Shift change, my kitten seems confused.

Question
I have a six-month-old kitten which is the joy of my life at the moment, since I have been largely on nightshifts. Usually he would want hugs, purring loudly, and that was great. Thing is, I finally got onto days for a while and my kitten seems confused. He meows very loudly beside me when I go to bed in an evening, and does not stop no matter how I ignore him. His play has become a little more aggressive too, he is more toothy and I am getting scratches. He just seems to have changed very suddenly from this gentle, quiet little ball of fluff into something that refuses to let me get my sleep pattern back into a normal routine. Is he confused, will he stop, and is there anything I can do to maybe make the situation better?

Answer
David,

It is normal to see a behavioral change in response to an environmental change in your cat. Just to be on the safe side I would have the kitten examined by your vet, and neutered if that has not already been done. This should help with any aggression that you may be seeing. The other thing that I would suggest is to play vigorously with your kitten for an hour or two when you get home. This should help to wind him down and ease his anxieties over the change. He is confused and a little unnerved by the new shift, he doesn't know how to react appropriately so patience will be key. One of the other options that you can try is a Bach Flower Essence called Rescue Remedy which you would begin to put 6-8 drops into his water every day, make sure that you change the water daily so that every day he gets a fresh dose of Rescue Remedy. Rescue Remedy can be purchased at most natural food stores and is usually fairly reasonably priced. If your kitten continues to be out of sorts there are a couple of options - you can return to your regular shift or you can speak to your vet about anti anxiety medication (this option is not without risk or side effects). Hopefully I was able to offer some help and insight to your situation. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again.