I do not want my cat to be my alarm clock
April 17, 2020 3:21 PM
Our senior citizen Bandit (cat tax pic) is moving up his morning yowling time incrementally by 15 minutes and I cannot do it anymore.
He is 17. His brother died last September 2019 which did not seem to affect him too much. His taste in food, however, has changed as he got to feast on the new kinds of wet food we got to entice brother to eat. He has always been the eater of the two and has been mouthy for dinner, but not as much for breakfast.
Since the work at home quarantine took effect here in mid-March, his schedule of feeding has not changed but his watering schedule has. This seems to be where it started as my husband was no longer getting up at 5 and giving him water from the faucet (he doesn't drink out of bowls). Now, he has started waking ME up at 5:45 by yowling and patting my head until I get up. At that point, I have two choices: get him water or put him in the laundry room. Neither is attractive.
Any ideas for how I can get him to stop yowling AND keep him out of the laundry room?
He is 17. His brother died last September 2019 which did not seem to affect him too much. His taste in food, however, has changed as he got to feast on the new kinds of wet food we got to entice brother to eat. He has always been the eater of the two and has been mouthy for dinner, but not as much for breakfast.
Since the work at home quarantine took effect here in mid-March, his schedule of feeding has not changed but his watering schedule has. This seems to be where it started as my husband was no longer getting up at 5 and giving him water from the faucet (he doesn't drink out of bowls). Now, he has started waking ME up at 5:45 by yowling and patting my head until I get up. At that point, I have two choices: get him water or put him in the laundry room. Neither is attractive.
Any ideas for how I can get him to stop yowling AND keep him out of the laundry room?
Buy a cat water fountain and just keep it plugged in! Same effect, happy kitty, rested you. My cat loves his water fountain and drinks a lot because of it! Hydrated kitty is healthy kitty.
posted by dubhemerak3000 at 3:38 PM on April 17, 2020
posted by dubhemerak3000 at 3:38 PM on April 17, 2020
https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Drinkwell-Multi-Pet-Stainless-Fountain/dp/B002SB91QS
Ps: we have this one bc my cat is a prince and didn't like the cheaper ones, but I think a normal cat would drink out of just about any water fountain made for cats.
posted by dubhemerak3000 at 3:40 PM on April 17, 2020
Ps: we have this one bc my cat is a prince and didn't like the cheaper ones, but I think a normal cat would drink out of just about any water fountain made for cats.
posted by dubhemerak3000 at 3:40 PM on April 17, 2020
My senior-citizen cat (soon to turn 21) developed very strong opinions about water and went from small to frail a couple of years ago. Bloodwork revealed reduced kidney function. Prescription food has helped, but she's still super-picky about having lots of fresh water available.
Not quite an answer to your question, but something for you to keep in mind.
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 3:56 PM on April 17, 2020
Not quite an answer to your question, but something for you to keep in mind.
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 3:56 PM on April 17, 2020
FWIW, ours did not take to their water fountain at all; they were initially interested and then studiously ignored it and kept on drinking from their water bowls instead.
One of ours is a faucet drinker and paws the vanity sink when she wants the water turned on. We found recently that the way to stop her from doing this annoyingly early in the morning is to put a filled water dish in the sink at bedtime. This seems to be sufficient to trick her WANT SINK WATER NOW impulses into satisfaction; at least enough to hold her until the household is up and people are around to be her cat servant.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 5:07 PM on April 17, 2020
One of ours is a faucet drinker and paws the vanity sink when she wants the water turned on. We found recently that the way to stop her from doing this annoyingly early in the morning is to put a filled water dish in the sink at bedtime. This seems to be sufficient to trick her WANT SINK WATER NOW impulses into satisfaction; at least enough to hold her until the household is up and people are around to be her cat servant.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 5:07 PM on April 17, 2020
You can get a cat water fountain and then plug it in on an outlet timer.
posted by amtho at 5:24 PM on April 17, 2020
posted by amtho at 5:24 PM on April 17, 2020
You have probably addressed all of the "not drinking out of bowls" questions but they're worth including here for others in the future, and for you just in case.
Have the water bowls been left far far away from the food bowls? I ask because cats tend to strongly prefer their water away from their food (ditto with distance from the litter box).
Have the bowls always been wide enough to accommodate whiskers? Cats generally do not enjoy rubbing their whiskers on stuff, and the whiskers usually take up quite a lot of real estate.
Have there been consistently more than one water bowl available?
If the answer to all of those questions is yes and cat has still refused to enjoy water from a bowl, my suggestion is to get the cat a kitten and a water fountain.
And also to keep the toilet clean and leave the lid and seat up, because an astonishing number of cats are toilet drinkers.
posted by bilabial at 6:56 PM on April 17, 2020
Have the water bowls been left far far away from the food bowls? I ask because cats tend to strongly prefer their water away from their food (ditto with distance from the litter box).
Have the bowls always been wide enough to accommodate whiskers? Cats generally do not enjoy rubbing their whiskers on stuff, and the whiskers usually take up quite a lot of real estate.
Have there been consistently more than one water bowl available?
If the answer to all of those questions is yes and cat has still refused to enjoy water from a bowl, my suggestion is to get the cat a kitten and a water fountain.
And also to keep the toilet clean and leave the lid and seat up, because an astonishing number of cats are toilet drinkers.
posted by bilabial at 6:56 PM on April 17, 2020
As mentioned above, this increased water request could have a medical cause, especially in a senior cat. If so, treatment could alleviate your issue or even get rid of it. Your first step is probably the vet.
In addition to supplying all the clean, fresh water in all the ways you are able to, you may have the option of administering subcutaneous fluids. That's something the vet would discuss with you.
So yes, wide bowls, drinking glasses, fountain, various locations, changed at least daily, and all that as well.
But seriously, if you haven't yet ruled out common medical problems like declining kidney function or diabetes, please go to the vet.
posted by Stewriffic at 4:32 AM on April 18, 2020
In addition to supplying all the clean, fresh water in all the ways you are able to, you may have the option of administering subcutaneous fluids. That's something the vet would discuss with you.
So yes, wide bowls, drinking glasses, fountain, various locations, changed at least daily, and all that as well.
But seriously, if you haven't yet ruled out common medical problems like declining kidney function or diabetes, please go to the vet.
posted by Stewriffic at 4:32 AM on April 18, 2020
It's not for everyone, but 2.5 mg of Prozac/day is helping our assertive girl. She had ramped up her efforts over the winter to waking my husband up at 2 AM! She now sleeps through the night and has ceased excessive vocalizing around the house too. This was after a vet checkup, so we established that it wasn't an underlying physical issue first, and we're all much calmer now.
posted by Otter_Handler at 6:34 AM on April 18, 2020
posted by Otter_Handler at 6:34 AM on April 18, 2020
But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It's time to step on human face!
Get blackout curtains that you draw closed at night or kitty likely will be bothering you earlier and earlier over the next few months (assuming you live in the northern hemisphere). That plus one of those alarm clocks that gradually light up might help reprogram kitty's internal clock.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:39 AM on April 18, 2020
Get blackout curtains that you draw closed at night or kitty likely will be bothering you earlier and earlier over the next few months (assuming you live in the northern hemisphere). That plus one of those alarm clocks that gradually light up might help reprogram kitty's internal clock.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:39 AM on April 18, 2020
My cats prefer to drink out of tall plastic cups like these instead of bowls. It surprises me that their whiskers don't bother them, but the cup is basically at mouth height so maybe that's part of the appeal.
Or maybe it's just that the cups used to be mine. I learned they liked them so much because I used to drink my water out of my novelty beer mugs from college, and eventually realized they were helping themselves. The cups are their's now.
posted by juliplease at 10:11 AM on April 18, 2020
Or maybe it's just that the cups used to be mine. I learned they liked them so much because I used to drink my water out of my novelty beer mugs from college, and eventually realized they were helping themselves. The cups are their's now.
posted by juliplease at 10:11 AM on April 18, 2020
cat fountain! I really highly recommend thirsty cat fountains. expensive but VERY easy to clean, unlike their plastic pet store counterparts.
alternately, turn the sink on to a drip before bed and leave it running. (i know, not great for conservation)
posted by misanthropicsarah at 10:21 AM on April 18, 2020
alternately, turn the sink on to a drip before bed and leave it running. (i know, not great for conservation)
posted by misanthropicsarah at 10:21 AM on April 18, 2020
« Older Help Me Paint a Mural (Please God help Me!) | Good Xbox game for two cooped-up tweens? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by pinochiette at 3:32 PM on April 17, 2020