behavior at sleeptime

Question
I just brought home our family's first cat from the animal shelter.  He is 14 months old and very loving and playful.  We play with him a lot during the day.  This is his third day here, and we are enjoying him a ton.  My only complaint is he wants to play with me during the night.  I don't mind him cuddling up and sleeping, but I'm afraid this is encouraging him to play during the night as well and waking me up every couple of hours.  What solutions do you have?  Should I just close him in a room during the night (of course there would be food, water, litterbox, toys, etc.) or is this something he will probably stop doing on his own?  I want him to feel safe and secure, but I need my sleep, too!  Thanks!

Answer
Hi Kristine,

Congratulations on your new family member, and good work saving a life by adopting from a shelter!

Most cats take a few weeks to a month to settle in to a new environment. Because cats are nocturnal by nature, they do a lot of their exploring at night when they feel safer. Many cats will alk around meowing and wake people up at first, but they will settle in to a routine and the problem should go away. I would not recommend closing him off, because he'll get bored even with some toys.

To help him develop good habits, try to establish a routine right away. Feed him and play with him at specific times each day. Cats like to be able to predict events in their day, it makes them feel safe and in control. They will anticipate the things they looks forward to like meals and playtime. You should play with your kitty at least once a day for 30 minutes, often right after dinner is a good time - when cats are active but early enough that he doesn't get riled up all night. Playing in the evening will help get him worn out enough to sleep more at night.

Of course he will still be active part of the night, but you can teach him not to bother you by always ignoring him after you go to bed. If he makes noise or jumps on you, don't react - because if he gets your attention (even if you are reprimanding him) you will be entertaining him. If you alwasy ignore him he'll learn that humans are uninteresting objects at night and look elsewhere for fun :) If you have to, wear earplugs for the first week or listen to music or nature sounds to help you sleep through his restless period. You don't want him to get in the habit of waking you up for playtime at 3am. Many cats get active at that hour, and when they hear birds chirping outside in the spring they will be more likely to wake you too.

You probbaly have a lot more questions about your new cat but it sounds like you have good instincts and will do the right things. You may want to consider a good book on cat care and training, I recommend "Think Like a Cat: How to Raise a Well-Behaved Cat Not a Sour Puss" by Pam Johnson-Bennett or "Kitten Care and Training" or any other book by Amy Shojai. He's not technically a kitten any more but this book is good for young adult cats too, and it's best to establish good habits right away!

Good luck!

Tina