Bedroom and kitty

[mr body]

This was going to be a simple question, but it turned almost into an essay lol. So consider this my intro/question

I've had my kitten, Smokey, for about four weeks now. He's about 12 weeks old and was taken away from his mother way too early. I got him from my friends cousin. I know if I didn't take him, he would have eventually ended up out on the street with his brothers and sisters. Which he did do a week later. He's an aggressive little thing, and I know it's not him being mean. Cats are hunters by nature, and right now he's just exploring that side of him. I know that once he gets older he'll calm down. This is just new for me because I'm 35. The last cat I had, my mom got her when I was 11, and she passed when I was 27. So it's a bit different being an adult with a full time job and dealing with a kitten, than an 11 year old with just as much energy. With the last cat, Misty, I also discovered I have cat allergies. I'm not to the point where I can't be in the room with them, but I do have to wash my hands after handling. If I rub my eyes, it'll feel like huge foreign objects are in there. Which leads me to my bedroom. I would rather not have him in here. He's not shedding now, but I know eventually he will. Plus, Smokey has fleas. I gave him a bath in some dawn, but he trashed around so much I couldn't give him a good bath. It also hurt hearing his cries. I took him to the vet the next day for his shots, and he was given a treatment for the fleas as well. He's not scratching like he was, but I want to make sure they're gone before I even think about letting him in there. Also, he won't leave me alone at night. It doesn't matter how much I tire him out. He will be in my bed attacking my feet, fingers and laying on my head. So I keep the door closed and he cries so loud. If it wasn't for the flea issue, I would probably cave in, but because of that I'm not and it hurts to hear him go on like that. I'm scared that I'm really hurting him. Am I doing harm to him by keeping him out of my bedroom?

 

[petcrazy76]

My oldest cat Peanut won't come in our bedroom (long story), but he hates it when he can't peak in. If our door is closed he makes this awful sound like he's in horrible pain. Then I open the door, he looks in, gets a head rub and is on his way. He used to make the same sound when he wanted to know where people were but didn't want to look for them. He'd cry until I said something and then he'd wander in by me.

Not sure if it's the same for you kitty, but mine do that as a way to get attention. Like a whiney kid trying to wear you down.

 

[jcat]

to TCS!

My brother had a severe cat allergy, so my parents didn't allow our cats in the bedrooms. They didn't suffer any psychological damage from being shut out and simply found other places to sleep at night. Smokey will eventually get used to the idea that your bedroom is out of bounds and stop whining the whole time you're in there, though he still might give a "token whine" just to let you know he'd rather be in there.

We don't let Mogli in our cellar, because he raids the pantry down there and will get into things he's allergic to. He slips down there every chance he gets and will sometimes give an "experimental cry" at the cellar door, just in case we've changed our minds. :lol3:

 

[mservant]

I've never wanted to, or had to, keep my cats out of my room but my mum once tried when she looked after my 2 tabby girls. They didn't just catawaul and whine, they threw themselves at the door all night. She caved in on night 3 I think as no one got any sleep.

Thankfully they had grown out of the killing hands and feat stage by then.  I think you can leave them on their own without doing them psychological harm to them - but I have no comment on what it does to you in the process: I suspect it's not far off parents trying to train their children to stay in their own bedrooms!  It might help if you can establish a clear routine with a play, and a treat in a nice warm comfy place your cat chooses to snuggle in at other times, perhaps with one of his/her favorite toys or comforter? A Feliway plug in in that area might help too. When Mouse isn't sleeping at night he often chooses to sit on a nice thick bit of rug just outside my bedroom door where he can be cozy but watch everywhere and make sure we're all safe / that no daring rodent has wandered in to his zone!  Somewhere close but not actually in your room might be easier than somewhere at the far end of the house as long as you can prevent said kitten from sneaking in every time you get up for a 'comfort' break or snack! 

Good luck. Persevere and you should get there.

 

[catpack]

Is it an option to get him a furbuddy?? It would help get energy out of him and also help him with any play aggression he has. Would also give him a distraction at night and *hopefully* allow you to get a better night sleep.

If it is an option, just make sure to get a cat with his energy level.

I work for a rescue and believe *most* cats do better with a playmate. And seeing as yours is still so young (and was taken away from mom early) I think it would be a great option!

 

[lianaspoken]

My cat Daisy will scream hours on end to get in the bedroom and then scream to just get back out again. I always figured it was due to the nature of their behavior. They like to be aware of their surroundings and to know where "their" people are at.

I've noticed my male cat will literally make rounds at various times throughout the night and my female cat just wants to come in and take naps and then go back to a different part of the room. She has even torn up my carpet by the door when I simply refuse to get out of bed one more time!

.. But No, I do not think you are doing any permanent harm to your cat by not letting him in your room at night.

 

[deborahlee]

Ask the vet which treatment he used, and at what point it would be safe to assume all the fleas are gone.

You said you tire them out before bed; what time do you feed them?   Try a double whammy -- tire them out and then feed them late, so they will be a less energetic while they have a full belly.  Those two together might give you a little bit of a break.

You might also consider getting some sort of movment sensor thingy that will beep loud or something when they come to your door.  I saw that on "My Cat From Hell" and it seemed to work.

 

[mservant]

 
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You might also consider getting some sort of movment sensor thingy that will beep loud or something when they come to your door.  I saw that on "My Cat From Hell" and it seemed to work.

Interesting idea  

but think it depends on whether you want to go for the 'there are other nice comfy places and you get rewards for going there', or the 'our room is scary' tactic I guess.  I would go for one or the other and unless you want to risk increased stress behaviours while trying to get them to stop coming in your room I'd probably try without the scary noises first.