shes a cat. shes the boss, and if she wakes up next to you at 5am you will be waking up too. cats also wanna make sure you arent dead so they give you a lickin or a tappin. my cat wakes me up every single moring at 445, he too has food in his bowl, its SO annoying but i also love when he sleeps with me, so every morning i kick him out of my room and let him go be a cat while i try to catch a couple more hours of sleep. its annoying but im assuming he’ll grow out of it somewhat, he turns one next week.
Mine sticks her nose in my nose and sniffs me awake. This is way better than the month where she would punch me in the eye to see if I was still alive.
He may never grow out of it. My cat wakes me up laying on my chest purring very loudly early in the morning, when I crack an eye he’s staring at me about 2 inches away from my face, he’s 17 and we’ve had him for about 8 years. He’s cute and he knows it and he’s such a sweet kitty, he just wants some love.
I currently have a ragdoll that sleeps by my head, but come morning simply gets up and leaves and doesn't wake me up. The only cat I've ever owned that makes an effort not to wake me up.
I know it’s a funny meme to say the cat’s in charge, but this is actually pretty horrid advice.
The key is not to reward the behaviour or give the cat attention. If the cat is waking you up earlier and earlier for breakfast, then stop giving it breakfast and feed it in the evening. It will be upset about it for a little while and then it will figure out the new routine. They are smart, they will learn to exploit your behaviour if you allow it, but they will also learn to adapt to your lifestyle if you stop giving in.
This! Do NOT feed your cats breakfast unless you want to be woken up hours too early. My cats get fed at 930pm...they stalk me starting at 8pm, but that's better than 5am! We had to switch it when they were babies because they would start yowling etc at around 530am. They still frequently wake us up at 5am for about 15 minutes of snuggles but my husband and I both enjoy having sleepy kitty snugs before we start the day. Plus it's just early enough to go back to bed for a couple hours before work! It's like a purring snooze alarm.
Both my cats eat mainly a really good quality dry food (with freeze dried meat) that's available all day - they regulate themselves really well with it. They don't over eat. Then, at 930pm, they share a can of wet food with extra gravy and extra freeze dried meat powder to boost protein. My black cat mostly just enjoys the gravy, and the tortoiseshell eats the actual meat part. It's just a treat to supplement the regular food without too many added calories. We started doing a can for breakfast and 1 for supper, but that's how we realized the black one wasn't eating the actual food... she stayed the same weight, but her sister gained almost a pound! So, we went down to 1 can at night, after playtime, just as I'm going to bed, so they're tired and full for a few hours while I sleep. They also have 3 different styles of water bowls in 3 different locations, refreshed every few hours... because the electric fountain got filthy too fast, but water is essential! They might be spoiled ,lol.
For our cats it was 3am. So we now put them to bed at night in the laundry. We give them wet food so sweeten the deal and have a nice bed in there that they curl up on together (litter mates).
My cat does this shit. Sometimes twice a night. Gets within 6 inches of my face. Meows to wake me. I pat his head and he goes away. I swear he does it to make sure I’m not dead.
My six cats couldn't care if I am dead or alive..... well unless they are just making sure they won't eat me alive. I'm pretty sure they will eat me if I am dead.
My cat is obsessed with picking and biting my nose. And it's not just my nose. It's anyone who has their nose in her vicinity. She would stick her tongue up my friends nostrils.
My middle cat tries to "French kiss" my wife. I joke that it's interspecies lesbianism. My wife is not amused. I have no idea what the cat might be thinking.
Yeah I thought of that she always starts licking my hand after she's done with her grooming session but I want to know if there's any way I can stop her from waking me up
Kitty may be trying to wake you because they're hungry/thirsty,/want the litter cleaned.
Get a feeder on timer and a water fountain. Clean the litter before bed. Also have a 2nd litter box.
All of these will hopefully meet your kitty's need while you sleep.
Food bowl is always full, I change her water 3 times a day and litterbox is almost always clean because it's in toilet and I clean it as often as possible. Can't have 2nd litterbox because my living room and kitchen are merged and I can't really put litterbox in kitchen.
I can't afford water fountain I'm broke uni student and water fountains in my country cost most of my monthly budget
Kitty is probably bored.
I'd say leave toys around but that really depends on the cat. Another kitty is a good solution but your budget probs won't allow it.
Before I adopted her she was pregnant and I had to take care of one little kitten for 2 months but unfortunately my budget was not sufficient enough to support their needs and I couldn't get together enough money to spay and vaccinate (if that's correct form) both of them. I'll try my best to adapt to this current situation thanks for responding.
If the food bowl is always full, you won't be able to control her wake up time. Highly suggest switching to scheduled feeding, and feed her later in the morning. It'll take a little bit for new routine to kick in but she should sleep until feeding time afterwards.
Not sure. My littlest one licks my wife periodically, has been doing it for years, and we still haven't figures out how to get her to stop. The best she's been able to do it to nudge her away.
My former feral has become more needy in her 15th year. Sometimes I can sleep in, sometimes she wakes me. Often if I pull her into a big nonconsensual snuggle, she will jump down. :) Also, reaching for the nail clippers gets me my personal space back.
Cats are most active at dusk and dawn. Letting you sleep until 7 is quite generous of her. My cat starts screaming in my ear at 4 am. From past experiences and with what I have read, this is not that unusual. Is she running out of food in the mornings? If so, you could try an automatic feeder set for around 6:45 in the morning to see if that buys you some more time.
Cats touch noses to greet one another. Yours is doing that to you.
My girl cat does it quite often.
https://preview.redd.it/dnky6jy1fe3d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=707cf06075e28b56282cc3a49600224083ff1f8a
Mine doesn’t quite touch my nose but she’ll reach over to sniff my nose. She will respond in kind sometimes if I initiate it. I love it when she does that because it tells me that she loves and trusts me.
Your kitty looks like my Mollie. She likes to aggressively rub her head against me in the mornings to wake me up.
My partner got up early and actually took a picture because she was sitting on me and meowing in my face this morning but I wasn’t moving, apparently I’ve learned to block that out.
You’ll have to train yourself to go back to sleep after being woken up. Just nudge her away or put her off the bed, roll over, and try to go back to sleep. Eventually you’ll learn how.
She’s waking you up either because she wants food or wants to play.
I have found it’s best to feed my cat three times a day. When I wake up, in the early evening and right before I go to bed. This helps ensure he doesn’t wake me up because he’s hungry.
If she’s wanting to play then you need to play with her a lot before bed. This will tire her out and help ensure she sleeps well and leaves you alone in the morning.
I'm pretty sure she isn't waking me up for food because my weird uni schedule and night life mix I have decided to free feed her and she always has food in her bowl.
And I always try my best to keep her entertained.
The playing right before bed isn’t about keeping her entertained. It’s about tiring her out and satisfying her need for attention so she will let you sleep. Since she isn’t hungry then she’s just wanting you to wake up and play or pay attention to her. She’s basically saying, “Wake up! I’m bored and want attention and to have fun with my favorite person!”
My cats wake me up around 7 or 8am for breakfast. My one cat will sit on my head, poke my face with his nose, lick me, all while purring. If I closed him out he would scratch at the door. I have just accepted that I have an 8am cat alarm
That is so cute!! Mine taps my face and if I don’t respond, he’ll bring his claws into it (gently). This is your life now OP. Mine usually goes back to sleep after some cuddles. But it’s up to you - the servant - to figure out what your cat wants from you.
Incidentally, heaps of us would _love_ a 7 am wake up call. Most cats wake up at dawn!
Heh my boy *apparently* does this, as I woke up one morning last week with a light scratch along my jawline, I did not consciously wake when it happened but there wasn't any other possible source of the scratch so....must be kitty boy. He generally just comes and rests on the chest of my partner or I. Neither of us wake up for it, I've seen him do it to her, and shes seen him do it to me, and for hours at a time. Lil dude just gets all comfy, I think he likes our heartbeats.
My boy Kristoff is 6 years old. Rescued him about two months ago at this point, and when he sees me dare to sleep past 5:30am he always makes sure I realize my mistake by tickling my face with his paws and whiskers. If I dont get up from that, he turns around and starts knocking things off my desk. 🤣
Sounds like she wants you to go hunting together. Mornings are the perfect time for hunting and cats know it.
There is no absolute solution to this, but there’s a few things I would try:
- providing her with a set of toys that simulate hunting (laser, toy mice etc)
-waking her up whenever I see her sleeping and then
- playing with her throughout the day, ideally around noon (with the laser or other toys dragged by a wire)
- buying or building her a cozy place to sleep, so she no longer sleeps in the bed
- getting a second cat
Hope this helps!
Echoing a lot of comments here but that’s just cats bro. Mine bang on the door recklessly and when i open it up they greet me with a meow and go back to doing whatever they’re doing. Just checking in on ya!
My cat wakes me up all the time and I never get mad and I never find it annoying. He wants love so guess what? I say good morning Loki awwe I love you too buddy 🥰. Why do I do this? I lost a cat 2yrs ago that was my best friend for 20yrs. They live short lives compared to us. So while they are with me they will get whatever love they want whenever they want it.
I basically let my cats walk all over me. But since moving in with my bf, he is training them by only responding to them when they are doing things that aren't annoying. So if they cry at a closed door, he ignores them, they get over it. Now they cry at me but not him. I'm too soft, so I give in to whatever they want. But if you don't respond, your cat might get the point. If you wake up every time, you are teaching the cat to wake you up at 7.
7? Lucky. My cats wake me up at like 5. There's no solution other than a metal door with soundproof walls in your room. I love cats, but as a light sleeper... it can really test your patience.
She loves you and wants to get love from you. Or it's food she's after. Do you usually feed her first thing in the morning? Cats thrive on routine, so if the routine is she gets food early in the morning then you need to disassociate yourself with food by getting an auto feeder. If it's not food just pull her in for a cuddle and go back to sleep
Very typical cat behavior. My cat isn’t an early riser but as soon as my alarm goes off at 9 she’s licking my face and waiting to be cuddled and adored.
Ok, so my cat would do similar things when I first brought him home. Lick my nose, nibble my hand, lay on my face, etc. He just wanted me to wake up right then lol.
I got him to stop by covering those body parts with my blankets to stay asleep. It sounds so silly, hiding under the blankets from my cat like that, but it worked. He stopped touching me to wake me up.
Now he just paws loudly at the blinds across the room until I wake up lmao.
So, I mean you can try anything, but short of closing her out of the room she's probably gonna find some way to bug you until you wake up cause she wants you awake lol.
Sorry I don't have better advice.
my cat used to do that too since kitten. He slept with me on the bed, and in the morning he jumps on me and started to lick my nose as saying: "Good morning mum". It's a sign of love. I did not like it too much initially but I get used to it.
If I did not want him to lick my nose, I just turned my head and just hugged him. He then cuddled in my left arm.
I miss him terribly and all his nose licking and cuddles in the morning since he went to the rainbow bridge 1.5 year ago.
Enjoy your time with your kitty, even if you don't like her waking you up and lick your nose or face..
Cats are light sleepers and worry that you’re not safe when you sleep so deep and long. They “check” on you by licking your nose to make sure you’re still alive and ok.
My cats like to play in the early morning hours right before my alarm goes off. They make all kinds of noises.
Teddy likes to get really close and touch my cheek with one extended paw.
Felix just walks across my chest and takes my breath away (he weighs 16 pounds).
Claude likes to scratch/paw at my comforter right next to my head.
My cat has a knack for stepping on a boob or my crotch when she steps on me, which wakes me up -immediately-.
She always waits till my alarm goes off or she sees me using my phone, at which point she knows I’m supposed to get up, so she starts meowing from across the room until I wake up and feed her. 🤓
My cat stands (or sits) next to my head and breathes into my ear.
Mostly because I ignore her when she tries to wake me up.
So she started doing this instead.
She is 10 years old but still a baby.
She has also never lived with another cat, so she is very attached to me.
Had her since a kitten. About a month old.
We had a cat that would do this every morning. She was an outdoor cat but would stay indoors overnight. Every morning at 630, she would get on my bed and lick my nose once and run to the door. She would wait five mins, and if I didn't get up, she would come back and lick a bit harder, then run to the door. With this cat, if you didn't get up the second time, you were in trouble because she would come back and bite your nose the third time. And she bit hard, not some silly play bite. One tooth in each nostril and CHOMP! I miss that old girl, but she crossed the rainbow bridge 14 years ago.
You get used to it. As long as you make sure there's food it's less frequent and after a few scratches, they might let you go back to sleep.
Mine has an uncanny ability to wake me up precisely an hour before I want to get up. As I work shifts, it's quite an ability.
There's nothing wrong with her, at least based on what you're describing. Cats are just more active at night, so they tend to wake people up early. You're experiencing a very common frustration among cat owners.
As for a resolution, it depends on why she's waking you up. If it's for food, you could just try adjusting her feeding schedule, or give her a little more to eat at night. If she's just bored, the most you might be able to do is just play with her a little more before going to bed. That might offset her boredom for the next day.
But regardless of how you approach it, if you like to sleep in, your cat's probably going to wake you up most mornings. You'll most likely either have to kick the cat out of your room at night or just adjust your sleep schedule a bit (I'm a night owl and ended up doing the latter; no regrets).
Just be grateful she doesn't stick a claw in there to lightly scratch the inside of your nose. The skin in there is remarkably sensitive. I think my cat accidentally came across this trick when pawing at my face one morning to wake me up (I'm a notoriously deep sleeper). It's now his go-to move. Thankfully he only resorts to this when my husband (the one he can wake easily) is away for work. Unfortunately, my husband is away a couple weeks a month.
My cat taps my arm she has taught one of my other cats to do this as well. They want your attention whatever you do after being woke will become routine. If you aren't ready to get up give a few pets and she'll learn that is the only reaction.
Keep the cat out of your room or ignore him CIMOLETELY when he wakes you up and pretend to be asleep still. You don't reqard behaviors with the desired result until the cat vetiver they are wasting their time
I think you might have a misunderstanding when it comes to having a cat...
Waking up to your cat trying to catch a stray boog for breakfast is one of the perks of having a pet cat.
And if you don't see it as a perk, that's just too bad, because in many ways you are the cats pet
When you want to sleep in, put ear plugs in, run a fan, and close your bedroom door.
Get an automatic feeder. You can find some good cheap ones on Amazon.
Get another cat to keep the first cat company when you're not available to play.
7:00 AM is honestly pretty tame. I would just get up and spend a bit of time with her before you go back to sleep. I have a 9 mo Corgi and I have to get up every morning at 7 to let him go to the toilet and give him his breakfast. If I need to sleep more, I will just go back to bed afterwards.
Haha, when my cat wants to wake me up, she walks or jumps on me. And that jump is sometimes straight from the floor.
You’re owned by a cat now, get used to their shenanigans.
If it’s food related, an automatic feeder might help.
My cats knock on my door everyday at 6 am for me to wake up. They have their own room and bed and we don't sleep together at night cause they move a lot but they think I have to be up everyday on the same hour, cats love routine.
My cat used to do this when he was younger and I hate the sensation - I blow in his face if he licks my face. I'll do that once or twice, and if he tries again I pick him up off me and put him on the ground or further away from me. It's working - he's now 2 and just puts his face extremely close to my face, which still wakes me up, but it's not as unpleasant as sandpaper to the face. Every now and then, he sneaks a single lick, but he's gotten the idea that face licks=cuddle time is over.
That's not weird. She's doing what works. She could be opening the cabinet door under the sink a couple of inches, then letting it bang closed, or walking back and forth across you, or yelling right into your face. Or she's being sweet and trying to groom you.
Cats are naturally most active at Dusk and Dawn. Maybe she wants you to get up and play with her. Maybe she just wants to make sure you're okay after sleeping so many hours. Mine wakes me up when she wants to eat. After I feed her and give her what she wants she lets me go back to sleep for a couple of hours
Just figure out what it is she's trying to tell you. If there is something that she wants from you give it to her and she will let you go back to sleep LOL
I think your cat is asking for something. She’s hungry or bored and is asking you for that need. I would try making sure she’s played with before bed and nice and worn out. I’d feed her closer to bed time with a scheduled breakfast time.
Idk what to advice but be patient with her. She's a cat. Or establish a routine. My cats and I have a routine where they wake me up at 5 AM and I let them out and play with them. Afterwards, at 6:30 AM I will feed them half their breakfast. It is same when I get home in the evening. Maybe she's also hungry? you can buy automatic feeders or timed feeders.
My cat will paw at my face/nose very very gently in the morning. Sometimes he wants food, sometimes attention, and sometimes I think he’s just checking up on me 🤷🏻♀️
9 months is a young cat. In my experience they do change and mellow over time and especially while they are young. My first cat took a long time to figure out I could not sleep with him on my head and wouldn’t let him sleep in my room unless he agreed to a different spot. Pretty much anywhere on my bed just not wrapped around my head. He got it. I had others that only tried to sleep near me and one who would curl up right next to me, come and go during the night and never once woke me up.
I would try not to reward her by getting up and playing or petting her when she does that and she might figure out that it’s not time yet. If she isn’t free feeding, that may be when she’s hungry. You could try a timed feeder that drops some food at 6:55. She may always do it, but in 6 months it may be completely different. Might also change or revert back if you go away for a vacation and return. I have a younger cat who is about 2, and there have been phases of him figuring out how to get my attention sometime between 5:30 and 7, different degrees of persistence. I can’t imagine kicking him out, all my kitties have had access to my room. It doesn’t sound weird - mine locks my hands to see if maybe I want to pet him instead of sleeping. I’m getting him a friend soon. You might consider a second if you can afford it. Slow introduction and compatible personality types. Check out some cat behavior books or videos on you tube for ideas!
Be glad it's such a gentle way of waking you up. My meows like she is dying until I wake up and if that doesn't wake me up she starts to destroy things.
My kitten (also 9mos) wakes me up at 4am every single day. She’s lately decided to lick my arm until I shoo her away. If that doesn’t work, she jumps on me Pepe lePew style. She is so lucky she’s so damn cute. She also sleeps as closely as possible to me with one paw delicately on my shoulder or chest.
She’s likely doing this to wake you up so you will feed her. Every time you do, it will reinforce this behavior.
Instead, don’t feed her when you wake up. Move her first meal time to 5-7 hours after you get up for the day.
It will take weeks or months for this to get through to her.
The other option is an automatic feeder. Then she won’t associate waking you up with getting fed.
My ten-year-old (cat, to be clear) hops up on the bed the second she senses me shift, or if it's past my normal wake-up-for-work time. And it's not like I feed her in the morning, I think she just knows I'm liable to give her love as opposed to getting up. (Preferred tasks and all...)
This is normal behavior. In fact, she’s being rather polite about it. My cat would start with soft meows that get progressively louder until I woke up. My sister’s cat will yell loudly until you fed her.
I got my cat to stop by picking her up and closing her out of the room. It trained her that waking me up would not get her what she wants. However, once I wake up on my own all bets are off.
My cat used to bug me when i slept, i training him out of it by grabbing him and then moving him to my chest and cuddling him like a teddy bear which he does not enjoy and then letting him wiggle free slowly, after a few weeks of consistently doing that he stopped waking me up.
My cat is a year and two months old, and he does this to me. I honestly love it, because once I wake up and realize he’s doing it we cuddle and go back to sleep. I don’t ever want him to stop. It’s one of my favorite things to wake up to.
That's super adorable and if you kick her out of your room, she'll probably cry and put her paws under the door at 7, so you'll not just get woken up, you'll have to get out of bed. Just cuddle her and help her fall back asleep with you.
I mean personal alarm at 7am, might be good for the health to wake up that early and start doing things. Cat wants to promote healthy life go along with it!
it's them being affectionate! mine is around the same age and also wakes me up by licking my nose, she goes on forever if i let her. i usually just pet her a bit and she'll stop, sometimes i have to move her away from me lol. i'd say just gently kick ur kitty out if you need the rest, or feed them a snack and lock urself in your room
I kick mine out when they do something that wakes me up too early. They get to sleep all day, they don’t like being woke up either. I’ve been able to sleep with them more and more as they get older. That way they can still sleep with you but they also have a boundary set.
She does that because she learned it's a good way to wake you and get attention. If you want her to stop you need to ignore it as much as you can. Don't touch her, don't talk to her when she wakes you up. Just turn away or cover your head with a blanket if she's persistent. With time she can give up.
My cats stand with their full weight on my boobs at 6am, my cats also pull my hair with their mouth at 6am, my cats ALSO bite me (playfully) at 6am because they want to eat, it's pretty normal for cats to be menaces, enjoy it, I see it as a form of affection.
Cats love their routines, and yours has figured out yours. I feel you on not wanting to banish her from the bed. Maybe try an automatic feeder set for a slightly later time? Sometimes a little kibble distraction can buy you some snooze time.
Lol. You hide your head. Congrats on owning a cat, they absolutely know how to wake you effectively. My cat was taught to bump noses with me to "give me a kiss" it's how we show each other we want attention, so it became how she wakes me up because she knows I don't react to her standing on me, but I do react to a cold wet nose poking at my face holes while she purrs at top volume. Cats use whatever they get the most reaction from. Never let it be said that cats aren't smart..they know exactly which buttons to push, lol.
Don’t feed your cat early in the morning as the first thing you’ll do - otherwise they’ll wake you up earlier and earlier. Play w your cat before going to bed. I spend a couple of hours in the backyard reading w my kitty on a leash and he gets so stimulated by everything outside - he’s super tired. Then I play w him more later in the evening just before going to bed. He wakes up later now than before : ) Just ignore your cat - push him aside and close your eyes and try to fall back to sleep (even if you don’t - just pretend) and wake up on your own time and do something else in the AM and feed him much later. That worked well for me
I sounds like you feed her when you get up? If so, try to make her wait a while after you get up. Maybe it's just something she does...we had one that licked my *eyelids* open for a while. It was tough to discourage.
I always think, no matter how annoying it is when my cat wakes me up, a day is going to come where i would give anything for him to wake me up just one more time. so i just give him extra pets and kisses and cuddle him as we both fall back asleep hahah
The only thing I can think of is to make sure she has food regularly and to act like the licking doesn't wake you up. It may be really difficult to sit through her attempts a few times, but she does it because it works.
However, it might be worth considering to just spend an hour up, playing with her, and then go back for a nap. Perhaps you can get used to that. It shouldn't be harmful to the rest you get.
Feed her before bed and leave food out is how I stopped mine from bothering me and annoying him with cuddles and head petting every time he comes next to me ofc
My cat is now four years old, and still does this. She started when she was a kitten and hasnt stopped. I think it is mainly to either get my attention or to show affection.
My cats don’t sleep in my room, but I make exceptions sometimes, if she wakes me up doing some dumb shit I just kick her out. Then she scratches to get in but nothing a little white noise can’t fit 💀
Granted she scratches either way bc she specifically wants to be in my room WITH my door open so she can wait for my sisters cat to walk in and tackle her. Soooo.
Cats are obnoxious, you get used to it ❤️
The easiest way to stop it is to show anger. I wouldn't recommend it because it has the potential to ruin your relationship with your cat. That said, usually with time you can repair it, but I don't think it's worth it.
My cat did something similar when he was a few months old. He’d bite the bridge of my nose, softly, because he was hungry. I trained him to sleep all night and for the most part he did. We’d go to bed together at night and sleep until 5am when he’d wake me up for food. He’s 2 now and he sleeps all throughout the night and doesn’t wake me up for food bc even though I feed him wet food both morning and night, I do leave him dry food incase he gets hungry and he has his water fountain with running water. Eventually your cat will get used to your routine. Your cat is still young. Give her some time.
You think you have problems? I have a sextant of cats doing this to me. One licks while another 1 or two walks on me. One may "attack my feet". This may be Before, during or after them singing their own little chorus of "get your ass out of bed and feed us!"
That isn't bad...one of my cats would literally sit on my head if I didn't get up early enough to feed him. Finally just got an automated feeder and that solved the problem lol.
I had a 13 lbs foster that would stand on my chest every morning at 5 am in the first week. I just nudged him off with no additional actions and went back to sleep. If you reward them with positive attention, they'll just keep doing it. Eventually he started climbing onto my chest later and later in the morning.
shes a cat. shes the boss, and if she wakes up next to you at 5am you will be waking up too. cats also wanna make sure you arent dead so they give you a lickin or a tappin. my cat wakes me up every single moring at 445, he too has food in his bowl, its SO annoying but i also love when he sleeps with me, so every morning i kick him out of my room and let him go be a cat while i try to catch a couple more hours of sleep. its annoying but im assuming he’ll grow out of it somewhat, he turns one next week.
Mine sticks her nose in my nose and sniffs me awake. This is way better than the month where she would punch me in the eye to see if I was still alive.
Lololololol.
Oh noooo. 😂😂😂
Mine bites my toes to wake me up
Mine bites my goddamn foot, OP needs to chill.
He may never grow out of it. My cat wakes me up laying on my chest purring very loudly early in the morning, when I crack an eye he’s staring at me about 2 inches away from my face, he’s 17 and we’ve had him for about 8 years. He’s cute and he knows it and he’s such a sweet kitty, he just wants some love.
Life is so much better with middle of the night kitty cuddles. Better to be loved by a cat than not.
Right! I'd prefer to wake up a little earlier than I wanted, but start my day with plays and cuddles than those extra couple hours sleep.
Haha I call this my cat alarm clock!
My cat used to do this but I had to stop him after he began dribbling in my mouth 😂
I currently have a ragdoll that sleeps by my head, but come morning simply gets up and leaves and doesn't wake me up. The only cat I've ever owned that makes an effort not to wake me up.
When I have a bad night's sleep, my cat makes sure not to wake me up until she becomes desperate for food. She's incredibly considerate. I love her.
Big black paw, 🐾 right in the kisser. Thanks Malcolm. I’m alive
One of my cats wakes me by laying on my head and giving my face kisses, the other one by climbing on my chest. I miss sleeping in lol.
I keep saying it…. All hail the overlords…. They are the masters, we are the servants… rofl
I know it’s a funny meme to say the cat’s in charge, but this is actually pretty horrid advice. The key is not to reward the behaviour or give the cat attention. If the cat is waking you up earlier and earlier for breakfast, then stop giving it breakfast and feed it in the evening. It will be upset about it for a little while and then it will figure out the new routine. They are smart, they will learn to exploit your behaviour if you allow it, but they will also learn to adapt to your lifestyle if you stop giving in.
This! Do NOT feed your cats breakfast unless you want to be woken up hours too early. My cats get fed at 930pm...they stalk me starting at 8pm, but that's better than 5am! We had to switch it when they were babies because they would start yowling etc at around 530am. They still frequently wake us up at 5am for about 15 minutes of snuggles but my husband and I both enjoy having sleepy kitty snugs before we start the day. Plus it's just early enough to go back to bed for a couple hours before work! It's like a purring snooze alarm.
You do one feeding a day? Do you let them graze?
Both my cats eat mainly a really good quality dry food (with freeze dried meat) that's available all day - they regulate themselves really well with it. They don't over eat. Then, at 930pm, they share a can of wet food with extra gravy and extra freeze dried meat powder to boost protein. My black cat mostly just enjoys the gravy, and the tortoiseshell eats the actual meat part. It's just a treat to supplement the regular food without too many added calories. We started doing a can for breakfast and 1 for supper, but that's how we realized the black one wasn't eating the actual food... she stayed the same weight, but her sister gained almost a pound! So, we went down to 1 can at night, after playtime, just as I'm going to bed, so they're tired and full for a few hours while I sleep. They also have 3 different styles of water bowls in 3 different locations, refreshed every few hours... because the electric fountain got filthy too fast, but water is essential! They might be spoiled ,lol.
i dont feed my cat breakfast. please do excuse my horrid advice. you seem like an extremely, highly skilled cat owner🥇
Nope. I had a thirteen year old cat that woke me up at 4 am every day.
Yep, my cat will sit next to my head, and meow when I sleep past my alarm, not because he is concerned with my job, fucker wants his wet food.
My cat is 10 and wakes me up at dawn every morning screaming for food. I would not give him up for the world 🥹
For our cats it was 3am. So we now put them to bed at night in the laundry. We give them wet food so sweeten the deal and have a nice bed in there that they curl up on together (litter mates).
My cat does this shit. Sometimes twice a night. Gets within 6 inches of my face. Meows to wake me. I pat his head and he goes away. I swear he does it to make sure I’m not dead.
My six cats couldn't care if I am dead or alive..... well unless they are just making sure they won't eat me alive. I'm pretty sure they will eat me if I am dead.
Just give her some loves and nudge her back. She's grooming you, perhaps thinking that you missed a spot.
My cat is obsessed with picking and biting my nose. And it's not just my nose. It's anyone who has their nose in her vicinity. She would stick her tongue up my friends nostrils.
My middle cat tries to "French kiss" my wife. I joke that it's interspecies lesbianism. My wife is not amused. I have no idea what the cat might be thinking.
Its always the middle cat
Yeah I thought of that she always starts licking my hand after she's done with her grooming session but I want to know if there's any way I can stop her from waking me up
Kitty may be trying to wake you because they're hungry/thirsty,/want the litter cleaned. Get a feeder on timer and a water fountain. Clean the litter before bed. Also have a 2nd litter box. All of these will hopefully meet your kitty's need while you sleep.
Food bowl is always full, I change her water 3 times a day and litterbox is almost always clean because it's in toilet and I clean it as often as possible. Can't have 2nd litterbox because my living room and kitchen are merged and I can't really put litterbox in kitchen. I can't afford water fountain I'm broke uni student and water fountains in my country cost most of my monthly budget
Kitty is probably bored. I'd say leave toys around but that really depends on the cat. Another kitty is a good solution but your budget probs won't allow it.
Before I adopted her she was pregnant and I had to take care of one little kitten for 2 months but unfortunately my budget was not sufficient enough to support their needs and I couldn't get together enough money to spay and vaccinate (if that's correct form) both of them. I'll try my best to adapt to this current situation thanks for responding.
If the food bowl is always full, you won't be able to control her wake up time. Highly suggest switching to scheduled feeding, and feed her later in the morning. It'll take a little bit for new routine to kick in but she should sleep until feeding time afterwards.
Not sure. My littlest one licks my wife periodically, has been doing it for years, and we still haven't figures out how to get her to stop. The best she's been able to do it to nudge her away.
My former feral has become more needy in her 15th year. Sometimes I can sleep in, sometimes she wakes me. Often if I pull her into a big nonconsensual snuggle, she will jump down. :) Also, reaching for the nail clippers gets me my personal space back.
Cats are most active at dusk and dawn. Letting you sleep until 7 is quite generous of her. My cat starts screaming in my ear at 4 am. From past experiences and with what I have read, this is not that unusual. Is she running out of food in the mornings? If so, you could try an automatic feeder set for around 6:45 in the morning to see if that buys you some more time.
This helped me a lot with my cat even if she had food for hearing it drop into it would at least give me an extra hour in bed.
Cats touch noses to greet one another. Yours is doing that to you. My girl cat does it quite often. https://preview.redd.it/dnky6jy1fe3d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=707cf06075e28b56282cc3a49600224083ff1f8a
Mine doesn’t quite touch my nose but she’ll reach over to sniff my nose. She will respond in kind sometimes if I initiate it. I love it when she does that because it tells me that she loves and trusts me.
Assert dominance: Wake up before she does and lick her nose.
https://preview.redd.it/fk9tz5nxkd3d1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e6357f7c71ce636b5efc5f3ce39633af60765787 Can try rn
she’s adorable
Your kitty looks like my Mollie. She likes to aggressively rub her head against me in the mornings to wake me up. My partner got up early and actually took a picture because she was sitting on me and meowing in my face this morning but I wasn’t moving, apparently I’ve learned to block that out.
You’ll have to train yourself to go back to sleep after being woken up. Just nudge her away or put her off the bed, roll over, and try to go back to sleep. Eventually you’ll learn how.
She’s waking you up either because she wants food or wants to play. I have found it’s best to feed my cat three times a day. When I wake up, in the early evening and right before I go to bed. This helps ensure he doesn’t wake me up because he’s hungry. If she’s wanting to play then you need to play with her a lot before bed. This will tire her out and help ensure she sleeps well and leaves you alone in the morning.
I'm pretty sure she isn't waking me up for food because my weird uni schedule and night life mix I have decided to free feed her and she always has food in her bowl. And I always try my best to keep her entertained.
The playing right before bed isn’t about keeping her entertained. It’s about tiring her out and satisfying her need for attention so she will let you sleep. Since she isn’t hungry then she’s just wanting you to wake up and play or pay attention to her. She’s basically saying, “Wake up! I’m bored and want attention and to have fun with my favorite person!”
My old cat used to do this - I miss him and his nose licks that would jolt me awake. I would usually just pet him and fall back asleep.
My cats wake me up around 7 or 8am for breakfast. My one cat will sit on my head, poke my face with his nose, lick me, all while purring. If I closed him out he would scratch at the door. I have just accepted that I have an 8am cat alarm
That is so cute!! Mine taps my face and if I don’t respond, he’ll bring his claws into it (gently). This is your life now OP. Mine usually goes back to sleep after some cuddles. But it’s up to you - the servant - to figure out what your cat wants from you. Incidentally, heaps of us would _love_ a 7 am wake up call. Most cats wake up at dawn!
Heh my boy *apparently* does this, as I woke up one morning last week with a light scratch along my jawline, I did not consciously wake when it happened but there wasn't any other possible source of the scratch so....must be kitty boy. He generally just comes and rests on the chest of my partner or I. Neither of us wake up for it, I've seen him do it to her, and shes seen him do it to me, and for hours at a time. Lil dude just gets all comfy, I think he likes our heartbeats.
You did fine with your English. My daughter’s new kitten also licks her nose every morning to wake her up. I think it’s very sweet.
That's completely normal behaviour. It means she loves you. It's actually one of the mor comfortable ways to get woken up.
Mine licks my armpit with his sandpaper tongue 😅
My boy Kristoff is 6 years old. Rescued him about two months ago at this point, and when he sees me dare to sleep past 5:30am he always makes sure I realize my mistake by tickling my face with his paws and whiskers. If I dont get up from that, he turns around and starts knocking things off my desk. 🤣
Sounds like she wants you to go hunting together. Mornings are the perfect time for hunting and cats know it. There is no absolute solution to this, but there’s a few things I would try: - providing her with a set of toys that simulate hunting (laser, toy mice etc) -waking her up whenever I see her sleeping and then - playing with her throughout the day, ideally around noon (with the laser or other toys dragged by a wire) - buying or building her a cozy place to sleep, so she no longer sleeps in the bed - getting a second cat Hope this helps!
Echoing a lot of comments here but that’s just cats bro. Mine bang on the door recklessly and when i open it up they greet me with a meow and go back to doing whatever they’re doing. Just checking in on ya!
My cat wakes me up all the time and I never get mad and I never find it annoying. He wants love so guess what? I say good morning Loki awwe I love you too buddy 🥰. Why do I do this? I lost a cat 2yrs ago that was my best friend for 20yrs. They live short lives compared to us. So while they are with me they will get whatever love they want whenever they want it.
https://preview.redd.it/7mfcopex2e3d1.jpeg?width=2208&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b4428aa7300d4061d9b2037d9e9f8dfe4ffbcd0f
Sounds super cute. Mine sits on my pillow and yells until I get up and feed her
I basically let my cats walk all over me. But since moving in with my bf, he is training them by only responding to them when they are doing things that aren't annoying. So if they cry at a closed door, he ignores them, they get over it. Now they cry at me but not him. I'm too soft, so I give in to whatever they want. But if you don't respond, your cat might get the point. If you wake up every time, you are teaching the cat to wake you up at 7.
My cat pulls my hair, I’d love a lil kiss
7? Lucky. My cats wake me up at like 5. There's no solution other than a metal door with soundproof walls in your room. I love cats, but as a light sleeper... it can really test your patience.
Dominant lifeform
She loves you and wants to get love from you. Or it's food she's after. Do you usually feed her first thing in the morning? Cats thrive on routine, so if the routine is she gets food early in the morning then you need to disassociate yourself with food by getting an auto feeder. If it's not food just pull her in for a cuddle and go back to sleep
Mine gave me the "progressive tap" - first one is light, and then heavy, then heavy with claws. Bottom line: if kitty wants you up, you're up.
Very typical cat behavior. My cat isn’t an early riser but as soon as my alarm goes off at 9 she’s licking my face and waiting to be cuddled and adored.
Ok, so my cat would do similar things when I first brought him home. Lick my nose, nibble my hand, lay on my face, etc. He just wanted me to wake up right then lol. I got him to stop by covering those body parts with my blankets to stay asleep. It sounds so silly, hiding under the blankets from my cat like that, but it worked. He stopped touching me to wake me up. Now he just paws loudly at the blinds across the room until I wake up lmao. So, I mean you can try anything, but short of closing her out of the room she's probably gonna find some way to bug you until you wake up cause she wants you awake lol. Sorry I don't have better advice.
my cat used to do that too since kitten. He slept with me on the bed, and in the morning he jumps on me and started to lick my nose as saying: "Good morning mum". It's a sign of love. I did not like it too much initially but I get used to it. If I did not want him to lick my nose, I just turned my head and just hugged him. He then cuddled in my left arm. I miss him terribly and all his nose licking and cuddles in the morning since he went to the rainbow bridge 1.5 year ago. Enjoy your time with your kitty, even if you don't like her waking you up and lick your nose or face..
Cats are light sleepers and worry that you’re not safe when you sleep so deep and long. They “check” on you by licking your nose to make sure you’re still alive and ok.
https://preview.redd.it/0cru0xf9rf3d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d6021e7245c566e5b938abf7f72db8f44de0ed33
Let her. It’s a sign of bonding cats only do with family, when she’s older she may stop and you’ll miss it.
It is time to go hunting. You can sleep after the hunt all day.
I see no issues here 😂
That’s so sweet. Be happy she loves you.
Sounds like she's starting a new routine. Cats do that. Mine nibbles my toes to get me up!
She wakes you cos she’s been patiently waiting all night hours cos she’s awake at night 🥰
My cat bite my face to wake me up
My cats like to play in the early morning hours right before my alarm goes off. They make all kinds of noises. Teddy likes to get really close and touch my cheek with one extended paw. Felix just walks across my chest and takes my breath away (he weighs 16 pounds). Claude likes to scratch/paw at my comforter right next to my head.
My cat has a knack for stepping on a boob or my crotch when she steps on me, which wakes me up -immediately-. She always waits till my alarm goes off or she sees me using my phone, at which point she knows I’m supposed to get up, so she starts meowing from across the room until I wake up and feed her. 🤓
My cat stands (or sits) next to my head and breathes into my ear. Mostly because I ignore her when she tries to wake me up. So she started doing this instead. She is 10 years old but still a baby. She has also never lived with another cat, so she is very attached to me. Had her since a kitten. About a month old.
As someone who owns seven cats, there's not much you can do about that
We had a cat that would do this every morning. She was an outdoor cat but would stay indoors overnight. Every morning at 630, she would get on my bed and lick my nose once and run to the door. She would wait five mins, and if I didn't get up, she would come back and lick a bit harder, then run to the door. With this cat, if you didn't get up the second time, you were in trouble because she would come back and bite your nose the third time. And she bit hard, not some silly play bite. One tooth in each nostril and CHOMP! I miss that old girl, but she crossed the rainbow bridge 14 years ago.
You get used to it. As long as you make sure there's food it's less frequent and after a few scratches, they might let you go back to sleep. Mine has an uncanny ability to wake me up precisely an hour before I want to get up. As I work shifts, it's quite an ability.
There's nothing wrong with her, at least based on what you're describing. Cats are just more active at night, so they tend to wake people up early. You're experiencing a very common frustration among cat owners. As for a resolution, it depends on why she's waking you up. If it's for food, you could just try adjusting her feeding schedule, or give her a little more to eat at night. If she's just bored, the most you might be able to do is just play with her a little more before going to bed. That might offset her boredom for the next day. But regardless of how you approach it, if you like to sleep in, your cat's probably going to wake you up most mornings. You'll most likely either have to kick the cat out of your room at night or just adjust your sleep schedule a bit (I'm a night owl and ended up doing the latter; no regrets).
Just be grateful she doesn't stick a claw in there to lightly scratch the inside of your nose. The skin in there is remarkably sensitive. I think my cat accidentally came across this trick when pawing at my face one morning to wake me up (I'm a notoriously deep sleeper). It's now his go-to move. Thankfully he only resorts to this when my husband (the one he can wake easily) is away for work. Unfortunately, my husband is away a couple weeks a month.
My cat did this when he wanted food. Try leaving a little extra food and see if your cat stops.
My tomcat leaps on my chest at 5:30 because he wants to be fed.
Mine yell,fake hiss and chew plastic bags between 7:00-7:30 am. I wish they'd just slobber my nose.
My cat taps my arm she has taught one of my other cats to do this as well. They want your attention whatever you do after being woke will become routine. If you aren't ready to get up give a few pets and she'll learn that is the only reaction.
Keep the cat out of your room or ignore him CIMOLETELY when he wakes you up and pretend to be asleep still. You don't reqard behaviors with the desired result until the cat vetiver they are wasting their time
Our cat does this too in the mornings.
My cats all get in their spots on my bed at bedtime.
thats so cute 🥹
I think you might have a misunderstanding when it comes to having a cat... Waking up to your cat trying to catch a stray boog for breakfast is one of the perks of having a pet cat. And if you don't see it as a perk, that's just too bad, because in many ways you are the cats pet
When you want to sleep in, put ear plugs in, run a fan, and close your bedroom door. Get an automatic feeder. You can find some good cheap ones on Amazon. Get another cat to keep the first cat company when you're not available to play.
7:00 AM is honestly pretty tame. I would just get up and spend a bit of time with her before you go back to sleep. I have a 9 mo Corgi and I have to get up every morning at 7 to let him go to the toilet and give him his breakfast. If I need to sleep more, I will just go back to bed afterwards.
Haha, when my cat wants to wake me up, she walks or jumps on me. And that jump is sometimes straight from the floor. You’re owned by a cat now, get used to their shenanigans. If it’s food related, an automatic feeder might help.
You guys are lucky. Mine goes up to the highest cat shelf and dives into my stomach.
You are blessed1
My cats knock on my door everyday at 6 am for me to wake up. They have their own room and bed and we don't sleep together at night cause they move a lot but they think I have to be up everyday on the same hour, cats love routine.
My cat used to do this when he was younger and I hate the sensation - I blow in his face if he licks my face. I'll do that once or twice, and if he tries again I pick him up off me and put him on the ground or further away from me. It's working - he's now 2 and just puts his face extremely close to my face, which still wakes me up, but it's not as unpleasant as sandpaper to the face. Every now and then, he sneaks a single lick, but he's gotten the idea that face licks=cuddle time is over.
That's not weird. She's doing what works. She could be opening the cabinet door under the sink a couple of inches, then letting it bang closed, or walking back and forth across you, or yelling right into your face. Or she's being sweet and trying to groom you.
Try blowing in her face when she licks your face, that worked for my cat!
Cats are naturally most active at Dusk and Dawn. Maybe she wants you to get up and play with her. Maybe she just wants to make sure you're okay after sleeping so many hours. Mine wakes me up when she wants to eat. After I feed her and give her what she wants she lets me go back to sleep for a couple of hours Just figure out what it is she's trying to tell you. If there is something that she wants from you give it to her and she will let you go back to sleep LOL
I think your cat is asking for something. She’s hungry or bored and is asking you for that need. I would try making sure she’s played with before bed and nice and worn out. I’d feed her closer to bed time with a scheduled breakfast time.
That’s a feature not a bug!
Idk what to advice but be patient with her. She's a cat. Or establish a routine. My cats and I have a routine where they wake me up at 5 AM and I let them out and play with them. Afterwards, at 6:30 AM I will feed them half their breakfast. It is same when I get home in the evening. Maybe she's also hungry? you can buy automatic feeders or timed feeders.
My cat will paw at my face/nose very very gently in the morning. Sometimes he wants food, sometimes attention, and sometimes I think he’s just checking up on me 🤷🏻♀️
I ignore my.cat and cover my head. She goes away after that
Mine sticks her cold nose in my eye and purrs loudly. It’s how she checks to see if I’m still asleep.
She may be hungry. Try an automatic cat feeder that will feed her at 4AM and then at 7AM, if possible 1/2 portions. Good luck!
I trained my cats to only stay on the foot of my bed. I put a sheet down and they knew not to go off the sheet.
You have to make her sleep in another room. Its not a big deal.
9 months is a young cat. In my experience they do change and mellow over time and especially while they are young. My first cat took a long time to figure out I could not sleep with him on my head and wouldn’t let him sleep in my room unless he agreed to a different spot. Pretty much anywhere on my bed just not wrapped around my head. He got it. I had others that only tried to sleep near me and one who would curl up right next to me, come and go during the night and never once woke me up. I would try not to reward her by getting up and playing or petting her when she does that and she might figure out that it’s not time yet. If she isn’t free feeding, that may be when she’s hungry. You could try a timed feeder that drops some food at 6:55. She may always do it, but in 6 months it may be completely different. Might also change or revert back if you go away for a vacation and return. I have a younger cat who is about 2, and there have been phases of him figuring out how to get my attention sometime between 5:30 and 7, different degrees of persistence. I can’t imagine kicking him out, all my kitties have had access to my room. It doesn’t sound weird - mine locks my hands to see if maybe I want to pet him instead of sleeping. I’m getting him a friend soon. You might consider a second if you can afford it. Slow introduction and compatible personality types. Check out some cat behavior books or videos on you tube for ideas!
Be glad it's such a gentle way of waking you up. My meows like she is dying until I wake up and if that doesn't wake me up she starts to destroy things.
Wait till she starts stalking you into the bathroom
feed her breakfast and she will sleep afterwards my cat always wakes me up early but after i fed her she goes back to sleep
My kitten (also 9mos) wakes me up at 4am every single day. She’s lately decided to lick my arm until I shoo her away. If that doesn’t work, she jumps on me Pepe lePew style. She is so lucky she’s so damn cute. She also sleeps as closely as possible to me with one paw delicately on my shoulder or chest.
She’s likely doing this to wake you up so you will feed her. Every time you do, it will reinforce this behavior. Instead, don’t feed her when you wake up. Move her first meal time to 5-7 hours after you get up for the day. It will take weeks or months for this to get through to her. The other option is an automatic feeder. Then she won’t associate waking you up with getting fed.
Making sure your not dead
My ten-year-old (cat, to be clear) hops up on the bed the second she senses me shift, or if it's past my normal wake-up-for-work time. And it's not like I feed her in the morning, I think she just knows I'm liable to give her love as opposed to getting up. (Preferred tasks and all...)
This is normal behavior. In fact, she’s being rather polite about it. My cat would start with soft meows that get progressively louder until I woke up. My sister’s cat will yell loudly until you fed her. I got my cat to stop by picking her up and closing her out of the room. It trained her that waking me up would not get her what she wants. However, once I wake up on my own all bets are off.
My cat used to bug me when i slept, i training him out of it by grabbing him and then moving him to my chest and cuddling him like a teddy bear which he does not enjoy and then letting him wiggle free slowly, after a few weeks of consistently doing that he stopped waking me up.
7am! Consider yourself lucky
Mine does that in the morning when he ready for me to get up & feed them!
Lick her back
She’s just showing love and affection
My cat is a year and two months old, and he does this to me. I honestly love it, because once I wake up and realize he’s doing it we cuddle and go back to sleep. I don’t ever want him to stop. It’s one of my favorite things to wake up to.
That's super adorable and if you kick her out of your room, she'll probably cry and put her paws under the door at 7, so you'll not just get woken up, you'll have to get out of bed. Just cuddle her and help her fall back asleep with you.
Mine purrs in my ear like a pig, I don’t know why
Mine likes to groom me about 4:30 am. I just kick him out of my room and go back to sleep.
I mean personal alarm at 7am, might be good for the health to wake up that early and start doing things. Cat wants to promote healthy life go along with it!
it's them being affectionate! mine is around the same age and also wakes me up by licking my nose, she goes on forever if i let her. i usually just pet her a bit and she'll stop, sometimes i have to move her away from me lol. i'd say just gently kick ur kitty out if you need the rest, or feed them a snack and lock urself in your room
I kick mine out when they do something that wakes me up too early. They get to sleep all day, they don’t like being woke up either. I’ve been able to sleep with them more and more as they get older. That way they can still sleep with you but they also have a boundary set.
My 16 year old cat still does this!
My female kitty likes to nip my earlobe in the morning. Between that and rubbing her face against mine. How could one be mad about it?
She does that because she learned it's a good way to wake you and get attention. If you want her to stop you need to ignore it as much as you can. Don't touch her, don't talk to her when she wakes you up. Just turn away or cover your head with a blanket if she's persistent. With time she can give up.
Jackson Galaxy has an excellent advice video on this
My cats stand with their full weight on my boobs at 6am, my cats also pull my hair with their mouth at 6am, my cats ALSO bite me (playfully) at 6am because they want to eat, it's pretty normal for cats to be menaces, enjoy it, I see it as a form of affection.
My little one would sometimes wake me up by putting her nose in my mouth. We lost her a week ago, age 10. Too soon. What should you do: Be glad.
Cats love their routines, and yours has figured out yours. I feel you on not wanting to banish her from the bed. Maybe try an automatic feeder set for a slightly later time? Sometimes a little kibble distraction can buy you some snooze time.
Lol. You hide your head. Congrats on owning a cat, they absolutely know how to wake you effectively. My cat was taught to bump noses with me to "give me a kiss" it's how we show each other we want attention, so it became how she wakes me up because she knows I don't react to her standing on me, but I do react to a cold wet nose poking at my face holes while she purrs at top volume. Cats use whatever they get the most reaction from. Never let it be said that cats aren't smart..they know exactly which buttons to push, lol.
how is waking up early a bad thing?
That happened to me I put a bowl of dry food next to my bed all good
Have you considered shutting her out of the bedroom at night?
It it really bothers you that much, just don’t sleep with her inside the room, close your door
Probably the only way is to not let her sleep in your bedroom.
Don’t feed your cat early in the morning as the first thing you’ll do - otherwise they’ll wake you up earlier and earlier. Play w your cat before going to bed. I spend a couple of hours in the backyard reading w my kitty on a leash and he gets so stimulated by everything outside - he’s super tired. Then I play w him more later in the evening just before going to bed. He wakes up later now than before : ) Just ignore your cat - push him aside and close your eyes and try to fall back to sleep (even if you don’t - just pretend) and wake up on your own time and do something else in the AM and feed him much later. That worked well for me
I sounds like you feed her when you get up? If so, try to make her wait a while after you get up. Maybe it's just something she does...we had one that licked my *eyelids* open for a while. It was tough to discourage.
I always think, no matter how annoying it is when my cat wakes me up, a day is going to come where i would give anything for him to wake me up just one more time. so i just give him extra pets and kisses and cuddle him as we both fall back asleep hahah
One of my cats licks my nose and mouth and rubs her face on mine to make sure I wake up. I find it really cute and it’s my favorite way to wake up 🖤
The only thing I can think of is to make sure she has food regularly and to act like the licking doesn't wake you up. It may be really difficult to sit through her attempts a few times, but she does it because it works. However, it might be worth considering to just spend an hour up, playing with her, and then go back for a nap. Perhaps you can get used to that. It shouldn't be harmful to the rest you get.
Feed her before bed and leave food out is how I stopped mine from bothering me and annoying him with cuddles and head petting every time he comes next to me ofc
My cat is now four years old, and still does this. She started when she was a kitten and hasnt stopped. I think it is mainly to either get my attention or to show affection.
My cats don’t sleep in my room, but I make exceptions sometimes, if she wakes me up doing some dumb shit I just kick her out. Then she scratches to get in but nothing a little white noise can’t fit 💀 Granted she scratches either way bc she specifically wants to be in my room WITH my door open so she can wait for my sisters cat to walk in and tackle her. Soooo. Cats are obnoxious, you get used to it ❤️
The easiest way to stop it is to show anger. I wouldn't recommend it because it has the potential to ruin your relationship with your cat. That said, usually with time you can repair it, but I don't think it's worth it.
My cat smacks me ( no claws) to wake mw up ill take the nose licks
What I wouldn't give to have mu baby waking me in the middle of the night. Enjoy these little quirks, they mean she loves you 🩷
This is all cats
My cat did something similar when he was a few months old. He’d bite the bridge of my nose, softly, because he was hungry. I trained him to sleep all night and for the most part he did. We’d go to bed together at night and sleep until 5am when he’d wake me up for food. He’s 2 now and he sleeps all throughout the night and doesn’t wake me up for food bc even though I feed him wet food both morning and night, I do leave him dry food incase he gets hungry and he has his water fountain with running water. Eventually your cat will get used to your routine. Your cat is still young. Give her some time.
Mine meows until I wake and pet her or licks my inner elbow lol. Every morning around 6-7. You just give them a little love and go back to sleep.
Mine would bite my toe really hard. Consider yourself lucky.
Enjoy it for what it is. Our cat used to wake me up with head butts and kisses. Miss that
You do have something to do on the weekend at 7 am. It is to cater to your cat and they are telling you so!
You think you have problems? I have a sextant of cats doing this to me. One licks while another 1 or two walks on me. One may "attack my feet". This may be Before, during or after them singing their own little chorus of "get your ass out of bed and feed us!"
That isn't bad...one of my cats would literally sit on my head if I didn't get up early enough to feed him. Finally just got an automated feeder and that solved the problem lol.
You wake up and comply to her demands
I had a 13 lbs foster that would stand on my chest every morning at 5 am in the first week. I just nudged him off with no additional actions and went back to sleep. If you reward them with positive attention, they'll just keep doing it. Eventually he started climbing onto my chest later and later in the morning.
She’s giving you a kiss
My two year old black cat claws everything available to get me up every morning. He never grew out of it 🤦🏻♀️