# kittens go crazy at night..help!



## zoenoble (Dec 5, 2007)

Hi everyone,
I was hoping to get some advice on how to get my two, new 4 month old kittens, to be a little quieter during the night. At the moment, they are very active and run after each other, crashing into everything, just when we're going to bed (11-12pm) and when we wake up (7-8am). I wouldn't mind this too much, but our neighbour below keeps complaining about the noise, as we have wooden flooring.

We have tried tiring them out before bed, playing with them for around an hour, but they still seem to get very excited when we turn the light off for bed, and when we wake up in the morning.

It seems like our only option is to shut them in our large living/kitchen room, which is not above our neighbours bedroom. But we miss having them sleep on our bed, and I'm sure they miss us, as they are so excited when we open the door in the morning!

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks, zoe


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Well this is a different twist, usually it's the kitten parents who aren't getting any sleep. Have you tried giving them some food after playing? Cats in the wild go through a cycle....hunt (=play), eat, groom, sleep. So by timing a meal after the play session it may inspire them to then groom and sleep. 

Of course this isn't going to completely eliminate all the running and thumping...just ask Marie73. Maybe you could temporarily put down some inexpensive area rugs to cushion and absorb the sound?


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## zoenoble (Dec 5, 2007)

I think the rug idea is a good one definately...our flats don't seem to have much insulation between the floors so any kind of noise just goes straight through. And with two kittens steaming around the place they certainly can make some noise!

And I will definately try the feeding after playtime suggestion so thank you for that!

But they do definately wake us up in the middle of the night, when they start scratching at something. It's hard because the only thing to do when they start making a noise in the middle of the night, is to put them into the living room and shut the door, so they are away from us, but i'm not sure whether this is the correct/right thing to do? I can't chatise them too loudly or our neighbour will wake up so this is our only option it would seem?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I was just telling a friend of mine yesterday that I'm glad nobody lives below me, because my kittens sound like a herd of elephants! I would be so mad if I lived below myself! :? And I have carpeting!

I put my kittens in their room to go to bed - usually at 11 p.m. They sometimes take a while to settle down, but I play with them and then feed them about 30 minutes before bedtime, so usually they're grooming and mellowing out by bedtime. There is no way they could be in my bedroom to sleep, they'd be too distracted and would want to play the second they woke up. 

Your kittens have each other, I wouldn't feel guilty about kicking them out of your room - if only to be kind to your neighbor and keep the peace.


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## zoenoble (Dec 5, 2007)

you've put my mind at ease about putting them in the other room at night. I guess I just wanted them to sleep on our beds and be with us, but maybe at 4 months old, that's asking too much! hopefully they will mellow out, the older they get!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

My girls will be 7 months old next week, and they are wild! Not so much at night, but because they sleep most of the day, they just go crazy when I get home. Of course, I have two other cats for them to annoy.  

Have you posted pictures of them yet?


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## zoenoble (Dec 5, 2007)

I'm not sure how to post pics on here?


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## lotsofsmoggies (Dec 10, 2007)

I started keeping my cats in the kitchen at night time because these mad sessions at night. When Jin was a kitten her and her sister Phoenix use to run up and down the stairs for hours, which resulted in little sleep! When I moved to another flat with wooden floors Cleo and Bobby would run around, the neighbours below would bang their doors loudly in disguist. That drove me more wild than the running around! They all slept in the kitchen then as well. Now I live in a house and still they go into the kitchen at night all seven of them! Even though none are mad kittens anymore, its just a rountine now for them. I love opening the door in the morning they are so happy to see me.


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## Jack 31 (Nov 13, 2007)

We have finally conformed our 5 month old kitten to sleeping at night and staying mostly awake during the day (of course he naps).

We really wanted him to sleep with us at night and its been about 4 weeks since we started him in the bedroom and for the last 8-10 days he has been sleeping 95% of the night.

It is also great that he is so playful during the morning and dinnertime now. We play fetch for hours.

Leslie


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## zoenoble (Dec 5, 2007)

thanks for the advice guys. for the next few months we will keep them in the kitchen, and then hopefully introduce into our bedroom when they've calmed down a bit. If they ever calm down that is!

This will also keep our neighbour happy!;-)


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