Expert: Dear Tabbi - 9/14/2009

Question
Or at least, not at the right time.
My boyfriend and I got a kitten just yesterday, so hopefully it is just a temporary "new house" thing, but I am in charge of finding out why.

First, she is about 10 weeks old, she was born June 21st apparently. I do not think she has had any vet visits yet, we will be going to get her her shots in a week or two once we get her a carrier (we borrowed one to get her home as it was on very short notice)
She uses her litter box just fine, and eats the food we got her, she is a very affectionate kitten and only scratched me once, and that was because she wanted to play.

The problem being, that she wanted to play at 11pm. She would NOT stop jumping on the bed and attacking my feet and hands under the covers, after about an hour of trying to put her in her little bed, and putting her under the laundry hamper for a minute or two to see if she would learn that it was time to stay still, we finally had to move her food, water and litter into the bathroom and close the door on her.
I feel terrible about it, as when we woke up she was mewing and still very hyperactive.

We played with her for at least an hour yesterday and she slept a lot in the late afternoon, and today we played for an hour or two. She is sleeping now but I'm not even sure that's a good thing as I am worried she will be excitable again tonight.

We do not mind her being on the bed, as long as she is calm and snuggly. I don't think the bed should be a place for playing so we move her to the floor if she gets too active, she can get up and down on her own just fine too. We eventually want her sleeping in our bed but I made her a little cat bed from an old box, and some of our old clothes the top is a velvety skirt of mine, so she should be comfortable in it. Do you have any ideas for training her to settle down at night? We tried turning off the light but that wasn't enough alone.

We have found an otherwise perfect kitten but we definitely need to be able to get to sleep.

Thanks

Answer
Justine,

Some of the kitten's energy can be from nerves. She is in a new place, new people, and is probably missing her littermates.

One suggestion that may or may not be feasible for you is to get another kitten, preferably a littermate that is the same age. Kittens need another kitten to play with. Humans can't play like another kitten can. They play chase, wrestle, plus it is comfort and a companion when the kitten is alone. A single kitten can be more destructive because it has to keep itself amused and find things to do. I always recommend two kittens. It makes the kittens more well adjusted.

A kitten that is healthy is usually energetic. Some kittens have more energy than others and I call them 'kittens of mass destruction'! That is a normal part of having a kitten....they can drive you crazy! It is a stage. They will settle down when they are about a year old! *smile*

Also have LOTS of toys. Stuffed play mice to bat around, ping pong balls in the bathtub (stop up the drain or they get stuck), straws, little balls, etc. They are like little children that you need to keep amused.

About an hour before you go to bed, play with the kitten to tire it out. Then give it a can of canned cat food. Being tired and having a full tummy, the kitten has a better chance of sleeping longer. Also keep out a bowl of kitten chow for the first year. The kitten can snack when it's hungry and the kitten chow provides the extra protein and vitamins that it needs when it's growing.

Tabbi