Cat people: When you get up in the morning, do you...

[zanne]

1) Immediately feed the cat(s)

OR

2) Immediately have coffee.

Mine won't let me have my coffee until they've been fed, petted, sung to and let outside for 30 seconds, then let back in, then let back out, then let back in...

[Droopy]

1. My morning ritual used to involve a cigarette first thing

But our cat would not leave me alone until I fed her. So I would do that first and then enjoy my cigarette in peace.

[SoxFan]

18. The cat wanted a smoke, too

[yellowdogintexas]

2. I don't care how much they fuss, the coffee gets started FIRST, then

I give them their treat. Gives me something to do while waiting for the coffee to brew.

The actual first thing I do is go to the bathroom at which time all four of them are wrapping around my legs, yowling and purring trying to get me to feed them. Then they follow me into the kitchen and entertain me while I make coffee and then I feed them.

[Orsino]

3. The cats are fed in the evening.

I learned my lesson a long time ago about morning feeding: you can never, ever sleep in or cats will massage your bladder until you get on the freakin' job.

[lizerdbits]

4. My feet are attacked until he gets food.

I have to get up and feed him at the same time on the weekends or he will wake me up by gnawing my hand off if running his claws down the wall and knocking things over on my dresser doesn't work. He doesn't self regulate so I don't have the once a day option listed above.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Immediately feed the cats.

Coffee is not an option before feeding the cats.

[TZ]

6. I'm well trained...

I feed the little monsters almost right away..bathroom first though with them both watching to make sure I don't get lost between bathroom and kitchen...:D

[khashka]

7. Sounds to me like

you are in a serious S/M relationship with the cat as the dominant partner. Take back control.

And it is possible to drink coffee, have a cig, and feed the little monster all at the same time. I've done it.

Khash.

[Kajsa]

8. Start the coffee, all the while

reassuring the two fuzzy guys( actually three now-
our neighbor's cat adopted us) that they will
get their food as soon as I'm done with the coffee.

Now, getting to the fridge to GET the coffee without
tripping over them while half awake is another thing
all together.

:D

[nuxvomica]

9. I spend the first hour before getting up telling the cats to STFU

Since daylight savings time, they cry and scratch on my bedroom door an hour before my alarm is set to go off. Then I get up and open the door and have to play with them a little. Then Tommy starts crying and walking toward the stairs, indicating that he would like treats served in the kitchen. I go down and turn on the hot water for coffee. While that's heating up, I pour treats into two little custard cups on the floor and the little monsters have at it.
So I guess I don't finally get any coffee till the cats are thoroughly treated.

[riderinthestorm]

10. My cats have free choice kibble but it's the going in, out, in , out thing that drives me nuts

The one cat starts at 5 am with scritching and scratching anything he can get his claws into to make some noise to wake me up. All of them know that jumping on me, draping themselves all over my face, kneading my leg so hard that their claws actually penetrate the comforter - none of that wakes me up.

But just start the scratching on the bed post and I am wild-awake!

[Kajsa]

11. LOL!

-that and

knocking things off the dresser.

-works everytime!

:D :hi:

[TZ]

14. Yep

My cats love to knock things off the dresser. Not only does it get my attention but I truly think they enjoy it!:crazy:

[Kajsa]

25. I do too!

LOL!

they have this look on their face like-

Damn- that was fun!

:rofl:- crazy critters!

:hi:

[Rhiannon12866]

45. They all love to do that. When I take a shower, I have to make sure that the toilet seat isn't down,

or my little one would knock every single thing off the bathroom counter. We call it "experiments with gravity...":rofl:

[Madrone]

12. Am I the only person whose cats let me sleep?

Seriesly - I could get up at 5am, I could get up at 1pm - the animals all will stay asleep with me as long as I do. It's only *after* my feet hit the floor that I'm free game if they're out of food, or whatever. But even THEN, they start begging for more food by being super-extra sweet and lovable.

[riderinthestorm]

13. Probably, damn you!

There is nothing, I mean nothing! so insane as stumbling out of bed to open the damn door at 5 am when it's 32 degrees outside. Ahd doing it like 3 times as they can never decide to go out together so it's one of them out at 5, another out again at 6, the last goes out at 6:15, then the first starts crying outside my window to come in at 6:30....

They totally have me well trained.

[Madrone]

15. LOL -

Well, see - I solved THAT problem by keeping them as indoor only kitties. :P But yeah, inside OR out, I would never in a million years be able to handle what you're talking about. I tend to deal with "training" by more instinctual means than thought out ones, but I can tell you that whatever I would have done to break that behavior, it the cats would have quickly come to realize that being annoying would not receive their intended result.

I definitely count my blessings - even the dogs will stay in bed, asleep, with me until I get up - even if it weren't until 1 in the afternoon. Not that I generally sleep until 1 in the afternoon, of course - but I can remember a time or two over the years when I've slept most of the day due to illness or what have you ... critters all asleep by my side. :)

[CC]

20. All mine let me sleep and

a lot of times the cats and ferrets would rather I stay in bed and not disturbed their sleep. The cats get on both side of my legs on top the covers and increase their weight somehow to trap my legs so I can't move them while the ferrets curl on and around my feet under the blankets. The dogs and birds stay quiet until they hear me on the steps, then the birds are "Good morning" me and the dogs suddenly are desperate to go out. Cats and ferrets rearrange themselves for a few more hours of sleep.

[Madrone]

21. How do you manage free-range ferrets?

I've never been brave enough to leave mine out 24/7. And ... what about the potty?

LOL - your house sounds alot like mine, except I don't have the ferts anymore. :( I've only dog dogs and cats boxing me in anymore.

[CC]

23. The ferrets are contained to the

second floor master bedroom. It is a big room and very ferret proofed. The first two found everything I missed with in hours. They are there because that leaves a minimum of 3 doors between them and the outdoors since once in a while one or two make a break for it. Then I shake a treat can and they come running back.:rofl: Ferrets, will do anything for a treat even if it is only ferret food. Mine are also pretty much elderly now. The youngest is 3 years old, (the oldest is 8.5 years old) and terrified of the other side of the door. As for potty, they are all pretty good at using the litter box so every corner has one. As long as there is no corner left unfilled they do well. They do have their cages with food, water and litter boxes in them along with tons of hammies, cubes and ferret beds. They put themselves in the cages for a large part of the day to sleep or under the bed and dressers.Smart little guys, they know the safest place in the bed at night is down by our feet. I started out caging them a lot but a couple would almost break their teeth trying to get out. They are also good at coming when called if they aren't too soundly a sleep. Either by name for individuals or "Lil monsters" for the whole group.
The cats have to scratch at the bedroom door when they want in or out. The Siamese figured that one out early and taught the rest of them how.
The dogs and birds have the first floor of the house, the cats go where ever they want but tend to hang around on the second floor. Keeps them from being slobbered on by the dogs. Some how it works, not sure how but seems each older furkid taught the new furkids the rules when they came in.:shrug:

[fizzgig]

22. mine two kitties sleep with me until i get up

and when i do get up, the only thing the girls want is attention. they are free-fed and i usually check the food and water before i go to bed

[Cabcere]

27. Clearly, your cats are actually little fuzzy cyborgs that have been programmed to obey

their human master without question. :P My two cats (well, actually my parents' cats, since I'm at college most of the time) PRETEND to be all sweet and affectionate by coming into my room at 5:00 in the morning, purring loudly, and rubbing up against me, but if I don't attend to their needs within what they deem to be a reasonable amount of time, the male starts pulverizing my chest with his paws (eleven pounds of cat concentrated on one square inch of paw on sensitive body parts = ouch) and the female starts knocking stuff off my dresser. :eyes: Silly critters. :D

[KatyMan]

34. We have a ginger tom

who, in addition to being loud and needy, has the most accurate sense of time of any creature. Whether it's here in the UK or when we lived in Houston, daylight savings time or not, he starts hollering 5 minutes before the alarm goes off, and won't shut up until I go downstairs and give him some treats. We have a little parade down the steps every day, me and the three cats.
He does, however, recognize when it's the weekend, and lets us sleep until 8 (we get up before 5 during the week). He even seems to know when it's a holiday. He's really smart, but really annoying!
ETA: and he's huge, a 20 pounder. All the vets we've been to said he's not fat, just really big!

[Forkboy]

16. Let him outside for the day. I never have coffee.

:)

[applegrove]

17. My cats usually wake me up by sitting on top of me. So I feed them

first. Less scary that way. Cause otherwise they would start to circle me.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. I get my tea first...

My kid gets fed before the animals. That's my way of establishing pecking order around here. :D

[GreenPartyVoter]

24. Mine got me up at 5am this morning. Nummies came first, then more sleep

[yellowcanine]

26. Immediately empty the litter boxes (4 for 3 cats). We follow the number of cats + 1 rule.

Cats tend to have fewer "accidents" if there are plenty of litter boxes and they are emptied frequently. Plus there is a dog involved and timely emptying of the boxes minimizes "snacking" on the kitty logs.

[Kool Kitty]

28. I set up the coffee pot before I go to bed,

so all I have to do with that is plug it in and turn it on. Then feed the cats. Works out okay for all of us.

[Digit]

29. I feed my animals first since they can't get it for themselves

Besides, then my kitty won't trip me when I am trying to get my coffee ready.
My parrot also hears me come down the stairs and starts making lovey noises before I hit the bottom step. I wiggle the sheet covering her cage, and I hear her soft, "hi". Off comes the sheet and I say, "hi baby", and she makes kissy noises back at me. I open the cage, she steps up on my finger; knowing that she is to do her big potty in the trashcan.
Sometimes, she does her rubber leg routine, and will not stand up on my finger...instead wanting to be held upside down, and then cuddled. Unfortunately, alot of cuddling makes her go into baby bird mode and she begins to whimper like a baby and then will regurge to show her love.
My elderly kitty meanwhile is wanting a second helping of soft food, so I give in.

They both have me well trained.

[badgerpup]

30. My guys sleep late...

...a 5:30 AM 'Rocket Cat/Buffalo Tag' match will do that to ya.

They'll come out, yawning and stretching around elevenish...I'll tell them "Good morning!" and ask if they slept well.
Then the boys will let me know when they're ready to go out- usually within about 15 minutes of waking up.
Esme usually doesn't go out until much later in the day, if at all...she's a house-kitty by preference.

They have a free-feed station with kibble, so they eat when and as they please.
I do have to refill it every now and then however...and I haven't been able to convince them that standing right in front of my feet (blocking my path to where the catfood is kept), meowing pitifully, and trying to attach themselves to my ankles is NOT going to speed the process. :banghead:

[Withywindle]

31. I'd only had my Madimi for about two days when she discovered

that there are lots of things hanging on my bedroom wall right over my head that make very annoying noises when batted (like the Venetian blinds on the window, for example). That starts early. Too early. So early I've often just finally gotten to sleep when she starts up.

I'd had her for about three days when I figured out I could get away with picking her squirming ass up and shutting her in the bathroom for a couple hours. (She doesn't cry. She doesn't pee. She just sits in the cat-loaf position and WAITS. It's creepy.)

[Rhythm]

32. The cats wake me up for food...

usually an hour before the alarm clock, so i feed them, then go back to sleep.

[Skittles]

33. I work nights

I feed the cats when I come home from work in the morning, and give 'em a bit of a bowl refresh before I go back to work in the evening :D

[KSinTX]

35. Depends how grumpy I'm feeling

Not very often is that a matter of choice - Cats, as we know, Rule! However, if it's a choice between coffee/me hissing at cats and cats hissing at me/feeding, I tend toward the former. They seem offput by a lack of manners and human hissy fits!

[raccoon]

36. 1) Immediately feed the cat(s) nt

[MissMillie]

37. I feed the kitties at night

so they don't wake me up in the morning.

[BarenakedLady]

38. Put dry food in their bowls

It is on my way upstairs to the coffee anyway.

[grannylib]

39. Start coffee, and feed/water/pooperscoop while it's brewing...

otherwise the babies just whine and whine and whine and whine and drive me nuts.

[CatWoman]

40. reading this thread, I see I'm not the only one who is "pussy whipped"

:rofl:

[QueenOfCalifornia]

41. I employ the "free feed" method

I keep his bowl full of dry food up on top of the gecko cage so the chihuahua doesn't eat the dry cat food.

But - the cat tries to kill me by tripping me while I walk to the coffee pot... He needs LOVE in the morning....

[ceile]

42. My cats sleep in.

And if for some reason they are awake when I get up they want to go outside first.

[littlebit]

43. My little one is not a morning kitty.

I usually don't see her until sometime in the afternoon. I try to keep her bowl full at all times. I keep it on a dresser in our spare bedroom. That way my dogs don't get into it. If see runs out she comes and gets me.

[SteppingRazor]

44. I have to feed them first, as I have highly refined tastes in coffee ...

and thus prefer my coffee to be made from cat droppings. So, I gotta wait for them to eat, digest, and so on. It's a real pain.


http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/04/10/coffee.dung/index.html

[LeftyMom]

46. I don't drink coffee and they have a gravity feeder.

However, if they can see the bottom of one of their four water dishes, they'll herd me down the stairs to take care of that before anything else.

[sammythecat]

47. I'm embarrassed at how well trained I am.

They have 2 "feeding stations" and 3 litter boxes. Immediately upon awakening I have one in my face making demands. She's been patiently waiting for me to open my eyes for who knows how long, and she is ALWAYS there. So it's a good ten minute ritual every single morning of cleaning bowls, opening cans, refreshing water, tending the litter boxes, upstairs, downstairs, upstairs, downstairs, upstairs again, downstairs one last time, and then, finally, coffee and the kitchen table.

I could put it off I guess, but it has to be done and I'm better off just getting it out of the way. There will be at least 2 more similar rituals before the end of the day. I have a dog too and she's not one tenth the trouble. She's the most un-hungry dog I've ever known. She never begs and one meal a day is generally all she wants or needs.

I almost never have existential moments of "Why am I here?". I've know the answer to that one for some time now.