scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

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momama
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scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by momama »

Hi all
Our beautiful 6 month old bsh has started being a bit naughty in the mornings scratching at our bedroom door.He's allowed in the bedroom as long as he settles but if he's too playful etc we shut him out. Not ideal but we've got one of those kids who doesn't sleep so can't afford any less sleep. I appreciate that this might be confusing for a cat. We get up at a similar time each day.

We've tried anti scratching spray, olbas oil and tin foil. None have dissuaded him.the carpet is a mess and he barges the bedroom door open as it doesn't close very well.

Any advice on what we can do? He's an indoor cat and I feel we could give him some more entertainment during the day (which is a separate issue but might be linked?)
Thanks
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lilynmitz
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by lilynmitz »

Do you leave food out for him overnight? Maybe he's hungry and asking for breakfast. I usually make sure there's some dried food out before I go to bed. And yes, play with him to wear him out before bed time. And yes, letting him in overnight and shutting him out in the morning is confusing for him. He may calm down as he gets older. Have you had him neutered yet? If not, do get him done for a thousand good reasons (and not a single one not to)), but this may also calm him down a bit.
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MarkB
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by MarkB »

Sorry I don't have any answers as our are allowed access to bedrooms and don't usually bother us, but just to say that some essential oils are highly toxic to cats, so I wouldn't leave it anywhere a cat might get it on their paws or fur.
momama
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by momama »

Cheers both. I guess it's like anything, cat allowed on lap until claws come out, cat allowed in bedroom until claws come out. He has dry food down over night but I think he's asking for food and company. When he barges in, he purrs loudly and tramps ask over us and our 2 yo. No exaggeration to say I've not slept for more than 3 hours at a time (And usually less than two ) since Sept 2013 so being trampled over by a cat and having our carpet destroyed early in the morning is not an option!

In terms of essential oils, I put 2 drops of olbas on the carpet that he's been scratching at. Worked the first night but not since. No plans to leave them lying around, what with having a toddler and all.
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lilynmitz
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by lilynmitz »

I used to put a strip of carpet protector across the doorway, trimmed very closely to the profile of the door frame, so that it stuck out about 6-9" either side of the door and about 3" beyond the door frame, held down with self-adhesive velcro. That way the cats can try scratching at the carpet as much as they like, it won't work, you can ignore them, and eventually they give up. Make sure it is a close fit to the door frame though, or they get their claws under it and snag the exposed bits of carpet. These days though, I let the cats come and go, and tbh I generally sleep through it after a while. Your body kinda says "its just the cat, ignore it, go back to sleep". And I do.
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Mrs Kane
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by Mrs Kane »

It's a give in but I just let the cat come in and sleep on the covers nowadays. It's much let distracting for us because if she couldn't get in she'd either jump on the door handle until it gave way or mew until someone let her in. Believe me, a week of that and you don't care anymore, you just want sleep.
(Then again my cat's been a total lap cat from the get go. 10 mins without company and she goes bananas. So she was always going to end up in the bed on us, one way or another)

You can get motioned detecting sprays to stop a cat going in certain rooms and I hear double sided tape works a treat but both need to be replaced regularly.
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greenkitty
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by greenkitty »

I've got a door scratcher too and at night I have one of those travel baby gates across my bedroom door, it's mesh so she can't at the door and it works a treat! I'm a light sleeper and with 3 cats messing around I'd never get any sleep if I let them in!
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Mrs Kane
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by Mrs Kane »

I would recommend you do these things before bed:

1. Clean litter box
2. fill water
3. Fill food bowl
4. Tire out your cat

Sorry for the weirdly short list but my cat is on my arm and she's been ill all day and not slept so I'm typing one handed so as not to disturb her after finally getting her to sleep.
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shadow-puss
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by shadow-puss »

Hi,

I'm no expert but if he has everything he needs i.e food,water,clean litter tray perhaps it's boredom or wanting to play? You could try having a selection of toys for him to play with which you use only when you shut him out of your room? Plonk a few odd ones on the floor and rotate them so it doesn't get boring. We do a similar thing for our dog who has separation anxiety she has a few toys which are kept hidden away until we go out,that way they seem like fun new toys and help distract her from the fact were not there.
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by Galyna Chekan »

I totally agree with shadow-puss!
From my experience, cats just follow their instincts. They are hunters. They always wake up in the morning (around 5 am), in this time cats are very active and want to play.
First of all, you should probably buy him some new toys and to change these toys from time to time. I think this article will help you to better understand what I mean.
Second of all, your cat might not have enough space to play in the morning. Try to close him in the other room with a window.
Third of all, he just doesn't like to be alone. If yes, you need more time so that he will getting used to being alone in mornings. ;)
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Lallum
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by Lallum »

Midnight does this. My current regime is to feed him at 12 (midnight!) then he sleeps on my bed. He wakes up around 5am and starts scratching the bedroom carpet. I get up, put him out of the bedroom, build an obstacle course of fleece blankets and books plus old ornaments, close the bedroom door, angle a chair across the door then go back to bed. He scratches the door until 6.30am (I don't sleep but I yell at him to stop which he does the starts again after 10 minutes). I stagger out of bed and feed him (and his sisters). We then all go to sleep again. I get up around 9 and he gets up at mid day. I tried feeding him at 5am but he crept the time forward to 2.30am! He is on a diet from the vet as he has had urinary tract issues/ cystitis and we are trying to get him slim. I've not slept through the night when I'm at home for 7 years. My daughter tells me he doesn't do this when I'm away. I've tried an electronic feeder but to no avail. Neither of the girls do this but he even wakes them up when he knows I'm going to feed him! I've tried exercise and in the summer I allow him out at night but he screams to be let in from 5am. Not good for my neighbours. I just accept this is my fate as I am a cat slave! I like the idea of a child gate which I could put over the fleece blankets. Hmm! I'd love any advice anyone can give me.
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Mrs Kane
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by Mrs Kane »

Although I always feel really bad about this afterwards I always put Sofi in the hall if she makes a fuss in the night. Usually she makes a fuss because she wants food (I always feed her at midnight and again at 9am) So I try not to deviate from the pattern. Sometimes she just wants to play but at 5am I know just a little play session will keep me up so she either gets a swift "no" from sleepy me, placed on my stomach where she usually settles or placed in my sock drawer next to the bed. (sounds weird but she generally goes to sleep there, and I have another drawer of coloured socks... I think I have a sock problem) if all above fails she gets put in the hallway until we get up. We can't hear her from the bedroom then. This rarely happens now because she's taken to sleeping on the sofa under the comforter all night.
momama
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by momama »

Hi all
Sorry I've not been here much of late! Thanks for all the suggestions. We've tried a LOT of duct tape- the carpet is fubar already so what's the harm in throwing lots of duct tape at it? It's reducing the scratching but not totally stopping it. I don't want to have duct tape carpet forever! Any more suggestions welcome. We now feed him in the evenings too.

What with the non-sleeping toddler and a job and stuff I'm ridiculously tired!
momama
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by momama »

I'm going to go crazy! Please, any suggestions? He can now shoulder barge open our bedroom door after considerable scratching every morning and just went mad and scratched up the carpet outside the bathroom (previously unscathed) whilst I was in the bath. Help!!!!
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by JulieJulie »

I'm so lucky that mine have been well trained not to disturb me at night (I sleep with my door open.) They can get on and off the bed without waking me now. If on the odd time I need to lock some of them out , I use the same tactics, but actually only one cries to get in. It's sounds hard but you really do have to ignore them, as any response, shouting etc, is a result from their point of view.

But my sister had loads of issues - she bought a really sturdy scratching post and wedged it right up to the door and she also used to throw towels on the floor. Worked a treat.
momama
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by momama »

Thank you! Hit both towels and sturdy scratching post in place. He's a persistent tyke!
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by Ellieb »

Ah I’m so glad somebody else is in the same position. Our cat will get up and come into the room no later than 3:30am without fail! My partner is a light sleeper and doesn’t catch a wink sometimes, he tried with the blankets in front of the door and 9 times out of 10 this does work and he will trot off to find something else to occupy him. It’s currently 4am and I’m wide awake after leaving the door open and all hell breaking loose at 3am, scratches and all. If you find any good tips I would love to try!!
Mayalingua
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by Mayalingua »

Did you try attaching scratching mats on the door/door frame of your bedroom door?
I found mine on catsegory.com
My tiger liked to scratch his nails on my wardrobe till I put those up next to the closet.
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lilynmitz
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Re: scratching at bedroom door-how to stop??

Post by lilynmitz »

Judging from how many have viewed this thread (over 5,000 so far!), this is obviously a fairly common problem, and can be a tough one to solve! I've been really lucky with most of mine, although before I married I had a couple who insisted on sleeping on my bed every night, and as I was on my own it wasn't a problem. But my OH is a light sleeper. Luckily Elsie is good as gold and never disturbs us even when we leave the door open, but we're about to bring home a little tyke who I suspect is going to test our patience!

In the past, I've resorted to shutting them in the kitchen diner with all feline comforts, and as it's sheet vinyl on the floor, there's no carpet for them to destroy. They wailed a bit to start off with, but they soon settled down to the new routine. Cats are creatures of habit, and they eventually used to put themselves to bed in there when we started getting ready for bed ourselves. But I realise that won't work in many households.
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