# Worried about my Ragdoll



## Mr Mischief (Nov 9, 2012)

Right, where do i start...

Over the past few weeks Mischief (My Ragdoll Cat) has been acting very out of character, but only at his bedtime!

He sleeps in a utility room in our house with his bed, toys, etc. which never used to be a problem even after a house move a year ago. But over the past few weeks he just doesn't want to be in that room at all! He will constantly meow and whine until he wears himself out and goes to sleep for around an hour before starting again. He goes to bed around 9:00pm and we walk through that room a few times between 9:00pm and about 12:00am and he tries as much as he can to get out. 

He will scratch at the door, try and squeeze through the smallest gap in the door when you open and close it and even tries to get outside when he is an indoor cat and hasn't been let outside in the 7 years of his life.

He never tries this during the day, only at his bedtime but if we let him out of the utility room and into the kitchen he becomes his normal self again so something must be bothering him in there. We unfortunately cannot let him sleep anywhere else because he likes to jump all over the counters and we cannot have him doing this where we make or eat food.

We have however recently got a puppy and they have had contact with each other but not in a vast way at all. The dog does walk through the said utility room but spends most of his time in the kitchen in the evenings as we keep the dog outside in the garden and his large kennel in the daytime.

Like i said, he is 7 years old and we have never had this problem before so it is starting to worry us.

Sorry for the long post, if i have missed anything you need to know just ask,

Thanks


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## Littlerags (Oct 31, 2012)

Poor chap, his nose is clearly put out. It's quite likely that this is due to your new puppy. Was Mischief on his own before?

You could try a Feliway or Pet Remedy plug in. These are used to help calm cats in stressful situations. That may help relax him.

Is there no way he can sleep elsewhere? Even if you keep him out of the kitchen so he can't jump on the counters. How about a bedroom or the living room?

He definitely doesn't want to be shut away any more!

Another idea might be to interact and play with him a lot more before his "bed time". Try to tire him out so that he sleeps.

I know that everyone has their own way of keeping pets, but I can't imagine shutting my ragdolls away at night. They're so sociable & they're my babies! It wouldn't be right if they weren't on the bed at night!


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## Treaclesmum (Sep 26, 2011)

He is obviously smelling the dog when he is in that room and is very scared that the dog may come in while he's there 

Can't you let him sleep elsewhere?


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Have to agree with the above.My Raggie,and all other cats I've had have always had free roaming in the house at night .I couldnt shut him in a room on his own especially if he was miserable.Is there a reason why he cant be given a bit more freedom.


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

Sounds like your cat can smell the puppy! I echo what the others say. Can you let him have the rest of the house at night and shut the kitchen door so he can't get in there instead?


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## Mr Mischief (Nov 9, 2012)

He was on his own before yes.

Thing is, he doesn't have a problem with the dog. When they meet neither lash out at one another, Mischief has never felt threatened by the dog.

The touch noses and smell each other and when the dog is in the kitchen, Mischief normally just sits there and watches what he is doing.


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

If you are certain that it is not your pup causing Mischief's reluctance to be shut in your utility room,then something else is.
You still havent said what the reason is for him having to be shut in there overnight.Im sure he would be a much happier cat if he was allowed a bit more freedom.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

Something about that room is bothering him. Who knows what, but it is. The solution? Take him out of the room and find somewhere else for him to sleep. It's really not good to be shutting a cat in there if he's unhappy about it. If he's frightened, that's an awfully long time to be frightened and alone. I don't allow my cats on the worktops either, but what I do is shut the kitchen off at night and allow them free access to the house except for the kitchen. Isn't this a possibility?


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## Treaclesmum (Sep 26, 2011)

My 2 are shut in the living room to sleep at night but they don't mind. My Dad doesn't want them coming into his bedroom if he gets up for the loo in the night :rolleyes5:

If you have another room where he may be happier, try him in there instead?


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

It is apparent Mischief is very unhappy at being shut in the utility room, as he is keeping up the crying for hours at a time, as well as trying to escape at the least opportunity. 

It is difficult to say why he now hates the utility room...... perhaps it does have something to do with new puppy, e.g. maybe Mischief wants to be with the puppy at night and objects to being shut away from him. Or maybe Mischief resents the puppy having more freedom to roam in the house than he is allowed at night. 

Or maybe he now finds the utility room too hot, too airless or too claustrophobic, (by their very nature utility rooms are often quite small).

Whatever the cause, as previous posters have said, it is essential to find him somewhere else to sleep at night, as he is going to be miserable and distressed otherwise. 

Cats are renowned for making the best of situations, so when they express distress, as Mischief is, it is important to listen to them, and take notice of what they are telling us. 

If you can close the kitchen door, how about letting him sleep in the hall or upstairs on the landing? (If you don't want him in your bedroom or in the sitting room). You might even be able to leave his bed, litter tray, water etc in the utility room as long as you don't shut the door on him. 

If your house is entirely open-plan, so you are unable to close off the kitchen then you could buy (or make) a 7 ft high folding wooden screen to put in place at night across the entrance to the kitchen. Friends of mine have done this to keep their cats out of the kitchen at night, and it works well. 

Cats often jump on work tops given the chance, it is one of those things that cats do. I find it takes me only seconds to whizz round the kitchen tops with the anti-bac spray and a cloth before I start cooking.


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## jenny armour (Feb 28, 2010)

sorry i couldnt keep a cat in one room at night, they are part of the family so have the downstairs to roam. my cats do go up in my bedroom, except for my nfc nellie cause i had trouble with her weeing up there some months ago, but i am going to gradually introduce her to there too. why have an animal and keep them either in a utility room or garden, cant see the point myself.


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## rcmadd (Feb 6, 2011)

the only thing im going to say on this matter... why dont you let the cat out to see what it wants..

im biting my tounge.....


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## rose (Apr 29, 2009)

What is the great problem if he gets on the worktops at night? Surely there would be no food on there so after a few looks he wouldnt bother jumping up there again. And as has been said wipe the worktops over before any food preparation is done. Where is he kept during the day? You cant watch him all day to make sure he doesnt get on the worktops. If you get a new pet, the old pet needs lots of reassurance that they are still number one, he must be feeling very sad and rejected - poor boy!


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