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Q. For the past two months my one year old Siamese-mix has been whining and misbehaving every night. He jumps up on my bedside table, chest of drawers, paws the pictures above my bed, and paws at the walls. The worst thing is the whining. I've tried using a water bottle, a firm "No" and shutting him our of the room, but the whining continues. I also have a 2 year old female Ragdoll, but they get along most of the time. They always have clean litter, food, water, and they get treats before bedtime and in the morning. I am single and live alone so they get a lot of attention in the evenings. I live in an apartment and I'm afraid that with all the whining going on every night all night that someone is going to complain about the noise. During the evenings and days that I'm home he seems fine, it's just at night that he does this.
A. Cats are nocturnal creatures and will often be more active as we are trying to sleep. In particular, intact male cats often become active and vocal at night to claim territory and attract females. If your cat is not neutered, having the surgery done may help him to be more relaxed at night. If he has already been neutered, I would try to find a couple of toys that he really likes playing with and only putting them out at night. This may distract him and eliminate some of the unwanted behavior. You may also consider training him to walk on a leash and harness so that he can experience the outdoors. If all of these options do not produce the desired results, behavior modification medications may be in order.
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