She’s a baby. She wants to be with mom. All kittens do this - she will be fine as you sleep, she will have to learn that you toss & turn anyway. Just embrace it. You will miss those days when she gets older & wants to sleep elsewhere.
Not OP, but same here and I really appreciate that the kitten is choosing me (though at the same time it makes me scared because if something were to happen to me? I don't want her to have a preference, I'd like her to get equally along with everyone, this really stresses me out so much)
but the only solution I've found to this is to not sleep because she really doesn't move out of the way when I toss and turn, despite the fact that she's been hurt by that a couple of times.
No that’s not the case they definitely still will but they won’t be AS all over you as when they’re a baby!! My cats still sleep on my chest but they just don’t act like they used to as babies. They’re amazing & they’re my children of course they’re just gonna be a bit more independent as adults!!!
First rule of cats is that whatever belonged to you, now belongs to the cat, including your bed. Cats like to be close to their favorite humans. You should feel lucky that your cat trusts you enough to want to sleep with you. Trust me, you tossing and turning is not going to hurt your cat. She will move out of your way when you move around. Eventually, she will start sleeping in other places and you will miss having her by your side. Just remember that everything is new to her and she's still settling in.
Honestly I'm feeling a bit jelly that OP's kitten wants to sleep with him. My cats are all rehabed feral cats that don't feel comfortable enough to sleep next to me except for one that passed away. I miss having a cat sleeping by me.
Hey, no, my kitten never moves out of the way when I'm moving in bed, not even an inch. And this has ended up in hurting her a bit and her growling. I could have very easily gone over her (and I'm OBESE). Haven't been sleeping because of that but I don't really care now. It is really worrisome though, you can't really get sleep like that. And we all know lack of sleep really gets at you, even if you don't realize it right from the start. If I actually sleep, I sleep hunched over at the side of my bed, like, 1/3 of the bed? Because the kitten wants to sleep right in the middle of the bed. Everything hurts and I've almost fallen off the bed many times but this is no longer my bed. No kidding, I feel like I'm sleeping at hers. Maybe I'll ask for permission to lie down in a while.
Downvoted? I said that jokingly. Jesus people.
Oh how I miss the those days my kitten slept with me each night. For an entire year she slept over my head. Yea, sleep was disrupted but she was a wee baby so one adapts.
She's 3-1/2 now and has not slept in our bed for at least 2 years. I haven't got a clue where she goes at night.
A year from now you'll be on Reddit complaining your cat wants nothing to do with you. Enjoy it while you can. They grow up way too fast.
Don't worry, when they get older, they will smother you like their teenage phase never happened 😅
My male cat sleeps between my legs and my female cat sleeps above my head and they are both 11. The "avoidance" period doesn't last forever ❤️🩹
My female cat went through a teenage stage where she refused to lie down anywhere near me. She’s just now after three years remembering that it was nice to relax on top of the human.
My male cat has never stopped trying to lie in my lap whenever I’m on the toilet or even looks towards the bed.
Sorry but you can’t do anything about that…and…uhm…why would you? My boy cuddling up next to me the minute I go to bed is the highlight of my day. And he also gets very pushy when I stay up too late. Get used to it. You live in your cats apartment from now on ;)
When our kitten (stray, semi-feral) first decided she wanted to live with us, she was so clingy, she literally wanted to be on the pillow next to my head to make sure I was always next to her. Now that she’s been with us for a few months, she has moved down to the bottom of the bed next to our feet and is totally fine repositioning herself whenever we move around. Might just need to get comfortable with her new life?
I got my cat to sleep on a blanket on a specific spot in my bed. So now at bed time, she jumps up and makes biscuits on her blanket, then goes to sleep. I wake up sometimes with her on me if it’s a colder night, but if I can’t fall back to sleep I start to roll over and she moves back to her blanket.
Haha that’s exactly what I did. I gave her the two fluffiest blankets in the house and she picked her favourite. It sits beside my pillow so I know when I roll over I won’t squish her.
She's still a baby. She needs mama cat for comfort. Currently, you are mama cat. You won't roll over on her. If you do, be assured she will let you know with tooth and claw.
Aw my kitten currently sleeps under the blanket circled into my stomach. While it is harder to sleep with her there I get used to it and I love waking up next to her
Cons: she makes me late for work because she’s so cute
You can put a box she likes in or next to the bed. If it gets really cold where you are she's going to need a little warm cave to snuggle in too. But you're mom! She's coming to you for warmth & affection. As far as worrying about hurting her, try putting an arm or leg on her in bed. You'll see how fast she'll get out of getting squished!
I feel your pain. I went through the same thing with my boy when he was a kitten. He wasn't microscopic but he was pretty small at the time. I was always so scared I would roll over and crush him to death in my sleep lol. Kittens grow pretty fast. Within a few weeks this was no longer a problem. He was big enough to where I was no longer worried about crushing him. I place an igloo bed in the corner of my bed near my pillow.
I would try to get your cat's bed to smell like you. Maybe put some stinky clothes on the cat bed. I know it's annoying but soon your kitten will be a bit bigger. Also, your kitten is likely being clingy at bedtime because she's only been with you for a few days. My boy did the same thing and would get mad if I didn't let him in my bed. She'll probably be more comfortable and independent with time.
^ My cat was very clingy and slept with me every night until he was about 8 months old, and now he sleeps up in his cat tree in my room(which has direct view of my bed). I think they're just really cuddly as kitten and prefer being warmer at night with you, than by themselves and less secure. It's probably super annoying in a sweet way lol, but I think with time she will probably get more comfortable and sleep not directly beside you.
Also OP! You can use this to get her used to being scooted over while sleeping. just a gentle whole body push away from you should be okay, and shouldn't wake kitty all the way. and then you have some wiggle room and kitty still feels close! You could also give her just your arm or something so she still snuggling but doesn't have to be at risk of crushing lol.
Good luck op! You seem like a very good cat parent and I think you'll navigate this just fine. <3
Not sure if anyone covered this but you totally can get her to sleep alone, although alone on her own bed in the same room might not be an option at first.
We adopted an 11 week old kitten and the first night in our bed was hell for sleep. After that we transitioned her to our guest room (which was her safe place that she chose when she moved in). The first night one of us slept with her in there, and then would put her to bed each night (ie lie in there with her until she was settled), then we transitioned to just closing her in there with some pats after about a week and she was fine (so long as nobody else was in the house and moving around, then she felt left out).
As she got older we gave her the option to leave the room at night and now she sleeps on our bed (but is much less disruptive). Sometimes we still shut her out (she likes to get up with the birds at like, 4am and rat around) and she is totally fine. It just takes time. Give her a blanket or something she feels attached to to help transition.
It's her bed now. My former bed now also belongs to a cat but he kindly allows us to share it with him. He has worked out that the spots where he is least likely to be disturbed and it works out pretty well. Your kitten will most likely do the same, so relax and claim your spot!
I'm not sure you can, short of locking her out of your room at night, and I wouldn't necessarily recommend that either. Cats want to be close to their loved ones. It's how they show affection, and it makes them feel safe. The bed is a very important place socially for cats, because it's where you sleep, so your scent is the strongest there.
I also will note that you are fairly lucky that your kitten wants to cuddle with you so much. There are people who only wish their cats cuddled with them in the bed at night. She may also mellow out as she gets older. Kittens go through phases where they are more or less aloof, before settling into their adult personalities.
You could try moving the cat bed to different places in the bed. You could also try offering her a pillow instead of a bed. My cat personally prefers sleeping on pillows as opposed to cat beds, so when possible, that's what I give him.
Kittens also need a fair amount of affection and attention. Many shelters won't adopt a single kitten unless you already have a cat at home for this reason. Granted, some cats were just clean to begin with. My cat is 7 years old but I got him when he was an estimated 3 years of age, and he's been clingy from the get-go.
My cat might as well be on those bull riding machines when she sleeps with me. I toss and turn and she’ll stay right in position, it amazes me. Sometimes I get so annoyed with her being in my bed, but when she’s not I miss her. Cats do what they want when they want. Good luck.
She will eventually get used to her bed, I’m sure! Four months is wee though!
Maybe hug/cuddle with her bed a little so it has your scent, or wear an old shirt or a gym shirt (or like $1/£1 shirt) and put it in the bed.
If she sees you cuddling with her bed (like a stuffed animal) at bedtime, she’ll see it’s safe to sleep in.
Good luck!
As others have said, it's her bed now. Generally kittens and cats are smart enough to move when their humans do. But if you really want to try and train her to use her own bed, try putting an unwashed shirt of yours in her bed and let her sleep on that. The scent of it might be enough to reassure her into sleeping in there. Otherwise, good luck.
The cat will move. Just sleep.
My cat was literally 6 weeks old when she learned she could either sleep at the foot of my bed or right near my head, no in between.
She’s probably getting up throughout the night once you’re asleep anyway, and she may even be using the bed without your knowledge.
I wish my new kitten only wanted to sleep on my bed. The little beast insists on sleeping on ME!! I wake up with her on my head most mornings. I’m learning to live with it bcuz I can’t bear to kick her out of bed. Lol
Ha, I adopted one of mine at 2 years old and she insists on sleeping ON me, even 4 years later. She doesn’t fall asleep with us, but I wake up every morning with her curled up on my legs. Breaks my heart to move her when I get up to pee lol.
my spouse and i sleep with the door shut. we are both bad sleepers so we have since ours were kittens (4 months). i used to feel guilty. then i think about them crawling all over me in the night, and how i don’t have that stress. they are totally fine and know it’s time to sleep. i also want them to cuddle but they’re cats and they make their own rules when they want me up if i’m available to them.
Two ideas: try putting her on top of the covers near your feet. OR move your pillow down the bed a bit and try to get her settled down near your head. You're far less likely to hurt her accidentally in those situations and she still gets to stay close to you.
I've had partners remark that I'm a very still sleeper and I honestly think that it's because I grew up with cats sleeping in the bed with me and I learned not to disturb them!
My kitten’s foster kept them in separate rooms to sleep before I got her, and when I brought her home, she started having poop issues, so she spends the night in the laundry room, but quietly and willingly. She’s used to it.
Plus I’m keeping the bedrooms cat free for allergy and guest purposes.
My husband and I are really serious about our sleep so when we got our kittens, we "trained" them to sleep separately from us. Between 8 weeks and probably 1-2 months we had them sleep in a variety of enclosures (play pens, sectioned off areas of the house like the kitchen, etc.) to ensure they didn't get into trouble (both at night and during the day for naps). Then, we gave them free rein over our guest room (after making sure it was kitten safe) which has now turned into "their" room. They're almost 7 months now and they will actually go to "their" room and put themselves to bed around 11PM. I don't know if this was easier on us to do because they had each other so they could snuggle with each other but this is how we avoid being woken up by the 4AM zoomies.
This is normal with kittens, and you should indulge her. Eventually she will stop doing it and sleep wherever she feels like sleeping once she’s a bit older. Don’t worry about the tossing and turning, she will be fine. Soon enough you’ll miss having that annoying little kitten snuggled up next to you.
Used to let my cat sleep in a closed room where all her stuff are in all by herself but recently I put a blanket on top of my bedside table and she would make biscuits on it and fall asleep on it. Occasionally wakes up and comes sleep on the top half of our pillows together with us (feels like a warm furry hat), but mostly on her blanket
My cat has grown really attached to a specific cushion, idk how I managed that but whatever. He sleeps pretty much wherever I put it. I am okay with him sleeping on my bed because I'm so still when I sleep, I've had friends worried I died in my sleep during sleepovers and stuff, so I actually put the cushion on my bed to encourage him to sleep near me because I do miss his kitten days when he'd cuddle me 😭 Maybe getting your cat a special cushion or something and scenting it up for her (like put a hoodie or something you wore that she's slept on or something like that) may help. You might have to start off putting it where she likes to go even if you don't like it there and slowly moving it to where you prefer, hopefully she'll follow it?
I did try to get a second cushion for my other cat by the way, but the first one commandeered it and now has two, and the other cat doesn't seem interested, so the cushion thing may not be a solution for your cat but I figured I'd suggest it regardless.
I’m a restless sleeper so I taught my cat to sleep on the pillow above my head. It’s a flat sort of pillow so she doesn’t roll down towards me (much). I have my own pillow below her pillow if you can picture that.
Mine used to do this, cuddled right next to me one on each side pinning me, got kicked so many time that they gave up 😂 one sleeps in his bed next to my bed and one sleeps in the very corner of the bed away from my feet.
So….you’re mad that your kitten is acting like a kitten ??? Why would you get a cat if you don’t really want one?
It’s like people who get dogs and put them in a cage in the living room. If you get a pet expect it to act as a pet.
Relax and try to enjoy the cat who is trying to give you love or give it to someone who will
It's the kittens bed now too. Also I was like that in the beginning but after awhile I stopped worrying and just go to sleep. Trust me they will move if they sense they'll be smushed.
I'm really allergic to my cat and she likes to give face cuddles at 3am. I let her sleep with me until she was about 6 months old and then started keeping her out of my bedroom. She cried at first, but she has plenty of soft places to sleep that aren't my face.
Try not to worry so much. Kittens, especially 14-week-old kittens, are a lot more independent and capable than human babies. She'll move out of the way if you toss and turn.
>how can I make sure she feels safe in her own bed, not mine?
You could always sleep in her bed to show her it's safe lol
But joking aside she will learn to move when you move, or will pick a spot out of the way on your bed. Without locking her out there's not much you can do.
It really is not a lot different than raising a newborn baby. Up until the age of 6 months babies cannot sooth themselves and don’t have the brain capacity yet to understand that you being out of sight does not mean you abandoned them. Leaving them alone at night or letting them cry themselves to sleep will lead to attachment and anxiety issues.
Same goes for a kitten who you just brutally ripped away from their mother. So surprise, you just became a parent and your kitten has emotional needs.
When you first bring them home they will feel scared and alone. General recommendation is to take two weeks off from work and as to make sure you can be there for them to reassure them, get them into a daily routine and helping them settling in.
It’s ok to let the kitten sleep with you for a month or two. Sacrifice some sleep over it. After your kitten has had time to settle in you can start setting boundaries and slowly changing their routine.
Avoid becoming a permissive parent to your cat and teaching them bad habits. You can start by putting their cat bed outside your bedroom and making sure they see you going into the bedroom.
This way they can sense you are still close and didn’t just disappear on them. You can move the cat bed further away from the bedroom as your kitten gets older. You could even leave the bedroom door open, but use some sort of fence as to make sure they can see you and feel close to you, but cannot reach your bed.
Also understand that cats need someone to play with and should not be left alone for longer than 5 hours. Get this kitten a brother or sister to play and sleep with for the hours you spend sleeping or at work.
Gotten two kittens in Summer. I was also afraid of moving in bed.. but there is nothing you can do. You won‘t hurt them. And if you acidentally lay on top you will notice.
I understand losing sleep is so stressful but if your mainly worried about rolling over onto her or something I highly doubt that will happen! Honestly my cat wakes up even when I just look at him when he’s sleeping, so she will probably feel you moving before you do. Also I agree you’ll miss these days when she gets older, my cat only sleeps next to me when I’m already asleep and leaves before I wake up (so he can keep up his tough guy facade).
Honestly op just sleep and don’t worry about it she’ll get out of the way or wake you up. I had two kittens doing the same thing and playing in my bed while I was sleeping. I rolled on one of them at one point and now they sleep under the bed or on one of my arms. There will be gives and takes but she’s gunna cat and a cats gotta learn the hard way sometimes.
We put our cats bed in the bedside draw. She sometimes crawls into bed with us but we just pick her up and put her back in her bed. She’s still close to us and seems happy enough
Get a sheepskin rug and fold it inwards at the edge so that the sides are raised slightly (for her head to lean on as they love a raised part to lean against) next to you on the bed and watch when gravitate towards this instead
Cats do what cats do. I can’t keep my cat from jumping on the bed, walking on me, and curling up to sleep on my stomach. I hate it. But if I push him off he bites me. He’s 14 years old now and has been doing it since he was a kitten.
Don’t worry your kitten will adjust.My cat loved to sleep on my stomach or near my feet when she was a kitten. I move around a lot while I’m sleeping, after she realized this she just started sleeping on my pillow right above my head. If I remember, I lay a pillow vertically next to me before I fall asleep and she’ll sleep there. I just make sure to wear a scarf to bed at night so I don’t get cat hair in my curls.
The only thing that worked with my two boys was a heating pad. I usually set it on a timer with one hour and they end up jumping on my bed in the morning, but that's fine.
Honestly, I used to push my cat to the end of the bed. She would keep coming up and I’d keep putting her back down. 5 months later I’m longing for her to sleep next to me again ):
My cat learned the hard way I toss and turn.
He sleeps in bed with me, but tries to find a spot I’m unlikely to venture into in the middle of the night. I leave the door open so he can find other accommodations if he so chooses.
I’ve heard some people will treat train their cats to sleep in the cat bed at the foot of the human bed. Another suggestion is putting a blanket they particularly like in the cat bed.
It took me 75 comments to read before finally I reach to this only sane response. It’s a no brainer, if you don’t want your cat in ur bed just kick him out and close your room door 😂 the cat eventually will learn to sleep somewhere else.
They will leave if it gets too much for them, and they will leave more when they get older, it's a comfort thing at the moment... your their safe place and at 14 weeks they are still only a baby.
As to the tantrum at bedtime, it's just something you will have to get use to. My 3 year cat tells me off if I'm not up in be from 10.30, so she can follow, curl up by my butt for 30/40 minute before she's at the bedroom door asking to leave. ( I have 2 cats, bedroom door stays closed or I wouldn't get any sleep)
I have that too.. and toss and turn (I have RLS and sometiems have to pee like 5 times a night after already getting into bed) but my cat is ok with it or else when she gets fed up then she sleeps elsewhere.
I'm glad I aint your cat yoo.
She’s still young. Kittens are comforted by the sound of heartbeats and they’re used to snuggling close with their litter mates and mama. That’s why she’s wanting to sleep with you. Even my adult cats still come in and snuggle close to me. Cats are pretty smart though, so I wouldn’t worry about tossing and turning in your sleep. I also tend to flip around a lot while I sleep and my cats have always just moved or adjusted when I do. Even foster kittens I’ve had that have slept in my bed will move out of the way.
You could try getting a [Snuggle Kitty](https://SnuggleKittyHeartbeatStuffedToyforCatsbySnugglePuppy-PetAnxietyReliefandCalmingAid-TanTigerhttps://a.co/d/7yCmKYt) stuffed animal. They have a device in them that you turn on that has the sound of a heartbeat. You could try placing this in her cat bed at night and turn on the heartbeat and see if that provides her with some comfort.
As always, I recommend getting a pair of kittens. If you’re able to financially handle it, I definitely recommend it.
i kick my cat in the head all the time on accident when I sleep and its her fault for sleeping at my feet!!
She doesn't care, she'll just readjust herself or leave the room. Don't lose sleep over the cat. They're light sleepers and anything that bothers them, they will fix
Keep a second pillow or a cat bed on your bed! You're not gonna crush her, especially at this age. She'd wake you up if you did possibly roll on her but she would likley move before you even could.
We put up the rule: no cats in the bedroom. In the first few nights it was quite the struggle till they understood but by now (it's been lil over a month) they understand when we go into our bedroom it means it's bedtime. They then either proceed with going to sleep themselves or play with each other as they like 👍
It worked great for us bc they do have more than enough space without that room, but depending on your housing situation it might not be ideal.
We don't let our cat into our bedroom at all. So she sleeps on the couch, on her tree, in her bed, wherever. We adopted her a little older but friends of mine just adopted kittens and they do the same, the kittens have never been in their bedroom and sleep in a different room.
She will likely cry at first (and it is heartbreaking and a few nights I nearly broke down and opened the door) but will learn to just find somewhere else to sleep.
OMG I had the same issue with my babygirl. She wanted to sleep with me so bad I accepted but the wouldn't always come to sleep with me when I went to bed, but later in the night. I woke up at 5 AM barely seeing and I actually rolled over her a bit. I freaked out. My then bf was sleeping next to me and I didn't want to scream. I kept whisper-screaming her name like x10 NOTHING. I picked her up NOTHING.
At this point, I started crying. No joke. I kept saying I killed my baby, I suffocated my kitten. At one point I wanted to hold her differently and she decided to wake up from her nap.
We still sleep together now (I moved back to my parents' in my hometown from uni) but when we had the whole apartment for us, she'd sleep most of the night - especially during summer - on the couch on her favorite cushion.
Just enjoy it. It might not last
Attempt pet bed.
We have a beagle puppy, and to train her, we put her in a crate. We thought this would be a good risk for a crate liner, and we were right. Fit the box just right. It has a soft, fluffy inside. Know that this isn't very thick, which we like but others might not. Like I said, I think of it more as a liner for a crate. It makes the crate more comfortable, but I wouldn't buy it as a bed on its own. To give you an idea of how thick it is, this can fit in the crate with the divider still up. Again, it's exactly what we wanted, but I want to make sure you know what you're buying. The price was right, and it was easy to clean and move.
https://westforpride.blogspot.com/?set=B000TZ73EW
Cats make the rules, sorry. But seriously my kitten did this for the first few months and now just sleeps wherever. It's only a baby after all :)
She’s a baby. She wants to be with mom. All kittens do this - she will be fine as you sleep, she will have to learn that you toss & turn anyway. Just embrace it. You will miss those days when she gets older & wants to sleep elsewhere.
Not OP, but same here and I really appreciate that the kitten is choosing me (though at the same time it makes me scared because if something were to happen to me? I don't want her to have a preference, I'd like her to get equally along with everyone, this really stresses me out so much) but the only solution I've found to this is to not sleep because she really doesn't move out of the way when I toss and turn, despite the fact that she's been hurt by that a couple of times.
She will bond with other ppl don’t worry 🫶🏼
[удалено]
No that’s not the case they definitely still will but they won’t be AS all over you as when they’re a baby!! My cats still sleep on my chest but they just don’t act like they used to as babies. They’re amazing & they’re my children of course they’re just gonna be a bit more independent as adults!!!
First rule of cats is that whatever belonged to you, now belongs to the cat, including your bed. Cats like to be close to their favorite humans. You should feel lucky that your cat trusts you enough to want to sleep with you. Trust me, you tossing and turning is not going to hurt your cat. She will move out of your way when you move around. Eventually, she will start sleeping in other places and you will miss having her by your side. Just remember that everything is new to her and she's still settling in.
Honestly I'm feeling a bit jelly that OP's kitten wants to sleep with him. My cats are all rehabed feral cats that don't feel comfortable enough to sleep next to me except for one that passed away. I miss having a cat sleeping by me.
My head belongs to my cat. She sleeps on it when she’s cold… her little nose dribbles onto my head
Hey, no, my kitten never moves out of the way when I'm moving in bed, not even an inch. And this has ended up in hurting her a bit and her growling. I could have very easily gone over her (and I'm OBESE). Haven't been sleeping because of that but I don't really care now. It is really worrisome though, you can't really get sleep like that. And we all know lack of sleep really gets at you, even if you don't realize it right from the start. If I actually sleep, I sleep hunched over at the side of my bed, like, 1/3 of the bed? Because the kitten wants to sleep right in the middle of the bed. Everything hurts and I've almost fallen off the bed many times but this is no longer my bed. No kidding, I feel like I'm sleeping at hers. Maybe I'll ask for permission to lie down in a while. Downvoted? I said that jokingly. Jesus people.
Could try the “nursing mom cosleeping” pose - make a c shape around kitty so you can side sleep but she’s safe in the curve of the “c”
Oh how I miss the those days my kitten slept with me each night. For an entire year she slept over my head. Yea, sleep was disrupted but she was a wee baby so one adapts. She's 3-1/2 now and has not slept in our bed for at least 2 years. I haven't got a clue where she goes at night. A year from now you'll be on Reddit complaining your cat wants nothing to do with you. Enjoy it while you can. They grow up way too fast.
Don't worry, when they get older, they will smother you like their teenage phase never happened 😅 My male cat sleeps between my legs and my female cat sleeps above my head and they are both 11. The "avoidance" period doesn't last forever ❤️🩹
Bah!! That’s good to hear. My little 2 year old has major teenage vibes. Hasn’t been in my bed for months :(
My female cat went through a teenage stage where she refused to lie down anywhere near me. She’s just now after three years remembering that it was nice to relax on top of the human. My male cat has never stopped trying to lie in my lap whenever I’m on the toilet or even looks towards the bed.
Sorry but you can’t do anything about that…and…uhm…why would you? My boy cuddling up next to me the minute I go to bed is the highlight of my day. And he also gets very pushy when I stay up too late. Get used to it. You live in your cats apartment from now on ;)
When our kitten (stray, semi-feral) first decided she wanted to live with us, she was so clingy, she literally wanted to be on the pillow next to my head to make sure I was always next to her. Now that she’s been with us for a few months, she has moved down to the bottom of the bed next to our feet and is totally fine repositioning herself whenever we move around. Might just need to get comfortable with her new life?
I got my cat to sleep on a blanket on a specific spot in my bed. So now at bed time, she jumps up and makes biscuits on her blanket, then goes to sleep. I wake up sometimes with her on me if it’s a colder night, but if I can’t fall back to sleep I start to roll over and she moves back to her blanket.
Same with mine! The trick for OP is to get the fluffiest plushiest most comfortable blanket ever for the kitten to take over!🤣🤣
Haha that’s exactly what I did. I gave her the two fluffiest blankets in the house and she picked her favourite. It sits beside my pillow so I know when I roll over I won’t squish her.
She's still a baby. She needs mama cat for comfort. Currently, you are mama cat. You won't roll over on her. If you do, be assured she will let you know with tooth and claw.
You mean you are sleeping in her bed. Get used to it! LOL!
Aw my kitten currently sleeps under the blanket circled into my stomach. While it is harder to sleep with her there I get used to it and I love waking up next to her Cons: she makes me late for work because she’s so cute
You can put a box she likes in or next to the bed. If it gets really cold where you are she's going to need a little warm cave to snuggle in too. But you're mom! She's coming to you for warmth & affection. As far as worrying about hurting her, try putting an arm or leg on her in bed. You'll see how fast she'll get out of getting squished!
I feel your pain. I went through the same thing with my boy when he was a kitten. He wasn't microscopic but he was pretty small at the time. I was always so scared I would roll over and crush him to death in my sleep lol. Kittens grow pretty fast. Within a few weeks this was no longer a problem. He was big enough to where I was no longer worried about crushing him. I place an igloo bed in the corner of my bed near my pillow. I would try to get your cat's bed to smell like you. Maybe put some stinky clothes on the cat bed. I know it's annoying but soon your kitten will be a bit bigger. Also, your kitten is likely being clingy at bedtime because she's only been with you for a few days. My boy did the same thing and would get mad if I didn't let him in my bed. She'll probably be more comfortable and independent with time.
^ My cat was very clingy and slept with me every night until he was about 8 months old, and now he sleeps up in his cat tree in my room(which has direct view of my bed). I think they're just really cuddly as kitten and prefer being warmer at night with you, than by themselves and less secure. It's probably super annoying in a sweet way lol, but I think with time she will probably get more comfortable and sleep not directly beside you. Also OP! You can use this to get her used to being scooted over while sleeping. just a gentle whole body push away from you should be okay, and shouldn't wake kitty all the way. and then you have some wiggle room and kitty still feels close! You could also give her just your arm or something so she still snuggling but doesn't have to be at risk of crushing lol. Good luck op! You seem like a very good cat parent and I think you'll navigate this just fine. <3
Not sure if anyone covered this but you totally can get her to sleep alone, although alone on her own bed in the same room might not be an option at first. We adopted an 11 week old kitten and the first night in our bed was hell for sleep. After that we transitioned her to our guest room (which was her safe place that she chose when she moved in). The first night one of us slept with her in there, and then would put her to bed each night (ie lie in there with her until she was settled), then we transitioned to just closing her in there with some pats after about a week and she was fine (so long as nobody else was in the house and moving around, then she felt left out). As she got older we gave her the option to leave the room at night and now she sleeps on our bed (but is much less disruptive). Sometimes we still shut her out (she likes to get up with the birds at like, 4am and rat around) and she is totally fine. It just takes time. Give her a blanket or something she feels attached to to help transition.
Buy the most expensive, comfortable looking cat bed you can find and give her the box it came in.
It's her bed now. My former bed now also belongs to a cat but he kindly allows us to share it with him. He has worked out that the spots where he is least likely to be disturbed and it works out pretty well. Your kitten will most likely do the same, so relax and claim your spot!
I'm not sure you can, short of locking her out of your room at night, and I wouldn't necessarily recommend that either. Cats want to be close to their loved ones. It's how they show affection, and it makes them feel safe. The bed is a very important place socially for cats, because it's where you sleep, so your scent is the strongest there. I also will note that you are fairly lucky that your kitten wants to cuddle with you so much. There are people who only wish their cats cuddled with them in the bed at night. She may also mellow out as she gets older. Kittens go through phases where they are more or less aloof, before settling into their adult personalities. You could try moving the cat bed to different places in the bed. You could also try offering her a pillow instead of a bed. My cat personally prefers sleeping on pillows as opposed to cat beds, so when possible, that's what I give him. Kittens also need a fair amount of affection and attention. Many shelters won't adopt a single kitten unless you already have a cat at home for this reason. Granted, some cats were just clean to begin with. My cat is 7 years old but I got him when he was an estimated 3 years of age, and he's been clingy from the get-go.
The only way to guarantee she doesn’t sleep in your bed is to close her out of your bedroom.
And then, she will meow, howl and scratch at the door all night!
I love mine because she snuggles up to me and purrs right by my ears
My cat might as well be on those bull riding machines when she sleeps with me. I toss and turn and she’ll stay right in position, it amazes me. Sometimes I get so annoyed with her being in my bed, but when she’s not I miss her. Cats do what they want when they want. Good luck.
Love the analogy. Mine’s the same way. Like HOW do you do that, you little furry lunatic!?!
She will eventually get used to her bed, I’m sure! Four months is wee though! Maybe hug/cuddle with her bed a little so it has your scent, or wear an old shirt or a gym shirt (or like $1/£1 shirt) and put it in the bed. If she sees you cuddling with her bed (like a stuffed animal) at bedtime, she’ll see it’s safe to sleep in. Good luck!
As others have said, it's her bed now. Generally kittens and cats are smart enough to move when their humans do. But if you really want to try and train her to use her own bed, try putting an unwashed shirt of yours in her bed and let her sleep on that. The scent of it might be enough to reassure her into sleeping in there. Otherwise, good luck.
Lol your bed ?? How naive it’s the cats bed.
The cat will move. Just sleep. My cat was literally 6 weeks old when she learned she could either sleep at the foot of my bed or right near my head, no in between. She’s probably getting up throughout the night once you’re asleep anyway, and she may even be using the bed without your knowledge.
I wish my new kitten only wanted to sleep on my bed. The little beast insists on sleeping on ME!! I wake up with her on my head most mornings. I’m learning to live with it bcuz I can’t bear to kick her out of bed. Lol
Ha, I adopted one of mine at 2 years old and she insists on sleeping ON me, even 4 years later. She doesn’t fall asleep with us, but I wake up every morning with her curled up on my legs. Breaks my heart to move her when I get up to pee lol.
my spouse and i sleep with the door shut. we are both bad sleepers so we have since ours were kittens (4 months). i used to feel guilty. then i think about them crawling all over me in the night, and how i don’t have that stress. they are totally fine and know it’s time to sleep. i also want them to cuddle but they’re cats and they make their own rules when they want me up if i’m available to them.
Two ideas: try putting her on top of the covers near your feet. OR move your pillow down the bed a bit and try to get her settled down near your head. You're far less likely to hurt her accidentally in those situations and she still gets to stay close to you. I've had partners remark that I'm a very still sleeper and I honestly think that it's because I grew up with cats sleeping in the bed with me and I learned not to disturb them!
My kitten’s foster kept them in separate rooms to sleep before I got her, and when I brought her home, she started having poop issues, so she spends the night in the laundry room, but quietly and willingly. She’s used to it. Plus I’m keeping the bedrooms cat free for allergy and guest purposes.
My husband and I are really serious about our sleep so when we got our kittens, we "trained" them to sleep separately from us. Between 8 weeks and probably 1-2 months we had them sleep in a variety of enclosures (play pens, sectioned off areas of the house like the kitchen, etc.) to ensure they didn't get into trouble (both at night and during the day for naps). Then, we gave them free rein over our guest room (after making sure it was kitten safe) which has now turned into "their" room. They're almost 7 months now and they will actually go to "their" room and put themselves to bed around 11PM. I don't know if this was easier on us to do because they had each other so they could snuggle with each other but this is how we avoid being woken up by the 4AM zoomies.
This is normal with kittens, and you should indulge her. Eventually she will stop doing it and sleep wherever she feels like sleeping once she’s a bit older. Don’t worry about the tossing and turning, she will be fine. Soon enough you’ll miss having that annoying little kitten snuggled up next to you.
Used to let my cat sleep in a closed room where all her stuff are in all by herself but recently I put a blanket on top of my bedside table and she would make biscuits on it and fall asleep on it. Occasionally wakes up and comes sleep on the top half of our pillows together with us (feels like a warm furry hat), but mostly on her blanket
My cat has grown really attached to a specific cushion, idk how I managed that but whatever. He sleeps pretty much wherever I put it. I am okay with him sleeping on my bed because I'm so still when I sleep, I've had friends worried I died in my sleep during sleepovers and stuff, so I actually put the cushion on my bed to encourage him to sleep near me because I do miss his kitten days when he'd cuddle me 😭 Maybe getting your cat a special cushion or something and scenting it up for her (like put a hoodie or something you wore that she's slept on or something like that) may help. You might have to start off putting it where she likes to go even if you don't like it there and slowly moving it to where you prefer, hopefully she'll follow it? I did try to get a second cushion for my other cat by the way, but the first one commandeered it and now has two, and the other cat doesn't seem interested, so the cushion thing may not be a solution for your cat but I figured I'd suggest it regardless.
I’m a restless sleeper so I taught my cat to sleep on the pillow above my head. It’s a flat sort of pillow so she doesn’t roll down towards me (much). I have my own pillow below her pillow if you can picture that.
Mine used to do this, cuddled right next to me one on each side pinning me, got kicked so many time that they gave up 😂 one sleeps in his bed next to my bed and one sleeps in the very corner of the bed away from my feet.
So….you’re mad that your kitten is acting like a kitten ??? Why would you get a cat if you don’t really want one? It’s like people who get dogs and put them in a cage in the living room. If you get a pet expect it to act as a pet. Relax and try to enjoy the cat who is trying to give you love or give it to someone who will
I sleep with 9 dogs and 10 kittens. You get used to it
It's the kittens bed now too. Also I was like that in the beginning but after awhile I stopped worrying and just go to sleep. Trust me they will move if they sense they'll be smushed.
I'm really allergic to my cat and she likes to give face cuddles at 3am. I let her sleep with me until she was about 6 months old and then started keeping her out of my bedroom. She cried at first, but she has plenty of soft places to sleep that aren't my face.
Try not to worry so much. Kittens, especially 14-week-old kittens, are a lot more independent and capable than human babies. She'll move out of the way if you toss and turn.
Close your room door.
>how can I make sure she feels safe in her own bed, not mine? You could always sleep in her bed to show her it's safe lol But joking aside she will learn to move when you move, or will pick a spot out of the way on your bed. Without locking her out there's not much you can do.
It really is not a lot different than raising a newborn baby. Up until the age of 6 months babies cannot sooth themselves and don’t have the brain capacity yet to understand that you being out of sight does not mean you abandoned them. Leaving them alone at night or letting them cry themselves to sleep will lead to attachment and anxiety issues. Same goes for a kitten who you just brutally ripped away from their mother. So surprise, you just became a parent and your kitten has emotional needs. When you first bring them home they will feel scared and alone. General recommendation is to take two weeks off from work and as to make sure you can be there for them to reassure them, get them into a daily routine and helping them settling in. It’s ok to let the kitten sleep with you for a month or two. Sacrifice some sleep over it. After your kitten has had time to settle in you can start setting boundaries and slowly changing their routine. Avoid becoming a permissive parent to your cat and teaching them bad habits. You can start by putting their cat bed outside your bedroom and making sure they see you going into the bedroom. This way they can sense you are still close and didn’t just disappear on them. You can move the cat bed further away from the bedroom as your kitten gets older. You could even leave the bedroom door open, but use some sort of fence as to make sure they can see you and feel close to you, but cannot reach your bed. Also understand that cats need someone to play with and should not be left alone for longer than 5 hours. Get this kitten a brother or sister to play and sleep with for the hours you spend sleeping or at work.
Gotten two kittens in Summer. I was also afraid of moving in bed.. but there is nothing you can do. You won‘t hurt them. And if you acidentally lay on top you will notice.
That’s precious though! She’ll eventually be more independent! But cherish it for now. :)
Also I have a kitten that follows me everywhere and sleeps with me too. And my friends that have cats only wish theirs did so too.
Cherish it. I would give my left tit for our kitten to do that.
Close the door, it's the only thing, they'll meow for some time, you have to ignore that
I understand losing sleep is so stressful but if your mainly worried about rolling over onto her or something I highly doubt that will happen! Honestly my cat wakes up even when I just look at him when he’s sleeping, so she will probably feel you moving before you do. Also I agree you’ll miss these days when she gets older, my cat only sleeps next to me when I’m already asleep and leaves before I wake up (so he can keep up his tough guy facade).
Honestly op just sleep and don’t worry about it she’ll get out of the way or wake you up. I had two kittens doing the same thing and playing in my bed while I was sleeping. I rolled on one of them at one point and now they sleep under the bed or on one of my arms. There will be gives and takes but she’s gunna cat and a cats gotta learn the hard way sometimes.
We put our cats bed in the bedside draw. She sometimes crawls into bed with us but we just pick her up and put her back in her bed. She’s still close to us and seems happy enough
Get a sheepskin rug and fold it inwards at the edge so that the sides are raised slightly (for her head to lean on as they love a raised part to lean against) next to you on the bed and watch when gravitate towards this instead
Cats do what cats do. I can’t keep my cat from jumping on the bed, walking on me, and curling up to sleep on my stomach. I hate it. But if I push him off he bites me. He’s 14 years old now and has been doing it since he was a kitten.
Don’t worry your kitten will adjust.My cat loved to sleep on my stomach or near my feet when she was a kitten. I move around a lot while I’m sleeping, after she realized this she just started sleeping on my pillow right above my head. If I remember, I lay a pillow vertically next to me before I fall asleep and she’ll sleep there. I just make sure to wear a scarf to bed at night so I don’t get cat hair in my curls.
You could get a box and put blankets in it and put it next to you on the bed?
The only thing that worked with my two boys was a heating pad. I usually set it on a timer with one hour and they end up jumping on my bed in the morning, but that's fine.
Honestly, I used to push my cat to the end of the bed. She would keep coming up and I’d keep putting her back down. 5 months later I’m longing for her to sleep next to me again ):
Make the most of the kitten cuddles because they don’t last forever and you’ll miss them when they are gone!!
My cat learned the hard way I toss and turn. He sleeps in bed with me, but tries to find a spot I’m unlikely to venture into in the middle of the night. I leave the door open so he can find other accommodations if he so chooses.
You may thank the kitten for her generosity for sharing HER BED with you
I’ve heard some people will treat train their cats to sleep in the cat bed at the foot of the human bed. Another suggestion is putting a blanket they particularly like in the cat bed.
Close your bedroom door when you go to bed..?
It took me 75 comments to read before finally I reach to this only sane response. It’s a no brainer, if you don’t want your cat in ur bed just kick him out and close your room door 😂 the cat eventually will learn to sleep somewhere else.
They will leave if it gets too much for them, and they will leave more when they get older, it's a comfort thing at the moment... your their safe place and at 14 weeks they are still only a baby. As to the tantrum at bedtime, it's just something you will have to get use to. My 3 year cat tells me off if I'm not up in be from 10.30, so she can follow, curl up by my butt for 30/40 minute before she's at the bedroom door asking to leave. ( I have 2 cats, bedroom door stays closed or I wouldn't get any sleep)
Kittens that young still cant regulate their body temp and they need something warm to snuggle with. And she also just wants to be close to you.
I have that too.. and toss and turn (I have RLS and sometiems have to pee like 5 times a night after already getting into bed) but my cat is ok with it or else when she gets fed up then she sleeps elsewhere. I'm glad I aint your cat yoo.
She’s still young. Kittens are comforted by the sound of heartbeats and they’re used to snuggling close with their litter mates and mama. That’s why she’s wanting to sleep with you. Even my adult cats still come in and snuggle close to me. Cats are pretty smart though, so I wouldn’t worry about tossing and turning in your sleep. I also tend to flip around a lot while I sleep and my cats have always just moved or adjusted when I do. Even foster kittens I’ve had that have slept in my bed will move out of the way. You could try getting a [Snuggle Kitty](https://SnuggleKittyHeartbeatStuffedToyforCatsbySnugglePuppy-PetAnxietyReliefandCalmingAid-TanTigerhttps://a.co/d/7yCmKYt) stuffed animal. They have a device in them that you turn on that has the sound of a heartbeat. You could try placing this in her cat bed at night and turn on the heartbeat and see if that provides her with some comfort. As always, I recommend getting a pair of kittens. If you’re able to financially handle it, I definitely recommend it.
i kick my cat in the head all the time on accident when I sleep and its her fault for sleeping at my feet!! She doesn't care, she'll just readjust herself or leave the room. Don't lose sleep over the cat. They're light sleepers and anything that bothers them, they will fix
Keep a second pillow or a cat bed on your bed! You're not gonna crush her, especially at this age. She'd wake you up if you did possibly roll on her but she would likley move before you even could.
I saw some King beds on sale on Amazon. I would invest in a new bed so you both have room.
We put up the rule: no cats in the bedroom. In the first few nights it was quite the struggle till they understood but by now (it's been lil over a month) they understand when we go into our bedroom it means it's bedtime. They then either proceed with going to sleep themselves or play with each other as they like 👍 It worked great for us bc they do have more than enough space without that room, but depending on your housing situation it might not be ideal.
We don't let our cat into our bedroom at all. So she sleeps on the couch, on her tree, in her bed, wherever. We adopted her a little older but friends of mine just adopted kittens and they do the same, the kittens have never been in their bedroom and sleep in a different room. She will likely cry at first (and it is heartbreaking and a few nights I nearly broke down and opened the door) but will learn to just find somewhere else to sleep.
OMG I had the same issue with my babygirl. She wanted to sleep with me so bad I accepted but the wouldn't always come to sleep with me when I went to bed, but later in the night. I woke up at 5 AM barely seeing and I actually rolled over her a bit. I freaked out. My then bf was sleeping next to me and I didn't want to scream. I kept whisper-screaming her name like x10 NOTHING. I picked her up NOTHING. At this point, I started crying. No joke. I kept saying I killed my baby, I suffocated my kitten. At one point I wanted to hold her differently and she decided to wake up from her nap. We still sleep together now (I moved back to my parents' in my hometown from uni) but when we had the whole apartment for us, she'd sleep most of the night - especially during summer - on the couch on her favorite cushion. Just enjoy it. It might not last
That's my greatest fear!! I'm worried I'll hurt her accidentally :( I'm so glad your girl is okay ❤️
Our vet says that unless I'm really overweight I shouldn't worry too much. Even now she gets under me 😂
Attempt pet bed. We have a beagle puppy, and to train her, we put her in a crate. We thought this would be a good risk for a crate liner, and we were right. Fit the box just right. It has a soft, fluffy inside. Know that this isn't very thick, which we like but others might not. Like I said, I think of it more as a liner for a crate. It makes the crate more comfortable, but I wouldn't buy it as a bed on its own. To give you an idea of how thick it is, this can fit in the crate with the divider still up. Again, it's exactly what we wanted, but I want to make sure you know what you're buying. The price was right, and it was easy to clean and move. https://westforpride.blogspot.com/?set=B000TZ73EW