Basement cats
 

Otis has been terrible at night again. He gets up first at 2 AM and then at
6:30 AM. My face and collar bone have little scratches from him trying to
get my attention. Fred and I are exhausted all the time.

The boys have been in the basement for the last two nights and we've slept
really well. I know I've written about this a lot and there's nothing new
here. It's just sad to isolate them that way when we're so busy all day
with the kids. The cats really want their nighttime attention and I love
the nighttime purrs and cuddles. Just not the scratches!

Oh well, we'll do this for a while and see if we become human again. We
might start to like being awake all day ;-)

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Basement cats
 

Susan M wrote:
Otis has been terrible at night again. He gets up first at 2 AM and then at
6:30 AM. My face and collar bone have little scratches from him trying to
get my attention. Fred and I are exhausted all the time.

The boys have been in the basement for the last two nights and we've slept
really well. I know I've written about this a lot and there's nothing new
here. It's just sad to isolate them that way when we're so busy all day
with the kids. The cats really want their nighttime attention and I love
the nighttime purrs and cuddles. Just not the scratches!

Oh well, we'll do this for a while and see if we become human again. We
might start to like being awake all day ;-)

Sorry the situation is still so difficult. I suppose I should be
thankful for my little angels. The other night I did half wake up when
Miranda was standing on my chest and kneading me, but I fell right back
to sleep and just remembered it in the morning as a sweet dream (it was
real, though). Caliban has decided that I should wake up at 5.30 every
morning, but I'm an early bird anyway, so I don't mind. Besides, how can
I be mad at him when he comes up and snuggles to my face and kneads and
purrs his fuzzy little head off?

--
Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.
marina (dot) kurten (at) iki (dot) fi
Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/
Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/
and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki

Basement cats
 

Sounds like a time for soft paws

"Susan M" wrote in message
...
Otis has been terrible at night again. He gets up first at 2 AM and then
at 6:30 AM. My face and collar bone have little scratches from him trying
to get my attention. Fred and I are exhausted all the time.

The boys have been in the basement for the last two nights and we've slept
really well. I know I've written about this a lot and there's nothing new
here. It's just sad to isolate them that way when we're so busy all day
with the kids. The cats really want their nighttime attention and I love
the nighttime purrs and cuddles. Just not the scratches!

Oh well, we'll do this for a while and see if we become human again. We
might start to like being awake all day ;-)

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Basement cats
 

"Marina" wrote in message
...
Sorry the situation is still so difficult. I suppose I should be thankful
for my little angels. The other night I did half wake up when Miranda was
standing on my chest and kneading me, but I fell right back to sleep and
just remembered it in the morning as a sweet dream (it was real, though).
Caliban has decided that I should wake up at 5.30 every morning, but I'm
an early bird anyway, so I don't mind. Besides, how can I be mad at him
when he comes up and snuggles to my face and kneads and purrs his fuzzy
little head off?

That's the way we feel about Chester. He wakes us up with his Kramer-like
slides onto the bed where he starts purring and kneading in his gentle way.
We don't mind being woken up by him. Otis' methods are supremely irritating
(and painful).

Susan M
Otis and Chester

Basement cats
 

Susan M wrote:

That's the way we feel about Chester. He wakes us up with his Kramer-like
slides onto the bed

ROFL!!! This applies to Caliban, too.

--
Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.
marina (dot) kurten (at) iki (dot) fi
Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/
Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/
and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki

Basement cats
 

Susan M wrote:
That's the way we feel about Chester. He wakes us up with his
Kramer-like slides onto the bed
I've been very worried about Otis since you posted
he was barfing a lot. Glad to hear he's still annoying
you....long live Otis & Chester

Basement cats
 

"Susan M" wrote in message
...
Otis has been terrible at night again. He gets up first at 2 AM and then
at 6:30 AM. My face and collar bone have little scratches from him trying
to get my attention. Fred and I are exhausted all the time.

I'm sorry to hear that Otis is still disturbing you in the night.

The boys have been in the basement for the last two nights and we've slept
really well. I know I've written about this a lot and there's nothing new
here.

I remember I replied once before ;-) when I said I don't allow my cats in my
bedroom. It's out of bounds 24/7 as I don't want them to get used to going
in there. There are allowed the run of the house otherwise. I sleep very
badly anyway so I don't want the possibility of the cats waking me if I
happen to be asleep!


It's just sad to isolate them that way when we're so busy all day with the
kids. The cats really want their nighttime attention and I love the
nighttime purrs and cuddles. Just not the scratches!

I understand your feelings: but you need to sleep. Continually disturbed
nights are bad for you. How about putting the boys in the basement
Sunday-Thursday nights and letting them be with you on Friday & Saturday
night? Then you could take turns napping in the day if you needed to. Just
an idea for a compromise.

Oh well, we'll do this for a while and see if we become human again. We
might start to like being awake all day ;-)

You can't really go on like this, can you? Otis seems over-attached to you
and I can't help thinking that because you love him a lot and want him to be
happy, that you are "enabling" him to remain so.
It would be different if he would just snuggle up all night quietly with
you, but he doesn't..
My two seem quite happy to sleep downstairs at night, or on the spare bed in
the next bedroom. They are rarely noisy, sometimes I hear them galumphing
around as if they are chasing each other and just occasionally Boyfie will
forget it's not a weekday and will meow outside my bedroom door at 7.15ish
to ask me if I realise that the alarm hasn't gone off and now I will be late
for work. He's pretty good about this though, it's only once in a while.

I hope you find a solution, Susan.

Tweed

Basement cats
 

Susan M wrote:
Oh well, we'll do this for a while and see if we become human again. We
might start to like being awake all day ;-)

Purrs for Otis to calm down soon so he can be allowed in bed with mom
again. :)

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

Basement cats
 

Susan M wrote:

Otis has been terrible at night again. He gets up first at 2 AM
and then at 6:30 AM. My face and collar bone have little scratches
from him trying to get my attention. Fred and I are exhausted all
the time.

I can imagine how exasperating as well as exhausting that must be.
Sometimes my cats disturb me in the middle of the night - usually it's
Smudge standing by the window (where my head is - right under the
bedroom window) and howling loudly, I guess wanting to go outside.

Usually, when that happens, I have to evict all the cats from the
bedroom, since it wouldn't make sense to keep two stuck in my room
just so I can shut Smudge out. (Occasionally, Roxy will remain
sound asleep during all of this, so I let her stay. She's usually
pretty well-behaved.)

In general, I trade off having the cats sleep with me, and having
catless nights. When they're not with me, I sleep much better, no
question about it. But I'd miss them if I never let them sleep with
me, so I tolerate less-than-perfect nights' sleep for the pleasure
of their company - usually on a night when I don't need to get up
at any particular time the next day (which is most days!).

One thing I wonder is, how does Fred feel about this? You are deeply
bonded with Otis, so even though it annoys you to have your sleep
disturbed, you also adore him. Does Fred get upset? He seems to
tolerate it pretty well, from how you tell it. Sounds like a really
difficult situation, all around.

But I think the idea of sometimes letting them sleep with you and
sometimes putting them in the basement might be the best compromise.
They might hate being stuck down there at night, but it's not *every*
night of their lives. And you might hate having your sleep disturbed,
but that's not every night of your life, either.

Purrs for peaceful nights for everyone!

Joyce

PS - I second the suggestion for Soft Paws for Otis. At least you
wouldn't get scratches all over you!

Basement cats
 

Matthew AKA NMR ( NO MORE RETAIL ) wrote:

Sounds like a time for soft paws

You mean those claw-covers you glue onto the natural claws?
I was going to suggest those, but couldn't remember what
they were called. I suppose it depends upon where you live,
but I don't think a basement is a very good environment for
a cat - too dark and too damp. (Unless, of course, there's
a pet flap in one of the windows - but if you don't want
them to be indoor/outdoor, that's no solution either.)