Expert: Norman Auspitz - 5/23/2011

Question
Good afternoon,
  I have a problem that's just been getting worse and worse. I moved in with a new roommate back in August of 2010 and she has two cats. A pure bred cornish rex named Halo and a pure bred Sphynx named Quazar. Quazar is a crazy cat that is always looking for food. He'll pull a loaf of bread off the counter and try to bite through the plastic. She has him on an automated feeding schedule, but it's like he's always hungry. She once left a cooling cake on the oven, covered in plastic and within 15 minutes he had bitten through the plastic and ate more than half an 8 inch round cake. We never leave food out and for the most part we've managed to avoid any catastrophes since. But Quazars insatiable appetite isn't the biggest issue. Occasionaly when my roommate is away for a night I'll feed Halo. He's fed on a regular schedule seperate from Quazars because if they were fed together Quazar will eat EVERYTHING. When my roommate is out I'll feed Halo before I go to bed and when I wake-up. This was working out fine until my boyfriend started spending the night. Halo's behavior has gotten worse and worse during the night. My roommates room has a cat door so they are able to go in and out freely, however I sleep with my door closed and they aren't allowed in there. When she is gone for a night Halo wakes me up throughout the night by scratching and meowing at my door. When I say this, I mean, consistenyly, even if I ignore him, for hours at a time. Last night I waited 30 minutes before I couldn't handle it anymore. I chased him down the hall and spanked him. He just rolled over onto his back and started to try and play with me. Sometimes he runs over to the cupboard where we keep his food and he walks around in front, signaling he's hungry. On the nights that he walks in front of the cupboard, often I'll feed him and he'll leave me alone. But the majority of the time, and more and more often, he just wants to play. We recently bought a cat deterrent and for awhile it was working, but last night, he sat just outside of the area I sprayed and meowed for an hour before I got up. She keeps telling me to just leave my door open, but I feel like I'm sacrificing my privacy for her cats comfort. PLEASE I BEG YOU, help! I love this house, and my roommate, and I would hate to have to move out. But at this point, he's waking me up three to five times a night between midnight and 4am. And i think she may be at a total loss as to what to do.

Answer
Allison,

Cornish Rex and Sphynx are very, very, very active cats and, usually, too smart for their own good. They love to solve puzzles (e.g. how do we get to food that is not secured?).  So, all food must be secured where they cannot get to it, or they will have a field day. For these breeds, this is normal, and they will not be denied if at all possible!!!!!!!!!!

As to the meowing at night, this is a typical cat ploy to manipulate sleeping humans and get some attention. With your roommate not there, you become the target.  I have found no way to stop this behavior, but there is a way to cope.  Most people do not like my solution, but getting a good night's sleep overcomes most objections. I would go to a travel store and purchase the type of earplugs given to first class passengers on Transoceanic flights. These are soft, very comfortable, and very effective. The only drawback is you may not hear the alarm clock in the morning!

Best regards... Norm.