Night Time

[kittehtime]

So @ the moment Merlin is sleeping in the livingroom in his playpen. It's a nice size for one cat, I think, but I always feel SO guilty for having him "locked up" at night. Especially since he's by himself.

So last night I left one of the doors unlatched, to see if he'd try to get out. Well, I came out this morning and he was laying on his fleece blanket inside the playpen but the door I left unlatched was WIDE open. Like he had gotten out and then went back to his playpen. He was very happy this morning, didn't meow once like he normally does when he hears my son and I wake up. He stood up and stretched happily when I came into the livingroom and waited for ME to pick him up...even tho a door on his playpen was wide open, lol.

His food and water are inside the playpen, for human-baby safety purposes. Same goes for one of his litter boxes. (which I wonder, by the way, if it's getting to be too small for him. How big do litter boxes need to be? He uses it fine...hmmm...)

My question is: should I continue to let him decide if he wants to roam the house at night? While sleeping, I close the bedroom door, and if Merlin were to roam the house i'd have to keep it closed because w/ my son still nursing frequently at night we move around the bed a lot so it would be for Merlin's safety really that he isn't allowed to sleep in bed with us right now. One day he will, but it's just not an option right now.

Does anyone think he is SAD that he can't come sleep w/ us? When I go to the bedroom at any time, Merlin tries to come too. It hurts my heart.

He does like his playpen, tho. As I type this he's on the highest perch cleaning breakfast from his face and watching us.

I'm about to go grab him and snuggle.

Sorry for the kinda long post...

 

[mrblanche]

It sounds like he has a comfort/safety zone thing going on with his pen.

If you allow him to wander the house, he will almost certainly end up on the bed with you. Except for the smallest of kittens, I've never worried about them being on the bed; they're pretty good at staying out of your way (but not perfect, of course).

And some cats are just not "bed cuddlers." Our Sterling comes in for a quick cuddle when we go to bed, then quickly leaves. When I'm not home, he sleeps on my side of the bed. Ella will sleep on the bed, but rarely against either of us. Punkin and Flambe will sleep at the foot of the bed, but usually get up and leave as soon as we show any signs of getting up.

 

[kittehtime]

Whoa ya'll have a full house! lol

I'd love for him to snuggle us but I just don't know. He does feel safe in his playpen.

There wouldn't be an issue w/ his litter box tho? He'd know to get to his box in the livingroom? Or would I need to have a box in the bedroom, too?

I worry about him trying to play w/ my son while he's sleeping tho...LOL!!

And I do worry about us rolling onto him. He's so little in my eyes!

What if I have the playpen in the bedroom? Then I just worry about him not remembering where his food is/litterbox is. LOL. I don't know I think i'm overthinking this! He's just my baby, just as much as my human-baby is. lol, is that weird?!

 

[rewboss]

I doubt that Merlin is sad that he can't sleep with you -- that suggests that he can imagine sleeping with you in the first place even though he never has, and it's not clear that cats, or most other animals, are capable of that level of abstract thought.

But it seems that he doesn't resent having been shut in his playpen. I think it's likely that it's just part of his routine. So is having you lift him out of there every morning, and if you keep that up, and Merlin is particularly set in his ways, you'll be doing that for the rest of his life. Probably, if you took away his playpen, he might be at a loss as to where he's supposed to sleep.

 

[cat person]

Originally Posted by rewboss

I doubt that Merlin is sad that he can't sleep with you -- that suggests that he can imagine sleeping with you in the first place even though he never has, and it's not clear that cats, or most other animals, are capable of that level of abstract thought.

But it seems that he doesn't resent having been shut in his playpen. I think it's likely that it's just part of his routine. So is having you lift him out of there every morning, and if you keep that up, and Merlin is particularly set in his ways, you'll be doing that for the rest of his life. Probably, if you took away his playpen, he might be at a loss as to where he's supposed to sleep.

I agree with you more then you know! Please stay around, as you are very very wise and realistic in my humble opinion

!

 

[mrblanche]

Cats are naturally active at night.

How old is the little guy, now? If he's old enough to find the litterbox at all, he's probably old enough to remember where it is.

 

[kittehtime]

Thanks everyone!!

 

[speakhandsforme]

I think he should be able to find the litterbox if you keep it in the same place. He'll be able to smell his way to it.

And Boots slept on my bed at 8 weeks old, never got squished. He'd always wake up and move if I started to roll over onto him. Then again, it's only me in my bed, and your son might not be old enough to know not to roll over onto the kitty to snuggle.

 

[kittehtime]

Originally Posted by speakhandsforme

I think he should be able to find the litterbox if you keep it in the same place. He'll be able to smell his way to it.

And Boots slept on my bed at 8 weeks old, never got squished. He'd always wake up and move if I started to roll over onto him. Then again, it's only me in my bed, and your son might not be old enough to know not to roll over onto the kitty to snuggle.

that was my main worry.

i moved his pen into the bedroom, and he seems to prefer it in there actually. I guess because it's a little darker and in less of an open environment. I leave the bottom doors wide open during the day and last night I left them wide open as well.

He did fantastic! He snuggled up on the foot of my son's bed (my son's bed is pushed up against the "big bed") and purred. Then at some point during the night he left us to sleep in his pen, on his favorite blanket that I have for him on the top perch. When we woke, he came to us and snuggled.

It was SO much better having him in the room with us. He seemed to really prefer it as well. And it was nice waking up and having my son say, "morning Merlin!" and Merlin purr.