New kitten owner - Bed Problems - help!

tearle

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Aug 12, 2006
Messages
5
Purraise
0
I'm a new owner to a kitten, so I'm pretty new to -everything- about cats and I'm having a huge problem right now.

My parents aren't so fond of cats, they're only tolerating me having a kitten because I've paid for all of its expenses so far (and because she's cute in the morning when she's being cuddly). At night however, she likes to jump onto my parent's bed... My parents HATE that. They're threatening to get rid of my kitten or to lock her up in the carrier all night and I don't want that to happen. So... how do I keep/teach my kitten to stay off the beds?

I know the obvious answer would be to close the door, but we only have one Air Conditioner in the apartment and if we close the door, the night will be very hot and uncomfortable. We also tried putting up a little gate in the entrance but my kitten can easily climb over it.

I've been locking her in my room, but my problem is that she won't sleep at night. Even right now she's running around chasing some imaginary fluff all over my bed and she doesn't seem to tire out... I've tried playing with her until she gets tired but then at around 4 a.m. she wakes up again and runs all over the bed, nibbles and bites and pounces around on me, I totally can't sleep at all.

Please help me. I don't know what to do and I don't want to get rid of her.
 

sparklesbling

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 28, 2006
Messages
36
Purraise
1
Location
Sydney, Australia
I know it's cold comfort right now but my kittens did that too and all I can say is they will outgrow it. You are doing the right thing playing with her before her bedtime. About a half hour before don't let her sleep but don't excite her with playing either, or else she doesn't calm down, just runs on adrenaline. Also, ignore her at night. Don't give her attention (telling her to stop playing etc. because she won't and will interpret that as you paying her attention.)

My kittens are now 4 and 5 months old approximately, and they sleep through from 11pm - 6am. Sometimes they'll still be awake and get up, eat, go to the toilet, walk over us and purr loudly etc but they've stopped chasing stuff on the bed until 6am ish. It took us a couple of weeks to get there though - of ignoring and not encouraging the play in bed.... (i kept the door to all bedrooms closed during the day so they don't get used to playing in it and know that it only opens for bedtime). I know it's hard but she will settle down when she gets older.... good luck
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

tearle

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Aug 12, 2006
Messages
5
Purraise
0
There's no quicker method to it? I'm afraid if this lasts for more than two weeks my parents would issue an ultamatum to me.

And how much playing with her is the right amount to tire her out? Like I said in the subject, I'm a new owner, so I'm not sure how much is tiring her out ready for bed or how much is just getting her adrenaline up. Today is the third day I've had her.
 

kluchetta

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
11,023
Purraise
30
Location
Golden, Colorado
OK, how old is the kitten? That is what will drive the behavior. Since you can't close the door all night, can you close the door when the kitten wakes up? She may drive you batty for a couple hours every morning, but not your parents at least.

Cats sleep an awful lot - it's just like babies - don't let her sleep as much during the day.

Three days isn't very long to give her a chance....
 

rachey

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 8, 2006
Messages
95
Purraise
2
Id give her a couple of weeks at least to settle in and calm down a bit. Shes only a baby at the moment and everything is new and exciting to her.

When i first got my cats i gave them the run of the house in the day, but at night they got put in the study with a couple of toys, their beds, food and litter trays.

For the first 2 weeks they drove me mad, playing, jumping, meowing at night (the study is next to my bedroom so i heard it all), but after 2 weeks they realised this was their routine and now they run in there at night ready for bed and sleep all night long until i get them up in the morning, but they make up for it by playing in the day.

Give your kitten a lot of attention in the day time and keep her active, then about 30 mins before you go to bed try feeding her and calming her down, ive found cats generally sleep after eating.

Try settling her in your room and when she wakes at night totally ignore her, she will soon realise what is expected of her,cats are veryintelligent.
 

goldenkitty45

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 29, 2005
Messages
19,900
Purraise
44
Location
SW Minnesota
Cats and kittens have weird sleeping schedules. They are somewhat more "night" creatures, so would be more active at nite.

The best thing you can do is keep the kitten in your room (you really cannot train them to stay off of the beds unless the door is closed). And before you go to bed, play a lot with your kitten to wear her out so she sleeps longer.

As she grows and gets older, she will settle down more to your schedule.
 

sydney

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jun 17, 2005
Messages
461
Purraise
77
Location
California
You could always purchase a dog crate and when its time for bed put her in there with food,water, and a litterbox, maybe some toys to keep her busy. Play with her before bed then put her in, at least untill she gets older.

You could also try using a spray bottle on her, anytime she jumps on any bed she gets squirted.

Goodluck
 

urbantigers

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 30, 2006
Messages
2,175
Purraise
7
Location
UK
I'm afraid she's just doing what kittens do! She will calm down eventually and you've received some good suggestions for encouraging that, but they all vary as to how and when. My 7 month old kitten is still a maniac at night. He will settle down at bedtime but always wakes about 5am and gets hyper. You will have to be patient. Is there a room you can shut the kitten in overnight (ie not your bedroom or your parents bedroom)? Otherwise I'm afraid you'll just have to learn to put up with it, and your parents will have to choose between shutting their door to keep the kitten out or leaving it open for the air conditioning but also allowing the kitten access.

Sorry if it sounds harsh, but I'm a little concerned if your parents aren't fully on board with you having a cat in their house. If they're threatening to get rid of her over natural kitten behaviour, what will happen if she scratches the furniture or pees outside her litter tray?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9

tearle

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Aug 12, 2006
Messages
5
Purraise
0
She roughly two months and a week or two old.

We keep the bedroom doors closed during the day and she never really goes into the bedroom hallway area unless no one is around in the living room. It's five days now and she really hasn't changed her routine much.


I would keep her in a room at night, but I live in an apartment so there's only the two bedrooms (both occupied) and the bathroom, but my dad makes a ton of nightly visits and he said "no" to that idea.

I keep her food in a little tray and it always have something for her to eat whenever she wants to so I'm not sure what you mean by "then about 30 mins before you go to bed try feeding her and calming her down" since she can just eat whenever she's up to it. Am I doing the feeding process wrong??

I'm worried about my parents too. They weren't opposed to the idea when I first brought it up and I've been telling them that my friend's cat had kittens and she said I was getting one. It's after Ayumi jumped onto their bed that they were all "No NO NO NO!" So, as long as I can get her to stay off their bed and actually -sleep- when she gets on mine then it should be all right.

I'm wondering, if cat repellent works in areas that aren't plants? I read on some site that putting them on plants can get the cat to stop eating on the plants, does it work on beds or can it not go on fabrics?
 

catlady810

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 13, 2006
Messages
234
Purraise
2
There is a product called "Stay off. What you can do is just spray right in front of your parents room, so at night she won't either. I had to use it for a while to spray around the dirty clothes in the basement because Cuddles would pee and poo on the dirty clothes.

But sorry to say that is the kitten personlity when they are young. Sushi is about 14 weeks and she has finally stopped attacking my feet and going wild at night. And I have had her for a month.

It will take a while for her to settle down and get out of the kitty phase, than she will move onto the teen cat phase.

But try the stay off, and just spray it in the door frame area. Hope that helps some what.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #11

tearle

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Aug 12, 2006
Messages
5
Purraise
0
Originally Posted by Catlady810

There is a product called "Stay off. What you can do is just spray right in front of your parents room, so at night she won't either. I had to use it for a while to spray around the dirty clothes in the basement because Cuddles would pee and poo on the dirty clothes.

But try the stay off, and just spray it in the door frame area. Hope that helps some what.
Where do I find "Stay off" in?
 

kluchetta

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
11,023
Purraise
30
Location
Golden, Colorado
What about a baby gate (or 2) to keep her in your room, and then you could still benefit from the air conditioning???
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

tearle

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Aug 12, 2006
Messages
5
Purraise
0
Originally Posted by kluchetta

What about a baby gate (or 2) to keep her in your room, and then you could still benefit from the air conditioning???
I know they can keep out small dogs but wouldn't a kitten be able to climb it easily? (And they aren't cheap.) My parents put up a cardboard fence up (around the mid-thigh height) and she climbed right over easily.
 

kluchetta

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
11,023
Purraise
30
Location
Golden, Colorado
Originally Posted by tearle

I know they can keep out small dogs but wouldn't a kitten be able to climb it easily? (And they aren't cheap.) My parents put up a cardboard fence up (around the mid-thigh height) and she climbed right over easily.
You might want to search the forums, cause I've never tried it. But you could probably get one at a garage sale. And I would think that if the "mesh" is large enough, or slick enough, she might not be able to get a purchase on it.

Maybe you could start a new thread, entitled "baby gates effective?"
 

jaycee

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
926
Purraise
5
Location
Washington state
she will most likely be able to climb or jump over any baby gate. i think you should try that stay off spray and see if that works. too bad your parents wont work with you a little more on this.
 

kluchetta

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
11,023
Purraise
30
Location
Golden, Colorado
I know...you could put some hooks on either side of your door, and put some netting on the hooks. They can't climb netting...that's what they make those cat fences out of.
 

jaycee

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
926
Purraise
5
Location
Washington state
Originally Posted by kluchetta

I know...you could put some hooks on either side of your door, and put some netting on the hooks. They can't climb netting...that's what they make those cat fences out of.
thats a good idea )
 

indykitty

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 17, 2006
Messages
33
Purraise
0
Location
utah
two baby gates stacked one on top of the other will keep the kitten in or out of the room I suggest the owner of the kitten shut the doorway to her room with these.

My parents have to close off the tv room downstairs this way so a kitty doesn't pee in the room when they aren't home.

If four adult cats can't take the two baby gates down I doubt a kitten will.

Indy's mommy Jenn.
 

kluchetta

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
11,023
Purraise
30
Location
Golden, Colorado
Originally Posted by Indykitty

two baby gates stacked one on top of the other will keep the kitten in or out of the room I suggest the owner of the kitten shut the doorway to her room with these.

My parents have to close off the tv room downstairs this way so a kitty doesn't pee in the room when they aren't home.

If four adult cats can't take the two baby gates down I doubt a kitten will.

Indy's mommy Jenn.
I kinda thought 2 would work!
 
Top