April 23, 2004, Newsletter Issue #91: Preventing Midnight Romps in Bed
Tip of the Week
You are in the middle of a good night´s sleep when Kitty decides that he wants some kind of attention: affection, playing, scratching, or any number of other things. Fight the tempatation to sling him across the room; cats are nocturnal animals and he may not understand that you need to sleep at night.
You could train yourself to pet your cat in your sleep, my husband and I have, in a manner of speaking, or you could try this:
When your cat disturbs your sleep, grab him and pull him under the covers. Leave his head out for fresh air, but hold him tightly under the covers. Hold him for at least 30 seconds to a full minute, until he squirms and cries. Then slowly release the hold you have on him, so he can ´escape´. Be sure to snatch after him like you are trying to capture him again.
After about one week of this, he should learn that disturbing your sleep will end in his ´capture.´
Only do this with bedtime behaviors that you don´t like or want. If your kitty sleeps at your feet quietly, or curls up beside you to nap, don´t associate this good behavior with the corrective measure of trapping him.
Until next week,
Gloria, cat.lifetips Guru
www.catfurnitureandmore.biz
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