Cat won't stop scratching at bedroom door. I need help

[matthewjm]

Hi all,

I am in desperate need of help. One of my cats incessantly tries to get into our bedroom at night. He will begin scratching and meowing and within 15 or so minutes he will proceed to grab the door handle, or try to jump off of or climb up the door and surrounding wall. It sounds as if someone were trying to break into our room. This will go on for hours. Giving him food doesn't help (he already has some). It only stops if we get up entirely. This won't do, since it starts very early before our wake time.

I've tried everything I know, including tips from previous posts here. They get plenty of play time. There is food and water available for them when I get up to check if they ran out. Their litter boxes are cleaned regularly. I have tried the "sssscat " air cans, which worked at first but now he just ignores. I have tried keeping him in smaller rooms at night with food and water, but he just tears up the door and wall there as well. He is neutered. He is about 3.5 years old and a short haired orange cat. We have had him for about 2 of those years. Beides this behavior, we have had no issues with him. He is not ill behaved until we try to keep him out of a room, then it's as if he turns into a pack of raccoons.

He will do this for days on end, and then won't do it for a few days. I can't figure out a pattern to his behavior. I have a newborn so we are already short on sleep. This has always been a problem, but now I am getting no sleep as you can imagine. I feel my only option is to send him back to the shelter, which I don't want to do.

I could really use any advice. What are some tips? Is there a deterrent that I could employ?

Thank you in advance.
Matthew

[Sandra b]

There’s a very simple solution.....open the bedroom door!

[Mollycat]

Is there a reason why the cat can't be allowed into bedrooms? Have you recently stopped night time bedroom access or has this battle been going on ever since you got him? Did you get him as a kitten or a bit older as a rescue?

It sounds like you have tried everything that involves interacting with him and given up. The problem when this happens is the cat learns if he keeps on and doesn't give up, eventually, it might take all night but he will get what he wants, which is your attention. Same as babies, you have to make a decision, either get up immediately, or not at all. If you wait a little while then react, you are training them to keep going as long as it takes.

[fjm]

I can see why you would not want cats in the bedroom with a new born baby - was this particular cat allowed in before the baby arrived? It sounds as if his night time routine has been disrupted, and he is determined to reinstate it. I assume he does not have access to outdoors during the night? That might give him something else to exercise mind and body, if it is possible to arrange it safely. Simply leaving the bedroom door open might still be the easiest way to get some sleep - when I was young babies were routinely put in a pram with a fitted net to keep cats off and parked in the garden to sleep in the fresh air. Something similar would work over a crib or cot - these days they seem to be mostly mosquito nets which may not be strong enough, but it would not be difficult to improvise.

[Snap, Mollycat!]

[Mollycat]

[Snap, Mollycat!]

Great minds, Fjm!