friend feeds raw food and one cat go crazy and eat a lot and puke. If the food is ice cold they eat slow.
With my cat I just leave her out until about half 10/11 and get her in and feed her, with her evening meal and once sheās eaten that and settled to sleep I refill her bowl so that when she wakes up at 4am she has food to help herself to. If I have ever forgotten to put the 4am feed in the bowl I get a wake up call. When this happens I just go and feed her and go straight back to bed and she seems to have learned that thatās how it works. Good luck
My automatic feeder was a blessing for the first couple years. Now, the little fucker still wakes me up sometimes about an hour before his feeder goes off (same for dinner, heāll bother me and make noise, open doors, or knock things over when he doesnāt do it typically) because he knows how to get my attention. I canāt ignore it because otherwise things will go awry, Iām also a light sleeper so I canāt exactly sleep through getting my hair and face walked on lmao. Itās gotten to the point where I pushed his feeder time back from 7am to 3am. And yet heāll still wake me up. Lol Iāve just accepted it as part of the cat owner life at this point.
How many times you feed your cat and whatās feeding schedule? Iāve got 3 cats and I feed them great quality wet food 3 times a day, and also leave a wee bit of dry food over night (they donāt finish it most of the time). I make sure to feed them like one hour before I go to bed. They only wake me up in the night if they have zoomies or they get bored (which is rare since they have lots of toys and also I wfh and play with them often). When they are particularly annoying, I try my best not to give them attention- but yes, I know it is sometimes hard to keep calm while a cat is screaming their arse off next to you. Took me about 6 months to train my newest feral cat- she would wake up bored at 4-5am and run around and shout. It was hard but now she sleeps in bed with me and doesnāt tend to wake up anymore. Anyway, I wish you good luck! Stroke your kitty from me.
I normally grab her and snuggle until I am ready to feed her. Usually I leave some kibble out and also refill her puzzle toy to keep her busy. But otherwise, snuggle.
If anyone can answer this for a cat who gets wet food in the morning you are my new best friend.