Spunkie is about 6 months going on 7. I thought he was growing out of this but... My kitten won't stop crying when we go to bed!! We were trying to hold out until he got older and a little less rowdy so we could let him in at night but now we're losing sleep! We have to keep him out of the bedroom at night because he knocks stuff over and attacks our feet when we're trying to sleep so we don't allow him in the bedroom at night. For the first week or two we had him he cried understandably but then he would maybe whimper a little and that was it. It's been about a month now and he's at full blast crying when we're trying to go to bed AND in the morning before my alarm even goes off!!! I don't know what changed and he has water and we feed him before bed so what gives?! It's not like he super-attached to us; he usually doesn't even want us to bother him BEFORE we get ready for bed. I want a full night's sleep... :(
Daily Kitten Chat Forum » Cats & Kittens
I can't stand the cryin!!!!
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Posted 3 years ago by theanimechick #
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Try playing with him for a bit before you turn the lights out. I found that If I keep Honey-Bear entertained durring the day and let her have little cat naps in the afternoon, by the time it's 9:30-11 she's ready for a loooong snuggle time. It has worked for me for two nights so far.
Do you have a separate space for your Spunkie to rest in? I have a pillow I made a crochet cover for on the headboard/nightstand that Honey likes to lay on. It's right above us so she can see me and my boyfriend, drink water, and have easy access to the hallway to her litter box.
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He has a lot of toys AND a cat condo and we never come out for him when he cries. Though this morning I gave him a spray of water to try and get him to stop; it didn't. :( I guess we could try to play with him before bed and see if that works...
Posted 3 years ago by theanimechick #
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TAC,I learned that some cats crave even negative reinforcement. I had a kitty that would do things like fight with my girls cats to get a reaction from me. I realized that my cat was starving for my attention and the fighting etc stopped.
So see if more play before night and don't respond at all. He'll learn. -
I'll give it a try. At least it's close to the weekend so I don't have to worry about losing sleep as much.
Posted 3 years ago by theanimechick #
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He's lonely and he knows you are in there. If you get him good and tired out (try the feather on the wand 'Da Bird') before you go to sleep, he may just rest through the night. Also, a meal right before bed (after the play) will make him more sleepy.
Kittens, and cats, are generally the most active in the evening and the early morning. He won't be a kitten much longer so it may be quiet soon.
Posted 3 years ago by CheetahBoysmommy #
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I would cat proof your place and let him in to sleep with you. Cats hate closed doors so if he can come and go, then that might help. Also, have you thought about adopting a playmate? My two play with each other instead of coming to bug me. Of course sometimes they get carried away and run across the bed, thus waking me up.
Posted 3 years ago by SylMiaFelixMomma #
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I know! I know 2b!! I feel so guilty about but it's either he stays out there or we don't sleep! I dunno... Maybe I'll give him another try tonight... I'll try to tire him out first though and see if that does the trick.
Posted 3 years ago by theanimechick #
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I'm sorry but I've always adhered to the saying, "If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em"....This poor kitty just wants to be near you. If you move the breakables and just plain ignore his playfulness he'll soon bore with what he thought was fun and exciting and probably walk right back out the open door on his own.
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just let him in and see what happens
Posted 3 years ago by neelaANDcharlie #
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I also love kitty crossings!!! I sleep on the edgo of my bed and when ever I am sleeping and when Rocky wants to come up, he jumps and lands right on top of my belly and sometimes he paws at my face when ever he wants some extra attention.
I agree, getting your cat a play mate may make him distracted so you guys can get your well earned sleep!Posted 3 years ago by Catfancier #
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Spunkie loves you and he is a very lonely little boy. You are that little cat's world!
Rotley was like that at night, so now we do a lot of play during the hour or so before I go to bed. LOTS of mouse-fetching and throwing, cat dancer, crinkled paper, etc. (Ruggles doesn't seem to need a lot of this play.)
Then I feed Rots and Ruggie their dinner for the night downstairs in the kitchen. After they've eaten, he and Ruggles come back upstairs to my bedroom and I say, "Snacks?" Both of the lads pay very close attention, and I give each of them a nice serving of Friskies Temptations or any other crunchy snack. Ruggles participates very readily in dining and snacking.
Then I climb into bed, reach for a good book, and both of them glom onto me like burrs on a blanket.
After they've had their play and dinner and snacks, they are more than ready for bed and will sleep for at least six hours with barely a twitch.
Play, food and snacks will make your kitten sleep. Get him used to a routine like that, and by the third night he will be just fine.
Wear him out, plump him up, and give him snacks at the very end of the waking time. Spunkie will be a good, quiet, sweet little boy for several hours. Make it a routine and don't vary from it.
Everything young needs a routine.
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Hey TAC, I just want to say I feel your pain, my Simon keeps me up at night as well. He doesnt cry, he just purrs very loudly and is constantly in my face, thus keeping me awake. But, just like you, I want him to be able to sleep with me at night or at least in my bedroom. So I have been enduring it every night for as long as possible. He has been slowly getting into my routine. He will fall asleep with me but then wake up between 1am and 3am to play, and I put him off the bed. Of course he comes right back up but if I honestly cannot get him to stay off the bed or go back to sleep then I put him outside my bedroom. And thankfully I think he understands because he doesnt cry until my alarm goes off at 6am. And I get up and open the door and he runs in and we snuggle for my last 15 minutes of rest. Does he have his own bed? Simon does and someone told me to put a shirt that smells like me in it so he will stay in it and so far it has been working. Other than that I would just recommend doing your best to withstand Spunky's craziness as long as you can. It's tough, I know :)
Posted 3 years ago by Lauren2896 #
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Thanks Lauren, I think that's just what she needs to hear!! from someone who is going thru the same thing right now..I'm glad to Simon is getting with your routine more and more!! You both will find, it's just a matter of time!! Hang in there!! Give both Simon and Spunkie headbonks and chin scritches for me!!
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I sypmathise with your lack of sleep! my kitty used to knock things over and jump on me all night, once the night before an interview she decided to push everything off the windowsill onto my head at 4am and it was exhausting. But it was worth persevering with ignoring her because now she sleeps on the pillow next to me (although she gets very jealous if my boyfriend stays over because it means she doesn't have a pillow - but then she sleeps up against my belly). I'm sure Spunkie would get used to the routine of sleeping and it would be so worth it - don't tell the boyfriend but there's nothing nicer than waking up to find a kitty curled up next to your head, watching for you to wake up and with her little paw resting on your hand!
Posted 3 years ago by marthasmummy #
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I have gone through this with Suki. When she was a kitten, it was very frustrating and I always would get woken up at least once a night. I usually just tried to sleep through it but then I made a habit of just getting up when she woke me up and opening the door to the screened in patio or shutting the door to her. I now realize from reading this thread that i just reinforced her bad behavior. I never heard her crying because I had 2 doors I shut. The first one was the door to the hallway then my bedroom door so I had a buffer. The only problem was that I could hear if she put her paw under the door and made the spring go back and forth...this was LOUD like boiiinnng.. lol So when I would shut the door to her, I would put pillows and blankets around the door so she couldnt get her paw underneath AND so she wouldnt scratch up the carpet around the door.
Wow..I REALLY re-inforced that behavior...
Now at the wonderful age of 3 1/2 yrs old, she is WONDERFUL!!! Sleeps with me through most of the night next to my head...sometimes goes on the window and makes noises with the blinds but it's not too bothersome.
You will just need to wait out this kitten period.
I made the mistake of getting ANOTHER kitten so I'm going through this all over again :).. Except he has his own room that he sleeps in at night so he lets Suki and I get some sleep.
Posted 3 years ago by summerjean #
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