*grumble, grumble*

I've never been a cat hater, but our cats are sure pushing me to the edge. They're good with the kids, and good tempered, but the last two nights have been en exercise in sleep deprivation with these moronic felines.

I don't mind a cat climbing up and curling up at my feet. But two nights in a row have seen one of the kittens repeatedly climbing up, walking up and putting its face in mine, sitting next to me and digging its claws into my bare chest, and other things that make it absolutely impossible to ignore the cat's presence. I tried gently putting the cat down at first, but that didn't work, as it climbed immediately back up. After 7-10 repeated but gentle efforts to get rid of the cat this way, I finally decided it needed a more firm reinforcement. I did nothing if it would climb up and just lay there, but the minute it started interfering with my sleep, I tossed it. Not hard enough to risk hurting it, but hard enough that I hopes it wouldn't find making me its jungle gym an attractive prospect. Didn't work.

BOTH nights, I literally went through tossing the cat a minimum of 20 times. It was completely undeterred, and, while I was semi-conscious, I can't properly estimate the time in sleep lost. But I am sure it was at least an hour, probably two or more.

We now have a rule. No cats in the house past bedtime. The little rodents in disguise won't leave me alone when I'm sleeping, they won't sleep in the house.