This cat is ripping out my hair!

[ladylowtide]

He newbie here. I just thought I would ask your advice.
So my fiancee has this cat that sleeps in his bedroom, every night she jumps her chubby self from the floor up onto my pillow, ripping out some of my hair :mad:! I tried shooing her away. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night holding my scalp because I think she is going to jump. I'm to the point now where it is taking all of self control not chuck this cat out the window (and I love cats) she just is getting on my last nerve. :mad:
Some details: She sleeps in our room because my kitten and her don't get along when they are no supervised. The cat is also been his for more than 11 years now and he extremely attached to her (and she is the sweetest when she is not ripping out hunks of my scalp). Also I sleep with my hair down because it is apl and it doesn't get tangled easy, If I were to put it back for sleep I would like to know what to put in it that would be least damaging (in order to keep it out of paw slamming range). I wish there was an exasperated smiley. Any advice would be appreciated.
PS: also I can't just switch the cats because my kitten would spend all night torturing us.

[Amber_Maiden]

How about get one of those sleep caps and wear it? then your hair will be safe.

[Dragon Faery]

Hi! Cat lover here, as well. Is she jumping on your pillow, or on your head itself?

If it's your pillow, any style that gets your hair off the pillow and close to your head will work. Single or double braids, English or French, would probably do the trick.

If it's your head she's jumping on, your only option may be a sleeping cap and a squirt bottle filled with water to spray her with as a deterrent when she does jump.

Good luck! Hopefully others will have some good suggestions, too.

P.S. It takes our cats about 6 months to a year to learn to get along when we introduce a new one, but it tends to happen eventually. A fight here and there won't hurt them, and will likely turn into play-fighting eventually. Although in your case the huge age gap may be a factor.

[ladylowtide]

Have you used any that you would recommend? (sleep caps)

[Dragon Faery]

Oh, and welcome to LHC! :)

[Dragon Faery]

I haven't used a sleep cap yet, but hopefully someone will pop up who can recommend a good one. There may even be a thread about them if you search the forums.

[Rybe]

I'd keep a spray bottle next to the bed, and next time she does it, spray the living s*** out of her. Maybe she'll get the point. Also maybe a braid? Where does she jump from? Maybe you could discipline her (spray bottle) when she gets wherever she jumps from?

I have a totally beloved and TOTALLY jerky cat...so I know how it goes, haha!

[ladylowtide]

Thanks for the welcome. and some great ideas. She rarely jumps squarely on my head. I should probably just suck and up and braid before bed...

[Jemoiselle]

If the cat cannot sleep in another room, I would suggest soft paws for cats above all else from experience. Nail caps will most likely prevent the damage and injury from the claws :) In the meantime, could you place some type of furniture in the cat's way so that there is a more convenient route to the bed than your head? Ouch! Lastly, if all other measures failed, this will sound crazy but for a couple of nights sleep with aluminum foil inside your pillow, in a long sheet that will make unpleasant noises when she jumps on it. That might startle her enough that she decides to find a different way to maneuver around you. For those thinking "that's no way to sleep" neither is sleeping with one eye opened awaiting cat ambush! Crazy ideas for a crazy situation! :D I think the nail caps are awesome having used them myself, not to mention terribly cute and relatively inexpensive if you can even put a price on your hair's safety! Let us know what you eventually do and maybe post a picture of this little gal! We'd love to see her <3

[Amazinggrace]

Maybe a sleep cap like this one: http://www.etsy.com/listing/82911790/orange-eyes-illusion-silk-charmeuse

[heidi w.]

I'd keep a spray bottle next to the bed, and next time she does it, spray the living s*** out of her. Maybe she'll get the point. Also maybe a braid? Where does she jump from? Maybe you could discipline her (spray bottle) when she gets wherever she jumps from?

I have a totally beloved and TOTALLY jerky cat...so I know how it goes, haha!

I wouldn't do this UNLESS you have BF's permission. It's his cat. I've had some troubles with BFs deciding to treat my dog this way or that without asking me first, and the guy always loses when he does this.

I think a sleep cap is the best solution; braiding the second best solution. Find a way to contain your hair. The cat isn't doing this on purpose.

It's the cat's house, and routine to jump up on the bed. It's your BFs place, not yours, I presume, so you have to discuss plans to discipline the cat with him first. That would be the kind thing to do. Don't just go off and take over. IF you do, you're asking for an argument, more than likely.

heidi w.

[ladylowtide]

Thanks for the great ideas all. Also, it is his and mine apartment that we got together, and the cat was declawed before he got it. So no booties. Also I will be posting a picture of "Precious" the cutie/ culprit for those of you who requested it, to a new album on my profile. Thanks again everyone. :)

[jacqueline101]

Sleep cap or cage the cat.

[Pidge]

My cat did this for the longest time! He likes to jump up onto my hair on the pillow, or sit on my hair or knead at the pillow beneath it while I'm trying to sleep. I think I've lost more hair because of my cat than all the other damaging things my hair experiences put together.
I solved this problem by getting a satin pillow case and braiding my hair at night. I prefer a single herringbone braid (I like the waves better), but a dutch braid does just as well in a pinch. It gives him nothing to sit on. He also seems to dislike the slippery texture of the satin, so he's been avoiding that as best he can as well, which works for me!

[Riyoka]

I would also recommend a sleep cap. They aren't the most attractive things to wear but hey, you are just sleeping right? =P Umm, I can't remember the brand of the one I have.. I bought it from Walmart in the hair section if that helps. They are cheap, only a couple bucks..

Totally off topic but is your avatar Ahri? From League of Legends? If so that's awesome. I play regularly. =P

[jeanniet]

I have the same issue. My oldest cat (he's almost 16) is extremely attached to me and usually wants to sleep on my pillow right above my head, even though he has his own pillow next to me. :rolleyes: I use a sleep cap. There's really no other way to manage the situation. We've had a back and forth struggle over this for some time now--I wake up, shove him off, and he sneaks back on when I fall asleep. It doesn't help that he's also attracted to my silk pillowcase, even though he has a satin pillowcase on his pillow. Yes, he is a spoiled cat. :rolleyes:

[Nae]

I think a sleep cap is about your only option since it isn't your house.

I personally would shut the door and say, "heck with you kitteh." But that is just me.

[ladylowtide]

Thanks all for the advice! I will definitely try some of these. And yes my avatar is ahri, I love LoL.

[DoubleCrowned]

How about making a pillow for kitty with a little bit of catnip in it and putting it at the foot of the bed at night. Put it away in the morning, sealed in a plastic bag where kitty can't get it (like high in a closed closet or in the freezer.) Then bring it out at night, making it a ritual.

If the plan it works, kitty will prefer to sleep on the catnip. You get points from both the BF and the cat. Just be sure you wash your hands after handling the catnip, and make a pillow for your kitty as well so that a jealousy battle doesn't start.

[Miss Maisie]

No real advice other than what's been mentioned already, but you have my sympathies. When I nap on the couch my 1 year old cat will take a nap on the top of the couch right above me. I couldn't tell you how many times I've been woken up by her kneading my scalp in her sleep.

It's a good thing she's cute :-P

[jeanniet]

How about making a pillow for kitty with a little bit of catnip in it and putting it at the foot of the bed at night. Put it away in the morning, sealed in a plastic bag where kitty can't get it (like high in a closed closet or in the freezer.) Then bring it out at night, making it a ritual.

If the plan it works, kitty will prefer to sleep on the catnip. You get points from both the BF and the cat. Just be sure you wash your hands after handling the catnip, and make a pillow for your kitty as well so that a jealousy battle doesn't start.
This could potentially work, but two things to consider first. One is that many cats aren't attracted to catnip. The aforementioned spoiled cat is the only one of my six who likes it; the others don't care a whit. The other potential problem is that the cat will get *really* wound up on the 'nip and be more of a problem than before. My elderly boy gets quite frisky, and I wouldn't dare give him a catnip pillow. Some cats do seem to be calmed by catnip, so it wouldn't hurt to try it out as an experiment. But I think the sleep cap would probably be easier. ;)