Being a cat parent, especially for the first time, can be quite a challenge. Bringing a new kitten home means the start of a new adventure, and there may be some obstacles.
Of course, being a cat parent is a very sweet thing, however, it needs to be taken seriously because you’re now responsible for a new family member, your kitten! You need to feed it, provide it with all the things it needs, train it properly, and build a strong bond with it.
The most difficult period will probably be those first days while the kitten gets used to you and its new environment.
Kittens are usually relaxed and busy exploring their environment during the day. However, when night comes, there may be a few problems.
The reason for night time troubles is often that the kitten feels scared being alone in the night, therefore an important question comes up: where should my kitten sleep on the first night?
If you need help with this problem, read on and find out where should my kitten sleep on the first night as well as how to welcome your kitten into your home while minimizing problems.
Where Should My Kitten Sleep On The First Night?
On the first night in your home, it may be difficult for both you and your new furbaby to adjust. The kitten may be scared because it’s not familiar with its new surroundings, and all the new sights, sounds and scents it encounters. The kitten may be lonely and scared, especially because of the absence of its mother and siblings.
However, the kitten has a new parent who needs to take care of that problem, and to calm and reassure it. This means that the kitten should sleep in a safe spot, in a warm and cozy cat bed, with everything it needs nearby.
If you read on, you’ll find out how you can help your new little friend to calm down and feel comfortable in its new environment, as well as everything else that you should know about having a new kitten.
Prepare The Kitten Bed
An important thing to do is to prepare the kitten’s bed so it has a warm and cozy sleeping area where it will feel safe.
When choosing the right bed for your new kitten, make sure you pick a small one, that will be the perfect size for your feline friend. Larger cat beds may be too big for them, making them feel less secure, which may lead to sleeping difficulties.
Moreover, when choosing a cat bed, pick one that has high sides so that it retains the warmth and your kitten feels protected. Alternatively, you can place the bed or lots of blankets in a cat carrier to make the kitten feel more safe and protected.
Finally, the best thing when preparing a kitten bed is to provide the kitten with some sort of fluffy toy or a soft blanket, so that it has something to snuggle up in.
Moreover, this may remind the kitten of his siblings and mother, and its previous home. To make the bed warmer, you can even put a hot water bottle or heat mat under the soft blanket.
You can also ask the breeder if they have a blanket or something with the former home’s scent so you can give your new kitten something reassuring that reminds it of home.
A kitten’s sleep is an essential part of its life, so make sure you do your best when preparing the kitten’s bed.
Choose The Right Location
As well as the adequate preparation of the kitten’s bed, another crucial thing is, of course, the location of the bed.
When bringing your kitten home, it’s very important to introduce it slowly to the new environment, room by room. Put the kitten in a safe room, and only when it starts feeling comfortable there, should you continue introducing it to other areas of your home.
So, in which room should you put your new furry friend?
The best location would be your bedroom, but only if it has enough space. This may be a good choice, mostly because it’s a good thing to be close to your kitten, especially on its first night there.
This may help it to relax, especially when feeling your presence or hearing your voice.
Whichever room you choose for your kitten, it’s important it hasn all the necessary supplies and it should be kitten-proof.
The kitten’s safe room should be its own space that contains water bowls, food bowls, a clean litter box, cat toys, cat bed, scratching posts, cat tree, and similar things that are important for a kitten.
You should arrange it properly too; don’t put the litter tray close to the cat food, and don’t put the cat bed near windows or doors. The most secure spot would be in a corner where they can feel safe.
In order to make sure that the room is kitten-proof, here’s what you can do:
• Check the room and remove dangerous items
• Remove plants that can be bad for your kitten
• Secure the windows
• Remove breakable objects from the room
• Don’t have floor-length curtains in the room, or better yet, look for some cat proof curtains.
Do Kittens Need Light In The Dark?
Kittens may get scared and upset during the night time, especially during the first couple of days, so you may wonder if they need light in the dark.
Well, the answer is no, you shouldn’t leave the light on for a kitten during the night, as it will only disturb their sleeping pattern. It’s better to avoid leaving the light on, especially if you want your kitten to develop a good sleep routine.
If you don’t leave the light on, can kittens see in the dark at all?
Kittens can see in the dark, but only if there is low light; they shouldn’t be left in total darkness.
It’s a good idea to leave a hallway light on, or a dim night light, so that you can see your kitten, and so that the kitten can see properly if it needs to use the litter box or if it decides to snuggle in your bed. This may also help you not to step on your kitty in the middle of the night.
New Cat In A New Home
When a kitten arrives at its new home, the first thing it may do is hide, which is completely normal. Cats react by hiding when they arrive in unknown places because they feel scared.
So, when you get home, make sure that you put the kitten’s needs first. Put the kitten in its room and give it plenty of time to explore the room and get used to it.
It’s very important not to let the kitten out of the room, or introduce it to other pets or family members for the first 24 hours. Let the kitten explore the room, sounds, scents etc., otherwise you will only upset it.
Only when your kitten seems to be comfortable in its new environment, should you let it explore other rooms. Finally, when the kitten gets to know every corner of the house, then you can introduce other pets to your kitten.
However, you should be very careful during the introduction process especially if you have a resident adult cat. The process should be slow and careful, and you should look for warning signs during the cat introduction in order to prevent possible catfights or similar issues.
Kitten Meeting The Litter Box
The meeting with the litter box is one of the things that should happen as soon as the kitten comes to its new home. A litter box is an essential in the kitten’s room, and luckily, cats tend to learn very quickly how to use it.
Some kittens may have already learned how to use the litter tray from their mother, however, if that’s not the case, then it’s up to you to teach it.
This process shouldn’t be difficult as long as you’re following these steps:
• Show the cat the litter box, let her come close to it and explore it.
• After that, put the cat in the litter box, let her sniff it, and explore the cat litter.
• If your feline immediately leaves its mess in the litter tray, excellent! Now make sure that you reward that behavior. Also, don’t clean it immediately, let the scent remind the kitten to use the litter box again.
• Put your kitten in the litter box immediately after a meal, or when it’s looking for the perfect spot to leave a mess.
• Eventually, the kitten will realize what the litter box is there for, but don’t forget to reward it every time it uses the box.
It’s very important not to punish or yell at the kitten if it happens to leave the mess outside the litter box, as that may upset and scare the little furball, causing trauma. Just be patient and calm and believe in your furry friend.
Handling A New Kitten
It’s very hard to resist sweet little kittens, I mean, who wouldn’t love to cuddle with them all the time? Although it’s very hard to resist, you should stay strong.
Firstly, make sure you spend most of your time near your kitten. Don’t pay attention to it all the time, just be there so that the kitten can feel secure by sensing your presence and hearing your voice.
Secondly, it’s highly important that every cat owner learns to read their cat’s body language. Through their body language and behavior, cats show us their feelings and tell us when something’s wrong.
Therefore, monitor the cat’s body language and only pick the kitten up or play with it when it shows its curiosity. Don’t overdo it; set aside some time to play with the kitten but after that, leave it alone again to explore on its own.
Always let the kitten make the first move, instead of putting a lot of pressure on it. It’s crucial that you teach children how to behave with kittens and cats, if you have any.
Do Kittens Sleep During The Night?
Some cat parents may have problems with their new kittens and their sleeping schedule, even after providing them with everything that they need. So the main question is, do kittens sleep during the night at all?
Well, cats are crepuscular animals which means that they’re awake mostly at dawn and dusk. That can affect your sleeping schedule, and it can make you think that your kitten isn’t sleeping at all.
However, young kittens sleep around 16 hours a day; they just tend to activate during the night!Most kittens have difficulty sleeping, especially on the first night, because it’s their first night in a new environment without their mother and siblings.
This problem won’t last forever. As soon as your kitten gets used to a certain routine and feels comfortable in its new home, it probably won’t have sleeping disturbances anymore.
If you want to know how to help your furry little friend during those first days, and if you’re wondering whether you should let the kitten sleep in your bed, then continue reading and find out!
Should I Let My Kitten Sleep In My Bed?
Letting your kitten sleep in your bed is a cute idea, but not always a good one.
Your bed is way bigger than the kitten’s, therefore, the kitten may feel frightened and unprotected there. Moreover, there are higher risks of hurting the kitten, or the kitten falling from the bed.
A lot of accidents can happen overnight, especially if your kitten is still not litter trained.
However, instead of letting your kitten sleep in your bed with you and risking any problems, you can simply just let the kitten sleep in your bedroom.
Provide the kitten with a secure spot, maybe a corner, where you’ll put its cat bed, and don’t forget the necessary supplies such as litter tray, food, water, toys, and similar.
That way, a kitten will have a warm and cozy sleeping spot, where it can feel safe and comfortable because of sensing your presence there.
How Long Do Kittens Sleep?
If you expect your kitten to sleep all night, you should know that it’s not that simple. Cats are crepuscular animals so, as previously mentioned, they’re most active at dusk and dawn.
The truth is that younger kittens love to cuddle up and to sleep a lot. They may sleep around 16 hours a day. However, they still may be active at dawn and dusk as well as waking up frequently throughout the night.
There are certain things you can do to improve your kitten’s sleeping schedule as this is very important for a kitten’s overall health, so read on if you want to find out how to get kittens to sleep.
How To Get Kittens To Sleep?
There are few important things when it comes to establishing a sleeping arrangement for your furry little friend. This is very important, not only for your undisturbed sleep, but also for the kitten because sleep is very important for them at this stage.
First of all, the schedule will depend on your kitten and its personality. All cats have different personalities, some of them require more love and attention, while some of them are more independent.
So, the most help you’ll need is with a sensitive kitten, and here’s how you can help them to snooze quickly.
Feeding Schedule
The feeding schedule plays an important role when it comes to implementing a sleeping schedule. Cats are creatures of routine, so make sure that you set a feeding time properly so that you don’t have to change it as change can be really stressful for a cat.
The reason why your kitty wakes up at night may be because you’re feeding it too early and then it wakes up because it’s hungry.
The solution for this particular problem is to set their meal time right before bed time. That way, they will be fuller for a longer period of time and won’t have to wake up; on the contrary, the late meal will help them sleep better.
Playtime
Another effective way of getting kittens to sleep is to have playtime before bedtime.
With an interesting play session, not only will you spend quality time with your feline friend (and keep the kitten mentally and physically in good condition) but you’ll also exhaust the kitten, which will definitely help it to sleep better.
Moreover, playtime will help both you and your kitten to bond, and to make the kitten feel comfortable and secure, therefore, it can fall asleep more easily knowing that it’s safe there.
Patience
All cats and kittens are different. There are some kittens that cannot be helped, they just need some time to get used to their new home. In the meantime the kitten may meow or cry..
As a responsible cat owner, after doing everything that you can, all you have left is to be patient.
Make sure you provide the kitten with a lot of love and affection, to let it know that it’s safe there. Most importantly, stick to the kitten’s routine and just wait until it calms down.
Love And Affection
Some kittens are independent, some are crybabies, but some are so adorable that they only want your love and attention. The kittens that crave your love and attention trust you and know that everything’s going to be alright, as long as you’re there.
Of course, these kittens may be anxious and afraid the first time they arrive at their new home, but as soon as you show them your love they’ll know that everything’s going to be alright.
FAQ
Can You Leave A New Kitten Alone At Night?
Leaving a kitten alone during the night is not recommended, especially not during those important first days. Kittens are little babies that require your attention at least every four to six hours; your presence may calm them and make them feel protected.
What Should You Do If Your Kitten Is Crying At Night?
If your kitten is crying at night, first you can try giving it some love and attention as your presence and voice may calm them. However, the kitten may be crying because of the absence of its mother and siblings.
In that case, you can provide your kitten with a blanket, even better if you have one with a scent of its former home, or with a stuffed toy. In order to make the kitten feel warm and cozy, you can put a hot water bottle under the blanket.
Do Kittens Need A Bed?
Yes, kittens need a warm and cozy bed to sleep on. However, when choosing a bed for your little kitten, make sure that you choose a small one instead of a regular cat bed.
Another important thing is that the bed has high sides, and that it’s located in a stress-free location.
All In All
When you bring a new kitten to your home, the main question is probably where should my kitten sleep on the first night. Well, you should provide your kitten with a safe, warm and cozy spot in a stress-free location.
Keep in mind that your kitten is just a fur baby and that it may be scared, especially now that it’s separated from its mother and its littermates for the first time.
You should be careful with the kitten and follow the guidance that this article provides you with.
Carefully introduce the kitten to only one room and then as the kitten becomes more comfortable, you can slowly start introducing him to other things.
If your kitten’s having trouble sleeping, you can let it sleep in your bedroom, if it’s large enough, along with all the necessary things the kitten needs. That way, the kitten may feel safer and find it easier to sleep.
Don’t worry; the kitten just needs some time to get used to everything new, but with a proper sleeping and feeding schedule, play time, patience, and a lot of love and affection, I assure you that you and your new furry friend will click in a blink of an eye.
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