Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Creating a sleep ritual
• Part 2 of 3: Dealing with nocturnal activity
• Part 3 of 3: Engaging veterinary care
• Tips
• Warnings

When you have a new kitten he can become very active. Kittens and adult cats are nocturnal hunters by nature, so you can expect the animal to be active at night. Young kittens often have a lot of energy, and a frequent complaint among owners is that their kitten keeps them awake at night. There are several ways to encourage a kitten to sleep at night.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Creating a sleep ritual

1. Give the kitten plenty of rest and stimulation during the day. It is normal for kittens to sleep most of the day, especially the younger kittens. When they are awake, however, they are full of energy. Let them take naps, but provide scratching posts, toys, and things to climb in for when they're awake. A kitten who is bored during the day will be hyperactive in the evening and at night.
   • Keep the toys that are exciting and interactive when you are not working on them. If you leave a toy on the floor all day, the cat will usually lose interest. Do not leave a toy with a rope unattended, as this can be dangerous if the kitten becomes entangled in them.
   • Puzzles are an excellent way to entertain the cat. This will challenge the cat to open something that contains a treat.
2. Wear the kitten out by playing with it in the evening. Cats are most active at dusk and dawn, and not all night. A daily late-night play, about an hour before bed, will help synchronize his schedule with your own.
   • You can simulate frolicking with a toy on a string, fetching a ping-pong ball or by playing chasing a laser pointer. Alternate toys to keep things exciting and provide a mix of sneaking, chasing, attacking and playing with the "prey".
   • Wake the kitten, if necessary. After a while, your pet will learn that the evenings are for play and the nights are for sleep.
3. End the game time. It's best to end playtime before the kitten gets bored. First, you slow down for five minutes to calm the kitten. Find a clear way to signal that playtime is over, such as by letting the kitten catch an extra tempting toy.
   • If your kitten becomes hyperactive when playtime is almost over, shift his attention to a less exciting toy.
4. Give the kitten something to eat before going to sleep. Make sure it is a protein-rich meal to supplement the kitten's nutritional needs for a day. Cats in the wild hunt, then eat, and then sleep again so that this playtime and feeding routine mimics that pattern.
   • If your cat wakes you up in the morning meowing for food, wait with dinner until just before going to bed, rather than earlier in the evening. In this way, the cat does not have to wait as long between meals.
5. Go to bed. Begin your normal bedtime routine while the kitten is watching. This teaches your kitten which activities indicate bedtime for both of you, and helps establish a routine.
6. Soothe the kitten in a comfortable sleeping area. Turn off the lights and bring the kitten to his bed. Hopefully the kitten will be exhausted at this point. If not, try to calm the animal down with hugs or by playing relaxing "music for cats" from online playlists. Repeat this routine every day to get the kitten used to it.
   • Cats are natural observers and enjoy observing household activities. A high spot or "cat flat" is a great place to sleep, as long as your kitten is old enough to climb into it safely.

Part 2 of 3: Dealing with nocturnal activity

1. Keep your kitten in a separate room at night. While you may like the idea of ​​curling up with your mustachioed friend before bed, keep the hyperactive kitty out of your bedroom until they're a bit older or have adjusted to your schedule.
   • When it's time to go to bed, close the door and don't let your cat in. He may whine or scratch the door a bit, but don't reward this behavior by letting the cat in.
   • If your kitten continues to scratch the door for extended periods of time, try to make something to keep the kitten from going to the door. Stick double-sided tape close to the door, or lay down carpet masking film with the bumpy side up.
2. Warm a blanket for your kitten. Sometimes a kitten disturbs its owner's sleep because it misses the warmth of its mother and siblings. If your cat wants to get into bed with you, warm a blanket with a hot water bottle for 20 minutes before bedtime.
3. Put away noisy toys. Sometimes the most annoying part of a hyperactive kitten is the noise his toys make. By storing toys you make it even more clear that the night is meant for sleeping. If the kitten is still active at night, give quiet, soft toys instead of heavy toys, or anything that squeaks or rings.
   • If you have the space, put the quiet nighttime toys in a separate area of ​​your house. Choose a location with an attractive distraction, such as a quiet movie, radio, or a window with a view of a light outside.
4. Set the rule of "doing nothing". Paying attention to hyperactive kittens encourages them to maintain that behavior.If a kitten continues to get your attention to the point where you start playing with the animal, giving the kitten some food, or just some attention, it will keep repeating this behavior because it has trained you to respond! The first few nights will be difficult, but ignoring the kitten is the best way to teach the animal that you are not available 24/7.
   • While not a quick fix, this type of training is important for a kitten's future. Your kitten should learn early on that it cannot eat or play at all times of the day.
5. Disciplining your kitten with love. It may seem counterintuitive, but if ignoring your kitten doesn't stop the animal from bothering you, reach out and give it a huge hug. You'll find that she probably won't be too impressed with this over-the-top love, and that's a good thing. It teaches the cat that you are annoying at night and that this leads to a wrong result, without punishing the animal.
6. Provide a breakfast that does not require you to get up. Cats have a shorter sleep cycle than humans. Even if your kitten goes to bed with you, she will likely wake up early, looking for breakfast or attention. The worst thing you can do is get up and give them that attention. If you do, you'll be perfectly trained by the cat before you know it! Instead, make sure to prepare some food the night before so the cat can eat breakfast before you get up.
   • Consider an automatic feeder that dispenses food at specified intervals. If your kitten knows there will be food in his bowl around 7 a.m., it won't bother you at breakfast. Instead, your kitten will wait by the bowl for the food to appear.
   • If your kitten meows to eat at night, consider setting the automatic feeder for a nighttime meal. Move the meal forward ten minutes a night until your kitten eats in the morning.

Part 3 of 3: Engaging veterinary care

1. Spay or neuter your kitten. If your kitten has not yet been neutered or neutered, this can contribute to hyperactivity. Most vets consider this procedure to be safe for six to eight week old kittens as long as the animal weighs at least 0.9 kg. The procedure should prevent the following types of behavior (during the day or at night):
   • Females can go into heat when they are four months old. They often make loud, unusual noises, rub against people and objects, and try to get out.
   • Uncastrated males are generally more active and noisy than neutered males. They can also spray furniture or be aggressive.
2. Watch for signs of medical problems. Cats can suffer from medical problems that interfere with sleep, just like humans. If your kitten has any of the following symptoms, have a vet perform a full examination:
   • Howling much of the night sometimes means the cat is in pain.
   • Active behavior during most of the day and night indicates insomnia or some other condition. It is common for kittens to sleep 20 hours a day.
   • Sudden hyperactivity in a previously calm cat can be a sign of thyroid disease, although this is rare in young cats. A vet can detect this through a blood test and prescribe daily medications.
3. Consider synthetic pheromones. These agents are designed to mimic a cat's facial pheromones, the substances that cats rub their faces on objects to mark them as familiar. Unfortunately, there are few high quality studies on the synthetic version. You can try it to see if it calms your kitten, but there is no guarantee it will work.
   • Homeopathic calming treatments, including "flower remedies", have not been proven to work.

Tips

• Adopting a playmate is one way to entertain and exercise a kitten during the day. Kittens get along well when introduced to each other at a young age, but you may need to keep them in separate rooms for a few more days. Seek advice from a veterinarian or animal behaviorist first if your kitten has been abused or displays aggressive behavior by its previous owner.
• If you have a backyard, consider installing a birdhouse, or at least opening the curtains so the kitten can see the outside world.

Warnings

• Most cats and kittens are lactose intolerant and do not respond well to cow's milk. If you want to give your cat or kitten some milk, make sure it is something special for cats.
• Do not train your cat using corporal punishment. Animals do not respond well to punishment and often have difficulty learning what they are being punished for. If you want a break from your kitten, lock the cat in a room where it can entertain itself for a while.