I NEED SLEEP

I just got a new little black kitten. I named him Poe. I love him to death and he loves me. The problem is he wants to sleep with me. I have back problems and sleep on a small couch. It's the only place that I can sleep and not wake up with pain in my neck or back. I have a nice soft basket up by my head for him to sleep on but he refuses. He wants to sleep on me or beside me. I am a light sleeper as it is but now I am so worried I am going to roll on the tiny little thing I am barely sleeping at all. I know he is very young and probably needs mommy comfort and I am willing to give it to him. My question is will this become an every night forever thing or will he grow out of it?I am getting ready to start my own business and need a little sleep. Even  as I type he is cuddled up next to me. It's almost three in the morning and I am so tired. I feel guilty for wanting him to sleep in the basket but at the same time it really is right next to me... elevated and everything so he can be close. Ugh.... I'm rambling.... for the record it doesn't help that he is gassy lol.

I don't know where you live but in the cold of winter, mine like to sleep with me, too.  It can be a bit of a pain worrying about rolling over on them and crushing them, but I have yet to do so.  They usually move if I get too uncomfortable to them.  Will he grow out of it?  I hate to break it to you but probably not.  But he might go through stages where he likes sleeping with you and others where he'd prefer to sleep alone. 

I'm in NC but he is an indoor kitty so far... he's only about 8 weeks old and we have hawks around here. .... sigh.... I guess I will figure something out then lol. I love him and am glad I have him. Maybe I should just go to a chiropractor and get a normal bed lol.

An 8 week old kitten would still want to snuggle with siblings and mom.  Its really too young to be separated from them.  So maybe if it's an issue, you could get some stuffed animals or something for him to snuggle into?

One thing you could try is putting a fleecy blanket down by or over your feet, draping it loosely so it's easy for him to slip under. Our last cat slept on my head when he was little (10 weeks when we brought him home). Once he discovered the blanket was more comfortable, he switched to sleeping on or next to my feet and did that most of the time for years and years. It was only in his last year of life that he went back to sleeping on top of me. Mogli (9 months when adopted) wanted to sleep next to my face till I showed him the blanket at the foot of the bed, and now that's where he always sleeps at night.

Do you have radiators or air ducts? If the former, try putting a big perch over a radiator or a cat bed on a table right in front of one. When he's a little older he may decide that's more comfortable than using you for warmth all the time.

He should grow out of some of the "clinginess" in time.

Thanks ya'll

I do believe that with cats, and also with children, we need to know where our limits are. I think most people - myself included - prefer to sleep with the cat. It's not always comfortable   but it creates a special kind of bond. However, I also think that for some people the right decision may be to avoid this kind of arrangement. In that case, a cat can get used to sleeping on his own in the next room, but you would need to shut the door and possibly lock it to keep the cat out. You may get a lot of complaints about that, but if that happens you must decide just how important this is to you. If it is important, you need to do the following - 

1. Play with the cat for 20 minutes or so before bedtime, provide treats and some attention.

2. Lock the door and avoid any and all response to her attempts to get in or meowing. No talking, no replying, no reprimanding. All she will hear is the sound of your voice calling her in, which will make her even more agitated. In all likelihood, she will stop trying after 2 or 3 nights and you will get a peaceful night's sleep.

He should grow out of it in time.

I have yet to roll over a kitten in my sleep and I've sleep with some tiny kittens. I have gotten clawed a couple times though. I foster kittens so I have a constant flux of them and typically they sleep with us.  If you ever watch kittens sleep together they pile in on top of each other. I've seen piles of kittens where I'd swear there was only 3 or 4 and it turns out to be 6 or more because they're all stacked on top of each other.

Our oldest cat used to sleep wrapped around my daughters neck when he was a kitten. We made him some tie fleece blankets and layed them at the end of the bed.  He is 8 now and my daughter no longer lives at home.  He will start out when we go to bed as close to our face as he can get kneading us. He will only stay for a little while and now goes to the end of the bed to sleep with his fleece blankie.

I've had that fear too, but one thing that helps is if I'm covered up and they're on top of the covers. That way if I roll, they'll just probably jump down and not get crushed.  My problem is I have one that likes to burrow and squash up next to me. It's okay now that he's big, but when he was a little guy, I worried.

My cat has always liked to sleep with me too.  Sometimes she manages to steal my pillow!  I worried a little at first about hurting her but I think she knows to move?  I'm not sure how it works since I'm asleep.  I'm not sure about smaller kittens though, since she was about 5 months already when I got her.  Maybe you can train her to sleep on the blanket above your head.  If she was old enough to be separated from her mom, then she should be fine imo.

My little Burmese always had her babies in our wardrobe and with each litterr she would take a day old kitten and slip it into my youngest daughters' bed. Sadly she rolled on each one. Regards anneno2