Q: For ten years now my tabby has been waking me up in the night by licking my ear, purring or walking on my head. He won’t stop until he gets food. He gets in even if I lock my door. What can I do?
A: Because you have been feeding your cat in the night, you have, inadvertently, been rewarding him for waking you! Try hiding bits of his food around the house during both the day and night, so that he gets some exercise searching for it.
Give him a comfy bed in the kitchen and leave him in there overnight. As he has become accustomed to having snacks during the night, using an automatic timed feeder in the kitchen may help to break his association of waking you up for food.