Training a Cat Not to Sleep on Your Head

My cat tried this as a kitten, as well as, waking us to play at all hours of the night.

What I did was get a large (Great Dane sized) dog cage and put a small litter box on one end, a padded stool for him to sleep on on the other end, with water and a bit of dry food under that. I kept it as far from the bedrooms as possible. When he would wake us, I put him in the cage. If I woke again, I would let him out. If he tried to play, I would put him back. This went on for approximately a couple of weeks. Then he got the idea that if he woke us, he would go into the cage. He stopped. When the lights went out, he would curl up at my feet and sleep from then on.

It was an exhausting couple of weeks, but 9 years later he still sleeps at my feet in the summer and at my side in the winter (under a blanket, I guess he gets chilly), but no more waking us.

By Compltlyme from Sammamish, WA