Cat Keeping Me Up All Night

[wildbutterfly17]

Hi! I got a new 5 year old cat yesterday. It was our first night together in my home. She was up ALL night and I don't want it to become a problem. I live in a studio so the only room with a door is the bathroom. Everything else is in the open (including my bed.) So I could hear her using the litter box, playing with toys, and she kept on trying to spoon me to sleep right by me and even licked my face. (cute, yes! But not so much at 3 am)

Can I put her in the bathroom with a toy and her litter box while I sleep? Do I leave a show on to calm her down and drown out the noises for me? Do I say NO every time she tries to get on my bed? I'm a first time pet mom and want to figure out how to nip this in the bud right now.

 

[Wenda]

Are you very sensitive to noise when you sleep? A white noise machine could help drown out her playing. Because she's definitely going to play and be up at least part of the night. But I do think you can work with her on sleeping arrangements. Does she have her own bed you can place her in and get her use to using? Personally, I let my kitten Ares sleep with me and at first he kept me up a lot too (licking, bugging, cuddling) but now he will come cuddle a little before I fall asleep and then move to the foot of the bed. I know he goes out to play because I find toys in bed with me in the morning, but his toys are mostly quiet (soft mice, teddy bears, etc). If she's playing with loud toys (balls with bells, etc) you could put them up at night.

I'm sure it'll get better. First nights are always the hardest (after all we're usually hyper vigilant the first day/night of living with someone new) and soon you two will get use to each other's presence.

 

[wildbutterfly17]

Are you very sensitive to noise when you sleep? A white noise machine could help drown out her playing. Because she's definitely going to play and be up at least part of the night. But I do think you can work with her on sleeping arrangements. Does she have her own bed you can place her in and get her use to using? Personally, I let my kitten Ares sleep with me and at first he kept me up a lot too (licking, bugging, cuddling) but now he will come cuddle a little before I fall asleep and then move to the foot of the bed. I know he goes out to play because I find toys in bed with me in the morning, but his toys are mostly quiet (soft mice, teddy bears, etc). If she's playing with loud toys (balls with bells, etc) you could put them up at night.

I'm sure it'll get better. First nights are always the hardest (after all we're usually hyper vigilant the first day/night of living with someone new) and soon you two will get use to each other's presence.

I did get her a bed that's a little hideaway, and I put a catnip toy in there to coax her in, but I think I'm going to try that again tonight. It's super soft, and dark (she hides under my bed right now sometimes) so she might like it.

 

[rubysmama]

Welcome to The Cat Site. And congrats on being a new "cat mom".

We get so many posts from people asking how to get their new cat to come out of hiding, so believe it or not, you're lucky your girl wants to cuddle with you at night. As for the sounds, you will probably start to sleep through them, once you're more used to having her around. Plus, at 5 years old, it shouldn't take her long to adjust to your schedule.

Here's a few TCS articles that may be helpful:
How To Stop My Cat From Waking Me Up At Night?
First-time Cat Owner's Guide
Bringing Home A New Cat - The Complete Guide
Care Of Cats - The Responsible Way

Also, please consider posting in our New Cats on the Block forum and telling us all about your new kitty. We love pictures, BTW.
How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post