# I think I've spoiled my kitten!



## sweetwater (Oct 24, 2008)

I first want to say, I know there have been times I said on this forum that I wished I hadn't gotten my cat. I no longer feel that way even a smidgen! He's my baby and I wouldn't give him up for anything in the world.

Now, on with the post...

Part of the reason I got Dexter was so I would have company when my boyfriend and I had to go from living together to being long distance for awhile. When I first got him, my boyfriend didn't want him to have permission to be in the bedroom because he complained of some mild allergies, which seem to have cleared up. So, kitty slept by himself for awhile in the living room, and he didn't complain too much. The occasional meow to let us know he was hungry or bored or lonely or whatever, but for the most part he left us alone. But as soon as the bf moved out, I gave Dexter free run of the apartment and let him sleep on the bed with me at night. Well, now he can't stand to be shut out from a room that I'm in for any reason, he paws at the door and meows so plaintively! And the worst part of it is, now he's decided he gets hungry at 5 am, and he nudges me awake by nuzzling his face against mine. I can't honestly say I mind that he does it, it's pretty cute and it feels very affectionate, I just mind that, well...it's 5 am! Now, I did get him an automatic feeder so that I wouldn't have to get up, but it's defective and I'm waiting on the company to send me a new one. So for now, I decided try feeding him three times a day, splitting his first meal into two smaller ones, and giving him his biggest meal, a tin of wet food, at around 11 at night. Maybe it takes a day or two to work, but as of last night, it didn't do the trick...and what's worse, when he was done eating and wanted to play, he insisted on nuzzling my face until I woke up again. He hasn't done that before. Is there any way to get him to stop doing this? Why does he do it anyway?


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## seashell (Dec 5, 2003)

I'm so glad to hear you are loving your baby now.  

I'm not the best cat expert on this forum, but I noticed you hand't got any replies yet so thought I would pitch in!
I think the general consensus for stopping your kitty pestering you at night is to ignore him completely. When he learns he's not getting any attention he will stop.

However, in my experience it can take weeks to learn this, so you need a bit of perseverence. Our old cat Jimmy used to wake us up at all hour of the night and eventually we were too exhausted to respond. Gradually he stopped.

Good luck with it.

seashell


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

I don't know if this will do you any good, but . . . when Murphy gets in bed with me in the middle of the night, I find that if I immediately change positions to turn my back to him, he jumps off and goes on his merry way.


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## sweetwater (Oct 24, 2008)

I've tried turning my back on him but he ends up hopping over me and nuzzling at me from the other side, and then sitting over me, purring and staring.

It's gotten a little worse, now he'll gently bat at my face until I wake up. I can't wait for his new automatic feeder to get here, I think it'll make the ignoring part a lot easier when I don't have to get up and feed him. I've been staying at my parents for a few days so I have the option here of getting up and sleeping in a different room, but we'll be heading back to my apartment today where I don't have the luxury. I feel so guilty when I have to lock him in the bathroom, even if it's already almost morning and I just want another few hours of uninterrupted sleep! When he sleeps on the bed, he's really just fine, he just wakes up really early and expects me to play with him.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

Can't you just close your bedroom door, rather than keeping him in the bathroom?


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## sweetwater (Oct 24, 2008)

Nope, he'll paw at the door and meow until I let him back in.


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

You haven't spoiled him, you've just set up a routine for him and cats are _all _about routine!
With the automatic feeder, he's used to being fed at 5am so that's when he wants it.
Ignoring him will work but it will take from a few days to a couple of weeks. Do what you're doing, COMPLETELY ignore him. Turn over when he licks your face, cover your head with the blankets, whatever you have to do. Cat's are very smart and he will get bored but it won't happen overnight!
Sounds like you're at a cross roads here...you can break him of the 5am habit now, while you don't have the feeder, in case it ever breaks again, or just deal until it gets there. If it were me, I'd take the plunge now and start getting him used to his last meal at 11 then you won't have to rely on the feeder working properly.


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## sweetwater (Oct 24, 2008)

The automatic feeder was broken when I got it. I got it because he wanted to be fed at 5 am, not the other way around!

I've tried pulling the blankets over my head, he pokes his paws under them and claws at my face. Not maliciously, I think he's more just wondering where I went. I've fed him as late as 12:30 for his last meal, he still wakes me up at 5. He started waking me up on his own, it's a new thing since my boyfriend had to move out. I guess I'll just wait for the new feeder to get here and hope that solves the problem.


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## mstx (Mar 4, 2008)

he just wants attention, thats all. The nuzzling is showing you love and affection. Izzy does this and I just pull her in my arms and go back to sleep and she usually wiggles her way out and leaves the room


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## sweetwater (Oct 24, 2008)

Good to know! He does nuzzle a lot more when he's hungry, but I'm glad to know it's an affectionate gesture. I was afraid I was anthropomorphizing too much when I assumed it was affectionate.


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