Stopping nighttime play attacks...

I'm sure I'm missing the obvious on this, but...

Ok so Sammy is about 5 months old now (roughly) and is a very playful kitten. He's also a lapcat and is very attached to me... so he always likes to be around me and sleeps on my pillow every night. It's very cute and I'm pretty excited about it because I haven't had a lap cat in ages.

The problem is, when I first go to sleep at night he comes into the bedroom and decides it's kitten play time Even if I don't move a muscle, he still attacks me under the blanket (well I'm under the blanket... hes on top of it) Usually it only last a few minutes and then he gets interested in something else, but last night this went on for hours and I couldn't get to sleep.

Now I don't want to lock Sammy out because I don't want to deter him from cuddling... closing my bedroom door would also stress out Buddha who is known for panic attacks if he gets locked in or out of a room (doc witnessed an attack and gave me meds for this, but only want to use them when absolutely necessary). So is there a way to deter him from using me as a kitty playground without locking him out of the room?

I hope this all makes sense.. I'm very tired today Thanks much!

Oh I should also mention that I've tried a vigorous playtime before bed to wear him out, but he has so much kitten energy that I can't seem to tire him out. He's like the energizer bunny!

After you play with him try giving him some canned food to fill up his belly. Cats usually hunt/play, eat, groom, and then sleep.

Originally Posted by kitytize

After you play with him try giving him some canned food to fill up his belly. Cats usually hunt/play, eat, groom, and then sleep.

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I find with Sonic that just puts off the madness until morning

This morning he knocked a lamp and one of my Indonesian masks off the top of the wardrobe and he has a really annoying habit of crouching down and staring at me and the only thing I can do is wait for him to pounce on my head, because that is what's going to happen. He can sit and stare for 5 minutes before making his move, but if I try to distract him he will just pounce sooner. It's not good for my nerves

I don't honestly believe there is a definitive answer - kittens are kittens and it's going to happen at either one end of the night or the other. Little bundles of energy

I can't offer any suggestions to help but i would like to know what a cat having a panic attack looks like to be able to differentiate it from my cats crazy 'normal' behaviours!

Originally Posted by kristy

I can't offer any suggestions to help but i would like to know what a cat having a panic attack looks like to be able to differentiate it from my cats crazy 'normal' behaviours!

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Oh no, sorry... Buddha has the panic attacks... he's my dog

But with Buddha it goes something like this:

If he's at home:
He won't come out of the bedroom, even with the door open..even if you put 10lbs of steak in the middle of the livingroom floor. He pants like a madman and then visibly shivers. The first time it happened I couldn't figure out why he was so cold (duh me).

If hes at home and locked in a room:
He does all of the above, also howls like hes in pain - real pain. Not just "I really don't want to be in here"... The first time we thought he was injured because the last time I heard that noise was the day we thought Karma broke her leg. (She was fine... just tried to tackle some steps and missed one... so she kinda banged it hard... but was up and running in minutes).. and then he tries to eat the door and door molding in order to get out of the room.

If he has one in public - only happened once:
He hid in a corner and started shaking and howling like he was in pain.... just absolutely beside himself. I have absolutely no idea what spooked him, but I had to actually pick him up (all 90lbs of him) and put him down outside of that room before he'd calm down.

We really don't know what causes it - other than when he gets locked in the bedroom (which was only twice - one when the cable guy came, one when the electrician came). When he does it with the bedroom door open it seems to come on spontaneously... something spooks him, but no one can identify what it was.. but he's always ok the next morning. That's my Boo... he's such a weirdo... but he's my weirdo



*** Oh and just as a side note on the kitten attacking thing ***
I'll try the canned food tonight and see if that works. Fingers crossed! I thought about it last night and I don't really think it's the jumping that bothers me... it's the kitten teeth through the blanket trying to take a chunk out of my toes So I hope the food makes him nice and tired... my toes need a break Thanks!

Enzo did that when he was that age. I started ignoring him or putting him down on the floor every time he did it. It worked great for us. He changed his tactics though....Now he wakes me up early in the morning and I have to try and ingnor him rubbing his face on mine, laying on my arm, meowing at me... It seems to be working. Now he only does that maybe once a week, instead of once or twice a night!!! Good luck!

I will have to try this! If Zoe sleeps with me in the bed instead of in her crate, I am up ALL night. She's constantly jumping on me and attacking my arm and face, trying to get me to play! And if I don't, she wanders the room crying because she's lonely. I'll just have to learn to ignore her and maybe she'll sleep during the night. It's not like she has no friends, she hangs out with her litter all day! So demanding, Lordy...

My first cat used to do the same thing along with her sitting on my back and sucking on my pj's and 'kneading bread' which would just about take the skin off my back!
I used to literally hide under the blankets until she got bored and then she would fall asleep at the bottom of my bed.
Needless to say my husband wasnt too impressed with the whole thing and we had no end of arguments about the cat.
My kitties that I have now were bought on the understanding that they had each other to play with (I REALLY wanted 2!) and that they would sleep in the kitchen. This they have done since we had them (they are 9 months now) and it works out better to be honest. If I wake up in the night I can hear them playing and bumping into things but its better than being in our room and trying to stop my husband doing some thing he would regret!

I sympathise as Manic Mosi is the same (or used to be - he's slowly getting better). Food doesn't deter him either - after eating he likes to play! I have found that the best thing is to ignore him. If he's totally ignored he'll give up sooner or later, and find something else to do. Sometimes he won't give up straight away but anything that rewards him will just encourage him. If Mosi was naughty at bedtime I sometimes put him in time out which worked well. I would calmly and without making eye contact pick him up and put him in another room. After a few mins (I did a minute for every month of his age) I would go out to him and 9 times out of 10 he was lying on the floor calmly. I'd leave the door open and he would come back into the bedroom in his own time and usually he would settle down or just have a bit of gentle play for a few minutes then settle down. Of course then he'd wake up at about 4.30-5am wanting to play but I can't have everything!