Help me break my cat of a bad habit and keep my sanity!?

Question

I need some cat help. I have a 9 month old kitten I've had since rescuing him in November. I don't think I've had a solid night of sleep since. He is very active at night, no matter how much I play with him or try to tire him out. He jumps around, walks on me, eats my hair, scratches everything, etc. Mostly he wants attention, but at 3am he also wants food (I schedule feed him - he would eat everything at once and go hungry on a free feed schedule). I'm trying to figure out his food schedule and have been giving him more food at night to keep him satisfied. However, every night he climbs onto my nighstand and knocks everything off one at a time. I've started keeping my nightstand clear of everything but my clock and lamp. Now he's knocking them off too. I've had to buy two new lamps. HELP! What do I do? I try saying NO, I try the squirt bottle, I try shutting him in the bathroom. But he keeps doing it every single night and its starting to drive me crazy. Any advice??

Answer 1

A 9 month old kitten is a lot like a human baby. They are very demanding and can drive you crazy. He's not old enough to put him on the kind of feeding schedule you're using. Put a bowl of kibble and a bowl of water out for him to eat whenever he wants. Don't fight him at this point, he'll settle down with time.

Answer 2

He's a kitten. It's completely normal. Cat's are also nocturnal animals, so they are naturally more active at night anyway.

The only thing I can suggest is to load up on the cat toys. Something that will distract him from you and give him attention at the same time. It sounds like he's really bored. The food schedule idea is very good, and you should keep to it. Perhaps, though, he needs more food at each meal time. Kittens are growing babies and need more nutrition than a grown cat.

You can also speak to your vet if you're concerned. Although it doesn't sound like there is a health problem, many behavioral issues start because of an underlying health issue.

Answer 3

Since his owner won't stay up all night and play with the kitten, get him a kitty friend to play with. A bored kitten is a destructive kitten! I've never belived in the one kitten theory. People can't play kitty games, like chasing each other, play fight, and kitty cuddle. Plus you might be saving a life if you get one from a rescue group.

Your kitten's just a normal, happy, healthy kitten that is just being a kitten. Keep a bowl of kitten chow down all the time. Believe me, if he has a free-choice bowl he won't eat it all at once. They gobble their food because they aren't sure when they are going to get more. Free choice cures that.

He is burning up alot of energy so he needs more food. Personally, I would try to keep him up during the day when you are home, give him free choice dry kitten food, then give him a can of food before you go to bed.

There are so many people who lost their precious cats to the recall that would give ANYTHING if only their cats were running around like crazy and 'driving them nuts'. Be thankful he IS able to drive you crazy!

Answer 4

My favorite is when they step on your neck and you think you will DIE. Feed a little amount of food three times a day morning noon and early evening. NO OTHER TIME. Try grooming and massaging gently after wards. keep a radio going with classical music. I had a cat who would change the dial from the rock station I would have on during the day. A little catnip to play with will usually soothe the soul. Patience. The cat has to learn a new behavior. Try to teach it to lie in a certain area on a very soft blanket. Sooner or later you will just have to cat proof your entire house and close your bedroom door and ignore the howling.

Answer 5

you might want to frist off leave some dry food down for him during the nite with some water and a clean littler box.then 2nd they have this stuff at petsmart called Farnam Comfort Zone® with Feliway® Spray.its clams the cat down and gets him to relax.they also make it as a plug in and that might work better.i would also keep the cat out of your bedroom and keep him in the main part of the house.make sure he has stuff to play with and a post to claw on and also make sure his food and littler box are out there also.but that feliway works good.her is a little more about the stuff.Clinically proven to end urine marking within 30 days with a 95% success rate. Calms cats in stressful situations or new environments like transport, boarding or hospitalization, meeting new pets or people.

Answer 6

My 10 month old cat used to do the exact same thing...Now, he stays in the bedroom with me at night (with the door closed). I leave him dry food and water out at night and his litter box, of course. And I have moved everything off the dressers he can knock over during his romps during the night. Usually, he would knock each item off one at a time like yours is doing, then he would lay down in the spot he had cleared off...wierd...but now he has gotten used to getting under the covers beside me during the night now...he will climb on my head and scratch at my hair and the blanket until i lift it up and let him underneath. He seems to be fine now...

Answer 7

First get him neutered
Lock him out of your bedroom, spray your bedroom door with a cat repellent so he doesn't scratch at your door all night
Keep using the spray bottle.
Try a cat tree or play area out in your kitchen or living room that he can only play with at night lock it up in a closet during the day.
Use catnip to entice and drug him, which should make that play area much more interesting than your nightstand or your sleeping form.

Answer 8

Unfortunately I'm not sure there is a lot to be done ~ I have 2 cats who are the same way ~ however since having them fixed they seem to have calmed down a lot. I've been able to use the squirt bottle and it works well but I rarely ever need it anymore. I've read that the best thing to do is ignore them but that's a hard thing to do too, also cats are nighttime roamers so it's hard to get them to settle down no matter how much you tire them out....................... good luck with it!!

Answer 9

Oh dear.

Your kitten has figured out he can bully you into doing what he wants. You may want to crate him at night until he starts behaving himself.

When my kitties used to try that with me, I would ignore them or even tuck under the sheets where they couldn't get at me. But it's a bit late for that with your kitty.

Now, you could get him a kitty condo or something similar so he'll have a way to satisfy his urge to climb. And get a spray bottle and use it on him when he tries to climb anything else. And thump his nose when he tries to chew on you: That's something like a momma cat bopping her kitten when he does something he shouldn't.

Good luck!

Answer 10

Neuter the cat. If he already is neutered, put him in a pet carrier at night. Ignore all meowing, crying, scratching, and other bad behavior. Talking to the cat or yelling at it
or paying any attention to it wil only encourage and reinforce the behavior.
If the cat is not perfectly well behaved and quiet in the morning, do not let him out of the carrier until he is quiet and well behaved. When you let him out feed and water him and
let him use the litter box.
I've had to crate train all my kittens until they got used to sleeping at night. It takes awhile but it works.
After awhile you won't need the crate, he'll just sleep all night.