Sleep deprivation and my new kitty

"Steve" wrote in message
om...
Hi,

I just got my first cat, my first pet actually, a few weeks ago.
She's about 12 weeks old now, and the biggest problem I am having is
keeping her entertained and managing my own sleep around that.

She's alone at home all day, so I imagine she sleeps a lot. After I
come home, I notice she tends to stay in whatever room I'm in. It is
quite cute, and I enjoy her company very much, but the problem I have
is tiring her out so I can get a good night's rest.

I've bought her lots of toys and I've tried playing with her for three
or four hours some nights and she is still going like the Energizer
bunny - but I don't have the luxury of playing for several hours most
nights, though I try to play with her for half an hour to an hour at
least.

Usually she wakes me up in the middle of the night, or if I'm lucky,
at around 5 am or so in the morning. I've resorted to placing her
outside my bedroom and closing the door when this happens, but she
cries incessantly for the next few hours until I get up.

Even when I go to the bathroom, she cries and cries because I have the
door closed.

I'd like some advice on the best way for me to get some sleep, while
allowing my cat to sleep with me when she is sleepy, and secondly how
to prevent her from crying when we're not in the same room.

A lot of people have suggested a second cat, which I would gladly
adopt, but my building has a one cat rule.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Steve

Get a large Hepa filter--or a big noisy fan--you want "white noise"
that both soothes and masks other sounds--and earplugs. Let kitty
sleep with you until she gets rambunctious, then put her out as far
away from your bedroom you can put her with her box and food
and toys. Insert earplugs, turn on filter or fan and go to sleep. She
will learn that if she is rambunctious she will be put out of the room.

"CatNipped" wrote:

She'll grow out of that playful age all too soon. In the meantime you
might
want to get something like the "Panic Mouse" that is automated (just be
sure
to only let her play with it when you're supervising so it doesn't get
wrapped around her neck): http://www.panicmouseinc.com/. She can play
with
this while you do something else (again, in the same room).

Personally, I wouldn't lock her out of my bedroom, but I love having my
kitties sleep with me so that's a personal choice. You might try putting
catnipped infused toys in your bedroom and if she bothers you in the
middle
of the night "hiss" at her (like a mother cat would do a bothersome
kitten)
to gently discourage her from the behavior you want to discontinue.


This is a neat idea! When I hiss at Buddha she acts highly insulted.
If I make a sound that is even remotely "hiss-like" Cheeks looks
really worried. (Like when I blow on my magnifying glass to clean it!)

"Karen" wrote in message
...
Jeez. ONE cat rule? So ridiculous. Is it at ALL possible to talk to
management? Sometimes, if you just formally request it, or offer a
deposit,
they will write something into your lease. It has worked twice for me both
on limit (2 cat limit but I had 3) and on declawing (I will NOT declaw.
Would just go somewhere else, but they saw the light and also I showed
them
my cat furniture and how cats can be trained and claws trimmed.) It is
really the best possible solution. I will say, that as she gets older she
WILL adjust to your schedule, but remember she is a baby and they just are
not "up to" that level of understanding yet. Nor is their body on the same
schedule as an adult cat. I did find that even with two youngsters sleep
could be a problem. I played with them as late as possible and then fed
them. IT seemed to hold them off longer. In general, I had no trouble
through the night, just with early awakenings.



Whining is not going to help. He lives in a place with a one-cat rule.
I think I might have to move!

"KellyH" wrote

It's too bad you can't have one more. Watching two kittens play together
is
so much fun!


Isn't this the truth! My sister adopted two sister kittens, and they
were a riot growing up. I have never raised a kitten, having always
adopted grown strays.

On 6 Apr 2005 11:10:44 -0700, (Steve) wrote:

Hi,

I just got my first cat, my first pet actually, a few weeks ago.
She's about 12 weeks old now, and the biggest problem I am having is
keeping her entertained and managing my own sleep around that.

She's alone at home all day, so I imagine she sleeps a lot. After I
come home, I notice she tends to stay in whatever room I'm in. It is
quite cute, and I enjoy her company very much, but the problem I have
is tiring her out so I can get a good night's rest.

I've bought her lots of toys and I've tried playing with her for three
or four hours some nights and she is still going like the Energizer
bunny - but I don't have the luxury of playing for several hours most
nights, though I try to play with her for half an hour to an hour at
least.

Usually she wakes me up in the middle of the night, or if I'm lucky,
at around 5 am or so in the morning. I've resorted to placing her
outside my bedroom and closing the door when this happens, but she
cries incessantly for the next few hours until I get up.

Even when I go to the bathroom, she cries and cries because I have the
door closed.

I'd like some advice on the best way for me to get some sleep, while
allowing my cat to sleep with me when she is sleepy, and secondly how
to prevent her from crying when we're not in the same room.

A lot of people have suggested a second cat, which I would gladly
adopt, but my building has a one cat rule.

Thanks for your help.

Cheers,
Steve

If you find something that works, please let us know!

I have been deprived of sleep for the last 2 months. (My cat likes to
do 3:30 a.m wake up calls)

Justin

Steve,

Not to freak you out or anything, but I am having exactly the same
problems... and my cat is over a year old. Sleep has become a serious
problem for me. Besides getting a hotel, I suggest music and earplugs.
Earplugs alone won't drown all the crying out, so the music caps it off.

It's really incredible how he can just go for 10 hours straight without
getting tired?? But my "Crying" problem is because I am beginning to let
him outside, not because he is a playful little kitten... So as your
growing up would solve your dilemma, mine getting his own schedule would
solve mine...

In the meantime, just know you're not alone on these sleepless nights... I
should be sleeping right now.

--
Message posted via http://www.catkb.com

"Skip Turner via CatKB.com" wrote in message
...
Steve,

Not to freak you out or anything, but I am having exactly the same
problems... and my cat is over a year old. Sleep has become a serious
problem for me. Besides getting a hotel, I suggest music and earplugs.
Earplugs alone won't drown all the crying out, so the music caps it off.

It's really incredible how he can just go for 10 hours straight without
getting tired?? But my "Crying" problem is because I am beginning to let
him outside, not because he is a playful little kitten...

Here you admit that had you kept him in where he is safe he would
never have begun crying to go out where his is NOT safe. Excellent.
You're making progress.

So as your
growing up would solve your dilemma, mine getting his own schedule would
solve mine...

In the meantime, just know you're not alone on these sleepless nights... I
should be sleeping right now.


Steve will do the right thing and keep his kitten in where she is safe, so
once
she gets past the kitten phase she will just sit in the window at night then
come and snuggle with him, not howl to go outside. Steve is not an idiot.

"Mary" wrote in message news:1112823937.95c4501e9f19a647df96e66d8b3b05c1@ teranews...
"CatNipped" wrote:

She'll grow out of that playful age all too soon. In the meantime you
might
want to get something like the "Panic Mouse" that is automated (just be
sure
to only let her play with it when you're supervising so it doesn't get
wrapped around her neck): http://www.panicmouseinc.com/. She can play
with
this while you do something else (again, in the same room).

Personally, I wouldn't lock her out of my bedroom, but I love having my
kitties sleep with me so that's a personal choice. You might try putting
catnipped infused toys in your bedroom and if she bothers you in the
middle
of the night "hiss" at her (like a mother cat would do a bothersome
kitten)
to gently discourage her from the behavior you want to discontinue.


This is a neat idea! When I hiss at Buddha she acts highly insulted.
If I make a sound that is even remotely "hiss-like" Cheeks looks
really worried. (Like when I blow on my magnifying glass to clean it!)

I tried it last night. Buffy wouldn't go to sleep so I put her
outside my room. She started crying for a while but then she settled
down. In the meantime, I couldn't get to sleep either... I ended up
venturing outside and saw her on the arm of my sofa chilling. So I
picked her up and brought her back to bed. She started acting up
again, trying to playfight, etc., so I hissed at her and she settled
right down.

Unfortunately a few hours later, I tried it again and it didn't work.
Maybe she is like the Borg... she adapts!

Cheers,
Steve

"Karen" wrote in message ...
wrote in message
ups.com...
Alas, it is a condominium corporation and I am on the board of
directors. I brought the issue up in one of the meetings but I was
defeated.

They did mention that enforcing the 1 pet rule for cats is usually not
done, but one of the problems is that I am a director, so I am looked
up on to set an example. Maybe I won't be running for relection.

Thanks for your advice.

Cheers,
Steve


Wow. That is really sad. I can never figure out a 1 pet rule anyway since
all pets, cats and dogs, generally behave much better if they have a
companion.

I agree. I am almost inclined to get a second cat, but my concern is
that if they do enforce the rule, I'd ahve to give up one of my
kitties, and that wouldn't be very nice at all.

Oh well, time to plan for a house.

Steve

"Steve" wrote in message
m...
"Mary" wrote in message
news:1112823937.95c4501e9f19a647df96e66d8b3b05c1@ teranews...
"CatNipped" wrote:

She'll grow out of that playful age all too soon. In the meantime you
might
want to get something like the "Panic Mouse" that is automated (just
be
sure
to only let her play with it when you're supervising so it doesn't get
wrapped around her neck): http://www.panicmouseinc.com/. She can play
with
this while you do something else (again, in the same room).

Personally, I wouldn't lock her out of my bedroom, but I love having
my
kitties sleep with me so that's a personal choice. You might try
putting
catnipped infused toys in your bedroom and if she bothers you in the
middle
of the night "hiss" at her (like a mother cat would do a bothersome
kitten)
to gently discourage her from the behavior you want to discontinue.


This is a neat idea! When I hiss at Buddha she acts highly insulted.
If I make a sound that is even remotely "hiss-like" Cheeks looks
really worried. (Like when I blow on my magnifying glass to clean it!)

I tried it last night. Buffy wouldn't go to sleep so I put her
outside my room. She started crying for a while but then she settled
down.

Well that's a good sign! If you have to (and I understand you don't
want to, I love having my kitties curl up with me at night) you can
just put her out there when you go to bed and you know she
will eventually settle down.

In the meantime, I couldn't get to sleep either... I ended up
venturing outside and saw her on the arm of my sofa chilling. So I
picked her up and brought her back to bed.

G You are an old softie.

She started acting up
again, trying to playfight, etc., so I hissed at her and she settled
right down.

This is really funny. I will have to try it more often when Buddha
gets radical on me.


Unfortunately a few hours later, I tried it again and it didn't work.
Maybe she is like the Borg... she adapts!

Cheers,
Steve

Awww, what a cutie. I know being deprived of sleep is annoying
to say the least, but the kitten phase is over before you know it.