Sleepless in Kitty Land: How to Get Those Zzzs

As far as I am concerned, one of the highest ranking pleasures I derive from living with our two incredible cats, is the nightly ritual of sharing our bed with them. These ever so loving felines immediately burrow under the covers and snuggle close to me. With their body heat of 101.5 degrees, that they emanate, they certainly keep us nice and toasty- warm on those chilly Florida nights! No more electric blankets for us anymore!

Now I must add that my husband and I are blessed with two Oriental Short Hair boys that are beyond purrfectly well behaved. But since they so very quickly settle in and drift off to dreamland, it gets me to wondering if they fully realize that they are supposed to be bright eyed and bushy tailed, hunting and stalking any unfortunate prey that have unluckily found their way into our home.

Actually cats are not nocturnal creatures. They are considered to be crepuscular in nature; most active at dawn and dusk. We are far luckier than some of our friends who are owned by felines and often complain that their cats are dramatically on the prowl while they try to catch those zzzzzzzs.

In fact, the question, "How do I get any decent sleep with a cat that keeps me up most of the night?", seems to be a very common concern. These folks complain that just as they are embraced by Morpheus, they are rudely awakened by a cat who takes a flying leap into the middle of the bed and starts pouncing on their toes. Or worse yet, begins yowling and begging for a bedtime snack.

Since many of us are generally not home during the day our cats resort to blissful sleep. So upon our return home, they crave our attention. Often we get busy with household chores, and kitty feels further neglected. We actually set this tug-of-war in motion.

I am sure that this is very frustrating and of course I sympathize with their plight. However, this said, many people actually exacerbate their situation by reinforcing kitty's behavior in their attempt to solve the problem.

Cats are swift learners. They respond very quickly through reinforcement, which makes little difference if it is negative or positive in nature. As long as the cat is being paid attention, they are getting what they want! Pushing Fluffy off the bed, throwing pillows, raising one's voice and hurling expletives deleted never gets the human's desired results. Kitty is having fun playing, and we are left at the edge of the bed with a huge headache and no sleep!

So what are some things that can be done to end these invitations to play when your eyelids are heavy?

First and foremost, ignore the cat. This takes incredible patience and determination. Putting a pillow over one's head, refusing to listen or interact, takes nerves of steel. But perseverance pays off.

Play interactively with your cat vigorously right before bedtime. Laser lights and feathers on a string toys are just perfect. After exercising your cat offer a bed-time snack. Cats sleep much better on a full tummy! If this fails try shutting your cat out of the bedroom, and providing kitty with an alternative sleeping area, replete with a cat-bed, scratching post, water dish and an automatic feeding device.

Most cats however do not appreciate banishment from our bedroom! If your cat starts scratching at the door begging to be admitted, you may have to resort to using an upside-down carpet runner on the floor outside your bedroom door, and applying double sided sticky tape around the area.

If you have only one cat, consider getting a feline companion to keep your cat company. After the period of introductions and adjustment is over, you may find that both of your cats will more readily quietly go off to sleep, since during the day they may have worked off some of that excess energy.

Take your time, be patient and consistent in whatever course of action you are using, and most of all never give in or your cat will feel rewarded. The unwanted behavior will be perpetuated.

What other methods would you suggest in order to get a good night's sleep with a persistent feline? Share by leaving a comment.