cat scratching

[Tigerintank]

at night my two cats are left in kitchen but in the night they scratch the door i have tried all the brand things that keep cats away they dont work any ideas

[beryllium]

errrr, why have you even got cats?

[indieanna86]

there's really no need to keep them in the kitchen. If they're confined, they'll definitely have a scratch at something! Just let them have run of the house at night and chances are they'll kip on the sofa or something and leave the door alone

[mike_jln]

flippin eck, they must be bored stiff or feeling kinda lonely, imagine if someone kept you in the kitchen all night! they will find somewhere to snuggle down & sleep if you let them be part of your family !

[Athley]

My cat has the run of the house (apart from our bedroom) all night and she snuggles on the sofa, one of the window ledges, spare bed etc - never her own bed of course!!

She's always pleased to see us in the morning and usually gets let into our room about 6am anyway.

Give them a bit of space and I think you'll be surprised how happy they are.

:o)

[WendyS]

I think the others are right and that as long as you shut your cats in a confined space they will scratch to try and escape, especially if they have access to the rest of the house during the day. Let them sleep elsewhere as long as they have access to litter trays in the kitchens. They'll probably happily settle down to sleep elsewhere. They probably want a warm sofa or carpet to snuggle down on rather than a hard kitchen floor, especially on a cold winter night. (And wouldn't you?) Cats are no different to humans in this respect. They need a comfortable environment in which to sleep. If they're restless, they won't sleep at all and be destructive, and you won't get a decent night's sleep either. Give in !