Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

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

Original poster

Rescue cat and sleep!

14 replies

BellaMoo · 11/04/2021 06:15

We’ve just adopted a 2 year old cat who is an absolute sweetheart. He’s been here 5 days and has settled in really well. He’s eating well and enjoying lots of playtime and cuddles with the whole family. But I’m going round in circles about where to put him to sleep so I don’t have to wake up with him through the night.

I could really do with some advice about how best to make sure we all (especially me) get some sleep. He’s basically catnapping, day and night. We haven’t wanted to leave him alone so have got him in our room and might get 4 hours max before he’s up and meowing to be let out. Then he’ll wander round, have a play and a wee or a drink before going back to sleep for a couple of hours. We feel like we can’t give him free reign of the house without taking the risk he’ll wake the kids up too so I’m waking up and following him around until he decides to settle again. I know this is a terrible idea but not sure what else to do without causing him distress or disrupting the whole house.

I want him to be happy and secure with us. Do I just need to wait a while longer for him to settle down and find his own rhythm? Or should I set up a safe room with his bed, food and litter tray and leave him to cry it out?!

It’s like having a newborn again!!

Rescue cat and sleep!
Rescue cat and sleep!
OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 11/04/2021 06:22

I would settle him in a room overnight. I’m not sure why you’re following him round at night. If he wakes then he wakes. If he meows fo go out then you ignore. If he’s only been with you 5 days he can’t go out anyway.

IrenetheQuaint · 11/04/2021 06:29

When I got my new rescue cat a couple of months ago I kept her in one room for a few days, including at night (though she was more nervous than yours sounds). Now she sleeps on my bed at night, but with the door open so she can come and go as she pleases. It is natural for them to wander around in the night.

I think you will just have to take the risk that your cat will wake the kids up. Hopefully he won't!

Original poster
BellaMoo · 11/04/2021 06:31

It would definitely be easier to ignore him if he was in his own room! But I am a big softie and didn’t want to leave him alone for hours at a time.

So own room with bed, food, water and litter tray. Put him to bed and ignore until the morning.

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 11/04/2021 06:32

The trouble is that if you’re up and following him about overnight then he thinks it’s awake time! We kept our rescue kittens in one room overnight for the first few days. Just until they had settled.

Original poster
BellaMoo · 11/04/2021 06:32

@IrenetheQuaint he’s definitely not nervous! A bit jumpy with new sounds but always wants to be where the action is during the day, even if he’s sleeping.

OP posts:
Original poster
BellaMoo · 11/04/2021 06:34

@Wolfiefan Yep. I see that and it’s the advice I would give myself. Will try him in his own room for a few days and see how we get on.

OP posts:
MrsMoggy · 11/04/2021 06:37

If he wakes up just leave him to wander around, there’s no reason he would wake the kids up. I’ve got 4 cats and between them they are in and out of my room and up and down the stairs many times during the night and don’t wake anyone up. Leave doors open, make sure litter, water and maybe some dry food is available and he will sort himself out

Wolfiefan · 11/04/2021 06:43

Good luck OP.

Cattitudes · 11/04/2021 06:43

He is 2, so not a kitten. I would definitely not play with him in the middle of the night. Give him access to a litter tray, water and maybe some dry food and leave him to get on with it. Naturally cats are most active at dawn and dusk, however they can adapt to a more human regime. Ours are usually up before us and if their door is not fully on the latch they will escape and come and find us, but that is not usually until 5 or 6, so they do sleep through most of the night. When I have had to sleep downstairs with them they sleep most of the night. They have free reign of the sitting room, kitchen and utility room.

I would be surprised if a cat meow in a different room would wake your children and it would probably only be for a few nights until he gets used to it. If he wakes up and you aren't there he will probably wander around a bit use the litter tray, have a drink, maybe some food and go back to sleep. If he thinks he always has a play in the night he will wake up for that. I am sure in the rescue centre they don't have people going in to play with them in the night.

Goatsgetmygoat · 11/04/2021 07:34

My cats spend the night outside hunting and then sleep most of the day. Think it’s quite unusual for a cat to sleep all night like a human?

Wolfiefan · 11/04/2021 07:38

@Goatsgetmygoat we keep our cats in at night. Increased risk of accident or injury.
They sleep at night then go out in the day.

Fluffycloudland77 · 11/04/2021 07:43

You can get interactive toys for them, he could have access to them overnight for entertainment or a puzzle feeder to use his paws to get the dry food.

I gave mine a dog bed, youtube shows cats like dog beds and he slept in there for hours.

Original poster
BellaMoo · 12/04/2021 07:40

Quick update that we left lovely cat overnight in the kitchen with all his comforts. A bit of meowing when we first locked him in and at 4am but otherwise he seems happy and we all slept! Thanks for all the advice.

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 12/04/2021 10:37

Or just leave the bedroom door open so there's no miaowing to get in and out and he can just wander round the house?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page