Hi everyone, I've got a one-year-old cat who scratches at the doors every morning to get me up. Not only is she damaging the doors—which is a real worry as I'm in a rented place—but she’s also driving me up the wall. I wake up feeling just as tired as when I went to bed; that 4am wake-up call is far too early.
I was wondering if any of you have a miracle cure to get her to stop scratching? I've already tried a repellent spray from the pet shop, but it hasn't made any difference at all; she just carries on as if nothing's there.
Translated from French
The forum content is sometimes translated from another language, and posts may concern countries with different animal laws. Do your research before making any decisions.
Since the forum is translated by AI, the translations may contain errors.
This text explains how to manage the behaviour of a female cat scratching at doors. This behaviour is usually linked to a need for attention, wanting access to a room, or boredom. The suggested solutions include environmental enrichment (play, scratching posts), positive reinforcement, and gentle methods to redirect their attention away from the behaviour without using punishment.
Further advice on cat training and behaviour can be found at high fly bet .
The vertical scratching post next to the doors she’s been clawing at works really well to redirect the behaviour — she uses that now instead of the doors. It needs to be at least 40cm (about 16 inches) tall so she can stretch out fully, otherwise she just ignores it.
Cat accessory review sites are great for comparing different models using practical criteria like stability, height, and the quality of the sisal.
At that age, many cats still have bags of energy and quickly work out that scratching at the door eventually gets a reaction. The most important thing is to avoid getting up or opening the door when she scratches, otherwise the behaviour just gets reinforced. Try to really tire her out in the evening with a proper play session before bed, followed by a meal, to help her settle during the night. You can also temporarily protect the doors with some film or plastic guards to limit the damage. Calming diffusers can sometimes help, but what's most important is consistency and making sure her environment is enriched enough. If the behaviour becomes very intense despite your efforts, a vet can check to see if there's an underlying anxiety issue.
Hi there, I’ve got 4 cats in a flat and I’m having the same problem – they keep waking my daughter up all the time. I’ve tried the tin foil trick at the bottom of her door, so I’ll let you know how it goes a bit later ;)
I’ve found a solution too! I put aluminium foil all over my door and he hasn’t scratched it since... I’ll admit it’s not exactly pretty, but it works like magic – no more scratching since! :-)
I’ve found the solution and it works a treat.
Every morning at 5am my cat would scratch at our bedroom door... it was a nightmare.
The solution: I made a sort of mat out of a piece of cardboard. I stuck some double-sided tape on it and put the mat in front of my door.
My cat hates the feeling of the tape so much that he hasn’t scratched at my door since.
Here’s to peaceful nights!
I’m going through exactly the same thing... from 4 am, or even 3 am, he starts scratching and it’s getting so annoying! Every morning I’m even more shattered than when I went to bed, honestly. And I can't leave the door open, I’ve already tried but it’s a total nightmare; he wakes my two girls up and they’ve got school, so they need their sleep... he jumps all over them – oh yes, his lordship wants to play! :'( He plays with anything he can get his paws on, so leaving the door open just isn't an option :-(
He’s just doing what cats do, that’s just the way it is; the only solution is a bit of DIY to protect certain areas and putting up scratching posts near the spots he’s marking.
Hi everyone,
I’m having exactly the same problem with my boy, who’s just over a year old. He gets up and starts scratching at the doors and cupboards every single night from 4 am onwards. We live in a studio flat with a mezzanine bedroom, so there’s really no escaping it, especially since he scratches at the front door. His bowls are always full, so I’m starting to think he just needs a bit of reassurance.
It’s getting really tough because we haven’t had a full night’s sleep in 18 months. I’m at my wits’ end... Every now and then I’ll get up and put him back in "his spot" on the bed with us, and that seems to settle him down, but only until an hour later.
What can I do?
Thanks
