Hi all,

I visited this forum a while back and got helpful advice regarding my nearly 2 year old cat who was being noisy at night. We got him neutered a month ago and the howling and crying stopped - magic!

However, I am back because he is causing me a new problem and I don't know what to do!

Every night, from about 3am, he scratches the hell out my bedroom door and I don't know how to get him to stop! It is driving me mad and I can't have it as I live in a flat and the neighbours will be complaining soon. Here is the info you probably need to know to help me out:

-the bedroom door is open so the cats can move freely around the house. He can get in and out the room and access both sides of the door.

- he is a male neutered about 4 weeks ago.

-we have 4 cats in total 2 x 10 year olds, the troublemaker who is nearly two, and a baby who is 7 months.

-this behaviour started in the last 2 weeks

-i have already tried spraying him with water but this doesn't work as he knows when I am coming now and just runs away. I have to move to spray him because of the layout of the room and he hears me. when I follow him and spray him he just dries himself off and comes back again.

-i have tried leaving him to tire himself out but he never does, he just gets louder to the point i need to stop him.

-the have plenty of toys that i rotate, and they have scratching posts.

I have stopped him tonight by getting up... but obviously it can't go on! He isn't coming to me for attention, it's like he just wants someone to be up. My OH who he has a preference for is still in bed and he isn't scratching.

If I think of anything else I will add it later - brain doesn't engage until first coffee!

Thanks!

Oh dear! don't know what to advise you! but I'm sure there will be experts along soon to help you, you must be shattered, enjoy your coffee

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Hmmmm.....
Personally I've never even heard of spraying water working! Most cats either get scared of you or don't care lol.
All I can think of is everytime he does it is to lock him in a room for a bit, like a time out. That way everytime he does it he learns he doesn't get company or anywhere to run about.
I know my cats aren't always in the mood for attention but they love just playing or sleeping in the same room. They follow me about to do whatever they're doing in my vicinity, but duck away if they're "busy" if I try to stroke them lol! They also used to pounce on me to wake me up, but still didn't want attention... Is that what "the troublemaker" is like?

It doesn't seem like he would be bored, and he does it to the door where you are. So it certainly sounds like it.
I would think teaching him when he does that - he gets put away and you go back to bed, would perhaps make him think twice.

Chasing him to spray water just makes it a game, Indy loves to scratch the furniture and stares at me while he does it, then when I go "Ah! and stand up his ears go back and he does it extra fast and then dives off just before I reach him lol! He's a little B*****d sometimes

Bagel used to scratch the door but this was because it was closed and she wanted to charge up and down the hallway which unfortuantly due to present circumstances I couldn't allow her to do.

I have her in a fairly large room with her cat tree and toys and it was only at night so I had to come up with a plan

Basically I kept socks by my bed and when she went to do it I threw a sock at the door, not at her! and I used socks because if I misjudged it and they hit her then they were soft. She didn't know where it was coming from, so couldnt related it to me. Instead she learnt that scratching the door meant a strange noise above her.

She doesnt do it anymore

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From Rowan and the fur-kids
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So he's scratching at an open door?

Is there no way you can keep him shut downstairs at night?

Yeah he is scratching at an open door. I live in a flat so there is nowhere to shut him in at night as it would mean my other cats would have to be shut in or out too and they would just start!

Love the socks idea - only thing is I can't get to the door without moving due to the room layout and as soon as he hears me move he runs away. I am done in jumping up and down all night!

My OH ended up coming through at 5am to let me go to sleep for a bit and he stayed away from the door. Obviously we can't be with him 24/7!

Does anyone think it could be an after effect of being neutered? Like an insecurity thing that could pass with time?

I found a good way to deter my cats from scratching at their 'favourite' things - the coffee table and my fiancee's wardrobe doors - was to buy some orange oil used for aromatherapy, put a few drops into a clean cloth and then thoroughly rub this into the area I want them to leave alone. Cats don't like the smell of orange and they quickly learn that scratching at it makes the smell more intense, so they direct their attention elsewhere. I had to re-apply the oil every few days to stop the smell from fading, and it took about 2 weeks for them to stop altogether.

Hiya
My Reggie is a bit of a pest with doors. He likes to chase up and down the bottom of them which is fine but then that escalates to him banging into them so that they bang against the wall, which at 3am isn't the best thing as I wake up with a heart attack thinking someone is trying to get it!!

So my little solution is to put kitchen foil under the door so that it shows both sides and he pretty much stays away from them now. In the middle of the night he may come up and scratch at the door a few times but it sounds like he is doing it from the edge of the foil as he doesn't like standing on it and gives up after a few swipes!

Give it a try! My boyfriend hates it as there is foil everywhere but I am going to leave it there for a while longer and hope that the habit is really broken!

Good luck!

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