Advice on kitten behaviour biting and over night play.

[bubbie]

Okay... So, when Samson gets in front of my face at 5am and I can't put him on the other side of the door... what should I do? I'm concerned that his meowing, loudly, can be heard by neighbors...and, my husband. So far, so good. As I mentioned, I get under the covers..but I'd just a soon get up.... Actually, I've been pretty productive since having Samson. However, there are times when I would like to sleep... So, I would take any suggestions. And, thanks for your response.
Linda
'

 

[pinkdagger]

Is it because of the meowing you can't lock Samson out? There are some articles on keeping cats more hushed throughout the night if you do lock them out:
 

If your cat cries and scratches at the door, you can discourage him by placing something he dislikes in front of the door, such as vinyl carpet-runner (placed upside-down to expose the knobby side) or double-sided sticky tape. If your typically well-behaved cat suddenly starts wandering restlessly at night, crying or needing to eat more, there may be an underlying medical concern, such as an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) that is easily controlled with medication. Have him checked out by your veterinarian. Excessive nocturnal crying can also be due to age-related deficits, such as a loss of hearing, vision, or sense of smell. Try moving your cat’s food and water dish near his bed and put his litter box along an easily followed path. Letting the cat sleep near you may be comforting to you both.

If your cat wakes you up during the night to be fed, try an automatic feeder with a built-in timer to dispense food according to a preset schedule. Set it to open once or twice during the night. Your cat should learn to wait by the feeder rather than bother you. Feeding several small meals during the day may also help curtail your cat’s excessive nocturnal appetite. Save the largest meal for right before bedtime. Bon nuit!

http://www.petfinder.com/cats/cat-problems/cat-calm-at-night/

http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/the-3-am-problem/1776

Especially since you have a particularly vocal breed, you can try trick or clicker training for quiet:

http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/training-a-cat-to-be-quiet-my-cat-meows-too-much-what-do-i-do

http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/training-your-cat-to-be-quiet/

Realistically, you'll always be faced with some meowing. Cats function well on routine, so if it's become routine for you to get up when he meows, he'll meow when he knows it's time for you to get up. If there's one day or one weekend you decide you want to sleep in, he doesn't know it's decidedly a sleep-in day, so he'll function as if it's a normal "get up and feed me at 5am" day.

 

[andrya]

l'm with you. l get up for work at 4am, and usually have to peel the cats off the bed when l get up. But they're all mature now, and they used to bounce out of bed early when they were kittens. Once in a while the youngest will still get up at 4am on NON-work mornings, and l usually get up because l want to. lf l don't want to, l get up and put them out of the bedroom (all of them, l peel the others off the bed to put them out) and close the door. l pull my vacuum cleaner up to the door so they can't scratch the carpet in case they should get that urge 

None of mine meow when l put them out, so this doesn't help you and not wanting the noise. BUT, l've read from other people that they load cat food puzzles and take them to bed to throw into the room if the cats get up too early. l think they're like Kongs (sort of) and you put kibble or treats in them and the cats really have to work at them over time to get all the food out. Apparently it's an excellent way to keep them occupied, and they're getting a little bit of food to curb their morning appetite.

 

[bubbie]

I keep dry food in a bowl along with a bowl of water so that Samson can graze..... I give him wet food at 5:00 IN THE MORNING. I can't put him out in the living room/kitchen, alone. We have plants... Too long a story. Let's just say...if my 93 y/0 husband came out in the morning to see havoc in "his" living room he would go crazy and make my life miserable. (I married someone quite older than myself).... Samson has already been in this routine for two months.... Only one time was I able to stay under the blanket and he finally went back to sleep...for a few hours. Now, he just pounces on my head. So, I guess I am allowing Samson to "boss" me around. He is sooooo adorable, though... but such a brat! lol

 

[stephenq]

Hey there,

As far as waking you up in the wee hours, have you tried traditional "night time crazies" therapy? The short version is you exercise your cat well about an hour before bed, and then "reward" the cat with a nice little meal.  For cats play is mostly a predatory behavior, so by engaging in the play that's the "kill the mouse" part, and then the meal completes the cycle of predation by being the "kill".  Hopefully the exercise, the meal, and the cycle of predation will allow kitty to sleep in longer, especially with a little practice on your part in the early morning time by not rewarding the meowing

You can also look into timed feeders that open up a compartment for wet food at a certain hour.

Please see this article

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cats-and-night-crazies

 

[bubbie]

Wow...I'm totally excited! I've been training Samson to sit... he's starting to do it. My goal is to "call him" as he's getting into a plant or kitchen counter... I'm going to look into the automatic feeder..... Would be lovely not to have to tiptoe into the kitchen at 5am to open the can of wet food and bring it back to his room..... Thanks Stephen

 

[stephenq]

Good!  You may want to also google "clicker training for cats"

 

[bubbie]

Stephen... any suggestions for curbing Samson from going into the plants? I already have the carpet nails... Doesn't deter him.

 

[stephenq]

@Bubbie

Well you can get him some plants that's allowed to get into, that way your not trying to stop a behavior but redirect one, generally redirecting is easier than stopping something.  Cat Grass, or a safe plant that's just for him, and with the other plants, what exactly is he doing?  Climbing them, eating them, or peeing in the soil?

 

[bubbie]

Stephen, he climbs into them... they are my husbands plants, but Samson doesn't know that..and, wouldn't care..lol. I'm not going to get another plant. Stephen, this cat knows exactly what he wants. Last night I played with him for an hour....gave him the baby food before bed. I turned off the lights and he decided he wanted to play again. He finally went to sleep only to get me up at 1:30.... usually get up to pee anyway (pardon my sharing)... and at 4:30 he begins his "wet food" chant. Got up at 5. What do you think of letting him sleep in my bathroom? No windows but fan for air. I gotta get some sleep.

 

[stephenq]

It's fine to keep him in the bathroom provided he has water, food and litter.  And some toys etc would be nice.  He may be worse off in the am, but at least you will have some sleep if you can't hear him through the door.  You can put him in any room that blocks the sound in this way, but again his behavior may be different having been locked away.  An experiment may be in order.

Is he damaging your husband's plants?  What kind of plants are they?  Are they all together or spread out?  If they are all together you might consider this, motion sensor with whistle and compressed air cat repellent.  Probably the best on the market.


You can also try booby trapping the bottom of the plants with tin foil balls, balloons etc, but it doesnt sound like these things would deter him.

Also, again consider the night time play/food cycle and a food timer to open up wet food at certain times of the night.

Lastly, and this may horrify you lol, but have you considered adding a second playful kitten to keep him company.  It can do the trick.

 

[bubbie]

Stephen...I hear you loud and clear. If I lived alone...that's what I would do. I really should have thought about all these things but honestly, I did not know. That said...the plants are spaced..My husband is 93 y/0 (yes, he robbed the cradle) and his plants are everything to him. We live in an Independent Retirement Community and we have two bedrooms and two bathrooms... The other alternative is leaving him in "our" room (I don't sleep in the same room with my husband)... and going somewhere else to sleep.. I ordered the Timed wet food dispenser and I'm getting it tomorrow. Samson has the need to "clean me" and it is so hard after 10-15-20 ms....... Another kitten would be wonderful but my husband would throw me out..... Any room at your house..lol

 

[llinda]

I have a Samson as well he is 8 weeks old he likes to nibble on my neck I've found if I then stroke under his chin he goes to sleep. And I also got a deli way disdfise

 

[bubbie]

llinda.... thanks for your response... I didn't get the last sentence. When I first brought Samson home (12 weeks).. he would also go back to sleep if I did that. Well, at 5 months, Samson is a different kitten. What kind of cat is your Samson? Mine is a Siamese and that's part of the problem. Keep me posted.

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• bubbie
• May 15, 2014

 

[stephenq]

Stephen...I hear you loud and clear. If I lived alone...that's what I would do. I really should have thought about all these things but honestly, I did not know. That said...the plants are spaced..My husband is 93 y/0 (yes, he robbed the cradle) and his plants are everything to him. We live in an Independent Retirement Community and we have two bedrooms and two bathrooms... The other alternative is leaving him in "our" room (I don't sleep in the same room with my husband)... and going somewhere else to sleep.. I ordered the Timed wet food dispenser and I'm getting it tomorrow. Samson has the need to "clean me" and it is so hard after 10-15-20 ms....... Another kitten would be wonderful but my husband would throw me out..... Any room at your house..lol

Ok and I hear you!  Complex situation with a cat who won't quit!  Let's see if the food timer helps, note that he may need some time to realize that its working without you being there.

Is he damaging the plants?

And wow he is cute!  Siamese can be very connected to certain people in their lives....

 

[bubbie]

If I didn't take Samson off the table, he would damage the plant. And, he is starting to eat my husband's African Violets.... I'm going to try and talk to my husband about moving the plants to another room. Don't know how that would go but it would be a lot stressful. Thanks for your help. I'll keep you posted about the Wet Food timer.

 

[pinkdagger]

Have the plants grown far from the pot? I love having houseplants, and the first two my parents gifted me were toxic to cats, so I put one out of reach and another pricklier one on the floor. I got lemon juice and just wiped it liberally around the outer edge of the pot (but not so much that it dripped into the soil). Our Mo left the plant alone because it had jagged leaves and smelled of citrus. With our corn plant, however, he did hop up on the desk and chew on it a bit because the leaves were so long that they hung over the edges. The desk has since been blocked off, and he's been hissed at countless times to know desks are off limits.

Most of the plants are now in the bird room, and fortunately they're bird-safe, but if your husband doesn't mind moving them into an area Samson won't be able to reach or MacGuyver to, that would be the best way to keep his plants safe if those deterrents don't work. I personally hate having cats on counters, tables, and desks as a whole so we reinforce the rule that the cats aren't allowed up there anyway. You can continue to encourage him to stay off the tables in general too.

 

[bubbie]

Update... Moved the African Violets to another room.. Samson still goes into the plants but doesn't stay long...especially when my husband isn't around. When it's just me and Samson I don't run around getting him off... He knows when he shouldn't be on something and all I have to do is walk up to him...he Mews... "now what, mom?" Prioritizing is a very important word. I ordered and use the PetMate C20... works pretty well though Samson doesn't love love eating out of the plastic "container.." If he's hungry enough...he'll eat otherwise I transfer to reg bowl when I get up. BTW... I usually get up at 5am... can't sleep anymore and Samson doesn't like to be up alone...lol. Thanks for your help!!!

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• bubbie
• May 24, 2014