How can I stop a cat scratching...when I'm not in the room?

[Bee]

I'm way late to this conversation but we have put a pet gate outside the door. It's positioned close enough to the door that they can't comfortably perch on top but far enough away that they can't reach the door in any way that is a comfortable scratching position. Works a treat.

[JackSpratt]

Pet Behave Spray mostly seems to work here...mostly....but I'm rubbish and have trouble keeping the doors shut here!

[Tiggy's Mum]

Epic fail 

I think the hoover idea is genius, even if I do say so myself! 

[Alcatraz]

Hoover first, new wet food feeder second, door last resort!

Kids are easy in comparison to cats!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I thought that woulld happen LOL

I think you should just open the door 

[Alcatraz]

As expected, tin foil became their new favourite toy....that is before it was ripped off the door and then the door became toy #1!

The hoover's getting plugged in tonight!

[Tiggy's Mum]

Isn't he growing up fast!  I'd defo have to get my own back with the hoover, it would only be for a few days as I bet they would give up after a few days of associating scratching the door with the horrible hoover noise 

[Alcatraz]

I think a wet feeder is the idea.  We're safe from neighbours but my other half would kill me if I woke her up at 6.45 with the hoover!


Attached evidence of drumming cat!

[Tiggy's Mum]

You should defo invest in a wet feeder, even if it's just for the weekends! I work shifts so some days have to be up at 05:15 ( ) and that is the only time I feed them by hand just before I leave for work. All other mornings - whether I'm on lates, nights or rest days I use the feeder and can lay in until silly'o'clock without getting pestered by them.

Another idea (though this one depends on whether you have neighbours that would get woken up by this) could be to blast the hoover on behind the door the second you hear them start scratching the door 

[Alcatraz]

Yep...breakfast is 6.45am when I wake up (ruins my weekend but I can't make it later in the week as we both work).  They have dry food 24/7 too, but the feeder dumps a fresh batch which generally "reminds" them it's there.

A little concerned they'll love the foil...I'm yet to find anything they don't like (except the vacuum cleaner)...and will use it to make even more of a racket.  We will see soon enough!  Sherlock has been known to use percussion when he's hungry!

[Tiggy's Mum]

Do they have a set 'breakfast' every morning of wet food (ie when you get up to give it to them)? Mine have a bowl of dry down 24/7 but would still wake me up at the crack of dawn with paw poking/head jumping/wailing if there was no 'proper' breakfast in the feeder.

I think with the tin foil the looser the better so that it makes as much noise as possible when paws poke it 

[Alcatraz]

Thanks for the suggestions...the feeder is a dry food "hopper" but I'm tempted to try a wet food feeder instead...to be honest, I think they do it for attention as they both eat dry food happily.

I don't think blocking the floor would make any difference but I might try the foil idea.  If not, I might have to give in and let them in the room...next thread...how to stop a cat keeping me awake all night by playing...

[Tiggy's Mum]

Any reason why they can't have wet food in the auto-feeder? I use mine most mornings for wet food with no issues.

If the door opens the 'right' way you could put a draught excluder/cushions down to prevent them getting to the carpet and maybe as a temporary measure put a sheet of tin foil on the door, I've read that cats don't like the feeling/noise of tin foil although haven't tested the theory myself. I do let mine in the bedroom as the meowing/wailing combined with ferocious carpet scratching if I dared to close the door would be unbearable  My compromise is the auto-feeder so that I'm not rudely awoken at the crack of dawn 

[Alcatraz]

Afternoon all.

So our two have started waking us up by scratching the bedroom door...

We invested in an electric feeder that gives them food an hour before we wake up, but I think they're more interested in their wet food....and like the company.

We can stop them scratching furniture when we're in the room, but they only scratch the door when we're both in bed...so we can't stop them...

I've heard of the citrus "non-chewing" spray...will that work for scratching?  I'm reluctant about covering the door in sticky tape, although might have to...I'm also against letting them in the room at night, although that would certainly save the door.

Any suggestions will definitely save out woodwork...and maybe my sleeping pattern.