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

Bed time for kittens?

100 replies

Redleaves15 · 01/09/2023 16:00

What time do your kittens usually go to sleep for the night? Granted they may not sleep through, but when's the first time they seem to go to sleep? Mines 12 weeks and I don't know if I'm keeping her up playing to wear her out for the right time! She gets food at 8 and plays til around 9:30 then I'll take her to her bed

OP posts:
Pushkinini · 02/09/2023 22:30

I'm thinking about going to bed in a minute. The cat on the other hand is out gallivanting. I think she stays out most of the night but is always in the kitchen waiting for food when we get up. She's not allowed upstairs at night because she's way too annoying,

DesertIslandHereICome · 02/09/2023 22:40

My kittens used to follow me up to bed and surprisingly settled quite well,.one of two squabbles in the night, that was it. Now they are older they suit themselves, they have free range of the house and l have a catflap. Sometimes l wake up and all four cats are asleep in my room, other times just one or none because they are either downstairs or outdoors.

caringcarer · 02/09/2023 23:55

Katmai · 01/09/2023 16:06

They sleep where and when they want to, whatever time of day or night. There is no bedtime.

This.

Padz · 04/09/2023 08:54

Our youngest is a year old now and when she was little she would play then drop whenever and for however long but she did have a habit of sleeping in the evening and then waking up when it was our bedtime so we had to shut her in a spare room with her bed, yay, good toys etc until the morning.
We’ve got 2 cats (eldest is 12 years old) and they generally sleep come to bed with us and sleep through the night with the exception of the odd night when they stay out.

Mugaloaf · 04/09/2023 09:40

TiredandLate · 01/09/2023 16:43

😂

Ours get on our bed for a bit between 10-11pm then it's fighting and general fucking around with a bit of snoozing until dawn when they go batshit for a few hours.. THEN it's bedtime until teatime.

😂😂😂 this really made me laugh. So familiar...

sheeplikessleep · 04/09/2023 10:28

Our two have always been very active dusk and dawn. Sleep all day. We shut them in kitchen and utility overnight. The few times we haven’t been able to they’ve hidden under the bed and we couldn’t get them out they’ve been awake from 3/4am begging for food.

Ours have a very similar routine each day, but it certainly doesn’t align with our routine 🤣

Jamjarcandlestick · 04/09/2023 10:31

Same time as us as we ‘co-sleep’. I remember the kitten days well as I was living off barely any sleep.

Gmary20 · 04/09/2023 12:39

We kept our kitten in her own room at nighttime as otherwise she would bother our other cat all night and keep us awake by pouncing on us all night 😂. We would just put her in her bed in the spare room at about 11pm and let her out when we woke up. Sometimes we would let her out early at about 6am as she would wake up and start meowing. We made sure to have a litter tray water, food and toys in there for her. I know people think it's a bit weird to put your cat to bed, but she actually loved having ber own bed, I think it gave her a sense of security. Shes now one and a half and we don't lock her in her own room at night anymore, but she will often take herself off to the spare room in the evening when she's tired as she feels cosy and safe in there! She's a very happy and well adjusted cat! She often still gets removed from our bedroom at night though as she purrs loudly in my ear and licks my face all night 🥰

BoxOfCats · 04/09/2023 12:41

Horriblewoman · 01/09/2023 16:40

It’s not that ridiculous, our cats always come to bed with us (so 10ish) and have been doing that such they were kittens so we’re all in the same bedtime routine!

If we stay up late they get quite miffed.

I've done this with mine too. All went to bed together when they were kittens, and over time they've learned the sleep through the night,

Original poster
Redleaves15 · 04/09/2023 13:13

Thanks for the stories, it's good to hear that it works for some. Ok maybe I didn't express myself clearly enough, the kitten is kept in the utility at night and has access in there to everything she needs. I just wondered what sort of time is reasonable to put her in there to suit herself. A couple of times we have woken her up in the morning and it seems like she's not moved a muscle in that time. Eventually she will have a cat flap in there so she can go out or come in or whatever she wants

OP posts:
andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow · 04/09/2023 14:39

We always just put ours in there when we went up to bed - anytime between 10pm and midnight. We're up anytime between 6-9am.

He's older now and just stays with the run of downstairs with our two older cats.

SmudgeButt · 04/09/2023 15:38

Ours would normally sleep whenever and then get up at 2 to run races all over the house. An hour or two of cuddling and then demands for breakfast. And then a nap.

franbrad · 04/09/2023 17:11

My cats go out in the day. What they do is up to them. They come in at dusk and that's them in for the night. Mine tend to sleep all night on my bed or watch out of the window.
They are adults and it has taken time though. I do remember as kits they drove me crazy at night.

missjonesy · 04/09/2023 17:35

Cats do get into a routine.
Mine is 1.
He knows when his breakfast is. Knows when it’s dinner time. And knows when he should be coming home (around 9/10pm) Only a few times has he stayed out too late! (Eg 1am)

We began with our boy shutting off the lights and leaving him in the living room around 9/10pm. Didn’t matter whether he slept or not.
When he was a bit bigger he was allowed wherever he wants (except our room) and he still comes in and curls up in his bed around 9/10pm. He deffo doesn’t sleep through as he is awake around 4 and has a little play but then goes back to sleep at some point. Wakes up around 6:30/7:30am.

As it’s a kitten make sure it has tonnes of naps in the day as they need a lot of sleep but do whatever works for you guys and of course as long as the kitten is happy!

TwilightBee · 04/09/2023 17:39

I think there’s some people being a bit obnoxious really. You definitely can train kittens into having a routine which is usually fairly relaxed.

In your case I’d definitely recommend sticking with the playing on an evening to wear kitten out, for at least an hour before bed. Only put her in the utility when you’re going to bed otherwise she’ll be able to hear you and she won’t understand why she can’t be up if you are.

Craycraycatbaby · 04/09/2023 17:40

Both of my cats just go to bed when I do. The kitten (well, she is just about to turn one) was lively until around 11pm for the first few months but now they both sleep all night and generally wake up around 5/6am. They'll just sleep when they want and decide where they sleep so do your own thing and the kitten will eventually follow!

MNetcurtains · 04/09/2023 17:55

The OP was so sweet and I'm loving some of the responses. I can see this thread going into MN classics. 🤗

LunaandLily · 04/09/2023 18:22

Our kitten (similar age to yours OP) gets shut in separate room from about 9.30pm until 6am. This keeps the rest of the house free for the two adult cats. I feel like putting her in there any earlier (or leaving her any longer in the morning) would be too much, even though she has everything she needs in there. I think it’s great you’re giving her loads of attention and play time before you go to bed!

Riapia · 04/09/2023 19:00

My patience is running low.
Still no kitten pics.
😉😁😁

MNetcurtains · 04/09/2023 19:12

Riapia · 04/09/2023 19:00

My patience is running low.
Still no kitten pics.
😉😁😁

Hell Yeah! Forgot about the kitten tax! WE NEED PICS!😬

cameron64301 · 04/09/2023 19:23

Personally ive never licked my cats, i think someone need to get you a book on cats 😂

Cismyfatarse · 04/09/2023 19:49

Hard to tell without a photo.

soddingkitten · 04/09/2023 19:53

missjonesy · 04/09/2023 17:35

Cats do get into a routine.
Mine is 1.
He knows when his breakfast is. Knows when it’s dinner time. And knows when he should be coming home (around 9/10pm) Only a few times has he stayed out too late! (Eg 1am)

We began with our boy shutting off the lights and leaving him in the living room around 9/10pm. Didn’t matter whether he slept or not.
When he was a bit bigger he was allowed wherever he wants (except our room) and he still comes in and curls up in his bed around 9/10pm. He deffo doesn’t sleep through as he is awake around 4 and has a little play but then goes back to sleep at some point. Wakes up around 6:30/7:30am.

As it’s a kitten make sure it has tonnes of naps in the day as they need a lot of sleep but do whatever works for you guys and of course as long as the kitten is happy!

We have an actual, physical dinner bell to summon our teens from the far corners of the house. I noticed a couple of weeks ago that Sodding also appears when I ring it, often from the garden. Jury is still out on whether it’s the prospect of licking plates as they go into the dishwasher afterwards or it means imminent sofa cuddles that’s the draw.

Bellyblueboy · 04/09/2023 20:03

Kittens sleep for about twenty hours a day.

My cat is now five, but has pretty much the same nighttime routine as she had when the was tiny. Goes up to bed at around ten (usually before me!) sleeps until five am then has a wee sing song session for about half an hour, runs at high speed round the house eight times then goes back to sleep until 9am.

then has breakfast then sleeps that off. Might have a walk round the garden then another nap then dinner then watches tv the bed! And repeat.

Gettingbysomehow · 04/09/2023 20:19

Cats are crepuscular creatures so they are most active at dawn and dusk and sleep a lot outside those times.
My two are currently shut in as I had the bindweed was sprayed today and they can't go out - they are pissed off with this and letting me know it. There will be no sleep for me tonight.