Malibu, Kali & Odrick

[WitchyWoman]

Gosh, he's just soooo cute. All 4 of mine immediately adapted to my sleep schedule. None of them toe pounced or used me as a trampoline but each of them would wake up and play with a toy for awhile in the middle of the night. Atticus began toe pouncing when he reached 2 yrs. along with using me as a trampoline, licking my nose, and running around the bed as though he were on the Indianapolis Speedway. I didn't find any of that fascinating between midnight and 4 a.m. He was banished for life from the bedroom after that.

 

[Ninja-n-Bear]

Our boys have gone through phases of nighttime mania, but are pretty good now if we stick to routine. They were terrors until about 6 months, tho, it was like have two tiny meth addicts in the house. They'd be up for days with maybe 15 minute naps here and there, then crash hard for whole day, lather rinse repeat.

Our night routine is as follows: He eats dinner at 8PM. The we play hard with the feather wand & his kickeroos until almost 9.

Try switching the order, play hard first, and then feed him closer to bedtime. I would personally resist playing with him when he wakes you up, just redirect him to his toys, and move out to the couch. Whatever you teach him now will set up his habits for later...

I thought cats were supposed to be quiet & stealthy by nature LOL

Nope! Ninja is just over 11lbs, and sounds like a herd of horses when he runs through the house. Hits the ground like a sack of potatoes when he jumps off of things or body slams his Ripple Rug, too. Bear is much more quiet, no idea how with his larger frame. It must be all of that fluffy fur, lol.

 

[Patti]

A scrunched up piece of paper, a cardboard box, a drinking straw can be more fun for them than store bought toys.

The ring you pull off the cap on milk cartons is a favorite of all my cats

 

[Patti]

The auto feeder feeds him at 2AM

Try feeding him earlier and/or more frequently during the night

 

[SavannahLuv]

@SV Dad Did all of you sleep with your kitten?

Congrats! Odrick is adorable ....it makes me want another kitten.

Shango was great as a kitten and would sleep on my neck/shoulder or curled up right next to me as close as he could get. If he woke up, he'd go play on his own (usually on his cat wheel) and once he got tired again he'd go back to sleep. The older he got, the more ornery he got. He went through a phase where it was "fun" to pounce and bite me in the middle of the night. I started sleeping with a squirt bottle under my pillow and very slowly I got him to break the bad habit. He never bit hard, just a play nip, but unacceptable behavior since it was usually on my nose or neck area. While his biting stopped, I still haven't convinced him it's not "fun" to pounce on mommy when she's trying to sleep so when I got my new house I decided on a 3 bedroom so I'd have my own room, home office and Shango could have his own room. It's usually 12am-2am before it's bedtime. I always have a play session before bed and then he gets put in his bedroom for the rest of the night and I let him out the next morning when I wake up. He gets fed raw food twice a day, breakfast and dinner and when I put him in his bedroom at night I always give him a snack (3oz of wet cat food and some treats.) As a growing kitten, he ate a lot more and was fed closer to 4 times a day plus his midnight/bedtime snack.

While I miss having Shango sleep in my bed (when he's actually sleeping), having his own bedroom is the best way to ensure I get a good nights sleep without being pounced on/woken up throughout the night. He does have a cat wheel in his room along with several toys so he won't get bored.

 

[Abby2932]

Hi!

I'm still living in Paradise over here My friends are wondering where I am and why I haven't been socializing. I never want too leave my house anymore!

Odrick has been eating 100% raw for five full days now. I thought (being a kitten) he would have taken to any food with open arms but I had to mix the raw into his canned for him to eat it. I did two days of 25/75, two days of 50/50, two days of 75/25 and then Friday we went 100% raw. Each time I increased the raw into his food, he wouldn't eat it with gusto but after a meal or two, he would get used to it and chow down. I've never had a picky eater before so I hope now that he's on raw, he'll do fine when I rotate proteins...but I guess we'll find out soon enough! I feed Kali rabbit, beef, turkey, lamb, pork, cavies, goat & llama. Odrick is eating pork right now and I'll introduce turkey in about a week or two.

Odge is weighing in at 6lb 7oz, give or take an ounce or two (he doesn't sit still on the scale). He weighed 5lb 4oz the day I brought him home, which was 13 days ago now. I think that's a healthy growth rate? He doesn't eat as much as I expected him to. I thought he was going to go through almost a pound a day but he's only been eating about 7 or 8 ounces a day. I know that's still a significant amount. Kali only eats about 3-4oz of raw a day to keep her 8lb figure. I just thought he would eat more but based on his weight gain, I'm going to have to assume that he's eating enough.

Kali & Odrick have not seen each other yet although there was a close call when he ran past me when I entered the room. I was able to snatch him up really quick and it's possible they might have seen each other but I don't think they did. Tomorrow evening makes two weeks since he's been home & I will start to do site swapping and let Kali in the bedroom & Odrick in the rest of the house for a couple hours to familiarize himself with the rest of the place. My plan is to do this for a week. After he's been home for three full week, I'll introduce the cats Kali has not been disturbed at all about him being in the room. Her behavior is fine, she's eating, using the litterbox, snuggling with me, etc. She did hiss at his door a few times the first week but she hasn't done that in a while.

The Ripple Rug came in but Kali confiscated it. I gave Odrick this cool motorized toy but it scared the bejeezus out of him! After a minute or so, he got brave and started playing with it. Video below.

 

[Ninja-n-Bear]

That Ripple Rig is just irresistible! I love the look in Kali's eyes - git that rug!

Good gosh, his feet are defs bigger than in the last video you posted - he's growing fast, a pound in two weeks, sheesh! Ours gained about a pound a month.

Bear is funny the first day of a new food mix (we rotate proteins, too) and will only eat about a third of his portion. After that, he cleans his plate each time. Where do you get llama in Louisiana? (lol)

 

[Abby2932]

@Ninja-n-Bear haha I get all the cat's raw food from Hare Today & Raw Feeding Miami

 

[Patti]

Odrick's weight looks fine so I wouldn't worry too much about how much or little he eats. Kittens will eat as much as needed, it's unusual for a kitten to overeat, although they can develop food aggression but even then I've never seen one overeat.

I don't think that motorized toy is going to last too long!

 

[SV Dad]

I gave Odrick this cool motorized toy but it scared the bejeezus out of him! After a minute or so, he got brave and started playing with it. Video below.

I had three of those.. . Not one of them lasted more than a week, and mine are F3's. Others have had similar circumstances. I predict it will be viciously attacked.