Dear Cathy,
In regard to the woman whose cat keeps her up all night, the only thing that worked for us was to put our cat to sleep in the basement every night. She had her food and toys down there and a nice ottoman to sleep on. She was fine until my husband woke her up around 5:30 am. Of course, this only works if you have a basement. Ours is 1/2 finished, but Sunny did not mind roaming around in the unfinished portion. She lived to be 21 and we still miss her.
– Debra, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Dear Debra,
Thanks for your suggestion about how to handle a cat that keeps you up all night. Some owners will put a noisy cat in another room at night, but if the cat can be heard, he or she can still keep you awake. Most cats don’t like closed doors and will scratch and meow until someone opens it.
As for the basement, as long as it was a safe place, she probably thought she was out on the “hunt” all evening, especially if she had toys she could play with on her own. Cats are nocturnal and love to stay active during the night.
If you want to keep cats within ear shot though, the good news is, they often settle down as they get older and learn the sleeping habits of their family. My five cats roamed during the night but slept with each family member at some point. So even if you have to put a noisy cat in another room at night, chances are they will quiet down as they mature, and they don’t have to always stay there.
Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, children’s author, syndicated pet columnist, and pet expert with more than 30 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to moc.tidnuptep@yhtac. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal