Is it too much to ask?

[flutterby]

...to be able to sleep through the night?

Instead of having a cat standing on my hair right at the scalp, pulling it, then sniffing my closed eyes. Push her off the bed. Rinse and repeat. Or a 15 pound cat wanting to sleep on my hip as I lie on my side. Or the 3 1/2 year old cat who doesn't hold back with his claws attacking my feet should I happen to move during the night. Or the 10 year old cat curling up against my chest and against my face only to decide she needs to groom herself right then. Or the cat that stands on my hair and head trying to find a way to get under the covers with me and digging at them. Or another cat run across my bed - stomp stomp stomp - jump on my pillow and get on the windowsill. Or the dog who at dawn is going to die if she doesn't go out right now right now right now to eat some grass. Get up, let her out, go back to bed. She barks, get up, let her in, go back to bed. Only to repeat in 20 minutes.

Isn't it enough that I wake up several times a night anyway because I'm either sweating or freezing?

Of course not. Because the one time I go to bed early, difficult child wakes me up in a panic. "[One of the rats] has wet tail." "difficult child, rats don't get wet tail." "Yes, they do. I looked it up online. He needs to go to the vet RIGHT NOW." "difficult child, you can ask the vet. Rats don't get wet tail." "Yes they do and he needs to go to the vet or he's going to die. He's having diarrhea." "Is he eating and drinking?" "Yes." "Then he's fine. Just keep an eye on him." "He's going to DIE!" STOMP. STOMP. STOMP. SLAM! (The rat is fine.)

I'm going to take a nap.

 

[flutterby]

Oops. See how tired I am? Posted in the wrong forum. Mods, could you move this for me, please? Thanks.

 

[KTMom91]

I understand. And that is why the senior cats sleep in the laundry room, and the panther boys have a three-story ferret cage we tuck them into every night.

Sending hugs and some peaceful quiet.

 

[hearts and roses]

All three of our dogs occasionally get mushy and want to sleep with us. Although we have a cali king sized bed, it's amazing how much space 2 little 20 lb dogs can take up. Izzy brings in the rear at only 7 lbs, so she barely counts. However, Nala will only sleep where my feet are and Sophie stretches out -SIDEWAYS- between H and me so we can barely roll over. Izzy is right smack in the middle on her little princess smoosh pillow. In the morning, I am awakened by Izzy gently pawing at my pillow next to my head. It's an endearing gesture on her part because at least she's not pawing at my face or licking me...but getting a bad night's sleep due to our loving animals is just as bad as being woken up by a gentle pawing on my pillow. We try to farm them out to others...I make difficult child take Sophie and Nala will sleep under our bed, but that little pawing one HAS to be in bed with us.

We do this to ourselves, you know. I hope that rat is truly okay.

 

[AnnieO]

Three cats... Weasel is 16, so she gets to sleep with us. On a full size bed, husband gets 1/4, I get 1/4 and she gets about 1/2.

At 6 AM, she starts trying to wake up mommy. Always mommy. Never daddy. Whiskers in the nose, kitten kisses on the lips (UGH), pawing.

So... Heather... I feel you! Thank goodness Bubbles waits though.

 

[Mattsmom277]

I hope you are having a good nap. My sleep however will be worse tonight as i picture the insanity that sleep will be this time next week since we are getting a kitten.

As it stands now, difficult child's 3 year old cat must loathe me. He will not come near me during the day, only S/O or the kids. He won't even come out of easy child's bedroom if nobody but me is home.
Yet at night he uses my head as a spring board to get to the iron work headboard and climb up to the window ledge. WHen he comes back down he springs off either my head (OWW!) or
my chest (OWW!!!). And after half a dozen tours back and forth, I too get the deal of the cat in my face. Usually his hind end as he tries to force the covers open so he can crawl under into a tunnel
of his making to snuggle against S/O. He NEVER disturbs S/O's sleep, or the kids. I haven't been undisturbed for 3 years now when sleeping. S/O wants the door open because "He loves sleeping in the bed under the covers". GRR! I'm betting it would be closed quick if a few nights in a row the cat mistook him for me

We have got to be suckers and owned by our cats to put up with this stuff! lol

 

[donna723]

Welcome to the club! I have four dogs but three of them sleep very happily in their crates at night, bless their little hearts. But the oldest Boston, Ragan, has slept with me since she was a tiny little puppy, eight years now. She is also the only one I trust enough to be running around the house unsupervised all night. She's only about 22 pounds but I have always slept on the living room sofa and I usually end up arranging myself around her. If I try to move her, she goes limp and refuses to cooperate - her "noodle girl" persona. And since Bostons are snugglers and Ragan is always cold, she has to sleep burrowed under the covers with me. She has to be jammed up against me, right at my knees, and if I sleep on my side, she wedges herself in behind my knees. Wouldn't be too bad if she'd stay there, but several times a night she gets up and patrols the house, gets a drink, then comes back to bed. For some reason, she always jumps up on my pillows, walks around my head, then paws at my shoulders until I lift up the covers to let her back under. I'm so used to this routine now that I can do this without even waking up. And if I ever stay somewhere else for the night and she's not there, I have a really hard time sleeping without her hot little furry body jammed up against me.

 

[katya02]

been there done that, not doing it anymore. I have such broken sleep these days (pain from my arthritis, sweats, early waking etc.) that I can't tolerate any other interruptions. So the cats, much as I love them, all have their own places to sleep at night, which are not with me! They like having their own bedrooms, though.

 

[flutterby]

If I try to close my door or close them into their own rooms, all 6 of them will take turns shredding the carpet around the door trying to get in - or out.

This morning difficult child was already up, but Jewel (the dog) still woke me up to take her out. ARGH!

 

[Star*]

At that point? I would have called ME and drove to Bob Evans for a cup of coffee.

 

[Hound dog]

I think I'd get a large dog crate for the cats and personally lock them up for the night. This is why Sir Bruce is no longer allowed upstairs....AT ALL!!!

Ok, so it's nice they adore you and want to be with you............but enough is enough.

Also got bruce to stop having to constantly be in my lap or near me 24/7. Got a cat size basket, put in a fluffy old towel, added a soft flannel receiving blanket, put it on the corner of the kitchen table where the dogs can't bother him. He's been enjoying it for 3 solid days. lol

Of course I'd take up Star's suggestion too, it's much more fun than a nap. lol