I'm trying an experiment in kicking the boys out of the bedroom at night. I've been suffering from extreme fatigue, so I figured I should try sleeping sans cats for a while and see if they are the cause, or if it is something more serious. I've actually already got the prescription for a sleep study, but I'm going to try the cheaper solutions first.
The first night went great. Not a peep out of anybody. Captain Hook sniffed at the door for a minute, but then they all just left and did their own thing.
Last night, however, did not go so well. Spike cried outside my door for half an hour. Then somebody (most likely Pat, since he's the one that's tried it before) jumped onto this narrow little shelf that's mounted on the wall over the couch and has lots of vases on it. Of course, the cat and one of the vases fell down. The cat is fine. The vase is not.
So we'll try again tonight. I can only guess what they'll find to get into and destroy as I sleep peacefully.
I have one of these for my cat. IF he decides to wake us up at 5 am I simply put him inside and close the door to our spare room (where the cage is). It's big enough for him and a litterbox. He can come out when we wake up.
Hmm... that'd be a mighty big cage for three cats...
If things get absolutely ridiculous, I might consider putting the door back on the basement so I can lock them down there at night (it's fully finished, with carpeting, cushy chairs, etc.). Of course, that would mean setting up food and water in the basement, and hauling the door out of the back of the laundry room and putting it back on its hinges. Right now, it's not there because the doorway to the basement is sort of around the corner in the kitchen, and the 1/2 bath is right there, so the two doors were getting in the way of each other, and the only way you'd know the basement was there is if you walk all the way to the end of the kitchen, so it's not like I need to shut the door and close off my basement to guests.
Hopefully, the dudes will decide that they can survive without sleeping on me all night. They've got each other, after all. I'll try spending some extra time with them before I go to bed and see if that makes them feel less neglected. I brushed them all this afternoon, but two of them consider that a form of cruel and unusual punishment, so no brownie points there.
Be careful what you do, since sudden, drastic changes in their environment can lead to a host of behavioral and health problems. Locking up/confining is one of them.
Why not just try your medication, combined with ear plugs? Your cats have I assume, been sleeping with you or on your bed for quite some time, if you prohibit this, they will sense something wrong and may react negatively toward it.
Well, the problem with my sleep, if it is the cats, isn't noise, so earplugs wouldn't do anything. If it's the cats, the problem is most likely that I am waking up halfway multiple times during the night either with them coming and going or because they are laying on me and I can't turn over properly. They are actually pretty good when they sleep with me. They come in to sleep, and go elsewhere to play. The problem is that they sleep on top of me, which has a high probability of disrupting my ability to sleep soundly.
It's also a possibility that I have some sort of sleep disorder, perhaps some problem with a particular phase of sleep. The prescription isn't for a medication, but for a sleep study. That's where you go in to the lab and they hook you up to all kinds of electrodes and sensors and watch you sleep all night to see if they pick up any weirdness. A very expensive test.
So, before I go do the sleep study (which wouldn't show anything of any use if my problem is the cats, anyway), I'm going to try the simple solution of kicking out the bedfellows.
When I first got them, I didn't let them sleep with me. But then when I moved, I felt bad for disrupting their whole routine and I let them sleep with me. So they've been sleeping with me for the last 2.5 years.
Last night they did better. No crying, no destruction of property. I certainly don't want to have to lock them up somewhere, because I think that would just stress them out more.
I definitely don't want to stress them out, but at this point I need to try locking them out of the bedroom at night. If they are the problem, then it's just something that they're going to have to get used to. My disability causes fatigue as it is, and I can't deal with extra fatigue of not getting a good night's sleep. I wouldn't be disrupting their routine if it wasn't for a good reason, but for the past few months I've been unable to keep up with necessary tasks like cleaning the house, grading papers, and progress toward my degree.
Good luck!! My quest for restorative sleep has been ongoing and is endless. My poor/lack of sleep contributes to my bipolar and I know it's because of my cats (the lack of sleep, not the bp). Because of the layout of my apartment, locking them into a room .. or myself ... isn't much of an option.
Better living through chemistry ?? Some swear by it, I'm still not swayed. Call me a matyr.
I'm definitely a big fan of better living through chemistry... They know me by name at the pharmacy.
The boys were good again last night, although I was only in bed for about 4 hours (got a late start on the night, and had an early morning). I took a nap on the couch with them later in the morning, which they all thoroughly enjoyed. And my roommate was kind enough to inform me that I was snoring (at least the cats don't mind). So maybe I'll go get the sleep study and make sure I don't need any fancy equipment before I get kicked off my good insurance.
We have 2 medium size cats and they can take over the WHOLE bed. I often wake up in a strange position, with both cats sprawled at ridiculous angles and us cramped along the edges of the bed.
