Kitten yowling to get under bed, please help

[Sugardroid]

Hello, I've posted a couple times about my new kitten so I'm sorry but I've never had a kitten before so I don't know what's normal behavior and what might be an issue.

I adopted a 3 month old kitten about a month ago (so she's now around 4 months) and she has gotten very comfortable, at least I think she has. she's very affectionate and loves cuddling with me at night and doesn't seem to have any problems aside from a few weird bathroom habits and she might be sick but I've taken her to the vet and got her medicine. aside from that she's very playful and has a big appetite, so she doesn't act like she's sick. she was just sneezing so they gave her medicine just in case she might have a cold or respiratory infection. but she acts normal and energetic and crazy.

However, I don't like her going under my bed so I've blocked off all entrances but now she's literally almost hurting herself trying to squeeze through the obstacles to get under the bed. she yowls and meows the entire time and I'm constantly pulling her out of the cracks. I don't know why she's so obsessed with getting through the obstacles to get under the bed. is it normal for kittens to obsess like that? should I just let her go under there?

Eventually after she's tired of it she settles down on my bed and takes a nap. she doesn't try and hide anywhere else so she doesn't act like she ever wants to hide. and she doesn't try to get under the bed unless it's dark in my room. it seems like only certain times does she try and do it. and she's been doing this basically since I've adopted her.

I don't know why sometimes she's very eager to nap next to me but other times she's willing to hurt herself to get underneath the bed. it's like 50/50 whether or not she's going to lay with me or want to get under the bed. someone please help, I need insight on this. I'm very worried I love her so much

 

[ArtNJ]

I think its very likely that this is just routine normal behavior. Kittens like to go under beds. It is a safe place, from their perspective. Its generally best to let them do it. They will generally stop eventually, when they are comfortable. If your bedroom was her original home base/safe room, nowhere else is likely to have that perception to it. So she doesn't just want to hide, she wants to go to her safe/happy place. And you won't let her. Cats can be VERY persistent and take a long time to be deterred simply by being removed from an area. For example, many here have removed a cat from the kitchen table literally hundreds of times. So this seems normal to me.

So the answer here is to shift gears. Let her under the bed. Continue working to give her love when she is out. You can lure her out with toys, with promises of petting, and once in a while with treats. Make sure she has the kind of cat tree with a high perch and hidey spots in the main living room and preferably a few other spots and eventually she'll likely hang out on those. And just don't worry about it if she goes under there sometimes and doesn't want to be lured out. Thats ok. She is a cat, not a dog, and will need her "me time" sometimes.

Sometimes cats claw their way into a boxspring or something, and maybe in that instance you need to draw a line and restrict access. But for a young kitten still newish to the home to want to spend some time under the bed is totally fine.

P.S. I currently have a kitten of the same age that I've had for a month, just like you. She likes to go under the couch if something alarms her even a tiny bit, to hide and pop out, or sometimes just because. She doesn't cause any trouble under there and is very well adjusted generally, so I don't worry about it. In the past, I've had kittens that liked to go under beds, and even had one of the "make a hole in the boxspring" kittens (ugh). All normal.

 

[She's a witch]

Kittens are generally curious and they love exploring and getting everywhere, and maybe apart from seeing under the bed as a safe place as A ArtNJ mentioned, maybe she just simply wants to check what’s there. I don’t know what kind of bed do you have and if you keep anything in there, so you’ll have to assess whether it’s safe for a kitten; if it’s kitten proofed I see no reason not to let her explore it. It’s possible that she will loose interest in staying there after she’ll learn that there’s nothing interesting down there

 

[Sugardroid]

I think its very likely that this is just routine normal behavior. Kittens like to go under beds. It is a safe place, from their perspective. Its generally best to let them do it. They will generally stop eventually, when they are comfortable. If your bedroom was her original home base/safe room, nowhere else is likely to have that perception to it. So she doesn't just want to hide, she wants to go to her safe/happy place. And you won't let her. Cats can be VERY persistent and take a long time to be deterred simply by being removed from an area. For example, many here have removed a cat from the kitchen table literally hundreds of times. So this seems normal to me.

So the answer here is to shift gears. Let her under the bed. Continue working to give her love when she is out. You can lure her out with toys, with promises of petting, and once in a while with treats. Make sure she has the kind of cat tree with a high perch and hidey spots in the main living room and preferably a few other spots and eventually she'll likely hang out on those. And just don't worry about it if she goes under there sometimes and doesn't want to be lured out. Thats ok. She is a cat, not a dog, and will need her "me time" sometimes.

Sometimes cats claw their way into a boxspring or something, and maybe in that instance you need to draw a line and restrict access. But for a young kitten still newish to the home to want to spend some time under the bed is totally fine.

Thanks for replying. Ive had cats all my life but never kittens, and none of my cats have ever acted like this. none of them have wanted to spend much time under the bed they've all preferred chairs and other spaces. So I was a little concerned when I saw that she was very persistent in getting underneath the bed. the reason I don't like her going under there is because she's had an accident in the living room where she jumped into a box and peed in it so I'm afraid she's going to pee under my bed so I just blocked it all off to avoid that. I just want her to feel safe and happy so if she truly wants under there I guess I'll have to let her. I also don't want her spending all her time down there and not wanting to spend any time with me :c

 

[ArtNJ]

She's a witch makes a good point too. There could be an element of it being more interesting now that you have made it harder to get in.

Wanting her not to hide under there is totally normal. Many folks that make their bedroom the kitten's initial home base find that their kitten spends most of up to the first week under there and its very frustrating for them. Only some kittens are that way of course, but its common. For you to have a kitten that still wants to go under once in a while, but does like interacting with you, is not such a big deal by comparison.

 

[Sugardroid]

Kittens are generally curious and they love exploring and getting everywhere, and maybe apart from seeing under the bed as a safe place as A ArtNJ mentioned, maybe she just simply wants to check what’s there. I don’t know what kind of bed do you have and if you keep anything in there, so you’ll have to assess whether it’s safe for a kitten; if it’s kitten proofed I see no reason not to let her explore it. It’s possible that she will loose interest in staying there after she’ll learn that there’s nothing interesting down there

Very true! I should let her explore and decide for herself. Thanks for replying I really needed advice

 

[Sugardroid]

She's a witch makes a good point too. There could be an element of it being more interesting now that you have made it harder to get in.

That's cute you have a kitten too! I'm glad I'm not alone in this, lol. But thanks a lot for all the advice, I will allow her to get under there!

 

[ArtNJ]

Thanks! I've had six or seven kittens over the years, but this is the first time I've had an older cat that plays very nicely with a kitten. So its something new for me and super cute. But experience doesn't help much with everything...still struggling to teach her to only use the scratching posts. I still ask questions here, some of this stuff isn't easy.

 

[Sugardroid]

Thanks! I've had six or seven kittens over the years, but this is the first time I've had an older cat that plays very nicely with a kitten. So its something new for me and super cute. But experience doesn't help much with everything...still struggling to teach her to only use the scratching posts. I still ask questions here, some of this stuff isn't easy.

Aw, youre an experienced kitten parent! But yeah for sure, parenting little kittens definitely has its frustrating and difficult moments. Asking questions on here has helped me a lot better care for her because I've been so lost lol I didn't realize how different they are to older cats. I've only ever babysat kittens and I still had no idea what I was in for lol but I love her a lot. Cheers to us and our new babies ♡

 

[susanm9006]

Some cats just like to sleep in dark and private places. You can use some boards and screws to make a box that fits around your bed so that the kitten can’t get through. Then you ignore her whining and crying. I would also make sure she has another small enclosed space in a dark corner or under a piece of furniture to sleep in, like a covered cat bed.