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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

New boy cried all night

36 replies

Catboyslim · 05/04/2018 10:14

We brought our gorgeous boy home from the rescue centre yesterday. He is adorable - once he got over his nerves he came out and gave lovely cuddles and purrs Smile
We had a lovely evening with him. Only problem was when it came to bedtime he didn’t want to be left alone. We followed the advice we were given to leave him in a room with everything he needs. Cried for hours. At one point he got out and came up to our bed but just purred like mad, jumped all over us and wouldn't settle (DH then admitted he'd left the door slightly ajar in case he needed air or was frightened). So I took him down and shut him in properly. Poor chap carried on crying for hours. Feels so cruel. Wondered if anyone has any advice please?

New boy cried all night
OP posts:
Hoddykins · 05/04/2018 10:15

Accept that you are now his human slave - move all the things he needs into your bedroom and accept that he is now your bed snuggler for an easy life Grin

Who could say no to that face?!

MrsRonBurgundy · 05/04/2018 10:18

What a beautiful boy!
Do you think you’ll let him sleep on your bed eventually? If so, I’d just let him come in with you now. He’ll likely settle down after the initial excitement and curl up and go to sleep.
I’ve never had a cat that wasn’t allowed on the bed though so I might be slightly too soft!

LEMtheoriginal · 05/04/2018 10:18

Let him sleep in your bed. Just the one night ....like our rescue dog . Five years later and he's still here!!

ThorFromStargate · 05/04/2018 10:19

ah, why not just let him sleep with you? he must have been lost, lonely and afraid? says me, who sleeps with 2 catmasters on the bed Wink

IntoTheFloodAgain · 05/04/2018 10:24

Do you mind him in your room or would you rather he slept elsewhere?

I know the general advice is to leave them in a room for a while at first, but some cats don’t need that. Our first cat wanted full access to the entire house, we just made sure she knew where the litter tray was should she need it in the night. But she slept with us from day 1.

I think aslong as he can reach the litter tray, food and water he should be ok to not be left in a room, if you don’t mind him with you at night.

You might find, after a while he will sleep elsewhere anyway once he’s familiar with everything.

If you’d prefer him not to be in your bed, could you get a cat bed and keep it in your room instead?
2 of ours will only sleep in our room when we’re in there but they mostly sleep in their own beds which are next to the radiator lol.

Kissthealderman · 05/04/2018 10:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Aprilmightmemynewname · 05/04/2018 10:36

Did you not read the small print??
Dcat shall sleep wherever he chooses.

Accept the inevitable.
He needs you!!
And he wants to protect you from the monsters under your bed!!
Who are you to deny him??

Wolfiefan · 05/04/2018 10:36

Haha. You followed the advice. Now be good cat slaves and do what your kitty overlord desires. Time to let the boss sleep where he likes! Grin

Ballora · 05/04/2018 10:39

All of my cats have slept on someone's bed, it's the law! Gorgeous boy Smile

Original poster
Catboyslim · 05/04/2018 10:55

GrinThat’s pretty unanimous then! Nobody telling me what I want to hear (he’ll be fine once he gets used to it!) Ok I will consider surrendering to the catmaster. We never let our cats sleep with us when I was growing up so feels odd but I get that he needs reassurance. Thank you cat people Smile

OP posts:
Toddlerteaplease · 05/04/2018 18:53

Omg he is so cute. One of mine cried all night the first night I got them. I think because her sister was hiding and she didn't know where she was. Fine after that and sleeps on my bed when it suits her.

LanguidLobster · 05/04/2018 19:19

Aww, you can't say no to that little face. He'll settle, he's just frightened :)

nothruroad · 05/04/2018 19:23

How could you say no to those gorgeous whiskers?! Let him on the bed!

SneakyGremlins · 05/04/2018 19:27

I expect an update in the morning!

Icequeen01 · 05/04/2018 22:48

Soooo gorgeous. Another vote for letting him cuddle up with you on the bed. We often have both our large ginger cats on the bed with us. Strangely I sleep better when one is curled up against me. DH is away tonight somI will have my fluffy boys all to myself tonight!

Icequeen01 · 05/04/2018 22:49

Whoops - DH is away tonight!

MirandaWest · 05/04/2018 22:51

We adopted DCat from a rescue centre recently. She sleeps in the kitchen (has sofa in there so she can ignore the cat bed). She cried the first night so we left the under cupboard lights on and put on a classical music playlist for her. She is fine there now Smile

Evie0865 · 05/04/2018 22:51

Our rescue has been joining us in the bed, she likes the heat. It’s been tolerable but lack of space! but we’ve put down a cot mattress and a thermal blanket to see if she’s happy enough on the floor

Weedsnseeds1 · 05/04/2018 23:08

Oh, look at that little white blob on his mouth Grin
Just give him run of the house, he sounds like a confident boy, no need for gradually introducing areas of the house bit by bit. He wants to be near you ( or possibly near DH - he will have selected one or the other as favourite human, in order to cause discord from this day onwards).

Original poster
Catboyslim · 06/04/2018 08:02

Like the DC - his favourite human is definitely DH - soft as butter and basically a walking soft play area 😂
OK so I’m relaxing about keeping him shut in. He’s made it clear that ain’t happening. BUT - and I know this will sound daft as he’s clearly a cat - he seems very...um nocturnal Seems rather than wanting to sleep with us at night, I think he wants to play. All night Confused.
Longer term he will have use of the cat flap so perhaps will be off finding other nocturnal play mates but that won’t be for a good few weeks yet...Do you think he will settle down? He’s only 2.5, which also could be a factor I suppose? Maybe I’m expecting a bit much of him too soon...

OP posts:
Poppins2016 · 06/04/2018 08:09

Beautiful cat!

My cats tend to seem nocturnal when we move to a new house - I think it's the change of environment. However once the environment seems familiar, they've always been happy to sleep at night and go out during the day.

Give your boy time to settle in... He'll be nervous at the moment, but will reveal more of his true personality in time.

MarthasGinYard · 06/04/2018 08:11

He's Adorable

MarthasGinYard · 06/04/2018 08:13

Op our rescue came a week ago and he's also around two.

He's settled right in, little meowing first couple of nights but no more since.

Bet he's loving his new home

RolyPolyLilBatFaceGirl · 06/04/2018 08:19

I'd be trying to stimulate him a little during the day where I could and then I'd be locking him away in a room at night, far from my bedroom as possible so I can't hear him.

You obviously don't want him in your room at night so don't start now- especially if he's just going to disturb you. Make sure he's got food and water and a tray and leave him to it.

Mind you, I don't subscribe to this 'being owned by a cat' thing and I'd soon be extremely irritable if I was kept up all night long. I do have a cat and she's brilliant, but err she's a cat and treated like one

ThisIsTheFirstStep · 06/04/2018 08:24

When we got our dog, I went on and on about how nasty it was when people let their dogs sleep on the bed, how it made me sick, how I’d never allow it.

Guess who now sleeps with a dog on her feet every night?

I took one look at my dog’s face and I just couldn’t let him be alone all night. Poor baby had a hard life and needed love.

These days, he doesn’t really sleep on the bed much anyway, he sleeps in his bed next to us.

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