# Indoor cat



## HumpyD (Sep 6, 2008)

Good afternoon everyone.

Need a bit of help/advice/guidance regarding our cat, Millie.

He's an indoor cat so at night he stays in our bedroom. We'd like to give him the run of the house but he still had a tendency to scratch at the carpet plus we would not be able to alarm the house. He's generally very good until about 1.30am when he wakes up and asks to go downstairs for a bit of food and then he's back upstairs. Unfortunately he doesn't then tend to settle and if he does it's only for an hour or so. In order to get some sleep we then resort to putting Millie in the garage, which although is attached to the house and doesn't have a car in (so there's plenty of room in there), it's unheated and as such we feel a little cruel. 

Is it fairly normal for a cat to not sleep through the night? Any tips on extending his sleep?

Thanks.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Cats are naturally nocturnal - they would hunt by night if they were wild - so it is natural for him to be awake during the night. We keep our cats in the kitchen/dining room at night and sometimes I wake to hear them having a mad loon around the place. This is normal behaviour. I'd wean him off being in the bedroom and shut him in the kitchen at night, so he is contained and warm.


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## HumpyD (Sep 6, 2008)

Thanks for that Spid.

Ideally we would like to keep him somewhere else at night but the 'problem' is that being an indoor cat he is kept in the utility room during the day whilst we are at work so putting him in there at night too would seem cruel. (Having said that, it's not a bad place to be - heated with all his bits and pieces in there, plus a window to look out of.)


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## bluechip (Dec 26, 2008)

all my cats are indoor and when i am out they are kept in the kitchen, then when i go to bed at night they all stay in the kitchen, they soon learn and i still get sleep, i also work nights so when i come home they sometimes have to stay in the kitchen so i can sleep, as long as they are happy and warm and fed then i think it is fine. when i have kittys they are in a spare bedroom which i have turned into a kitten room,so mum and babies are safe and well but do not come out of the room till kittys are up and running around. 

so if you keep him in a room while you are out i don't see that you should not do this when you go to bed. as long as you have heating, water and food he will not suffer.


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## Shmitty! (Feb 9, 2009)

My cats are also indoor cats due to the horrific risks to them if they go outside. However, i don't beleive they should be shut in one room. If you were a cat would you like it? My cats have the run of downstairs when we're in bed for reasons of fire safety to us, and to stop them sleeping on the kids. They have the run of the whole house through the day! 

This sounds like spoilt cat syndrome to me, all the time you egt up and feed him at around 1.30 then he's gonna expect it. 

I love having my cats in the bedroom with me, especially the kitten, but I love my sleep more!

Also as my cats are indoor I don't mind a bit of scratching, they are cats afterall. One of mine started a habit of clawing the carpet by the frontroom door at night. For about 2-3 nights I got up and chased her away from the door, but not feeding her or letting her through. She is fine now.


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## Number 1 (Jan 21, 2009)

I have 2 indoor kittens and the 2am feed sounds pretty familiar :Yawn: 

Tips that may help you are;

-Have scratching posts on both levels/around the place. 
-If you catch them scratching where they shouldn't a firm No. One of mine understands 'No'. The other does not. It then goes onto tap on the nose, and if the behaviour continues regularly a water spray bottle sits in the troubled area ready for use. They learn very quickly.
- Knacker them out before your bedtime. That may include trying to keep them a little more awake during the day. And playing with them before bedtime so that they are mentally and physically tired.
-if you don't like the frantic rushing around in the middle of the night, put doors ajar, place things in their way to slow them down a bit.


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## Janee (May 4, 2008)

Shmitty! said:


> My cats are also indoor cats due to the horrific risks to them if they go outside. However, i don't beleive they should be shut in one room. If you were a cat would you like it? My cats have the run of downstairs when we're in bed for reasons of fire safety to us, and to stop them sleeping on the kids. They have the run of the whole house through the day!


Well said.

Cats who are let out can roam from 1-20 miles from their home.

That is an emotive statement for indoor cat owners. I always, always say to risk assess your environment and you don't think it safe, or you cannot, let your cat outside then you have to compensate for all that exercise an outdoor cat could aspire to.

If you have to keep to one room then compensate by energetic play and other diversions.

As to the garage - sounds good to me. large space bigger than some rooms. Cats can withstand much colder environment than us. Make it a cat heaven and as no car this sounds that you can let your imagination go really crazy especially as (probably) concrete flooring!


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Shmitty! said:


> However, i don't beleive they should be shut in one room. If you were a cat would you like it?


It really does depend on the size of the room - minehave the kitchen (good size) and the dining room (good size),heat, toys, food, water etc. As a human I am required to stay in one room at times for a few hours and I take up a higher space ratio than the cats. I believe that the cats get used to being confined to certain areas and as long as those areas are large enough then that's fine. We aren't talking about shutting them in a cupboard!

And actually if I were my cats - I'd absolutely love my life - pampered, spoilt, loved, safe etc. even with being shut in 1/4 of a house every night.


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## Shmitty! (Feb 9, 2009)

True. I guess. If you are lucky enough to have huge rooms then that's probably ok.


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## shortbackandsides (Aug 28, 2008)

Hi i live in a 3 bed semi and have 7 indoor cats who have the run of the whole house 24/7.yes they sometimes make a little noise at night.throwing toys down the stars retreiving and doing it over and over,but generally i have no probs,foods down 24/7 so they help themselves


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## Leah100 (Aug 17, 2008)

Agree with the other posts, I have indoor cats too, but there's no way he's getting enough stimulation in a utility room all day  It's no surprise he's feeling wakeful at night.
Unfortunately scratching at carpets is a factor of cat owning, whether they stay in or go out. Good quality, appropriate sized cat trees can encourage them to scratch on them instead. What about if you shut the bedrooms and gave him the run of the downstairs and stairs and landing? The more he entertains himself in the day, the better you will all sleep. He needs exercise and mental stimulation too .


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## Shin (Feb 1, 2009)

I have 3 indoor cats, they have the run of the place when I am not there so they don't tend to misbehave too much out of boredom. If he is kept in just one room it does seem a little unfair because he won't get as much stimulation as he would do roaming around the house. Saying that, my cats are extremely well behaved, even the younger boy is very well behaved.

Rub some catnip on a cat scratcher or something to encourage him to use that if needs be. Carpets and such will get ruined, cats are cats after all. Mine don't scratch anymore, they have about 3 scratching posts so the carpets and soft furnishings are saved! Failing that get a piece of wood or something and pop it in the utility room, he can smell it's been outside and instinct will usually say 'scratch it!' to him.


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## Kathryn1 (Jan 30, 2009)

I have an indoor cat and she has the run of the house, apart from my boys bedrooms, but she still sneeks in when im out anyway, she actually opens there doors!! 

I wouldn't lock a cat in one room or even 2 rooms as i think as they are indoor cats they need to roam as much as they can.


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## bluechip (Dec 26, 2008)

none of my cats have any problems being in my large kitten/dinning room, and i know plenty of people that will shut there cats in rooms at night, i could not let my cats run around my house all night as they would wake up the whole house. this does not mean i love my cats any less, just my 5 year old needs sleep, i have tried letting them run around house at night but really find it hard when at 2am my child is screaming as he has been woken up and then takes forever to calm him down and get him back to sleep.

so cats know when i go to bed they go in the kitchen, as soon as i get up they come out, there has been times when i have been on nights and i have had to get up and put them in kitchen as i cannot sleep due to the running around but has not happened that much.

i think people have to be sensible and do what they need to do with less stress as possible on the animal.

my cats are fine and happy.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

bluechip said:


> none of my cats have any problems being in my large kitten/dinning room, and i know plenty of people that will shut there cats in rooms at night, i could not let my cats run around my house all night as they would wake up the whole house. this does not mean i love my cats any less, just my 5 year old needs sleep, i have tried letting them run around house at night but really find it hard when at 2am my child is screaming as he has been woken up and then takes forever to calm him down and get him back to sleep.
> 
> so cats know when i go to bed they go in the kitchen, as soon as i get up they come out, there has been times when i have been on nights and i have had to get up and put them in kitchen as i cannot sleep due to the running around but has not happened that much.
> 
> ...


Hear, hear :thumbup:- I'm fed up of being judged for keeping my cats in two rooms at night - my cats know when it's is bedtime and are well loved and happy. During the day they have the run of the house - at the moment they are having a mad 1/2 hour and pouncing on each other in and out of their very long crinkle tunnel having a whale of a time!

If a child continually disturbed you in the night you wouldn't pander to it and feed at all hours, you would put it back in its room and tell it not to disturb you again. Eventually it would comply - it doesn't mean you are cruel or nasty - it means you are doing the best for the child in your care. I do the best for *ALL* the animals *AND* people in my care and I'm *NOT *cruel to keep them in two good (not huge) sized rooms with lots of toys, water, food and heat. :mad2:


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## Leah100 (Aug 17, 2008)

I don't think there's been an issue or a reply on this thread concerned about confining the cat to a room over night, I imagine most of us do that, it was in reply to the OP's post about the fact the cat in question is confined just to the utility room in the day

quote 'Thanks for that Spid.

Ideally we would like to keep him somewhere else at night but the 'problem' is that being an indoor cat he is kept in the utility room during the day whilst we are at work so putting him in there at night too would seem cruel. (Having said that, it's not a bad place to be - heated with all his bits and pieces in there, plus a window to look out of.)'


Would you keep your cat in a room the size of a utility room all day every day? People have been trying to suggest that lack of activity and stimulation during the day might explain why the cat is so active at night.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Leah100 said:


> I don't think there's been an issue or a reply on this thread concerned about confining the cat to a room over night, I imagine most of us do that, it was in reply to the OP's post about the fact the cat in question is confined just to the utility room in the day
> 
> quote 'Thanks for that Spid.
> 
> ...


Actually there was a reply about keeping them in two rooms at night being cruel - but there we are - each to their own. I agree that the utility room ALL day is a little restrictive; i didn't have a problem at all with the OP. I agree that the cat is probably understimmulated and needs to roam more in the day. Mine do get the run of the house in the day (bar the kids beds).

I apologise if I have offended the OP and taken the thread off track with being a little over-sensitive.


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## Leah100 (Aug 17, 2008)

I know mine sleep in two rooms over night, I need my sleep too much to have them thundering across my face at 3 a.m.


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## HumpyD (Sep 6, 2008)

Thanks for all the input given. It is very much appreciated. I have certainly not been offended by anyone's advise.

We all lead different lives and have different circumstances and as such we have to compromise and experiment to find out the best for all concerned i.e. the people in our houses as well as the cats!!

I would hope I would know if my cat is unhappy and I don't think he is. As an example he was howling downstairs this morning wondering where I was when I went to put the rubbish out!!


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## Kathryn1 (Jan 30, 2009)

spid said:


> Actually there was a reply about keeping them in two rooms at night being cruel - but there we are - each to their own. I agree that the utility room ALL day is a little restrictive; i didn't have a problem at all with the OP. I agree that the cat is probably understimmulated and needs to roam more in the day. Mine do get the run of the house in the day (bar the kids beds).
> 
> I apologise if I have offended the OP and taken the thread off track with being a little over-sensitive.


Hiya hun

I just wanted to check that it wasn't my reply as i did not mean to cause offence at all regarding this issue.

I just thought that as indoor cats they would "need more exercise in the house as not going outside to run around.

But honestly i have only had mine 3 weeks, so dont listen to the garbage i talk maybe it is better to confine your cats in the night to certain rooms. etc.

When i go to sleep i sleep and nothing wakes me so i dont mind if my cat runs up and down the stairs all night as i dont wake up. (lucky i know) x

So if i apologise now if i offended you i am all new to this anyway. xxx


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Kathryn1 said:


> Hiya hun
> 
> I just wanted to check that it wasn't my reply as i did not mean to cause offence at all regarding this issue.
> 
> ...


It possibly was you - but i'm calmer now and no offense taken. Friends?

An emotive issue this i feel as there seems to be two camps - those that confine and those that don't. I have terrible trouble sleeping anyway and get disturbed very easily, plus hubby hates having the cats on the bed at night, and the boy is sensitive to cat hair and gets itchy eyes if they sleep on his bed. So I compromise. ANywa, it's all water under the bridge now (no snow here). Happy me again.


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## DKDREAM (Sep 15, 2008)

spid said:


> Hear, hear :thumbup:- I'm fed up of being judged for keeping my cats in two rooms at night - my cats know when it's is bedtime and are well loved and happy. During the day they have the run of the house - at the moment they are having a mad 1/2 hour and pouncing on each other in and out of their very long crinkle tunnel having a whale of a time!
> 
> If a child continually disturbed you in the night you wouldn't pander to it and feed at all hours, you would put it back in its room and tell it not to disturb you again. Eventually it would comply - it doesn't mean you are cruel or nasty - it means you are doing the best for the child in your care. I do the best for *ALL* the animals *AND* people in my care and I'm *NOT *cruel to keep them in two good (not huge) sized rooms with lots of toys, water, food and heat. :mad2:


I agree this is not cruel at all this is how the kittens have been brought up to live so they dont know anything else....... Its abit silly comparing an outdoor cat to an indoor cat as they are totally different.


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## Number 1 (Jan 21, 2009)

Other suggestions are 

- To rotate their toys regularly, maybe switch them everytime their litter tray is changed (easy to remember)
- Clicker train them to keep them mentally alert


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## Kathryn1 (Jan 30, 2009)

spid said:


> It possibly was you - but i'm calmer now and no offense taken. Friends?
> 
> An emotive issue this i feel as there seems to be two camps - those that confine and those that don't. I have terrible trouble sleeping anyway and get disturbed very easily, plus hubby hates having the cats on the bed at night, and the boy is sensitive to cat hair and gets itchy eyes if they sleep on his bed. So I compromise. ANywa, it's all water under the bridge now (no snow here). Happy me again.


Yes of course were friends, i didn't realise how offensive it sounded actually now i have read it back.

Anyway again im sorry :thumbup1:


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