Topic: Kitten keeps my wife awake (Read 4431 times)

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #23 on:** January 12, 2007, 01:51:10 AM »

Awwwwwwwwwwww sammy I love you

Em · « **Reply #22 on:** January 11, 2007, 20:43:26 PM »

How cute!!!

Liza · « **Reply #21 on:** January 11, 2007, 17:25:10 PM »

ohhhhhhhhhhhhh how cute....I want you cat, please please, he can keep me awake at night with my little girls

exm · « **Reply #20 on:** January 11, 2007, 17:03:47 PM »

Excellent suggestions, everyone. Thanks. Sammy is doing soooo much better!!!!

Here are some pics:
Sammy 16 weeks:

Sammy 12 weeks:

Em · « **Reply #19 on:** January 11, 2007, 14:52:38 PM »

Quote from: Ela on January 05, 2007, 09:08:40 AM

Quote
Oh, did I also mention that my wife is somewhat allergic to the cat?

I am asthmatic and have up to 8 inhalers a day, and am allergic to some.

Have you tried Petal Cleanse? it is a surfactant based lotion that removes from the coats of cats, dogs and other pets the allergens that cause allergic reactions in humans see www.petremedies.co.uk

You can get some wipes from Pets@Home too, can't remember what they're called but if you wipe down your pet with one it allegedly neutralises odours and allergens. Probably won't work for a very long time, but might be worth the odd use until your wife builds up an immunity to your new furbabe...

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #18 on:** January 11, 2007, 14:27:55 PM »

I'm glad things are gettign better.

Jaffa has never been a problem at night (although he was shut out of the bedroom until recently) but Mosi's a little terror and has been woken me up at 4am 3 times so far this week

The little imp only wants a cuddle and some acknowledgement that's he's a gorgeous worgeous little lad then settles down again, but I wish he didn't feel the need to wake me at 4am for it. By the time he's settled down again it's nearly time for me to get up.

Susieh · « **Reply #17 on:** January 11, 2007, 14:16:08 PM »

Sounds like it is working

My 3 cats vary in the degrees by which they interrupt my sleep although when they were in kittenhood, they all showed the same signs as your little one.

They are now all aged between 1.5 and 2.5 years and still wake me up several times a night. I sometimes get to sleep in until 5am if I am lucky, and then from then onwards at 20 minute intervals until I get up and feed them - despite them having dry food available at all times. I could shut them in another part of the house but I'd miss the cuddles at night and they would be like caged beasts if I shut them in one room all night rather than having the 4 storeys of house to frolic in

exm · « **Reply #16 on:** January 09, 2007, 05:27:11 AM »

The last two days Sammy has been a lot better. We did the following:
1. Excercise a lot before going to sleep;
2. Making sure Sammy does NOT sleep;
3. Feeding him before bed time
4. Ignoring him COMPLETELY when he tries to play on the bed at all.

So far, so good!

meeko_pepper · « **Reply #15 on:** January 09, 2007, 03:42:43 AM »

Meeko my cat (now 3) gave me the same problem, we tried everything but as he's a VERY vocal cat even shutting him in the kitchen didnt help. In the end I just petted him until he fell asleep on my pillow!

He still has a habit of waking me up when he wants to go out to the loo (as wont use litter tray & cant have cat flap) which is annoying enough but even worse when an hour or two later wakes me up wanting to come in with his LOUD meows! He also loves to walk over my chest when im asleep and purr so loud it wakes me up, or claw me for affection is another of his favs!

He just loves his fusses and is such a mummys boy... he doesnt care what time of the day or night it is, if he wants a cuddle he gets one!!

All I can say as all the others have is welcome to the kitten world... fingers crossed he will grow out of it!

Good Luck! x

exm · « **Reply #14 on:** January 05, 2007, 16:00:59 PM »

Thanks everybody for all your informative replies!!! You're great!

Ela · « **Reply #13 on:** January 05, 2007, 09:08:40 AM »

Quote

Oh, did I also mention that my wife is somewhat allergic to the cat?

I am asthmatic and have up to 8 inhalers a day, and am allergic to some.

Have you tried Petal Cleanse? it is a surfactant based lotion that removes from the coats of cats, dogs and other pets the allergens that cause allergic reactions in humans see www.petremedies.co.uk

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #12 on:** January 05, 2007, 08:31:08 AM »

Not trying to scare you but my cat is almost 19 years old and still harasses me throught the night with the peak times being 3am - 4:30 am every night. She is relentless and just needs to be as close to my face as possible. I can be laying there with her head right by my face - touching her with both hands, looking at her, talking to her (ie There is no more attention that I could possibly give her) but she still feels the need to paw at me.

I've had Tiggy since she was a tiny kitten so I don't think it's fair to start changing her routine and not letting her in the bedroom at night but if I were in your situation I would make your kitten his very own sleeping area away from your bedroom. When he has grown up a bit you could try letting him back in the bedroom at night to see if he will do what most cats do and just sleep on as large a percentage of the bed as possible!

Mimi (Mewg) · « **Reply #11 on:** January 04, 2007, 23:57:55 PM »

Hi EXM, Sorry to hear your wife is having problems with a nightime playful kitty!!!

Our Phoebe (7 months - see avatar) has recently started to wake me up by playing with and particularly chewing my hair! However much I try to discourage her she just keeps on chewing and sucking!!!

All three of our babies have access to our bedroom at night and Phoebe and Libby both like to sleep on the bed - and sometimes in it! If your wife has allergy probs I agree with Linda that it is best you find somehere else for your ragdoll kitty to sleep at night. I'm sure she will soon get used to being in another room if she has plenty of toys and snuggly blankets, as well as maybe a heat pad etc to keep her amused and cosy!

Linda (Bengalbabe) · « **Reply #10 on:** January 04, 2007, 22:19:59 PM »

Hey EXM, If your wife is allergic its probably not a good idea to have the kitten sleeping in your bed at night. Sounds like you need to make an alternative 'bed' for your babe somewhere else - some good advice on this has already been posted.

Good luck with this and hope your poor wife gets some sleep soon

exm · « **Reply #9 on:** January 04, 2007, 21:49:02 PM »

Quote from: Ela on January 04, 2007, 19:43:54 PM

Quote
My wife is at the end of her rope. Our lovely 4 month old ragdoll keeps her awake all night long, every night for weeks.

Every night for week, if only, my Jessica is 16+ and apart from holidays she and some of the others keeps us awake every night and you know what I don't care, to me it is a price wroth paying for the love they give.

That is how I feel. But I am AND a cat person AND the cat doesn't bother me while my wife is more of a dog person (although she loves the cat). Oh, did I also mention that my wife is somewhat allergic to the cat?

Ela · « **Reply #8 on:** January 04, 2007, 19:43:54 PM »

Quote

My wife is at the end of her rope. Our lovely 4 month old ragdoll keeps her awake all night long, every night for weeks.

Every night for week, if only, my Jessica is 16+ and apart from holidays she and some of the others keeps us awake every night and you know what I don't care, to me it is a price wroth paying for the love they give.

Linda (Bengalbabe) · « **Reply #7 on:** January 04, 2007, 19:34:38 PM »

This sounds very familiar, I have a 15 week old bengal kitten (female) and she is absolutely obsessed with getting as close to my face as possible when I am in bed trying to sleep. She seems to want me breathing on her and is continually shifting position to ensure this happens by sleeping with me nose to nose. Its a big comfort thing for her and even when my partner lifts her over the him (in an attempt to give me a break), she wriggles and squirms so she can get back over and as close to me as possible.

Its tiring but I get great pleasure from the comfort I can give her and assume she will be less needy as she grows up and gains her confidence and independence.

I do ignore Nova through the night though, even if she is in my face I don't acknowledge it and this seems to at least make her settle and go to sleep. Its the crick in my neck in the morning thats the problem!

sheryl · « **Reply #6 on:** January 04, 2007, 18:24:45 PM »

Tiggy was like that when she was a baby and instead of pushing her down I just cuddled her and now Ive got the nicest hot water bottle in the world

exm · « **Reply #5 on:** January 04, 2007, 16:18:55 PM »

Thanks for the replies!

Being 'just' a kitten is what I thought. Previously, I've never had any problems with kittens but I guess this one is just a bit more active.

CurlyCatz · « **Reply #4 on:** January 04, 2007, 16:05:02 PM »

yep thats kittens for you, ours now happily sleeps shut in the kitchen with a warm bed and dogs for company...

ps has your wife had a child ??? if she then what she complaining about...a kittens a doddle

(joking)

Susanne (urbantigers) · « **Reply #3 on:** January 04, 2007, 16:02:45 PM »

Welcome to the world of kittens! Mosi didn't let me get any sleep for weeks then he only allowed me a few hours a night, and now that he's just turned 1 I'm grateful if I get 5-6 before he's pestering me to play.

I can only think of 2 options - shut him out of the bedroom and ignore the crying in the hope that eventually it will stop, at least for long enough to let your wife get some sleep, or consistently ignore him when he's climbing on her (hard I know!) so that he doesn't get any response from her and will hopefully give up. If she responds at all he will think it's a game.

In addition, try to tire him out as much as possible during the evening. Play games with him - esp fishing rod style toys and chasing a laser to get him running around - and try to stop him sleeping during the evening. If you notice him nodding off wake him up! Then give him something to eat before bed. That way he will be tired and have a full tummy at bedtime and should fall asleep eventually, even if he has a bit of playing around to begin with. He might not sleep through the night but he should sleep for a few hours if he's really tired so your wife will get some sleep. At 4 months he's still a baby and presumably you've not had him long so he's still settling in. As he gets older he should settle better at night. Kittens are a bit like babies in respect to sleepless nights and will vary in how old they are when they sleep through the night (although even grown up cats tend to be active early in the morning - it's part of their normal behaviour to be most active at dawn and dusk).

Beccles · « **Reply #2 on:** January 04, 2007, 15:43:57 PM »

Maybe shut him in the kitchen - or somewhere else where he can't easily hear you and vice versa - with a warm snuggly bed, something that smells of your wife (an old jumper maybe?), the radio on for company, a cuddly toy - and see how he goes down there. Spraying him etc won't really work because what he's doing is normal kitten behaviour - it'd be both pointless and rather unfair to try to get him to stop. He might settle down in time, especially if your wife gets good at ignoring him!

exm · « **Reply #1 on:** January 04, 2007, 15:41:06 PM »

My wife is at the end of her rope. Our lovely 4 month old ragdoll keeps her awake all night long, every night for weeks. He has no interest at all in me.

He gets on the bed and gets in her face. His whiskers tickle her. Sometimes he paws at her face or he'll lick or bite her chin. He tries to stick his face in her armpit. He gets on her pillow and plays with her hair.

We've tried everything we can think of. If she pushes him down, he comes back up, push him down, he comes back up, etc. There isn't even a pause in between. She squirt him with a water bottle, he thinks it's a game. He just cleans himself off and is right back at it. Last night at 4am we finally locked him out of the bedroom. It didn't help. He made such a racket at the door and he wouldn't stop.

HELP!

Author Topic: Kitten keeps my wife awake (Read 4431 times)