Senior Cats driving me crazy and keeping me up all night!

[ilovemygirl]

My cats are thirteen and twelve y/o. The first I found in the street when he was approximately 6 months and the second I adopted from a shelter as a bitty kitten. So they've been with me a long time ... even before I met my DH. There's no way I would consider rehoming either of them ever. I love them terribly but they are really driving me to the brink of insanity. Then I feel guilty because they are both old and sick requiring medicine and special diets. The first is diabetic, the second has hyperthyroid. 

They fight, meow, break things, eat things they shouldn't, etc. and it's mostly at night. Thank God dd sleeps through it. I can sometimes but dh never can. I don't think he's slept all night in over two years. 

I'm really at a loss of what to do. I've considered putting them in the basement at night. It's a finished basement and there's comfy furniture but it gets as low as 55 at night and I don't have any heating down there other than a space heater that costs a fortune to run and I wouldn't trust them unattended with it anyway.

We've tried separating them in different rooms upstairs but they will cry and cry and cry which defeats the whole purpose. 

I don't think their behavior has much to do with their illnesses. It's mostly when they are hungry which starts around 3-4 am. They will cry a little, then fight and hiss at each other and if dh and I still haven't gotten up to feed them at this point one will make himself throw up and the other will start throwing things off of desks and bookshelves. It would really be comical if we weren't losing sleep.

They are on special diets so we can't give them treats or extra food. Dh sometimes gives in and puts out a tiny portion of their breakfast in hopes of keeping them quiet until they should be fed at 6:30am. 

Anyway, I think I just needed to rant but if anyone has any ideas I'd really appreciate it.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by ilovemygirl 

I've considered putting them in the basement at night. It's a finished basement and there's comfy furniture but it gets as low as 55 at night and I don't have any heating down there other than a space heater that costs a fortune to run and I wouldn't trust them unattended with it anyway.

I don't think 55 degrees is all that rough for a cat, even (by and large) with geriatric special needs. Appropriately sized beds (perhaps two singles and one that will fit both, if they sometimes sleep together) should be enough to keep them comfortable.

[Dar]

I got my 19 year old year old cat a heating pad for her bed and we turn the heat in the house down to 55 at night. She seems fine with it, and the pad was $20 and would easily warm a 2-cat bed.