Yet another kitten question thread...
Yet another kitten question thread...
Author
Discussion

TheCarpetCleaner

Original Poster:

7,294 posts

232 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
So we got our ginger and white kitten - called carrot biggrin - a couple of months ago - she is now about 4 months old. A week after we got her, we got another black and white kitten as a friend (I always believe in keeping animals in twos wherever possible)

They have both settled in well, we shut them out of our bedroom at night, they normally go sleep on the spare room bed and come and bother us when we get up in the morning.

However the black and white one every other night or so decides to come crying outside out bedroom door, and pawing at it and usually wont give up until we let her in, then she won't settle down and just runs in and out of the room. This is normally 2-3am.

At this point we have to shut them in the front area of the house - which is fairly spacious for overnight but we would prefer not to do.

Is there anything we can do to discourage her from wanting to get into the room on these random occasions? She doesn't appear to specifically want anything when she does it so not sure...

bonsai

2,015 posts

210 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
Should have got a dog since you're into the whole shutting them out of various parts of the house thing.

Google [bot]

6,828 posts

211 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
The de facto response to any annoying cat query - ignore. Do not respond in anyway. Or perhaps throw a tennis ball at the door.

Deva Link

26,934 posts

275 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
Our just hate doors being shut. Any door that's shut, they'll pull at it. Open it and they'll walk away.

Marf

22,907 posts

271 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
Deva Link said:
Our just hate doors being shut. Any door that's shut, they'll pull at it. Open it and they'll walk away.
Yep, its just how cats are, they want to know they can go anywhere they like.

IMO just open your door smile

becksW

14,698 posts

241 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
Giving in and opening the door was a mistake (but I can't talk I did exactly the same.

There is nothing wrong in confining kittens to a part of the house, as long as they have litter trays (you should have at least 2) water (and maybe food) comfortable bedding, stuff to play with and enough room to have there own space if they want it is fine.

We have just started cofining our 3 to kitchen and conservatory due to new baby which I have hated doing (one of my cats is 15 and used to sleep on our bed most nights) but providing the above for them they have adapted..as they always do bless them smile. It wouldn't be so bad but one of our cats is a 6kg fluffy maine coon, can't risk her jumping on baby!

TheCarpetCleaner

Original Poster:

7,294 posts

232 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
becksW said:
Giving in and opening the door was a mistake (but I can't talk I did exactly the same.

There is nothing wrong in confining kittens to a part of the house, as long as they have litter trays (you should have at least 2) water (and maybe food) comfortable bedding, stuff to play with and enough room to have there own space if they want it is fine.
Thats what they have when we do it.

Happy to let them roam the house, and she doesn't do it every night, just one in every 3 or so. Hoping she will grow out of it.

The ginger one is quite happy to wonder round the house ignoring everyone and then come and see us in the morning yes

Mr E

23,087 posts

289 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
Deva Link said:
Open it and they'll walk away.
Open it, and mine will sleep on your head for about two hours. Then it'll wake you up by pawing at your face and yowling. When it knows you're fully awake, it'll bugger off, kill something, and then come back in and sleep on your head....

....repeat until morning.


They get shut out, surprisingly...

ShadownINja

80,140 posts

312 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
Google [bot] said:
The de facto response to any annoying cat query - ignore. Do not respond in anyway. Or perhaps throw a tennis ball at the door.
Will that really stop TheCarpetCleaner asking questions about his new cats? (And will he hear my tennis ball bounce against my door from where he is?)

Edited by ShadownINja on Tuesday 15th June 12:13

Gad-Westy

16,615 posts

243 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
We had exactly the same problem with one of our two cats. Tried all sorts to try to stop him scratching at the door. Eventually just gave up as I simply couldn't keep having sleepless nights. So we let them in. Now they both tend to sleep at the bottom of the bed but they rarely wake us. It did take some time to get to this happy medium though. Lost a lot of sleep for a few months. Wish I had better advice but I'm afraid cats are curious creatures. They don't like being shut out of rooms it would seem.

becksW

14,698 posts

241 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
I'm assuming CarpetCleaner asked the question because he doesn't want the cats in his room, which is fine, if he is not bothered then I'd say yes leave the door open.

Can't guarantee this works for all cats, it worked fine for us until we took on our Maine coon. other 2 sleep peacefully end of bed, she preferred to run across our faces in the early hours to get to the windowsill, 6kg of cat on your face not fun!

TheCarpetCleaner

Original Poster:

7,294 posts

232 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
becksW said:
I'm assuming CarpetCleaner asked the question because he doesn't want the cats in his room, which is fine, if he is not bothered then I'd say yes leave the door open.

Can't guarantee this works for all cats, it worked fine for us until we took on our Maine coon. other 2 sleep peacefully end of bed, she preferred to run across our faces in the early hours to get to the windowsill, 6kg of cat on your face not fun!
Don't mind them being in the room, its just when they are in the room, they go mental all night.

We are going to try feeding them later on in the evening and see if that helps, and leave the door open tonight.

I'm going to be tired and angry tomorrow again I sense... hehe

Jasandjules

72,640 posts

259 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
TheCarpetCleaner said:
Don't mind them being in the room, its just when they are in the room, they go mental all night.

We are going to try feeding them later on in the evening and see if that helps, and leave the door open tonight.

I'm going to be tired and angry tomorrow again I sense... hehe
That's because they are kittens! Be grateful, we had proper wood floors when we had a kitten and a mog and they would scamper up and down it all night long...

Leaving the door open will be the answer IMHO, they will perhaps clamber onto the bed and then curl up and sleep there, settling in, if not tonight then in a few nights. But do be aware that cats have an in-built alarm clock for waking up their owners - it goes off approximately 10 minutes before your bedside alarm clock.

Marf

22,907 posts

271 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
Jasandjules said:
TheCarpetCleaner said:
Don't mind them being in the room, its just when they are in the room, they go mental all night.

We are going to try feeding them later on in the evening and see if that helps, and leave the door open tonight.

I'm going to be tired and angry tomorrow again I sense... hehe
That's because they are kittens!
Yep, at 4 months old when not sleeping they will be playing! You've got another few months of that at least hehe

Jasandjules said:
But do be aware that cats have an in-built alarm clock for waking up their owners - it goes off approximately 10 minutes before your bedside alarm clock.
If not earlier, one of my two will start fartarseing around about an hour before sun up. She's a proper dawn/dusk cat laugh

MadOne

821 posts

198 months

Tuesday 15th June 2010
quotequote all
I would agree with letting them in the room. They will calm down eventually. We have three (not kitens any more) and they have been in the room and bed since day one. One sleeps at the bottom of the bed wrapped round our legs. The other is in the middle of the bed stretched out and the third is tucked under the covers stretched out like a person, head on pillow and paws on my or g/f's shoulders. The sound of purring sends us to sleep every night. Heaven. But of course it does kill the old love life, you have to get it when you can!!

singlecoil

35,834 posts

276 months

Wednesday 16th June 2010
quotequote all
TheCarpetCleaner said:
Don't mind them being in the room, its just when they are in the room, they go mental all night.

We are going to try feeding them later on in the evening and see if that helps, and leave the door open tonight.

I'm going to be tired and angry tomorrow again I sense... hehe
So how did it go, then, and where are the pictures?

TheCarpetCleaner

Original Poster:

7,294 posts

232 months

Wednesday 16th June 2010
quotequote all
singlecoil said:
TheCarpetCleaner said:
Don't mind them being in the room, its just when they are in the room, they go mental all night.

We are going to try feeding them later on in the evening and see if that helps, and leave the door open tonight.

I'm going to be tired and angry tomorrow again I sense... hehe
So how did it go, then, and where are the pictures?
Terrible, jumping all over our fcensoredking heads at 1am - had to kick them out after half an hour hehe

However seem quite happy to sleep at 8am...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51187267@N04/47060090...

Edited by TheCarpetCleaner on Wednesday 16th June 11:41

MadOne

821 posts

198 months

Wednesday 16th June 2010
quotequote all
TheCarpetCleaner said:
singlecoil said:
TheCarpetCleaner said:
Don't mind them being in the room, its just when they are in the room, they go mental all night.

We are going to try feeding them later on in the evening and see if that helps, and leave the door open tonight.

I'm going to be tired and angry tomorrow again I sense... hehe
So how did it go, then, and where are the pictures?
Terrible, jumping all over our fcensoredking heads at 1am - had to kick them out after half an hour hehe

However seem quite happy to sleep at 8am...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51187267@N04/47060090...

Edited by TheCarpetCleaner on Wednesday 16th June 11:41
They are so gorgeous and they can jump on me any time!!!!!

Vanya

2,058 posts

274 months

Wednesday 16th June 2010
quotequote all
rofl

Mr E said:
Was an expert vet visitor a long time ago.
It's been a while since I have come across you and a coincidence that it's a cat related topic...

I have to ask... any more riotous tales of taking the cat to the vet?