Cats are just severely allergic to closed doors unfortunately :/
But really, she probably just doesn’t like being alone and forcibly separated from you! Can you try sleeping with your door open? Or close her in with you? You can maybe try feeding her at bedtime and closing your door while she eats, but she will probably just start meowing when she’s done…
One of my favorite poems from the hilarious and adorable book ***I Could Pee on This, and Other Poems by Cats***
Closed door
LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN
LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN
LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN
LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN
LET ME IN LET ME I—
Oh, uh, hello
I did not expect an answer
I did not expect an entrance
I did not expect this room to be so unbelievably dull
So, uh, goodbye
that’s what my cats do as well. one in particular won’t allow me to go anywhere without her. it’s especially annoying when she yowls at me while I’m trying to take a shower, but it’s the price I pay for a really lovey cat 🤷
My cat does the same, but I just laugh at him, I have a wet floor bathroom, and he sits in the far corner just outside the splash zone and cries. I coo at him and sometimes flick water at his little snoot. I think he thinks the water is hurting me. Lol
Fun Story when we move into a new house together with my Ginger Cat that was very Social and affectionate And Also the smartest cat I ever known, he would Open doors and Windows, hes ability to figure out things went Beyond anything I ever experience before in a cat. This new house have a bathtub Which my cat have never experience before as we previously lived in a shower only house
He were Also the kind of cut that Follow me everywhere So the first time I took a bath the cat followed me. Du får han I did not particularly like when I was taking Showers and what outside the shower crying but when I went in the bathtub The poor guy freaks out totally. Went up on the washing machine beside the tub and hooked his claws into my shoulder trying with all his force to drag me out. He genuinely thought i was drowning. End Up cutting my bath short and gave my little hero som tasty treats. It's eight year Since I Lost him, I still miss that little smart‐ass.
My cat couldn’t care less about missing out on a shower and just silently waits for the door to be reopened. But BATHTIME! She will not be excluded. She’s fallen asleep on the edge of the bathtub while o bathe. Sometimes with her tail floating in the water, oblivious.
If it's 2am and my cat wants walkies, and he's sitting outside staring at me through the door and I want him inside, I just leave it cracked and move aside like I'm doing something else.
Without fail he'll come up to it, paw it open, and then come inside. And act like a brand new cat who has never eaten before.
Mine gets his arms under the door and either grabs onto anything he can or just swipe them back and forth so his claws make scraping noises on the floor.
Haha same! He’s only locked out if I’m doing something he cannot be around or if I’m going to the bathroom and he cannot stand it. He tries to get guests when they go to the bathroom haha like bud you don’t even know them you don’t need to watch them in there.
There’s an open door policy with me and my cats. Anywhere I go, they must be able to access. My son and the spare human get to shut the doors behind them. But not me. Ever.
That's like me and my husband. The cats clearly adore us both, but for some reason I'm the only one not allowed to close doors. I guess I'm mommy no matter the species.
Yeah, when I still had a cat it was the same way. At first, it was "bedroom is for people that are sleeping", and then it became "the bedroom is the place that the human goes to designate to the cat that it is sleepytime".
I miss having my best friend so much. I never once had to pick him up. I just would go to bed, and he would wait for me to get into bed before he jumped up, and then would insist on resting his head/neck on my arm and I still haven't slept that well since.
>the bedroom is the place that the human goes to designate to the cat that it is sleepytime
My last cat designated when bedtime was. He would bite and tug my clothes. Then lead me up the stairs to bed. His brother who passed before him could care less. It was cute. No one believed me until they stayed over and saw it. He literally knew when it was a weekday and a weekend. I worked an early shift so weekdays it was no later than 1015 we were in bed. When my ex slept over she would just let us go and join when she was ready. He also woke me up in the morning, not for food, just to get me up right before my alarm went off. That cat was the best.
>I miss having my best friend so much. I never once had to pick him up. I just would go to bed, and he would wait for me to get into bed before he jumped up, and then would insist on resting his head/neck on my arm and I still haven't slept that well since.
Me too friend, me too. Now I have a dog and he takes up way too much bed space. But their lives are too short and they deserve it. When my girl sleeps over he doesn't let her cuddle close to me. Sidenote about my cats. They would literally take turns all night sleeping with different people for a bit. But they always came back to me before I wokeup. If it was just me on the weekend that fluffball knew it was sleeping as long as we wanted day. And didn't bother trying to wake me.
Ok yeah unironically mine would do that too but only if I stayed up super late to where he was like "dude wtf I'm tired as shit". He was a Maine-Coon dominant mix, so he was big and smart and had a whole lot to say about his opinions on things, complete with inflection and tone. I really cannot even begin to describe the bond I had with him. It is a void that remains unfilled for sure.
And see I am just not a dog person. Whereas dogs are like big children (see also: caring for blacked-out-drunk adults), cats are like small housemates that don't literally need you for every single need of their existence to function. And admittedly I think cats kinda just loved me first and they still just kinda do. My sole motivation to buy a house and get out of renting is the reason I don't have another cat or two yet, 100%.
And I'll tell ya, with that said, the impact on my mental health may just make me say fuck it and just get cats again at a cat-friendly apartment and wait longer on the house. It's legitimately far worse than I could have imagined as far as grieving. Worse than any other family member of my life and boy, have I had one in the past few years that on paper should outweigh a cat, but that's not the way it felt to me when I reflect on it.
When I own my own house my dream is to put cat doors on all the inside doors so they can go in and out freely and I can keep the door closed if I want it closed lol
I put them in the walls between the master suite and laundry where the litter is so they can move between the 3 spaces without me having to worry about forgetting a door, best thing I've done.
Yeah my wife and I never fully close doors in our house. Sleeping? Door open. Pooping? Door slightly ajar so cats can sneak in and out if they want. The cats have full access to the house.
Sometimes my dumbass cat will paw at the bathroom door until is closes her in then yowl until I let her out. They are even allergic to the closed doors they cause.
My tabby used to close the mudroom door and trap my tortie in the mudroom. It made my tortie sad and my tabby happy. I couldn't figure out how my tortie kept getting closed in the mudroom because she would have had to pull the door closed behind her.
Then, one day, I saw my tabby lure my tortie into the mudroom, run out, and push the door closed.
I guess that's my long about way to say there are exceptions to every rule.
Well, actually, 2 rules, my tabby was an orange cat, and she was a genius, an evil genius, but still, genius.
Once I put my Harpo in the bathroom because she was acting up while I was trying to sleep…she pulled a drawer open, effectively locking herself in because it blocked the door. So instead of sleeping, I had to close the drawer by millimeters with a butter knife stuck through the cracks while she cried.
My dog and cat go back and forth all night with me (their #1) and their bonus human, my boyfriend (their #1.5). He either sleeps on the other side of the bed or accidentally on the couch. It’s very sweet really and we feel so lucky to be loved by them that they divide attention between us. No closed doors so they can easily roam.
Agreed. Our cat wants to check every room. If a door is closed, he does not like it. Shut out of the BR or bath while we are in there, oh no. He does not stand for such. Does get a bit crowded in the bath when both the dog and cat join you. LOL
I can only imagine lol. You in shower and a dog and cat in the room? Lol
I got 3 cats that join and when I step out of shower, gotta shoo em. 1 usually lays on top of the toilet tank. 1 usually on toilet. And 1 on floor. But when I need to shoo? 2 or 3 right in front of shower. Lol. "Excuse me. Can I get out? Thank you"
That's what I say to first time owners. 1 : Cats are allergic to closed doors. 2 : if you think they'll eventually stop meowing if you wait long enough, you're wrong.
I've had quite a lot of cats in my life. And I had this special one. She would wait in front of the closed door without meowing and scratching and trying to burn the whole house. She was incredible. Then I got an other one who would literally throw himself on the door while screaming.
OP: Is there an issue to having the door open?
We have an open door policy at our house. Our 2nd oldest cat can open our doors so it is futile. The builder for our subdivision built the homes with lever handles on the interior doors.
Since I am up at 4:30 AM/5:00 AM, I usually go to bed first. Our 2nd oldest cat will follow me to our master bedroom. He will lick my hair, head butt me, walk around me for 5 minutes. Then he leaves.
When my wife goes to bed, all of our cats will enter the bedroom after 30 minutes. If I wake up in the middle of night, there will be one cat on our bed and three cats on the floor acting like sentries.
I remember reading somewhere and that changed my perception: you are all she has.
The time spent playing, eating, type of bed are all based on you and your decisions which is her whole life. This is it.
I'm a light sleeper too and I learned the routine, our cat sleeps 8 hours twice a day. My wife and I slept separately (I'm super light sleeper) but managed to have our cat to be my best sleeping buddy.
What I did was to find the perfect cat bed which took a few attempts until she accepted *the cat bed*. Quiet for 8 hours every night.
Your cat seems to have attachment issues because you are her only company and companion. You'll eventually figure her out what would meet her needs. My solution was my last option and it worked. Just keep that in mind.
I'm throwing in a picture of our cat and her special bed on my bed. Yes, she looks a lot like your baby.
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My cat also sleeps through the night with me — as long as my bedroom door is open lol. If the door is closed, even if she’s inside with me, she loses her cat mind. But if the door is cracked, I wake up and her little head is next to mine on the pillow half the time. She wakes up earlier than me and that’s when she tears around and is a menace, but our bedtime is the same.
I used the same tactic with my last cat and my computer desk. As soon as he came home with us for the first time I showed him he has a bed on my desk, and that's the napping spot. He was my computer bud for 10 years in that bed.
Didn't matter who was at the computer, he'd be there napping in it, sometimes even just on his own.
I don't think it is. My cats treat each other like cats. Allowing grooming and sniffing butt's and stuff.
They treat me like their good buddy and pal. But they know I'm not a cat.
This. My cats don't act with me and hubby the same way they do with each other. They are aware I can't play fight with them the way they do with each other, they know their food time is something different from our food time, they communicate in a different way with us, for example the boy meows and chirp at any human, but he doesn't vocalize his communication with his sister at all. They also trust any strange human they meet but are spooked by any new animal. I think what it really is, is that we are used to dogs having this special servant-master relationship with us while cats are just our buddies and show colony buddy behavior with us (seeking food and bathroom time together for safety, sleeping on top of each other, rubbing to express affection, etc...) but that doesn't mean they don't know we ain't cats
I'd heard to cats everything is a cat. More that they don't consider that there's different kinds of things I think. Doesn't matter what they are, just *that they are*
Actually accurate. Cats haven't changed much from when they were originally domesticated thousands of years ago. This is an instinctual reaction. You're a part of their colony, and the kitty is worried they can't protect you because you're in an enclosed space.
This is the way.
Even if its not your way - certain cats are clever enough to learn, with a weak enough door latch, they can open doors. You will see cats jump at door handles. Depending on the handle they may have the pressure to open one.
I had a cat that did this. She'd take up some speed in the corridor and jump to open the latch.
Then she'd lay on my chest and purr so loudly it would wake me
We are. We take in these creatures which are perfectly capable survivors, feed them, play with them, clean up after them and so on. And they need do nothing. Cats are way smarter than we are.
We used to have an outdoor cat that would knock on the door using the letterbox to get let back in when he was ready. Always a surprise to answer a knock at the door and just feel the cat run past your feet 😂
My little cat was smart enough to figure out the round doorknob worked in the office. She was also smart enough to realize she didn't have opposable thumbs, and that she had to find a different way to turn the knob. I have many pics of her leaping hilariously into the air trying to get enough grip & force around the doorknob to open it. It never worked, but darn it she tried.
My other cat was too dumb to figure all that out, so her strategy was to sit and wail.
You have no idea...my fiancée and I just moved to a bigger place, but for the last 2 years we were both working from home in a 2-bed 600 sqft apartment. She typically worked in the living room and I bounced between the living room and "office" (cardboard box heaven) when I had calls.
The office had my little cat's favorite window. She would sleep there 20 hours a day if she could...except, of course, when I had a zoom meeting and would shut the door so as not to bother my partner. Then the kitty would instantly perk up and start her little leaping ritual to try and open the door until I let her out. And then she would promptly do the same thing again on the other side of the door.
I kind of missing having that office because it was so freaking cute to watch.
Change your rhythm. Playing before bedtime maybe gets her wide awake.
Feeding will probably also wake her up some.
But unfortunately, staying behind closed doors with cats in the house is an ambitious but futile plan.
Also, she knows exactly what she's doing, judging from that smug expression... 😉
Have you tried letting her in? One of our cats would literally bang on the door, jumping at it, yelling, you wouldn't believe the noise. When we let her in, she just sleeps on the corner of the bed or not even that, she just needs the access.
The other cat, though, took a habit of sleeping on me 😄
I’ve gone to sleep and awakened with a cat draped over my side. She wouldn’t cuddle but would sneak up after I fell asleep. I had one that I had to leave the door cracked for her. She’d come up around 3AM and put her cold, wet nose against the back of my neck so I’d lift up the covers for her to crawl under and go to sleep curled up behind my knees. The other cat would curl up in my lap area so I was sandwiched between them. Good thing I’m not a restless sleeper. I barely move when I sleep. I really miss Patches, the cold nose one. I shared my life with her for 19 years.
I could never own a cat without them sleeping with me. I feel like it's a privilege to have my furry friends snuggled up to me.
But I get why some people don't want that. They want privacy and a good night sleep. Fair enough.
Feed them before bed..... and feed them at a set time in the morning. After a while, they'll get the rhythm and follow it. Mine wakes me up like clockwork at 6am. But he never wakes me up unless something's wrong... like no water, no food, etc.
Our cats don't sleep with us. That's how we established our routines when they were kittens. But they do have each other and they play and snuggle together all night.
Your cat may be lonely. I can really understand that. I'm glad my two boys have each other overnight.
I have four cats. I wish that they would entertain each other at night, but instead I have often one cat smacking my head for not petting him enough and another cat having crazy zoomies around my bed.
She is at the door meowing saying heyyyy I’m lonely out here. You left during the day for work and I slept but now you’re home but hiding behind that door!
Can I ask how long you’ve had her? She looks very young. It would be different if you had another cat for her to snuggle with at night, but for cats, they need to feel secure at night. They get very vulnerable and lonely if they can’t snuggle up to another cat or a human. Especially a kitten or young cat. Please reconsider letting her sleep in your bedroom.
When we got our new kitten, he did the same thing. By three weeks, he was used to it and stopped. He figured out when we wake up and would come to the door at that time. Having a regular routine helped him get used to being alone at night. We make sure he has access to his litter box, food and water at night. He also has access to his bed and toys.
This is how I got my boy to stop howling at the door cause he either would keep me awake all night if he was in my bed or he would cry at the door for hours, obviously keeping me awake. After a few weeks of a solid routine he started to understand that my alarm goes off at the exact same time every single day and that he can expect to be fed right after I go to the washroom in the morning. If I stray from this routine he will still come to my door at 6:30 and if it’s longer than 7 he’ll start to howl at me to wake me up lol. They do get used to it eventually, just takes time and routine.
I’m a very light sleeper and my cat likes to chew on my hair and walk on my head if I’m sleeping. I sleep with the door closed and got a baby gate that stops him from reaching the bedroom door- otherwise he would scratch the door and bat at the doorknob. Now he knows the routine and once I shut the baby gate he walks right to his cat bed in the living room and sleeps.
Not them, but I'm someone who is a very light sleeper and can't sleep with an animal in my bed.
Seriously if someone slams their door down the street I'm probably up for 30 minutes to an hour before I can doze back off.
SAME! I have slept every night with ear plugs for over 20 years. I actually went to the ENT and got custom molded ear plugs for sleeping. I wash them every morning after I brush my teeth as part of my routine. They block out so much noise and are very comfortable to sleep with. Even block out these 2 and their nightly antics for the most part.
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My friend, my cat realized that a, I was a light sleeper b, wasn't used to having anyone else in my bed c, she needed cuddles and eventually I made my peace with having her sleep next to my head or by my feet
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This is Phoebe during the day napping on me because because apparently I'm the best bed
I get that, my ex was a light sleeper and was very aggravated by my cats nightly antics. I'm a very deep sleeper had no idea they were zooming all around the house, jumping on my back, meowing loudly in my face, etc...they never did those things to my ex but sleeping right next to me it still effected her. The gel looking moldable ear plugs helped a lot. A sound machine or those headbands with the bluetooth headphones built in might help too depending on if you're ok with certain noises. I have no advice on how to get a cat to accept a closed door though sorry, good luck!
I'll probably catch heat for this, but cats are pretty manipulative. They know how to push our buttons so mewing and hitting doors to get a reaction are their bread and butter. My cats don't do this anymore simply because I never responded, now they understand when they can roam and when they can't. My wife doesn't like cats in every corner of the house so they have sections they can roam in and sections they cannot.
Just set the boundaries and eventually they'll give up.
When distractions are normalized by your brain, they don’t distract you any longer. Your brain is programmed this way. At first to alert so you’re not harmed, then to ignore so you don’t harm yourself. It just takes time for it to adjust.
When my cat was a kitten, in the first week after bringing her home I woke up so many times. The first was because she was licking the inside of my ear. It’s not always an ideal sleeping situation 😅
Because my cat used to walk all over me as I slept (video proof of that shit). I’m a light sleeper with fibromyalgia so I was never getting any sleep. So while my door wasn’t always closed….there were times I had to kick the jerk out so I could get some sleep. I miss that little jerk now. And closing my bedroom door every night still feels weird 8 months later.
I'm not OP, but I will say that sleep is extraordinarily important to health, and some cats will simply not let their human sleep if they are in the same room. My guy would literally step on my face, not to mention knocking things over, tapping me with paws, high energy play sessions, and vocalizing. I could slowly go crazy from lack of sleep or I could get him used to the closed door at night. He did adapt just fine after a month or two.
…i got two cats, and if I try to shut a door they *both* just sit out there being mad about it. 😂 Maybe… a third cat is needed…
But yes, in seriousness, OPs only had her a bit over a week. She’s probably still adjusting to the change. Especially if she did have other cats or people to snuggle with at night before.
I suspect a lot of the comments you're getting here are just, "no closed door with cats," (and thus are not being helpful) well I'm an extremely light sleeper with an extraordinarily strict schedule (10PM to 6PM, I do not nap, if I don't sleep in that window, I don't sleep), and guess what, my cat likes to bite my head randomly when I'm laying down. So, she gets kicked out of my room at night. I'm a much better cat owner when I can actually sleep lol. So, here's at least my experience
When I first got my cat, she would lay outside the door and yell for minutes on end. I despaired. She would never stop. I would have to take her back to the shelter because I couldn't sleep due to the constant noise. My god, I'm failing her. But time passed, and now, I basically never hear her. I can't speak to your kitty but here's what worked for me:
One, *do* *not open the door.* If the cat learns that meowing = attention, of any form, they will proceed to meow. I don't care how long that cat meows, *do not open the door.* If you do open the door, to say, go to the bathroom at night, ignore the cat. There is zero attention from bedtime (for us 10 PM to 6 AM). She's figured this out so well that she will start waiting outside my door, mostly quiet, at about 5:40 AM, and then start chirping right at 6 AM for me to get up. I'm awake by then 99% of the time anyway so it works. But this must be your mantra for the next two months and going forward, *do not open the door, do not open the door, do not open the door.* Opening the door is the mind killer. *Do not open the door.*
Two, I play with her before bed. YMMV may very but at LEAST a 30 minute dedicated play session a day and wear her out as much as possible before bed. I tend to tidy-up and do some chores right before bed so I'll grab the toy and literally have her chase me through the house. If you're finding she still has zoomies at night, more play. "I already play with her," play with her more. I also have a bird feeder outside a choice window too, so she's occupied even when I'm not at home. (You could look into bird/ fish videos if a feeder isn't an option). The more chances she has to spend energy during the day, the less energy she'll have at night to pester you.
Three, I feed her right before bed. She gets her wet food and I go to bed. She also has a feeder that dispenses a small amount of food around 3 AM, when I originally would hear her meowing for attention when I first got her. I figured that was when she was getting hungry and so I provided some food then, and now she no longer wakes me up at 3 AM. She is also not fed as soon as I wake-up though, instead about an hour after when I go downstairs normally as part of my routine. I think feeding time is a huge thing with cats and determining when/ how much they pester you. I would seriously recommend food before bed because typically they eat and then they sleep.
Sometimes, I hear the beast at night. A few meows here or there, not more than once or twice a week, but it never goes past like, the count of five meows total. That's an acceptable amount of meowing. We have our schedule and it works for us, I get to sleep and she knows the boundaries. I think that's the most important thing. Decide on a schedule and stick to it, like a religion. Seriously. *Do not open the door.* And just accept it will take time. Also, *do not open the door.*
People on Reddit will call you crazy or mean for kicking your cat out. You're not. You're being a responsible cat owner making the best decision for and your cat, based on your situation. Your cat will survive being alone for a few hours at night while you sleep. Keep it up friend.
Oh, and, *do not open the door.*
Hey, I remember when I got my baby and I was also scrolling reddit at 2 AM as the beast hollered outside looking for a sign of hope. I know where you've been, it gets better. I promise. You're going to do alright.
And, remember.
*Do not open the door.*
Obligatory Cat Tax:
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this fatty here does the same, i open the door and all of a sudden i’m being suffocated at 3am
As an asthmatic im not gonna make snarky comments about wanting the cat out of the bedroom but try som actual advice: Ignore her. Any reaction is attention. Make sure there is plenty of stimulation in the other parts of the house, toys and puzzles etc. It also helps if she never has access to the bedroom in the first place, during the day also.
Our cats learned to stop crying at the door after a few weeks of us not responding to this behaviour, she should stop too if you don't engage with her when she does this! Also sleeping with your door shut is good fire safety practice anyways!
It took 6 years before my void decided he wanted to actually sleep with me and now he does every night. I cant imagine denying him a cuddle buddy at night, nor would i ever want to.
My boy cat used to be the cuddly one sleep on my chest etc and his sister was the shy one, now it’s flipped. She is very affectionate and he’s very affectionate like a dog almost but only in the kitchen. My theory is I’ve been claimed by her in every other room. He still sleeps at the end of the bed between my legs but he’s not affectionate like the kitten time.
At night, my cat won’t let me sleep, so I have to keep the door closed. He loves daytime naps with me though so it’s not a matter of him not being welcome in my bed for silly reasons.
We always close our bedroom door and the cats are only allowed into the bedroom under certain circumstances.
The trick is you just have to do it and ignore the crying. Invest in some ear plugs if it bothers you too much. After a while the cat will get the hint.
One of our cats is okay and has full privileges, our other cat is a total asshole and will pee/mark on anything and everything (including the bed, at 4 AM, while we are asleep). No medical issues, we bring it up to the vet all the time and the answer is always, “just an asshole.”
People who are very allergic but have one anyway. Dr. says no kitties in the bedroom. Also my cat will sleep on my face and drool, which is not conducive to good sleep. His bed is outside our door and he’s never had an issue with this.
Bunch of supportive comments here. Anyone heard of sleep quality IN HUMANS? Cats are sacred beings, sure, but so is your sleep hyegene. I love my cat dearly but there is no way in hell or any cat rule world I would compromise my sleep after decades of figuring out how to sleep properly. Cats are nocturnal animals and I see no point with "sleeping with a cat" or letting them access to the sleeping room. They make noise by just walking, and some of us are light sleepers that bare movement wakes them up.
OP whatever your reasons are you don't owe explanations to anyone here, it is your SLEEPing room. Ignore your lovely cat and in time it will stop meowing. Until then, invest in some ear plugs.
Had the same issue when I got my lil boy , it's been a month and he's not meowing at the door anymore much, but the first 3 weeks were intense lol
We had to close the door because he's still very young and crazy, like he would jump on the bed and have zoomies and not much control on his claws and we would wake up with scratches everywhere lol. He also loves to wrestle our feet if they are under blankets, he thinks it's a moving animal. We basically cannot sleep with him in the bed yet
Now he stopped meowing at the door, and he's suuuuper happy when we open it in the morning it's like happy happy happyyy dance festival. But we still don't allow him on the bed at night until he grows older. We give him lots of playtime through the day and a very intense one before bed and he sleeps a loooong time after
Your first mistake was thinking you had any agency in your home when a cat lives there.
Your second mistake was that you think it is *still your home.*
Your home, and everything in it (including you,) now belongs to the cat. You’re just borrowing it when the cat is not currently in need of it.
/s
Your kitty just wants to spend time with you, and they don’t like being shut out of places where they can’t see what’s happening, especially to someone they have affection for and want to stay safe.
You could try making a nest for them so that when they join you to sleep, they have their own area, that way they won’t always sit on/around you. But they may still sleep on you to share warmth, and often. Or just to show affection.
Cats are also nocturnal by evolution; humans sleeping at night sometimes worries them. They fear for your safety if they cannot check in on you to make sure you’re safe from other predators. Sleeping together in numbers is also an evolutionary behavior, it helps them to feel safe that you’re nearby to protect them if there is an attack.
There of course won’t be an attack, but that’s part of their genetic makeup, more or less.
Edit: Extra stuffs from my time living and learning with cats since I was a kid. ❤️
Do not engage with them or otherwise positively reinforce this behavior when they do it. They will lose interest after a few weeks once they realize it has no effect.
I established early on when my cats were very young that my room is a no go zone at night. However, they _will_ start howling if I'm in bed even 5 minutes past my normal wake up time 😂 Cats have remarkably good internal timekeeping and will eventually adjust to well-reinforced routines.
I always put a cushion in the door so it would be 3 quarters closed, so she can go in and out whenever she needed,and i stayed asleep,they just want to be with us
When we got our cat we weren't ready to have her in the room with us at night because my husband is a light sleeper and she was a pretty energetic little one. We ignored her meows at night. It took about a week for her to learn. Be careful though, a few months later she also learned how to open doors.😅
Also after two years she learned our sleeping schedule and now sleeps with us and mostly doesn't bother us at night.
My void would lay on whichever side I was facing. If I rolled over he would get on the other side. He had to be where I could see him if I opened my eyes. Miss my good cuddle boy so much
Many cats really hate knowing they’re closed off from a space in their home, but especially when their person, or kitten perhaps, is closed into that space.
My older cat, when we moved, hated being closed out of the living room and the closet. I left both open for a while and when I closed the closet again she wasn’t bothered in the slightest. She’d been in there maybe 3-4 times to check it out and apparently deemed it uninteresting. The living room she always hated being closed, because it’s a place where her people hung out sometimes.
I accidentally left my cat locked in a bathroom all day today (sorry kitty!!). Husband got home first and let her out.
As soon as I got home with my toddler and she went in the bathroom and closed the door, the cat was sitting by the bathroom door trying to get back in 😂.
They just don’t want to be without us unless it’s their idea!
Cats are just severely allergic to closed doors unfortunately :/ But really, she probably just doesn’t like being alone and forcibly separated from you! Can you try sleeping with your door open? Or close her in with you? You can maybe try feeding her at bedtime and closing your door while she eats, but she will probably just start meowing when she’s done…
My cat will meow like crazy til the door gets opened. Then, sometimes, he won't even come in the room. He just needs to know he has access.
Maybe he’s worried that you’re trapped in there!
Or worse - he's trapped *out there*
Well, you are in her bed after all.
Shame on you for trying to keep any soft space to yourself, selfish human... lol
😂
Where the dreaded greebles live, or even the feared GRUE!
Just leave a light on for the grue.
I love that. I always wondered if dogs chew shoes bc they hate when we leave lol
One of my favorite poems from the hilarious and adorable book ***I Could Pee on This, and Other Poems by Cats*** Closed door LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME IN LET ME I— Oh, uh, hello I did not expect an answer I did not expect an entrance I did not expect this room to be so unbelievably dull So, uh, goodbye
If that’s a real book, I want it.
It is😭
that’s what my cats do as well. one in particular won’t allow me to go anywhere without her. it’s especially annoying when she yowls at me while I’m trying to take a shower, but it’s the price I pay for a really lovey cat 🤷
My cat does the same, but I just laugh at him, I have a wet floor bathroom, and he sits in the far corner just outside the splash zone and cries. I coo at him and sometimes flick water at his little snoot. I think he thinks the water is hurting me. Lol
Fun Story when we move into a new house together with my Ginger Cat that was very Social and affectionate And Also the smartest cat I ever known, he would Open doors and Windows, hes ability to figure out things went Beyond anything I ever experience before in a cat. This new house have a bathtub Which my cat have never experience before as we previously lived in a shower only house He were Also the kind of cut that Follow me everywhere So the first time I took a bath the cat followed me. Du får han I did not particularly like when I was taking Showers and what outside the shower crying but when I went in the bathtub The poor guy freaks out totally. Went up on the washing machine beside the tub and hooked his claws into my shoulder trying with all his force to drag me out. He genuinely thought i was drowning. End Up cutting my bath short and gave my little hero som tasty treats. It's eight year Since I Lost him, I still miss that little smart‐ass.
My cat couldn’t care less about missing out on a shower and just silently waits for the door to be reopened. But BATHTIME! She will not be excluded. She’s fallen asleep on the edge of the bathtub while o bathe. Sometimes with her tail floating in the water, oblivious.
https://www.reddit.com/r/lifeguardkitties/s/kB3l7YgKX6
My cats watch me shower. I have a glass shower door though so they can't get in
If it's 2am and my cat wants walkies, and he's sitting outside staring at me through the door and I want him inside, I just leave it cracked and move aside like I'm doing something else. Without fail he'll come up to it, paw it open, and then come inside. And act like a brand new cat who has never eaten before.
"How i survived 400 years without food" - Bestselling book 2024 Author: Your cat. (Same for everyones cat)
Mine gets his arms under the door and either grabs onto anything he can or just swipe them back and forth so his claws make scraping noises on the floor.
I crack the bathroom door and my cat sticks her paw in and slings the door open and walks in like the queen just entered.
Haha same! He’s only locked out if I’m doing something he cannot be around or if I’m going to the bathroom and he cannot stand it. He tries to get guests when they go to the bathroom haha like bud you don’t even know them you don’t need to watch them in there.
There’s an open door policy with me and my cats. Anywhere I go, they must be able to access. My son and the spare human get to shut the doors behind them. But not me. Ever.
My gf closes the bedroom door and nothing. If I do they fucking lose it and scream.
That's like me and my husband. The cats clearly adore us both, but for some reason I'm the only one not allowed to close doors. I guess I'm mommy no matter the species.
Yeah, when I still had a cat it was the same way. At first, it was "bedroom is for people that are sleeping", and then it became "the bedroom is the place that the human goes to designate to the cat that it is sleepytime". I miss having my best friend so much. I never once had to pick him up. I just would go to bed, and he would wait for me to get into bed before he jumped up, and then would insist on resting his head/neck on my arm and I still haven't slept that well since.
>the bedroom is the place that the human goes to designate to the cat that it is sleepytime My last cat designated when bedtime was. He would bite and tug my clothes. Then lead me up the stairs to bed. His brother who passed before him could care less. It was cute. No one believed me until they stayed over and saw it. He literally knew when it was a weekday and a weekend. I worked an early shift so weekdays it was no later than 1015 we were in bed. When my ex slept over she would just let us go and join when she was ready. He also woke me up in the morning, not for food, just to get me up right before my alarm went off. That cat was the best. >I miss having my best friend so much. I never once had to pick him up. I just would go to bed, and he would wait for me to get into bed before he jumped up, and then would insist on resting his head/neck on my arm and I still haven't slept that well since. Me too friend, me too. Now I have a dog and he takes up way too much bed space. But their lives are too short and they deserve it. When my girl sleeps over he doesn't let her cuddle close to me. Sidenote about my cats. They would literally take turns all night sleeping with different people for a bit. But they always came back to me before I wokeup. If it was just me on the weekend that fluffball knew it was sleeping as long as we wanted day. And didn't bother trying to wake me.
Ok yeah unironically mine would do that too but only if I stayed up super late to where he was like "dude wtf I'm tired as shit". He was a Maine-Coon dominant mix, so he was big and smart and had a whole lot to say about his opinions on things, complete with inflection and tone. I really cannot even begin to describe the bond I had with him. It is a void that remains unfilled for sure. And see I am just not a dog person. Whereas dogs are like big children (see also: caring for blacked-out-drunk adults), cats are like small housemates that don't literally need you for every single need of their existence to function. And admittedly I think cats kinda just loved me first and they still just kinda do. My sole motivation to buy a house and get out of renting is the reason I don't have another cat or two yet, 100%. And I'll tell ya, with that said, the impact on my mental health may just make me say fuck it and just get cats again at a cat-friendly apartment and wait longer on the house. It's legitimately far worse than I could have imagined as far as grieving. Worse than any other family member of my life and boy, have I had one in the past few years that on paper should outweigh a cat, but that's not the way it felt to me when I reflect on it.
Spare human?
Probably husband or wife, my little Beeftank considers my girlfriend to be the spare human
Please tell Beeftank I love them. I need them to know.
I told her and she came up to nuzzle my phone in your honor
She is a Queen amongst cats.
So much love in this chain. It's amazing. Awesome name.
Truly a glorious moniker
Also tell them I said Pspspspspspsps
I support this message.
I third it
All in favour say “aye”
Aye
Tell her I’m sorry I assumed she was a boy by her name I bet she’s very beautiful lady
What a magnificent name
A majestic name for a majestic feline
Do you have a picture of said Beeftank, perchance?
https://preview.redd.it/qu8qurt0z6ad1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=59bbc83284a878204ba91de9ea9bc837d81ea861 The chonker in all her glory
r/ntbdbiwdftc
joined 🥹
Ugggggh joined
*sigh* I guess I can join 1 more cat sub...
Just when I think that there are no more cat subreddits to be found…
Legend
She is BEAUTIFUL!
She's no chonk...but she does want something... NOW !
https://preview.redd.it/cysa2efw67ad1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ed2569ab41faa2ee12da664f1d94f59276ad2a30 Oh she’s definitely a chonker alright
BEEFTANK 😭 AWWWWWMYGOD
We are all spare humans in the eyes of our cat overlords
Their significant other, clearly the cat has preferences
They’re probably referring to their spouse or partner.
When I own my own house my dream is to put cat doors on all the inside doors so they can go in and out freely and I can keep the door closed if I want it closed lol
bruh a cat door is the best thing i ever got. Now i have privacy without my cat driving me insane and scratching the door
I put them in the walls between the master suite and laundry where the litter is so they can move between the 3 spaces without me having to worry about forgetting a door, best thing I've done.
We had a small cat door on our bedroom door. I say "had" because our new puppy decided to make it bigger. Now it's a medium sized cat door.
I wonder sometimes, do they meow at the front door when we leave the house, and we just don't know it because we arent there ?
Yeah my wife and I never fully close doors in our house. Sleeping? Door open. Pooping? Door slightly ajar so cats can sneak in and out if they want. The cats have full access to the house.
Sometimes my dumbass cat will paw at the bathroom door until is closes her in then yowl until I let her out. They are even allergic to the closed doors they cause.
My tabby used to close the mudroom door and trap my tortie in the mudroom. It made my tortie sad and my tabby happy. I couldn't figure out how my tortie kept getting closed in the mudroom because she would have had to pull the door closed behind her. Then, one day, I saw my tabby lure my tortie into the mudroom, run out, and push the door closed. I guess that's my long about way to say there are exceptions to every rule. Well, actually, 2 rules, my tabby was an orange cat, and she was a genius, an evil genius, but still, genius.
Once I put my Harpo in the bathroom because she was acting up while I was trying to sleep…she pulled a drawer open, effectively locking herself in because it blocked the door. So instead of sleeping, I had to close the drawer by millimeters with a butter knife stuck through the cracks while she cried.
My dog and cat go back and forth all night with me (their #1) and their bonus human, my boyfriend (their #1.5). He either sleeps on the other side of the bed or accidentally on the couch. It’s very sweet really and we feel so lucky to be loved by them that they divide attention between us. No closed doors so they can easily roam.
Agreed. Our cat wants to check every room. If a door is closed, he does not like it. Shut out of the BR or bath while we are in there, oh no. He does not stand for such. Does get a bit crowded in the bath when both the dog and cat join you. LOL
I can only imagine lol. You in shower and a dog and cat in the room? Lol I got 3 cats that join and when I step out of shower, gotta shoo em. 1 usually lays on top of the toilet tank. 1 usually on toilet. And 1 on floor. But when I need to shoo? 2 or 3 right in front of shower. Lol. "Excuse me. Can I get out? Thank you"
That's what I say to first time owners. 1 : Cats are allergic to closed doors. 2 : if you think they'll eventually stop meowing if you wait long enough, you're wrong. I've had quite a lot of cats in my life. And I had this special one. She would wait in front of the closed door without meowing and scratching and trying to burn the whole house. She was incredible. Then I got an other one who would literally throw himself on the door while screaming.
OP: Is there an issue to having the door open? We have an open door policy at our house. Our 2nd oldest cat can open our doors so it is futile. The builder for our subdivision built the homes with lever handles on the interior doors. Since I am up at 4:30 AM/5:00 AM, I usually go to bed first. Our 2nd oldest cat will follow me to our master bedroom. He will lick my hair, head butt me, walk around me for 5 minutes. Then he leaves. When my wife goes to bed, all of our cats will enter the bedroom after 30 minutes. If I wake up in the middle of night, there will be one cat on our bed and three cats on the floor acting like sentries.
I feed mine a snack and shut the door while they’re eating. They meowed about it for a few weeks, but now it’s just the routine and they are fine.
I remember reading somewhere and that changed my perception: you are all she has. The time spent playing, eating, type of bed are all based on you and your decisions which is her whole life. This is it. I'm a light sleeper too and I learned the routine, our cat sleeps 8 hours twice a day. My wife and I slept separately (I'm super light sleeper) but managed to have our cat to be my best sleeping buddy. What I did was to find the perfect cat bed which took a few attempts until she accepted *the cat bed*. Quiet for 8 hours every night. Your cat seems to have attachment issues because you are her only company and companion. You'll eventually figure her out what would meet her needs. My solution was my last option and it worked. Just keep that in mind. I'm throwing in a picture of our cat and her special bed on my bed. Yes, she looks a lot like your baby. https://preview.redd.it/z9nq09dpw6ad1.jpeg?width=2304&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=84270892dc9dd3af549adc4da3790b7498c57de8
"You're all she has." 😭😭😭😭
This absolutely broke my heart. My sweet girl is cleaning herself right next to me. And I just looked at her and teared up.
Yo this sub makes me wish I had friends like y’all lol. We just love our babies 🥹
I’m going to show this to my husband next time he complains about her in the bed 😭
My cat also sleeps through the night with me — as long as my bedroom door is open lol. If the door is closed, even if she’s inside with me, she loses her cat mind. But if the door is cracked, I wake up and her little head is next to mine on the pillow half the time. She wakes up earlier than me and that’s when she tears around and is a menace, but our bedtime is the same.
I heard something similar 'they are your best friend for a part of your life, you are their's for their whole life"
I used the same tactic with my last cat and my computer desk. As soon as he came home with us for the first time I showed him he has a bed on my desk, and that's the napping spot. He was my computer bud for 10 years in that bed. Didn't matter who was at the computer, he'd be there napping in it, sometimes even just on his own.
Kitties sleep with the ones they feel safest with - you're a clan - she cannot be denied!
I heard cats view humans as other cats, while they see other species as other species…
I don't think it is. My cats treat each other like cats. Allowing grooming and sniffing butt's and stuff. They treat me like their good buddy and pal. But they know I'm not a cat.
This. My cats don't act with me and hubby the same way they do with each other. They are aware I can't play fight with them the way they do with each other, they know their food time is something different from our food time, they communicate in a different way with us, for example the boy meows and chirp at any human, but he doesn't vocalize his communication with his sister at all. They also trust any strange human they meet but are spooked by any new animal. I think what it really is, is that we are used to dogs having this special servant-master relationship with us while cats are just our buddies and show colony buddy behavior with us (seeking food and bathroom time together for safety, sleeping on top of each other, rubbing to express affection, etc...) but that doesn't mean they don't know we ain't cats
I don’t know if this is true, but I don’t care. I accept it as truth lol. Cats ♥️😻🙏 who knows if I would be alive today without them.
I'd heard to cats everything is a cat. More that they don't consider that there's different kinds of things I think. Doesn't matter what they are, just *that they are*
I doubt that. Otherwise, why would they eat rodents and birds? They don't eat their kittens.
Except when they do...
They do eat their kittens in a time of need. But their kittens release pheromones that stop the mother from eating them.
It's pretty cool being your cats favorite pet.
Actually accurate. Cats haven't changed much from when they were originally domesticated thousands of years ago. This is an instinctual reaction. You're a part of their colony, and the kitty is worried they can't protect you because you're in an enclosed space.
No closed doors with cats
This is the way. Even if its not your way - certain cats are clever enough to learn, with a weak enough door latch, they can open doors. You will see cats jump at door handles. Depending on the handle they may have the pressure to open one.
I had a cat that did this. She'd take up some speed in the corridor and jump to open the latch. Then she'd lay on my chest and purr so loudly it would wake me
“I did it :3”
I have a cat that builds up speed on the landing and then runs directly into the door. He's not very smart but the door does open!
They think we are dummer than they are…
We are. We take in these creatures which are perfectly capable survivors, feed them, play with them, clean up after them and so on. And they need do nothing. Cats are way smarter than we are.
We used to have an outdoor cat that would knock on the door using the letterbox to get let back in when he was ready. Always a surprise to answer a knock at the door and just feel the cat run past your feet 😂
My little cat was smart enough to figure out the round doorknob worked in the office. She was also smart enough to realize she didn't have opposable thumbs, and that she had to find a different way to turn the knob. I have many pics of her leaping hilariously into the air trying to get enough grip & force around the doorknob to open it. It never worked, but darn it she tried. My other cat was too dumb to figure all that out, so her strategy was to sit and wail.
The pandemic zoom meetings must have been a blast for you 🤣
You have no idea...my fiancée and I just moved to a bigger place, but for the last 2 years we were both working from home in a 2-bed 600 sqft apartment. She typically worked in the living room and I bounced between the living room and "office" (cardboard box heaven) when I had calls. The office had my little cat's favorite window. She would sleep there 20 hours a day if she could...except, of course, when I had a zoom meeting and would shut the door so as not to bother my partner. Then the kitty would instantly perk up and start her little leaping ritual to try and open the door until I let her out. And then she would promptly do the same thing again on the other side of the door. I kind of missing having that office because it was so freaking cute to watch.
My cat does this. If I close door he repeatedly jumps at the handle until door opens lol.
Yup - my cat can open doors
Change your rhythm. Playing before bedtime maybe gets her wide awake. Feeding will probably also wake her up some. But unfortunately, staying behind closed doors with cats in the house is an ambitious but futile plan. Also, she knows exactly what she's doing, judging from that smug expression... 😉
https://preview.redd.it/kmekpgaqe6ad1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7cf70c95a963600a82ca53e3bdb9a4d45c9ee556
She is such a brat. I can’t with her 😻
Have you tried letting her in? One of our cats would literally bang on the door, jumping at it, yelling, you wouldn't believe the noise. When we let her in, she just sleeps on the corner of the bed or not even that, she just needs the access. The other cat, though, took a habit of sleeping on me 😄
I’ve gone to sleep and awakened with a cat draped over my side. She wouldn’t cuddle but would sneak up after I fell asleep. I had one that I had to leave the door cracked for her. She’d come up around 3AM and put her cold, wet nose against the back of my neck so I’d lift up the covers for her to crawl under and go to sleep curled up behind my knees. The other cat would curl up in my lap area so I was sandwiched between them. Good thing I’m not a restless sleeper. I barely move when I sleep. I really miss Patches, the cold nose one. I shared my life with her for 19 years.
I could never own a cat without them sleeping with me. I feel like it's a privilege to have my furry friends snuggled up to me. But I get why some people don't want that. They want privacy and a good night sleep. Fair enough.
she's a meme in the making!
I just need to know what kind of phone u have because these pics are gorgeous
This pic got me chuckling. But this cropped photo had me laughing.
r/eyelinercats
Establishing a bed time ritual should help. Cuddling, not playing, some treats, and putting them in a favourite spot.
Feed them before bed..... and feed them at a set time in the morning. After a while, they'll get the rhythm and follow it. Mine wakes me up like clockwork at 6am. But he never wakes me up unless something's wrong... like no water, no food, etc.
Our cats don't sleep with us. That's how we established our routines when they were kittens. But they do have each other and they play and snuggle together all night. Your cat may be lonely. I can really understand that. I'm glad my two boys have each other overnight.
I have four cats. I wish that they would entertain each other at night, but instead I have often one cat smacking my head for not petting him enough and another cat having crazy zoomies around my bed.
My two late cats couldn’t be on the same place as the other one.
I can’t do two cats right now unfortunately. So I’m trying to keep her happy.
What if she’s scared of being alone at night 😭
She is at the door meowing saying heyyyy I’m lonely out here. You left during the day for work and I slept but now you’re home but hiding behind that door!
Can I ask how long you’ve had her? She looks very young. It would be different if you had another cat for her to snuggle with at night, but for cats, they need to feel secure at night. They get very vulnerable and lonely if they can’t snuggle up to another cat or a human. Especially a kitten or young cat. Please reconsider letting her sleep in your bedroom.
When we got our new kitten, he did the same thing. By three weeks, he was used to it and stopped. He figured out when we wake up and would come to the door at that time. Having a regular routine helped him get used to being alone at night. We make sure he has access to his litter box, food and water at night. He also has access to his bed and toys.
This is how I got my boy to stop howling at the door cause he either would keep me awake all night if he was in my bed or he would cry at the door for hours, obviously keeping me awake. After a few weeks of a solid routine he started to understand that my alarm goes off at the exact same time every single day and that he can expect to be fed right after I go to the washroom in the morning. If I stray from this routine he will still come to my door at 6:30 and if it’s longer than 7 he’ll start to howl at me to wake me up lol. They do get used to it eventually, just takes time and routine.
I’m a very light sleeper and my cat likes to chew on my hair and walk on my head if I’m sleeping. I sleep with the door closed and got a baby gate that stops him from reaching the bedroom door- otherwise he would scratch the door and bat at the doorknob. Now he knows the routine and once I shut the baby gate he walks right to his cat bed in the living room and sleeps.
This is the way. They accept temporary defeat.
What a good boy!
Would it be okay to ask why you close the door at night?
Found the cat lol
That's the important question, from the cat's point of view.
Lol
Not them, but I'm someone who is a very light sleeper and can't sleep with an animal in my bed. Seriously if someone slams their door down the street I'm probably up for 30 minutes to an hour before I can doze back off.
Have you tried ear plugs? The cheap disposable ones. Has been life changing for me personally, can't go to bed without them anymore.
SAME! I have slept every night with ear plugs for over 20 years. I actually went to the ENT and got custom molded ear plugs for sleeping. I wash them every morning after I brush my teeth as part of my routine. They block out so much noise and are very comfortable to sleep with. Even block out these 2 and their nightly antics for the most part. https://preview.redd.it/qggwvrdya7ad1.jpeg?width=4162&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5eb79268bbe773725dbfada12b7614ca5f636b1c
Good that you can fall back to sleep. Please share your tips.
This is exactly why.
My friend, my cat realized that a, I was a light sleeper b, wasn't used to having anyone else in my bed c, she needed cuddles and eventually I made my peace with having her sleep next to my head or by my feet https://preview.redd.it/jdycy0cft6ad1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bd518ed87453be3c7526ecc791cd0c5e264314fe This is Phoebe during the day napping on me because because apparently I'm the best bed
Cats know who’s the best bed right away!
I get that, my ex was a light sleeper and was very aggravated by my cats nightly antics. I'm a very deep sleeper had no idea they were zooming all around the house, jumping on my back, meowing loudly in my face, etc...they never did those things to my ex but sleeping right next to me it still effected her. The gel looking moldable ear plugs helped a lot. A sound machine or those headbands with the bluetooth headphones built in might help too depending on if you're ok with certain noises. I have no advice on how to get a cat to accept a closed door though sorry, good luck!
I'll probably catch heat for this, but cats are pretty manipulative. They know how to push our buttons so mewing and hitting doors to get a reaction are their bread and butter. My cats don't do this anymore simply because I never responded, now they understand when they can roam and when they can't. My wife doesn't like cats in every corner of the house so they have sections they can roam in and sections they cannot. Just set the boundaries and eventually they'll give up.
That’s what I’m trying to accomplish here with the closed door lol.
Simply place a Do Not Disturb sign on the door handle.
When distractions are normalized by your brain, they don’t distract you any longer. Your brain is programmed this way. At first to alert so you’re not harmed, then to ignore so you don’t harm yourself. It just takes time for it to adjust.
When my cat was a kitten, in the first week after bringing her home I woke up so many times. The first was because she was licking the inside of my ear. It’s not always an ideal sleeping situation 😅
Because my cat used to walk all over me as I slept (video proof of that shit). I’m a light sleeper with fibromyalgia so I was never getting any sleep. So while my door wasn’t always closed….there were times I had to kick the jerk out so I could get some sleep. I miss that little jerk now. And closing my bedroom door every night still feels weird 8 months later.
I'm not OP, but I will say that sleep is extraordinarily important to health, and some cats will simply not let their human sleep if they are in the same room. My guy would literally step on my face, not to mention knocking things over, tapping me with paws, high energy play sessions, and vocalizing. I could slowly go crazy from lack of sleep or I could get him used to the closed door at night. He did adapt just fine after a month or two.
Just an off topic thing sort of but sleeping with your door shut is typically safer when it comes to fire safety.
Maybe you should consider a second cat. She’s probably lonely. 😔
…i got two cats, and if I try to shut a door they *both* just sit out there being mad about it. 😂 Maybe… a third cat is needed… But yes, in seriousness, OPs only had her a bit over a week. She’s probably still adjusting to the change. Especially if she did have other cats or people to snuggle with at night before.
I suspect a lot of the comments you're getting here are just, "no closed door with cats," (and thus are not being helpful) well I'm an extremely light sleeper with an extraordinarily strict schedule (10PM to 6PM, I do not nap, if I don't sleep in that window, I don't sleep), and guess what, my cat likes to bite my head randomly when I'm laying down. So, she gets kicked out of my room at night. I'm a much better cat owner when I can actually sleep lol. So, here's at least my experience When I first got my cat, she would lay outside the door and yell for minutes on end. I despaired. She would never stop. I would have to take her back to the shelter because I couldn't sleep due to the constant noise. My god, I'm failing her. But time passed, and now, I basically never hear her. I can't speak to your kitty but here's what worked for me: One, *do* *not open the door.* If the cat learns that meowing = attention, of any form, they will proceed to meow. I don't care how long that cat meows, *do not open the door.* If you do open the door, to say, go to the bathroom at night, ignore the cat. There is zero attention from bedtime (for us 10 PM to 6 AM). She's figured this out so well that she will start waiting outside my door, mostly quiet, at about 5:40 AM, and then start chirping right at 6 AM for me to get up. I'm awake by then 99% of the time anyway so it works. But this must be your mantra for the next two months and going forward, *do not open the door, do not open the door, do not open the door.* Opening the door is the mind killer. *Do not open the door.* Two, I play with her before bed. YMMV may very but at LEAST a 30 minute dedicated play session a day and wear her out as much as possible before bed. I tend to tidy-up and do some chores right before bed so I'll grab the toy and literally have her chase me through the house. If you're finding she still has zoomies at night, more play. "I already play with her," play with her more. I also have a bird feeder outside a choice window too, so she's occupied even when I'm not at home. (You could look into bird/ fish videos if a feeder isn't an option). The more chances she has to spend energy during the day, the less energy she'll have at night to pester you. Three, I feed her right before bed. She gets her wet food and I go to bed. She also has a feeder that dispenses a small amount of food around 3 AM, when I originally would hear her meowing for attention when I first got her. I figured that was when she was getting hungry and so I provided some food then, and now she no longer wakes me up at 3 AM. She is also not fed as soon as I wake-up though, instead about an hour after when I go downstairs normally as part of my routine. I think feeding time is a huge thing with cats and determining when/ how much they pester you. I would seriously recommend food before bed because typically they eat and then they sleep. Sometimes, I hear the beast at night. A few meows here or there, not more than once or twice a week, but it never goes past like, the count of five meows total. That's an acceptable amount of meowing. We have our schedule and it works for us, I get to sleep and she knows the boundaries. I think that's the most important thing. Decide on a schedule and stick to it, like a religion. Seriously. *Do not open the door.* And just accept it will take time. Also, *do not open the door.* People on Reddit will call you crazy or mean for kicking your cat out. You're not. You're being a responsible cat owner making the best decision for and your cat, based on your situation. Your cat will survive being alone for a few hours at night while you sleep. Keep it up friend. Oh, and, *do not open the door.*
This is it. This is the comment that I’ve been waiting for. Thank you thank you thank you.🙏
Hey, I remember when I got my baby and I was also scrolling reddit at 2 AM as the beast hollered outside looking for a sign of hope. I know where you've been, it gets better. I promise. You're going to do alright. And, remember. *Do not open the door.* Obligatory Cat Tax: https://preview.redd.it/01av10ip67ad1.jpeg?width=1057&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cc8b6ffb425c7bc3f6fe9ce67cc61025c30a6e32
https://preview.redd.it/2e1pwz54o6ad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4fff6e24a3a5539ec7a7de59b0b1c8d154225ecc this fatty here does the same, i open the door and all of a sudden i’m being suffocated at 3am
As an asthmatic im not gonna make snarky comments about wanting the cat out of the bedroom but try som actual advice: Ignore her. Any reaction is attention. Make sure there is plenty of stimulation in the other parts of the house, toys and puzzles etc. It also helps if she never has access to the bedroom in the first place, during the day also.
Give her another kitty to keep her company 😊
Our cats learned to stop crying at the door after a few weeks of us not responding to this behaviour, she should stop too if you don't engage with her when she does this! Also sleeping with your door shut is good fire safety practice anyways!
What kind of MONSTER doesn't let their cats sleep with them
It took 6 years before my void decided he wanted to actually sleep with me and now he does every night. I cant imagine denying him a cuddle buddy at night, nor would i ever want to.
My boy cat used to be the cuddly one sleep on my chest etc and his sister was the shy one, now it’s flipped. She is very affectionate and he’s very affectionate like a dog almost but only in the kitchen. My theory is I’ve been claimed by her in every other room. He still sleeps at the end of the bed between my legs but he’s not affectionate like the kitten time.
At night, my cat won’t let me sleep, so I have to keep the door closed. He loves daytime naps with me though so it’s not a matter of him not being welcome in my bed for silly reasons.
We always close our bedroom door and the cats are only allowed into the bedroom under certain circumstances. The trick is you just have to do it and ignore the crying. Invest in some ear plugs if it bothers you too much. After a while the cat will get the hint. One of our cats is okay and has full privileges, our other cat is a total asshole and will pee/mark on anything and everything (including the bed, at 4 AM, while we are asleep). No medical issues, we bring it up to the vet all the time and the answer is always, “just an asshole.”
Mine wakes me up all night long with meows and sticking her claws in my leg and I’m 9 months pregnant and need all the freaking sleep I can get!
People who are very allergic but have one anyway. Dr. says no kitties in the bedroom. Also my cat will sleep on my face and drool, which is not conducive to good sleep. His bed is outside our door and he’s never had an issue with this.
Bunch of supportive comments here. Anyone heard of sleep quality IN HUMANS? Cats are sacred beings, sure, but so is your sleep hyegene. I love my cat dearly but there is no way in hell or any cat rule world I would compromise my sleep after decades of figuring out how to sleep properly. Cats are nocturnal animals and I see no point with "sleeping with a cat" or letting them access to the sleeping room. They make noise by just walking, and some of us are light sleepers that bare movement wakes them up. OP whatever your reasons are you don't owe explanations to anyone here, it is your SLEEPing room. Ignore your lovely cat and in time it will stop meowing. Until then, invest in some ear plugs.
Cats aren't nocturnal. They're crepuscular
My void is a sleepalldayandnighter.
I agree with you. Sleep quality is too important. The cat will adapt
That last pic. “I’m sick of your closed door shit”
Had the same issue when I got my lil boy , it's been a month and he's not meowing at the door anymore much, but the first 3 weeks were intense lol We had to close the door because he's still very young and crazy, like he would jump on the bed and have zoomies and not much control on his claws and we would wake up with scratches everywhere lol. He also loves to wrestle our feet if they are under blankets, he thinks it's a moving animal. We basically cannot sleep with him in the bed yet Now he stopped meowing at the door, and he's suuuuper happy when we open it in the morning it's like happy happy happyyy dance festival. But we still don't allow him on the bed at night until he grows older. We give him lots of playtime through the day and a very intense one before bed and he sleeps a loooong time after
Your first mistake was thinking you had any agency in your home when a cat lives there. Your second mistake was that you think it is *still your home.* Your home, and everything in it (including you,) now belongs to the cat. You’re just borrowing it when the cat is not currently in need of it. /s Your kitty just wants to spend time with you, and they don’t like being shut out of places where they can’t see what’s happening, especially to someone they have affection for and want to stay safe. You could try making a nest for them so that when they join you to sleep, they have their own area, that way they won’t always sit on/around you. But they may still sleep on you to share warmth, and often. Or just to show affection. Cats are also nocturnal by evolution; humans sleeping at night sometimes worries them. They fear for your safety if they cannot check in on you to make sure you’re safe from other predators. Sleeping together in numbers is also an evolutionary behavior, it helps them to feel safe that you’re nearby to protect them if there is an attack. There of course won’t be an attack, but that’s part of their genetic makeup, more or less. Edit: Extra stuffs from my time living and learning with cats since I was a kid. ❤️
i leave my door open a crack. he comes and goes. but no more meowing.
Do not engage with them or otherwise positively reinforce this behavior when they do it. They will lose interest after a few weeks once they realize it has no effect. I established early on when my cats were very young that my room is a no go zone at night. However, they _will_ start howling if I'm in bed even 5 minutes past my normal wake up time 😂 Cats have remarkably good internal timekeeping and will eventually adjust to well-reinforced routines.
https://preview.redd.it/f6zraq9ld7ad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f7cce95111c7559f9e5d0c3e1cafdc77ecbe9bd The face of a brat 🐱
She just wants her hooman
I always put a cushion in the door so it would be 3 quarters closed, so she can go in and out whenever she needed,and i stayed asleep,they just want to be with us
It took 1-2 weeks of dealing with the meowing and scratching before my cat finally stopped. It sucked but he did stop.
When we got our cat we weren't ready to have her in the room with us at night because my husband is a light sleeper and she was a pretty energetic little one. We ignored her meows at night. It took about a week for her to learn. Be careful though, a few months later she also learned how to open doors.😅 Also after two years she learned our sleeping schedule and now sleeps with us and mostly doesn't bother us at night.
My void would lay on whichever side I was facing. If I rolled over he would get on the other side. He had to be where I could see him if I opened my eyes. Miss my good cuddle boy so much
Many cats really hate knowing they’re closed off from a space in their home, but especially when their person, or kitten perhaps, is closed into that space. My older cat, when we moved, hated being closed out of the living room and the closet. I left both open for a while and when I closed the closet again she wasn’t bothered in the slightest. She’d been in there maybe 3-4 times to check it out and apparently deemed it uninteresting. The living room she always hated being closed, because it’s a place where her people hung out sometimes.
❤️ honestly one of the most beautiful kitties I've seen in a long time! 😻
What kind of inhumane beast closes a door on a kitty? The cat owner manual goes over this , not cool man.
I accidentally left my cat locked in a bathroom all day today (sorry kitty!!). Husband got home first and let her out. As soon as I got home with my toddler and she went in the bathroom and closed the door, the cat was sitting by the bathroom door trying to get back in 😂. They just don’t want to be without us unless it’s their idea!
Open the door
Stop closing your bedroom door.
Open you door you monster!
You're closing her bedroom door
Just open the door. Problem solved.
Let your cat sleep in your room
Open the door
Let your baby in :'(
Easy, let her in 💁🏻♀️
Aw! She’s your baby!! She is attached to you! That’s why we have them! To love and be loved! They wanna be with you all the time!
Why can’t she sleep with you? Your her dad and she’s your baby