[Lara]

I'm looking after my daughter's cat while she's at University. <groan>

She sits at the screen door and doesn't do a pretty miaow, she does this nasty "MIAOW GRRRRR Where have you been, GRRRRR?"

She's in bed now of course. I'm awake. Moment I go to bed she will awake.

Scratches the doors. Scratches the carpets. Cries like a baby. It's winter here. She was always an indoor at night cat. Now she's wanting to go out in the cold. What's with that?
She wakes me about 3 times a night on average to go out into the dark and cold.
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This is not on. I worry about her so much in my sleep I wake up thinking I can hear her calling and she's not there when I get up to check on her.
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Suggestions welcome.

(no good suggesting I put her in a room and lock her in because this place is very tiny)

[mrsD]

Is this new? Are you newly taking care of this kitty?

One thing that helps cats who are bonded to someone, who then leaves, is to have some unwashed clothing with scent of the owner on it for them to sleep with.

Cats can be inscrutable at times, but they do mourn and miss a loved one. Tippy used to mourn hubby when he came home to work when we were on vacation. But if I left his robe out for her, she seemed better about it.

Cats can be very illogical...as they don't have executive functioning in the frontal lobes. But they are quite emotional and devoted on the other hand.

You can get her to bond more with you by using the same phrases your daughter used to talk to the kitty, and offering a wonderful treat now and then in between meals. We have found that FOOD is a royal road to any cat's heart, and can accomplish much!

[Kitty]

I read the title to this thread and wondered....."who am I the boss of?"!
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Cats are very demanding but in a way that we don't often realize until it's too late and the behavior has been cemented.

Your daughter's cat is probably confused. She might be "looking" for her. My own cat Panda will cry like she's being tortured if she's left alone too long. And I might only be in the other room! Once she hears me or sees me she's fine. First time she did this it scared me to death. I thought she was either caught in something or in pain. She was just sitting under the coffee table but crying like a baby.
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Will your daughter be able to come visit her? The clothing suggestion is good because cats love to curl up in something that has scent on it.

Good luck. It's hard being held captive by a cat!
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[mrsD]

I never had a cat who did a traditional "meow".

And our new cat cries like Kitty's for me too. But then Weez has always been such a baby from the beginning. After her first vet visit she cried for an HOUR (with me holding her) just like a human baby would. Weez's vocalizations are quite high pitched, and get very high when hungry or hurt or frightened.

My impression of cats is that they remain at the equivalent level of a human toddler, for life. This means they play, demand, sulk, pout, cling, etc.
When encouraged, they can remain very playful. When thwarted, they can hold grudges. When afraid, they require alot of support to end the fear.

[Blessings2You]

I will be following this thread, as this fall we will be "fostering" my daughter's cat for a while. He'll be two when he gets here.

And cats sure do hold grudges! One of our former pastors had a big cat, probably part Maine Coon. When he reprimanded her, booted her off the kitchen counter or something, she would go fish one of his socks out of the laundry basket and put it in her water dish. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyeballs.

[Chemar]

lol
our Catsby does that with her water dish, except she drops her toys in it for some reason.
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I frequently find a drenched catnip mouse or jingle bell in there.

Lara, when we moved recently, one of my cats, Twisp, crawled into a hole she made in the fabric under the sofa, and refused to move for 2 days. I was very worried about her and had food and water in there which she did not touch.
She finally came out, ready to explore the new digs and no further problems.

However, Catsby developed a yowl that is totally new and very loud and long and she does that out of the blue now, tho thankfully not at night anymore. I keep the cats in at night, tho they can go out all day if they choose to. I hissed and snarled at her one night when she did it and she has stopped that now. I think her hearing those unfamiliar sounds from me let her know I was serious about her disturbing our sleep! She doesn't act afraid of me at all, and is very affectionate and playful...... but when I hear any sound from her at night, all I have to do is a slow hisssss and it stops pronto.
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I obviously do have a litter box for the kitties when they have to be in at nights, so not letting her out has never resulted in any accidents.

Not sure tho how your daughter's kitty may react to you sounding like an angry tiger lol
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but it sure worked with Catsby!

I agree on the item with your daughter's smell on it as a comfort blankie at her favorite snooze spot. Do you have anything like catnip treats to reward her if she stops the noise or scratching?

hope she settles down.

I struggle to fall asleep again if woken at night, and the few times that our (neutered) tom cat, Twilight, has not come in by my bedtime, I cannot rest till he does, even if that is hours later. lol, my youngest son is 21 now, and lives here, and I am the same till I hear him come in after he has been out at night too
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[Lara]

Firstly, thanks for all the great feedback. LOL @ Kitty. I never thought of that when I wrote the title.

She's been here alone with me for 2 and 1/2 years but she's 10 and has known me as her primary carer almost all of her life. She lived with my daughter's father for a couple of years before coming back to me as I was living in an area where I couldn't have cats. I call her my daughter's cat because technically that's what she is, but I guess emotionally she's my cat. lol

So there's been no sudden change. At first she was inside day and night. Gradually I allowed her out in the day and she didn't go far at all. She has a special blanket on a table in a safe and secure place outside a window where she usually sits and watches the world go by. When my daughter does come to visit the cat loves to see her at first but then just ignores her.

She wakes me up so many times in the night. Last night she did the same thing. I need to change something.

One night I heard this awful commotion and opened the front door. I have taken to leaving the security screen door ajar with a chair keeping it in place. Otherwise she just sits there scratching at it until I am woken up and she is let inside again. She was sitting there crying in distress on the top of the security screen door which is about 3/4 of an inch in width.
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There are other cats in the neighbourhood who usually roam around here all day and night. I'm wondering if she feels safer outside in the night at the moment while it is cold because the other cats are not around.

I don't want her out at night at all. Usually she would be brought in at sundown and go out again at daybreak. I didn't mind it so much when she woke me early, but she's only sleeping a few hours and then wanting to go out.

She has a kitty litter box in the laundry. Gets fed well. Gets treats. Is loved.

I don't think she misses anyone. I think she just loves annoying me and seeing my reaction. I think she loves to get her claws into my lounge suite because she knows I'll get up and put her outside.

She's hyperactive. She's a spoiled brat. Ugh. It's all my fault!!!
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[Chemar]

I vote for trying the angry tiger sounds then lol....
lovingly, of course
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[Kitty]

Originally Posted by Lara
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She's a spoiled brat. Ugh. It's all my fault!!!
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My cats are the same. I always say "I've created my own monsters".
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[Lara]

LOL Kitty. Love your avatar.

Here she is, the little terror.


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