16 week old kitten had become very clingy

[stace1986]

Looking for a bit of advice please.

We picked up our kitten when she was 12 weeks old. She settled in really well, eating sleeping, playing etc all fine. I am off work so she had a lot of company and didn't get left on her own in the first week in order to help her settle in. She sleeps downstairs at night and has been fine but in the last few days meows continuously when we go up to bed and then is very clingy the next day.

We come down to settle her when she is crying but we don't let her upstairs at night time.

Just wondering is this normal? Is there anything we can do to stop the crying at night and then clingyness during the day. It's only been this last week she has been like this.

When we do come down to settle her she just wants to play and isn't actually in distress.

Thanks in advance.

Could the fireworks have distressed her last week? Or being on her own more if you've returned to work?

She didn't seem to phased by the fireworks and we were in every evening when they were going off so I didn't think it had affected her but it does seem like it's been like it since bonfire night. I am still of work but do go out during the day some days, she is never really on her own for more than a few hours at a time though.

It's almost as if she cries because she wants to play at night, which while isn't ideal I am not so worried about, but the clingyness I am worried about as I will be returning to work soon so she will be on her own during the day.

How much do you play with her? Is it worth having an energetic play session with her in the evening (with one of those feathers-on-a-string type toys or a laser pen) to try and use up some energy? Is she going to be an outdoor cat eventually? My 2 were like this until they started going out and are far more content now. It may be the clingyness is attention seeking because she's just got excess energy! You could also consider a feliway diffuser which can help with behavioural, anxiety type issues with cats.

Thanks Beryl thats really helpful. We do play with her an awful lot and in the evenings we try and tire her out, last night for example she was shattered and went to sleep but as soon as we got up to bed she wants to play again. We have lots of toys she can play with by herself, which she does. We definitely have a hunter in the making. But we also have things on string that we move around for her to chase/catch. She will be an outdoor cat once she has been spayed. I guess this is normal kitten behaviour then? I have only ever had adult cats before.

Yes I think it's pretty normal! Kittens are little balls of energy really!