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Can I keep my 7 1/2 wk. old kitten kenneled overnight?
I have adopted my 1st kitten. Calvin was 6 wks. old at the time. Mom was feral, but he was handled alot so he's never been "wild". On the contrary he's a cuddler. The 1st 4 nights, he stayed in my bathroom with his litterbox, food, & water. He litterbox trained quickly, so I decided to let him have the run of the house. The 1st few nights were fine. On the 4th night of freedom, he discovered he could climb the bedskirt & sheets & get up in the bed with us. Unfortunately, he wants us to play too, at 2 a.m. When he does fall asleep, it's between us. He's so tiny I'm afraid one of us will roll over & squash him. I tried to put him down but he gets right back up. His bed is in a 24" kennel. He will climb into it on his own during the day with some toys & when he's tired of playing will go to sleep. Can I put him in it at night? There's not room in it for a litterbox. Can he "hold it" all night at his age? Does he need food and water? Please help! I love him, but I need sleep!!
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Member 844771
on Jun 10th 2009
in Behavior & Training
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Answers
When I was socializing Izzie, a rescue cat who I acquired when he was about 12 wks. old, I purchased a fairly large dog cage for him. I put a litter box, food/water, some toys and a small "hide box" for him. Since your baby has the run of the house he shouldn't need food or water in the cage because he has the opportunity to eat during the day. But no,he can't "hold it" at his age. If you do want to kennel him at night, be prepared for a very pissed off kitty. They are most active at night and he won't like being confined. Can you try playing with him about an hour before bedtme to tire him out? Bear in mind that he is a baby and this won't last forever.
Izadore (Izzie)
answered on 6/10/09.
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No. I agree with Izzie. A baby can not hold it all night long. Caging him without a litterbox is asking him to potty on his blankets and may create a lifetime of potty mishaps. He's too young to understand "hold it" but if he did try he may end up with a urinary tract infection or kidney infection. Can you lock him in a bathroom with his litterbox? Or maybe just shut your bedroom door? When mine first came home at 8 weeks old I used a baby gate to keep them in one room at night. Once they learn to climb the gate then they are free. But they learn pretty quickly to sleep on my schedule.
Allie
answered on 6/10/09.
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Allie and Izzie are right. He's just a baby, and not used to your sleep cycle yet. Play with him before bed time and leave out tons of toys. As for sleeping between the two of you, my husband and I have never squashed a kitten between two of us, but if it's a concern, why not put a comfy bed next to your pillow on the nightstand, and putty kitty there when he tries to wake you up at 2 AM? Or you could try making the bedroom off limits, but be warned... he will cry for a while, which meant my husband and I could never get that to work.
He will grow out of it eventually, both of my cats have. I was in your same situation when I adopted Boris, I learned the hard way that kittens go to forever home best in pairs. No matter: by the time I adopted Gracie a year later, I had learned to be a sound sleeper, and not let anything the cats do bother me. Think of him as a baby: for the first six months of his life, you might have to take lots of naps to make up for him being awake at night.
Boris
answered on 6/11/09.
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Kitten Krazies are the norm. I can guarantee that Calvin, once he becomes an adult, will sleep during most of the day and night. Cats are crespucular, which means they are most active at dawn and dusk. Calvin, being a cat, will eventually follow this mode. Unless you free-feed, this does mean that he will want food at dawn and dusk, and probably use the toilet afterwards. But his Kitten Krazies will go away with time, and you may even find that you miss them. Our remaining kittens are now 8 months old, and don't do the mad running around the house that they did when they really were kittens. We kind of miss it.
However...your worry about Calvin being squashed to death when sleeping with you is not an impossible scenario. Close the bedroom door? Give him his own bedroom? This is a problem that, in theory, can be solved without a kennel. And when he becomes a big dude and has graduated from the Kitten Krazies, he'll probably learn a way to sleep with you.
The Magnificent Seven
answered on 6/11/09.
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