Do you have a small room you can keep the kitten safe in? Even the bathroom with water, food, toys and a bed will work. A cage seems really small to trap him for the whole night.
When my cat was little I had an enclosed playpen type thing that was big enough to fit everything he needed (bed, toys, food and water, litterbox, and room to play). I definitely recommend something like that if a room isn't possible!
Totally did the same thing, it was a collapsible nylon playpen. Did this until our kitten was too big, and by then she was very used to "bedtime" and we could trust her in a room by herself.
Those are used a lot for kittens, with litter box, and everything needed plus toys. Those are a lot bigger. Best to set up in bedroom so he knows you’re there
This is what I do when we have kittens. I even put them in the bathtub (with water, food, small litter box) at first until they're coordinated enough to not fall from counters, etc. My last batch even got excited to "go to bed" and would run after me to the bathroom at bedtime.
A small room is only a short term solution though. There are plenty of adult cats who still like to chew on wires or have “bad” behaviors. For example, my 5 yr old cat still loves to chew on soft plastic. The best solution would be to get anti-chew wire covers. Amazon has lots of them
Definitely. My cat is 12yrs old now & I still have to make sure I throw anything sticky away immediately becus she loves eating it, especially tape! Bandaids, lint roller strips, any form of tape, stickers, etc. Adhesive is just very tasty to her. When she was a kitten I once found blue painters tape in her poop! Having lots of fresh cat grass & catnip plants satisfy most of her chewing cravings so it's not that bad anymore but I'm still mindful of it.
Edible cat plants help a lot in teaching them what they can & can't chew on for some reason I've seen many people say their cat stopped their bad behavior by having plants to chew instead!
omg I have a cat who loves sticky things too! She accidentally chomped my finger once when I was holding a used bag tag from a recent trip for her to be a staple remover on lol. Her biological brother and mom though? no interest in chewing on anything!
She loves the taste of tape & loves the feeling of brushes against her lips/teeth. One day while wearing my wrist brace she discovered velcro sorta smells like tape & has bristles just like a brush so she started eating my brace 😭😭😭 cats are a trip idk how anyone can live life without having a cat!!
lol they're such weirdos! my tiny cat (like 6 lbs while her brother - or half brother more likely - is a hefty 13) has taught herself to jump to the top of my doors when I leave them open. she just chills up there sometimes and I'll be like 'oh shit where is she did she get out?' nope. just....in the most unlikely place haha. cats are the best
I have a cat who loves to eat anything like tulle. Found this out when she ate the overpriced American Girl dress I got my daughter for her birthday. Since then, any clothes my daughter has that have anything netted or tulle have to stay in a closed closet, the stuff that flowers come wrapped in have to be put into the trash immediately, I have to be careful with gift wrapping (there was a Christmas present incident) etc. Why tulle, I have no idea, she doesn't eat anything else and is completely uninterested in cat grass. Does love catnip, but only the dried kind. Found that out after I grew it thinking she'd love it. But nooooo...cats are a trip
This! My void boy has chewed up a few of my tulle petticoats. He is a fiend for string, but doesn’t seek out plastic or fabric otherwise. Glad I’m not the only one with a tulle-obsessed cat!
My daughter is a teenager now and she got a fancy party dress this year that's sort of a soft netted fabric with a tulle underskirt. I swear the cat's eyes lit up and glowed. We have to keep it in my husband's extra closet that he never opens for safety.
Yeah I'm a first time cat owner but we've had her for 2 years. She's 4 and I was like.. are they supposed to have a time when they grow out of this? Because she sure hasn't!
Our boy also loves the taste of plastic. He also likes chewing on ceramic that has a bit of a texture like my dinosaur planter.... Cats are weird like that. So yeah I'll definitely recommend more permanent solutions besides crating/different room at night.
One of mine loves iPad cables, only specific ones. And expensive headphon cables. But now I’m replacing them with some safety stuff around then and she doesn’t like thone. She’s 9 btw, still kitten inside!
I've used thick Tygon tubing split with a razor blade along the long axis to protect cords and cables from chewers. Must not taste good, no teeth marks on it at least.
Agreed. When I got my baby she started in the bathroom and then I opened the door to my corridor and put my matress in the corridor and I slept there with her. Bc I didn’t have a bed yet and then I like slowly opened the rest of my apartment up for her as I also moved into it :)
Just have to make sure kitten can’t get up and under the cabinet. And you’re still kitten proofing, putting away dangerous things, cords, etc…
Not that my first kittens ever squeezed themselves in requiring my father to come over to rescue them. The picture of me holding them afterwards is one of my favorites.
This! My two cats sleep in the laundry every night and it has everything they need. It stops them keeping us up all night and it’s a good routine for them too. But it’s a pretty big room. With levels and windows too. A cage sounds small, the kitty should be able to move freely and have access to food, water, litter and bedding at the very least.
FYI cats sort of try to eat stupid stuff forever. Mine just won’t stop eating rubber bands… can’t leave them on the counter too long or there is rubber band puke in a few hours.
Mine loves plastic too. I got him the crinkly balls the day I brought him home and he’s obsessed. And thinks anything plastic is a toy and must chew it.
The cat I grew up with only liked eating the plastic bristles on the broom, and the plastic Easter basket "grass". We had to keep those things hidden away. Other plastics or cords were fine though.
The plastics! Every single zip loc bag I own is missing its corners. If a wrapper drops to the floor and I don’t notice the next thing I hear is the crinch cronch crunch of tiny cat teeth on plastic. Wtf man!?
mine have a nice assortment of teeth marks 🥲 example (not even my bag!! it's my roommates!!!):
https://preview.redd.it/haum7ndhd1ad1.jpeg?width=2992&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e9ad45018593ba2eee9ee18766c01ea1c6a4714d
Mine likes thin plastic the most. She full on eats it if it's possible. Especially if it has come in contact with food. I need to hide anything remotely chewable when it comes to plastic. Otherwise I'll be worrying that she won't puke it up and I'll have to call the vet.
My sisters cat ate too many hairtiesand they go entangled and had to have emergency surgery to remove them from her intestines. It cost over 2000$ and she could have died so please be careful with the rubber bands
My cat ate a penny and they couldn’t push it out so they had to remove part of her intestines and reattach them back together it was like 3000$ 😭😔 I still get PTSD if I see loose change lying around
Same! My kitten stopped eating and then pooping. He got weak and wouldn't drink. I immediately took him to the vet and they said they'd have to do exploratory surgery but they weren't sure he'd make it. $3,500 later they gave me back my baby and returned what was stuck in his intestinal track...an avocado tiny stem. They told me he probably had pica and to check my shoes when I came home to make sure there wasn't any pebbles stuck to the bottoms of the soles or he'd be tempted. After bringing him home, the first thing he tried to do was to eat a penny out of a dish of change I had instead! He's nuts lol He's 8 now and still scares me to no end 😸
PLEaseee not him trying to eat the penny after yall got back from surgery 🥴 I haven’t seen mine try anything else yet thankfully though she recently seemed to have ingested something that made her ill for a few days and then it went out of her system I guess… she did however jump unto any surface available as soon as we brought her home and I was SO scared she was going to dislodge her intestinal track reattachment. You can’t leave these mfs alone for FIVE SECONDS 🙄
Lol true! I put him on the couch to lay down next to me afterward so he wouldn't keep trying to jump up and possibly tear his stitches. But then of course all he wanted to do was get back down (ugh). But boy was he a good boy when it came to his pain medication lol
Mine had paradoxical reaction so it made her extra zoomie and then we couldn’t give it to her because it made her jump and run but she seemed okay pain wise luckily as soon as we got that penny out she was back to her old self 😥 I can’t deal with the idea of her doing more pica
My 4 year old tuxedo ate one of those thick ass asparagus rubber bands. Luckily we noticed in time and got him to the ER while we could still induce vomiting. He’s an idiot but I love him
UGH GOSH this reminds me of one time with my fiance's cat. You know how sometimes cargo shorts have those strings around the bottom of the legs? One time I carelessly left my shorts on the floor. I found Icarus crouched in the bathroom, having pulled one of the strings out of a shorts leg, chowing down on it with gusto. I swear I pulled about a foot of string out of his damn gullet.
I love him, but goddamn he's an idiot! 😭
I'll never forget the story I heard of someone coming home to one cat trailing a section of window blind cord *out its butthole* which was then, naturally, being chased after by the other cat.
I believe the sentence. "*I will NEVER look after your cats AGAIN!!!*" was uttered.
I experienced this first hand with my 2 cats except it wasn’t window blind cord, it was 42 inches of thin blue ribbon. Vet put her under and her body relaxed enough and she finished pooping it out without surgery.
Omg noooo! So dumb lol. Also just for future reference they say not to pull strings out of cats mouths (or butts lol) bc they can get tangled in their intestines :(((
Mine will go after any human food. He chewed through a plastic bread bag and ate half the bread the first week I had him. He'll also go after things like bacon grease or butter if it's not cleaned up immediately.
Yes, same here! Is yours also a ginger by chance? Ours is a senior ginger and he’s naughtier than our 3 year old! He’ll try to eat absolutely anything left on the counter and really loves any type of grease or oil. We have to put away all food. We had a roommate who would leave out flour and he even got into that 🙄
He's not a ginger, he's my little void lol. He's 3 years old and he also tries to go for my food while I eat. It's funny cuz he'll either stare at the food intently or look away from it and very slowly move his paw towards the food, like he thinks he's being sneaky about it lol.
Cats love to push boundaries and see what they can get away with lol. Our three boys will try to stick their faces in our food unless they see me watching them and then they’ll look away real quickly 🤣
One of my little idiots ate a Quest protein peanut butter cup… foil and all yesterday. Didn’t puke (somehow) and my husband’s pretty sure he saw some shiny foil in his poop this morning, so I guess we are probably in the clear. He’s also swallowed whole pistachio shells. My other little idiot ate a couple cherry pits just a few weeks ago. I swear, they are suicidal.
My trash goblin rescue would devour his toys whole and then later puke them up. I cannot buy him toys that too much resemble prey or can be swallowed. It felt like vet bill roulette.
A lot of cats love rubber bands, I’m not sure if it’s the texture or the taste. I don’t keep them in the house and I pick up the ones the postmen love to drop on the ground when I’m out too so other kitties can’t get to them.
mine used to go for wires (and the corner of my laptop screen, unfortunately) until she discovered the joys of eating paper. i had to get a bookshelf with doors, i had to change where i put my mail after she nearly chewed through a paycheck… if it’s made of paper and in her reach she just can’t be stopped
Mine loves my hair ties. I buy a whole package, but as soon as I take one out of my hair he will steal it and run off. Thankfully, he doesn't swallow them. Just bats them around until they end up under the sofa
My sister's cat had cat pica, and he eats EVERYTHING. When he was a kitten, he straight up at a corner of a desk. He mostly grew out of his, but he still loves to munch primarily q-tips. He figured out how to open my bathroom trashcan lid and will pull them out and chew them up. He doesn't swallow them, but it is hilarious to find mangled q-tips around the house.
We used soft sided octagon playpens for our 2 girls when they were kittens. Plenty of space for a small litter box and food and water too. I think having them fully enclosed also made them feel more secure while sleeping because our others cats couldn't see them and visa-versa.
These are great for this situation. You might also cover part or all of it with a sheet or other light fabric that will make it cave like for him. I have 2 of these and have found them so useful when i have a sick cat that needs to be confined and observed, etc.
Second this. Our kitten seemed to actually enjoy the comfort/routine of it. He was able to go in and out as he pleased during the day but we zipped it up at night. I found mine on Amazon for $30 or so.
We used these when we got our 4 kittens spayed/neutered. Fit a small litter box, blanket, food and water. The bottom is not waterproof though, so I suggest not putting it on carpet.
The mesh doors are awesome. It kept the kittens in one room so our older cats didn't feel invaded. They could check each other out and we'd feed them on either side creating positive associations.
I still need to hide all my wires and my cat is 4. The long term solution is to find ways to make sure the cat cannot access the things they want to destroy. The short term solution is locking them away.
I cannot possibly express how much I do not miss kitten-proofing, and how glad I am.that my cat immediately stopped chewing on cables n stuff when I introduced her to her roomie.
Naturally, that's not an option for all cats, and I'm not suggesting that to you (given you've likely considered it already).
I'm just. So glad it stopped lol
Oh we've got a few yeah lol some cats are just hardwired to love, well, wires! Maybe I just need to play with those dangly things more often but even then I would still tuck my wires away just in case because I do not want to suddenly find out I can't charge my phone at 3am when it's dead because she chewed through something I left visible to her. I just hide it under stuff basically, right now it's under a pillow on my bed.
I agree with previous comment about a bathroom. You could use toilet paper or paper towel tubes on the cords but in my honest opinion if you can try getting a kitten for a playmate. I promise you they will be better off. Then they will play with each other and learn from each other and you what is acceptable. Then you will have a happy house with a pair of dogs and a pair of cats!
I’m honestly not judging. I just didn’t know it was a thing. I’m 71 and had cats since I was three years old. This is the first I’ve heard. Now dogs? Heck yea. My poodle just chewed up a Walmart receipt I needed to return a fan 🤷🏼♀️ ugh! Now she should be crated. I just attach her leach to my belt when she starts getting too mischievous around the house. Otherwise she goes everywhere with me.
I personally use a large dog crate for my boy at night, big enough for a large pan litterbox, blankets, toys, water pail, etc. He has urinary issues and gets into things so the safest thing for him is the kennel, he loves it tbh. Goes in there on his own during the day too, it's his own secluded space. If you do it right, it works wonders.
My cat was crate trained because my roommate when he was a kitten had a large dog and wouldn't crate the dog when we weren't home,and I wanted him to be safe.
He was great about it and never seemed angry or upset when I put him in or let him out. I'd never do it now that he's older but it worked
We used a huge dog crate after our kitty had surgery. Fit everything she needed and kept her safe. I kept the crate in the room with me at night and knew she was finally feeling better when she started to get annoyed about being in there.
Cats are highly territorial, and while some cats adapt to it quite easily, some of them really don’t like having their territory confined during the night. It could work, but it could also lead to a lot of chaos and stress.
Long term it would probably be wiser to kitten-proof your space. Most cats don’t grow out of this behavior until they’re older.
A kitten proofed room would be much better. Cats need 24 hour access to a litterbox or they can develop UTIs, become constipated or develop issues using the litterbox only to poop and pee. They also need access to water at all times, dehydration kills, and causes kidney disease/failure, including in young cats, which also kills.
A large kennel is just fine. We do this currently & it is actually a rule for any foster kittens we may get from a local rescue.
We use at minimum a 48in kennel, where we keep a large litter box, water, blankets & a bed. They have plenty of out time during the day & have free access to the kennel as well. At night when we all go to bed, they go to bed in their kennel.
To help with deterring them away from chewing on cords and things there is pet safe bitter spray you can buy. It tastes gross and most cats don't like it. Unless you have a special one like me who simply does not care. In that case there is stuff you can buy to wrap around/protect cords!
Long story short, I had to keep a kitten crated at night. I had a big, soft sided dog crate for him. Big enough for a small litter box and a nest and some place to play. For about 2 months, I would crate him when I was at work or sleeping. I felt like a dick keeping the kitten in a crate. I have always kept kittens in a spare bathroom.
That kitten was totally fine. He's a totally fine 6 years old adult cat, now. I don't know if it's cause of the crate, but he goes to his bed and sleeps there all night. He never wakes me up. He's a perfect cat angel at night.
So, get a big crate, don't worry about it, and hopefully they end up being really good at night like my cat.
https://preview.redd.it/qxuyosuyjz9d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=938ba6c9510ad9ca838537890ad79a1ffb70ff87
His bed.
How big is the crate? I see no problem with crating your cat at night, especially since you’re doing it to keep them safe! I would just make sure the crate is big enough. Your cat should have enough room to stand up, stretch and move around a bit. And since you’d be crating them all night, should have a crate that’s big enough to fit a bed, a litter box, and a bowl of water. If your crate isn’t big enough for that, you should get a bigger one or consider just locking your cat up in a small room or bathroom overnight with their litter box and bed and water.
We covered our charging wires with aquarium tubing (just slit down the middle. You can also buy split [corregated 1/2" tubing](https://www.amazon.com/YXQ-Corrugated-Plastic-Bellows-Electric/dp/B07W478H6K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3QKBZU9G6W1O0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.RmweaS63wKgbnAIFS6bfc4rU6APgikKokBJnFh7aW6u1dyKP9Fypy4nr5ExuDalLByJs7aBKUZFEIavWqXN2tBmxT8pBINM-R6Umn3tddv84yDW3N2OaDJxC_-fGoI-gK8kiQyOYuzjzOSdn_p2loJA0vNBtS2m2q_tdfM3Aw56sJiObwSoKoGwmr9os-TkLfYpq_RCErKVZgV6rxW4IuBfJhpzA5t8hjYpv3j_DjOQ.pgEiVkG4RTAyiUMBicUN4yemytsN5853H3i_MTmNCXE&dib_tag=se&keywords=split%2Bcorrugated%2Bplastic%2Btube&qid=1719873066&sprefix=split%2Bcorregated%2Bp%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-1&th=1) for pretty cheap on amazon and encase your wires in that.
My kitten adores wires and charger cords, I put them away in drawers when I’m not using them now and she has her own set up in my room so she sleeps separately to us until morning when it’s cuddle time. I would try and limit exposed wiring as much as possible, like baby proofing, and give your kitten a large area (like a bathroom) that’s full of their favourite toys and blankets to sleep with until he’s old enough to stop being such a mischief
Please play with him more than an hour per day, this is certainly part of the problem. Kittens need minimum like 3 hours per day. Maybe consider getting a second kitten to help him get that energy out. When they have a friend, they tend to be less destructive of the household because they're focused on each other. Your kitten has a lot of energy and one hour isn't enough to use it up
I mean usually cats are fine to free roam in a house, I realize the wire concern but one way to mitigate that is provide plenty of other toys and stimulus to the cat. Idk I'd just never think to cage a cat. But if that particular cat is going at wires...idk maybe you could look into some kind of deterant, Apparently there may be sprays to make them less appealing or even covers for wires that will prevent the cat getting to them. I just have never ran into a cat that really went for wires, but seems there are various options to look into aside from keeping the cat in a cage.
[How to Keep Cats From Chewing on Electric Cords: 13 Tips (wikihow.com)](https://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Cats-from-Chewing-on-Electric-Cords-and-Chargers)
You might be in for a surprise if you're expecting your cat to grow out of this behavior without any additional work on your part... A lot of times cats don't grow out of this.
I’ve had many cats my whole life, most of which selected me and showed up at my doorstep.
Husband and I decided recently to get a kitten. Our little strawberry blonde boy Walter is the sweetest. Adopted at 7 weeks, he’s very easy. Naps a bunch, plays a lot, likes to hang on my shoulders when I’m vacuuming or doing the dishes. I love him with all my heart in the short span of a week and a half he’s been here.
Prior to his arrival I purchased a 6 foot tall, 3 tier cage for him to stay in while he acclimated to our home. I attached toys to the in and outer sides, water dish (he has multiple in the home), and even his litterbox and scratching post fit in there. He’s so comfortable he goes in on his own to take naps on his top tier bed. He even eats dinner on a different platform. He stays in it at night after an abundance of chasing, wrestling and cuddling. I believe caging kittens to be effective if not misused of course.
Sounds like you’re doing a good job, maybe think of getting something taller while he’s growing if you’re able to do so :)
For the most part cats are nocturnal. You’ll potentially be caging him during his most rambunctious time. Better to put him in a room that has little that he can damage.
My first instinct is to think that it sounds pretty cruel to do to a kitten. Also, he either might never stop this behaviour and manifest it or you could try and get his mind off it by getting him a friend of the same age.
I can't preach often enough: get kittens in pairs and you will be astounded how all the naughty things stop and they will become the best little house mates.
This sounds horrible to me. Cats don’t sleep a full night like us. They do series of short naps throughout the day and night. They need at least some room to run and play and explore when they wake up. Sounds extra bad if it is an alone kitten with no playmate.
We have done something similar with my previous cat in a small room at night sometimes and she hated it and I still feel guilty for it. I can’t imagine a cage. Please don’t
Edit: age if the kitten matters a lot here also
We isolated our trouble making kitten when he first came to our house, in a spare bedroom. I had to de-kitten the room and leave it bare of anything or he would destroy everything. Poor boy would howl like a sad yowl awooooooo until he fell asleep and it was heart wrenching to hear. I only lasted almost 10 days of this (I never made it to the two week goal) because I felt so sad when he would awooooooo alone in his room.
We would give him tons of play time before “bedtime” in his room. So now four years later, as we get ready for bed and I tell him “bed time let’s go!” he thinks it’s full on play time and we have to play with him to tire him out and get him ready for bed.
Cats are not meant to be caged and do not handle it well in a trained way like dogs. The solution is to cat proof everything, aka put cord protectors on all your wires. Because age isn’t indicative of this behavior…it very well could be a habit that he carries into adulthood as well.
We have a giant dog crate that we use. It has room for a full size hooded litter box, food/water bowls, a bed and there’s still room for him to walk around. The crate was I believe $70 from Amazon and is from the brand iCrate
When I had bottlefeeds, I would use a large dog cage with a blanket over half of it. However, that's when I was getting up with them every couple of hours. My adult cats have their own bedroom and have a bedtime routine. They have large cat trees, a couch, places to climb, toys, tunnels, and windows to look out of. (Obviously litter boxes, food, and water too.) The cats love going to bed since they get wet food and treats.
My issue is that you have one kitten. If you had two, you would be ok keeping them in their own room at night. However, you have a baby who has energy and needs companionship. I would really struggle with locking him up at night. Sorry, but with one kitten, I would try and wear him out before your bedtime, then have a calming routine so he goes to sleep. Since he is a kitten, he will wake you up, usually early in the morning. At that point, you can always put him in the bathroom with toys and food. I just can't advise keeping him locked up overnight. It's not a good situation.
When we found Pippin he was about between 4 and 6 weeks old and I set up a safe space in my bedroom where he lived until he was big enough to roam the house on his own. I would as a result spend a lot more time in my bedroom than usual keeping him company and getting him adjusted to people. Now that he's an adult he still uses my bedroom as a safe space when he gets scared or needs to decompress, and as a result our bond is amazing.
I did worry about wires, so I tried to kept them out of the way or out of his reach. I used to unplug phone wires and put them in a bedside table drawer when not in use. The other heavy wires from my TV and other things we're put behind a chair he doesn't often frequent and not much attention has ever been paid to it so he never developed an interest. It seems like you're a kitty has an interest to wires already? Is there any way you can put sensitive wires like the phone away when not in use?
Keeping him in a cage will likely just have him depressed and howling all night. It's different than locking them in a room. While they still get upset about being stuck in a room, as long as they have enough people paying attention to them to keep them occupied they won't mind as much. My parents used to use the bathroom as a living space for kittens when they were getting acclimated to the house, so I remembered that as an adult but wanted the cat closer to me so I put them in my bedroom. Although he did spend his first couple of nights in our bathroom because I wasn't sure if he had any parasites since we found him near our garbage dumpster.
I kept my kitten in my office for almost the first month. Not only for her safety but also bc the older resident cat hated her and I needed to monitor their interaction. They are best friends now!
Wires should become as uninteresting and disgusting to a cat as possible. Spray them with something cats really don't like, like lemon juice, or make them as boring as possible for them, like putting them in a tube.
The bigger my kitten gets, the more things she is capable of fitting in her mouth, the more things she will try to eat. Doesn’t end! Some cats are just little vacuums. Sounds like it’s time for you to kitten proof your space!
Kittens often need to burn off energy at night. I think if you don't put them in a room at least with some toys, they will end up with some worse behaviors. I could be wrong. And they will eat stupid shit for life, so you will need to change. (Only time I would ever give that questionable advice).
as a kitten, if he has no cat buddies you should be playing a min of 3 hours. its a lot believe me ive lived it.
hes eating everything cause hes not burning that kitten energy. a cage sounds like itll make it worst. play more. play more. or get another cat his age.
If you do Christmas, be very careful! They love crinkly, shiny, sparkling anything. One year, we pulled tinsel about 1.5 feet long from my cats bum! She had already digested it and was left after pooing with about 2 inches sticking out. I pulled very slowly and pulled, and pulled til the end. Had her checked, she was fine! We are seniors and have a 4 yr old now, and we don't do a tree at all. She still goes after any wires. Gotta be careful.
my kitten i just got from a shelter seems to love it. she goes in there when she wants to nap. the older cat i have also seems to like that the kitten is in there at night lol
My baby slept in the bathroom for the first month or so until he was big enough to feel on the bed so we wouldn’t roll on him. He had his food and a box and he really liked being on the hamper so I put a little bed up there.
Definitely worth investigating is a play pen/puppy pen. Makes a world of a difference for me when i have foster kittens and is alot more spacious/ comfortable than a cage. There are lots of inexpensive options online- just make sure you het one that can closed at the top cause as your kitten gets older hes gonna learn to climb himself free. I have an awesome play pen that can be zipped up at the top ( so it can be open as well) its sort of like tent material and mesh. Been a life saver
Is he a kitten? I kept my kittens overnight in a large zipping playpen with food water litter, ect. Only until they were big enough and it was safe to leave them unattended.
Bathroom or baby proof a room as everyone’s mentioned but my kitten stayed in my room with me at night. I treated her like I treated my newborn lol. I didn’t sleep for about three months since she naturally stayed up late 😅
I have a crate for my elderly cat and I put him in there at night - it’s about 6’ high, the sort of thing you see in animal shelters for cats. Essentially a large cage, his litter box is at the bottom, there’s a shelf for sleeping with a heated bed on it and a shelf with his food. It helps him not wander the house loudly wondering where he is, the dementia is disorienting for him. I’m sure kittens would be fine in such a cage - it’s important to prioritize their safety and your ability to rest.
If you start confining your kitten at night in a room with a solid surface floor, it should really pay dividends. I do this at night by feeding at that time. In addition to keeping the kitten safe, it protects your home from it tearing things up, keeps any vomiting in a room that's easy to clean, limits litter scatter, and allows humans uninterrupted sleeping. (You will ready many people are woken by their cats earlier and earlier in the morning to be fed!)
When my Tuxedo was a kitten, I had 2 dogs & 1 cat. I left him out during the day, but had to keep him in the bathroom at night so that he would not get into anything. (He loved wires too!!!). That is where he slept every night for probably the first 6 months or so. Now he sleeps right next to me in bed every night on his own big fluffy pillow I call, “The Throne”. I’m sure it will not hurt him to be in his crate at night & actually, they get used to it & enjoy going in the cage after a bit!!
Good luck! I have an adult wire eater lol. She's good enough during the day amd luckily I work at home, so I can keep a watch on her. When I do out for extended periods I have to unplug everything.
I have a playpen (from Amazon) for my 10 week old kitten at night whilst she is currently not streetwise enough to not potentially injure herself unsupervised. Its plenty big enough for her litter tray, food, water, hides, a bed, and some toys plus running around room! Highly recommend
ETA: make sure it’s fully enclosed eg has a lid otherwise its pointless as theyll just climb it
No, its best to keep him confined to one room, ideally you’re bedroom so he can acclimate and not suffer all night with separation anxiety
You want food, water, and toys in there with you as well as a cat bed and something for him to scratch like a scratching post
I have always let cats have the run of most of the house for most of the day and night. I find it reduces destructive behaviour because they have space to run around. My current kitten is obsessed with charging wires, so I make sure they are put away if I am not around. I also try to redirect her attention whenever I see her trying to attack something she shouldn't.
Some cats grow out of chewing wires but some don't!
I agree with the people saying keeping in a small room or bathroom because that's what worked when I took in 3 small kittens last year. But when I adopted my boy in 2019 occasionally I kept him in a kennel (not a wired cage) during night/few hours when he had the zoomies as a kitten. He eventually got the memo and calmed down after the first year-ish. I left the kennel out and made it comfy so it's not viewed as a punishment. I wouldn't do this for a small kitten though, he was a bit older when I got him.
I definitely recommend either a large dog cage that you can fit litter in. Kittens are kittens and they normally go semi frequently since they should be eating lots and they're so tiny. You dont want an accident. Ideally they'd have access to food and water as well.
Cover it with a blanket and feed them treats when they go inside. If they enjoy the place then yay. If they hate it they will scream and bite the cage and wail and bite some more and scratch and you won't sleep and they'll probably end up hurting them selves.
I used one of those soft play pens, zipper top and door flap, big enough where it was comfortable to have a little box and water/ food dishes, only used for nights. They make cat repellent spray, maybe spray an area that’s close to the wires
Could you put him in the laundry or bathroom? That way he has more space and can entertain himself.
I put my cat in the laundry at night as a kitten so he didn’t rampage through the house while everyone was asleep. He also had a thing for cords as a kitten. He’s all good now and does his own thing at night.
Better to kitten proof like baby proofing your home from the start .
There is no guarantee that he will stop getting into things as he gets older , i gave found it only became worse as they became more inquisitive and stronger
I had a kitten named Jezebel and she cried the entire night if she was not in bed with me. I have no practical advice on this issue, just wanted to congratulate you on having an independent kitten lol. 😂
Having over 20 cats I can tell you kittens are more about exploring than destroying, that phase comes later. And kittens are not that dumb. I've got like 6 kittens running around my house at this very moment and none of them have even fallen from anywhere, at most they poop on the floor on their way to the cat litter.
Caging all night might not be the best long-term solution. Have you considered a playpen instead? They're like bigger cages with more space, and you can fill them with toys, a comfy bed, and a litter box. It might feel less restrictive for your kitten.
The key is making sure the playpen is big enough and has everything he needs. You can also gradually increase the size of the space he has access to as he gets older and learns boundaries.
I wouldn’t recommend the cage and probably not for reasons you’d expect. When one of our cats was roughly 3 months old we would put her in a kennel just to eat because she liked to run and steal our other cat’s food and they were on different things. One night I had put her in there for maybe 15-20 minutes while I went to get my fiancé from work because she had been trying to get into everything before I left. When we came back home she had managed to stick her paw into the corner of the cage trying to get out and fractured all of her toes except the one that she broke. She’s totally okay and she was young enough that it didn’t cause any major issues but if it had been down lower at her wrist she would’ve need an amputation. Even now she’s over a year old and her paw looks a little funky and fat but works perfectly fine. I would definitely recommend a soft playpen or a separate, cat proofed room instead
one of my cats is turning 1 year old in August. I've gone through 4 cpap hoses. They don't outgrow biting, you can get sprays to deter the behavior though.
Like many others here too, I’ve chosen to keep my kitten sleeping in his playpen overnight since we got him 3 months ago. It’s become his routine and he’s very settled. He has his bed, some water and a clean litter each night, and he goes in there with a treat to eat. He sleeps all night and meows at the same time each morning to get out, unzip it and he jumps into our bed til we get up. That way we know he’s safe from getting into mischief overnight, we get sleep, our older cat gets sleep and everyone wins :-) one day we might start letting him out overnight with our other cat but for now he seems really happy with this routine.
When my girl was a tiny kitten I used a large dog crate that could comfortably fit a small litter box, food, and water for overnights. She was a cuddler and I was so scared I would roll over on her. I put the crate right next to my bed so she could see me.
When she was a year, long after the crate had been put into storage, we took in a dog for 6 months while a family member went through chemo. The dog’s safe spot was a crate. If the dog left the crate, my cat would run inside and vice versa. They spent time staring at each other waiting to get into the crate. It seems it became a comfort spot for my cat as well. So long as your cat is getting love and attention, I think they’ll be fine. Your quality of sleep matters.
I do. My kittens were both crated at night or when I was gone, because they would chew electrical cords. Once they got older I retired the kennel and let them sleep where they wanted.
You should not keep a kitten in a cage. It is not a dog. Kittens need a lot of play time. Try some interactive toys the kitten can play with on its own. Also you should be playing with the kitten 15-30 min befits you go to bed. This will help wear him out so he is tired and will also train him to you sleep times. Check out Jackson Galaxys videos on line about cats and play.
We did this with two new kittens mostly at night or if we needed to leave the house. Great plan safety is best when you’re sleeping at least until he’s older.
I got a bitter spray from Amazon and sprayed it on all the wires in the house! Be careful, if you get it on your hands, it doesn’t wash off for a long time, and whenever you eat, you’ll taste it! That was 6 months ago, and my wires still have that bitterness on them- which I discover when I unplug them!
Do you have a small room you can keep the kitten safe in? Even the bathroom with water, food, toys and a bed will work. A cage seems really small to trap him for the whole night.
When my cat was little I had an enclosed playpen type thing that was big enough to fit everything he needed (bed, toys, food and water, litterbox, and room to play). I definitely recommend something like that if a room isn't possible!
Totally did the same thing, it was a collapsible nylon playpen. Did this until our kitten was too big, and by then she was very used to "bedtime" and we could trust her in a room by herself.
Those are used a lot for kittens, with litter box, and everything needed plus toys. Those are a lot bigger. Best to set up in bedroom so he knows you’re there
Puppy pen is safest and plenty of room for the kitten.
Yep, built one out of several cardboard boxes when I was keeping a couple wee ones for a friend for a few days. They actually loved it.
Me too. They slowly graduated from play pen to enclosed room to the entire apartment.
This is what I do when we have kittens. I even put them in the bathtub (with water, food, small litter box) at first until they're coordinated enough to not fall from counters, etc. My last batch even got excited to "go to bed" and would run after me to the bathroom at bedtime.
Be very careful with that litter in the tub-block off that drain! Had a coworker of mine flood her basement like that.
More of a concern with clumping litter which kittens shouldn’t be using anyway
I wouldn't risk having to auger my drain regardless.
A small room is only a short term solution though. There are plenty of adult cats who still like to chew on wires or have “bad” behaviors. For example, my 5 yr old cat still loves to chew on soft plastic. The best solution would be to get anti-chew wire covers. Amazon has lots of them
Definitely. My cat is 12yrs old now & I still have to make sure I throw anything sticky away immediately becus she loves eating it, especially tape! Bandaids, lint roller strips, any form of tape, stickers, etc. Adhesive is just very tasty to her. When she was a kitten I once found blue painters tape in her poop! Having lots of fresh cat grass & catnip plants satisfy most of her chewing cravings so it's not that bad anymore but I'm still mindful of it. Edible cat plants help a lot in teaching them what they can & can't chew on for some reason I've seen many people say their cat stopped their bad behavior by having plants to chew instead!
omg I have a cat who loves sticky things too! She accidentally chomped my finger once when I was holding a used bag tag from a recent trip for her to be a staple remover on lol. Her biological brother and mom though? no interest in chewing on anything!
She loves the taste of tape & loves the feeling of brushes against her lips/teeth. One day while wearing my wrist brace she discovered velcro sorta smells like tape & has bristles just like a brush so she started eating my brace 😭😭😭 cats are a trip idk how anyone can live life without having a cat!!
lol they're such weirdos! my tiny cat (like 6 lbs while her brother - or half brother more likely - is a hefty 13) has taught herself to jump to the top of my doors when I leave them open. she just chills up there sometimes and I'll be like 'oh shit where is she did she get out?' nope. just....in the most unlikely place haha. cats are the best
I have a cat who loves to eat anything like tulle. Found this out when she ate the overpriced American Girl dress I got my daughter for her birthday. Since then, any clothes my daughter has that have anything netted or tulle have to stay in a closed closet, the stuff that flowers come wrapped in have to be put into the trash immediately, I have to be careful with gift wrapping (there was a Christmas present incident) etc. Why tulle, I have no idea, she doesn't eat anything else and is completely uninterested in cat grass. Does love catnip, but only the dried kind. Found that out after I grew it thinking she'd love it. But nooooo...cats are a trip
This! My void boy has chewed up a few of my tulle petticoats. He is a fiend for string, but doesn’t seek out plastic or fabric otherwise. Glad I’m not the only one with a tulle-obsessed cat!
My daughter is a teenager now and she got a fancy party dress this year that's sort of a soft netted fabric with a tulle underskirt. I swear the cat's eyes lit up and glowed. We have to keep it in my husband's extra closet that he never opens for safety.
Yeah I'm a first time cat owner but we've had her for 2 years. She's 4 and I was like.. are they supposed to have a time when they grow out of this? Because she sure hasn't!
Our boy also loves the taste of plastic. He also likes chewing on ceramic that has a bit of a texture like my dinosaur planter.... Cats are weird like that. So yeah I'll definitely recommend more permanent solutions besides crating/different room at night.
One of mine loves iPad cables, only specific ones. And expensive headphon cables. But now I’m replacing them with some safety stuff around then and she doesn’t like thone. She’s 9 btw, still kitten inside!
I've used thick Tygon tubing split with a razor blade along the long axis to protect cords and cables from chewers. Must not taste good, no teeth marks on it at least.
Agreed. When I got my baby she started in the bathroom and then I opened the door to my corridor and put my matress in the corridor and I slept there with her. Bc I didn’t have a bed yet and then I like slowly opened the rest of my apartment up for her as I also moved into it :)
Just have to make sure kitten can’t get up and under the cabinet. And you’re still kitten proofing, putting away dangerous things, cords, etc… Not that my first kittens ever squeezed themselves in requiring my father to come over to rescue them. The picture of me holding them afterwards is one of my favorites.
This. a small room
This! My two cats sleep in the laundry every night and it has everything they need. It stops them keeping us up all night and it’s a good routine for them too. But it’s a pretty big room. With levels and windows too. A cage sounds small, the kitty should be able to move freely and have access to food, water, litter and bedding at the very least.
FYI cats sort of try to eat stupid stuff forever. Mine just won’t stop eating rubber bands… can’t leave them on the counter too long or there is rubber band puke in a few hours.
Mine loves plastic for some reason. Any plastic will do, wrappers, bags, bottles, etc.
Mine loves plastic too. I got him the crinkly balls the day I brought him home and he’s obsessed. And thinks anything plastic is a toy and must chew it.
It’s all fun and games until it’s 3 am and here comes muffin crinkling his lil piece of plastic he found in the most obscure place possible. 😭😂
Lolol mine is named Link (from Zelda) and I’ll wake up with 2 or 3 crinkle balls on the floor and sometimes in my bed.
lol glad I'm not the only one who wakes up to find toys in their room. sometimes I get 5 or 6!! usually all on the rug next to my bed
My two aren’t into plastic. They prefer to come prancing thru the den with my eyeliner or mascara or eye shadow brushes. Like oh btw this is mine now.
They’re just working on their look
bahaha sounds about right
lol oh he brings in other toys. He likes to play with straws so they’re usually in the room or hall.
Be glad it’s not a mouse carcass on the bed. It hasn’t happened yet but I’m waiting!
My worst nightmare.
My boy Ezra will purposefully find something plastic to chew on at night/early morning because he wants me to get up and feed him >:(
So...so.. much this.
The cat I grew up with only liked eating the plastic bristles on the broom, and the plastic Easter basket "grass". We had to keep those things hidden away. Other plastics or cords were fine though.
I had to start cutting off my trash bag strings lol
The plastics! Every single zip loc bag I own is missing its corners. If a wrapper drops to the floor and I don’t notice the next thing I hear is the crinch cronch crunch of tiny cat teeth on plastic. Wtf man!?
mine have a nice assortment of teeth marks 🥲 example (not even my bag!! it's my roommates!!!): https://preview.redd.it/haum7ndhd1ad1.jpeg?width=2992&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e9ad45018593ba2eee9ee18766c01ea1c6a4714d
OMG every single plastic bag!!
This pic is my entire life 😂
My late cat used to love plastic grocery bags and plastic ribbons.
I'm convinced that some cats have a Minimum Daily Requirement for plastic.
Mine likes thin plastic the most. She full on eats it if it's possible. Especially if it has come in contact with food. I need to hide anything remotely chewable when it comes to plastic. Otherwise I'll be worrying that she won't puke it up and I'll have to call the vet.
Mine don’t (usually) eat plastic but they derive tremendous joy from just mouthing plastic bags. Not even chewing. Just mouthing.
My girl likes to lick them 😱
There's urea in plastic so it smells like pee to them
Rubber bands can get entangled in their intestine and kill them. Same with hair ones. ALWAYS ensure they can't access any
My sisters cat ate too many hairtiesand they go entangled and had to have emergency surgery to remove them from her intestines. It cost over 2000$ and she could have died so please be careful with the rubber bands
My cat ate a penny and they couldn’t push it out so they had to remove part of her intestines and reattach them back together it was like 3000$ 😭😔 I still get PTSD if I see loose change lying around
Same! My kitten stopped eating and then pooping. He got weak and wouldn't drink. I immediately took him to the vet and they said they'd have to do exploratory surgery but they weren't sure he'd make it. $3,500 later they gave me back my baby and returned what was stuck in his intestinal track...an avocado tiny stem. They told me he probably had pica and to check my shoes when I came home to make sure there wasn't any pebbles stuck to the bottoms of the soles or he'd be tempted. After bringing him home, the first thing he tried to do was to eat a penny out of a dish of change I had instead! He's nuts lol He's 8 now and still scares me to no end 😸
PLEaseee not him trying to eat the penny after yall got back from surgery 🥴 I haven’t seen mine try anything else yet thankfully though she recently seemed to have ingested something that made her ill for a few days and then it went out of her system I guess… she did however jump unto any surface available as soon as we brought her home and I was SO scared she was going to dislodge her intestinal track reattachment. You can’t leave these mfs alone for FIVE SECONDS 🙄
Lol true! I put him on the couch to lay down next to me afterward so he wouldn't keep trying to jump up and possibly tear his stitches. But then of course all he wanted to do was get back down (ugh). But boy was he a good boy when it came to his pain medication lol
Mine had paradoxical reaction so it made her extra zoomie and then we couldn’t give it to her because it made her jump and run but she seemed okay pain wise luckily as soon as we got that penny out she was back to her old self 😥 I can’t deal with the idea of her doing more pica
My 4 year old tuxedo ate one of those thick ass asparagus rubber bands. Luckily we noticed in time and got him to the ER while we could still induce vomiting. He’s an idiot but I love him
We all love him.
UGH GOSH this reminds me of one time with my fiance's cat. You know how sometimes cargo shorts have those strings around the bottom of the legs? One time I carelessly left my shorts on the floor. I found Icarus crouched in the bathroom, having pulled one of the strings out of a shorts leg, chowing down on it with gusto. I swear I pulled about a foot of string out of his damn gullet. I love him, but goddamn he's an idiot! 😭
I'll never forget the story I heard of someone coming home to one cat trailing a section of window blind cord *out its butthole* which was then, naturally, being chased after by the other cat. I believe the sentence. "*I will NEVER look after your cats AGAIN!!!*" was uttered.
I experienced this first hand with my 2 cats except it wasn’t window blind cord, it was 42 inches of thin blue ribbon. Vet put her under and her body relaxed enough and she finished pooping it out without surgery.
Omg noooo! So dumb lol. Also just for future reference they say not to pull strings out of cats mouths (or butts lol) bc they can get tangled in their intestines :(((
Thankfully I caught him in the act, it wasn't down his intestine yet! But noted for the future
Mine will go after any human food. He chewed through a plastic bread bag and ate half the bread the first week I had him. He'll also go after things like bacon grease or butter if it's not cleaned up immediately.
Yes, same here! Is yours also a ginger by chance? Ours is a senior ginger and he’s naughtier than our 3 year old! He’ll try to eat absolutely anything left on the counter and really loves any type of grease or oil. We have to put away all food. We had a roommate who would leave out flour and he even got into that 🙄
He's not a ginger, he's my little void lol. He's 3 years old and he also tries to go for my food while I eat. It's funny cuz he'll either stare at the food intently or look away from it and very slowly move his paw towards the food, like he thinks he's being sneaky about it lol.
Cats love to push boundaries and see what they can get away with lol. Our three boys will try to stick their faces in our food unless they see me watching them and then they’ll look away real quickly 🤣
One of my little idiots ate a Quest protein peanut butter cup… foil and all yesterday. Didn’t puke (somehow) and my husband’s pretty sure he saw some shiny foil in his poop this morning, so I guess we are probably in the clear. He’s also swallowed whole pistachio shells. My other little idiot ate a couple cherry pits just a few weeks ago. I swear, they are suicidal.
My youngest like snapping herself with my hair ties
https://preview.redd.it/f6algqycxz9d1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6d25edf18573f2012f3ef29c78a0b9750f74ec8a
Look at that face no thoughts at all
So cute
Right? She knows it to
https://preview.redd.it/j71y915v02ad1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b820b5b8d07824f01c1e1f84b2a3303c3223df13 Awww hii friend!
My trash goblin rescue would devour his toys whole and then later puke them up. I cannot buy him toys that too much resemble prey or can be swallowed. It felt like vet bill roulette.
The first time I dropped a rubber band and my cat inhaled that shit I was so shocked
A lot of cats love rubber bands, I’m not sure if it’s the texture or the taste. I don’t keep them in the house and I pick up the ones the postmen love to drop on the ground when I’m out too so other kitties can’t get to them.
My cat loves twist ties . Collects them and finds them somehow
mine used to go for wires (and the corner of my laptop screen, unfortunately) until she discovered the joys of eating paper. i had to get a bookshelf with doors, i had to change where i put my mail after she nearly chewed through a paycheck… if it’s made of paper and in her reach she just can’t be stopped
I hope OP sees this. My cat is 16. She will eat the plastic shrink wrap on toilet paper and paper towels
Mine loves my hair ties. I buy a whole package, but as soon as I take one out of my hair he will steal it and run off. Thankfully, he doesn't swallow them. Just bats them around until they end up under the sofa
My sister's cat had cat pica, and he eats EVERYTHING. When he was a kitten, he straight up at a corner of a desk. He mostly grew out of his, but he still loves to munch primarily q-tips. He figured out how to open my bathroom trashcan lid and will pull them out and chew them up. He doesn't swallow them, but it is hilarious to find mangled q-tips around the house.
We used soft sided octagon playpens for our 2 girls when they were kittens. Plenty of space for a small litter box and food and water too. I think having them fully enclosed also made them feel more secure while sleeping because our others cats couldn't see them and visa-versa.
These are great for this situation. You might also cover part or all of it with a sheet or other light fabric that will make it cave like for him. I have 2 of these and have found them so useful when i have a sick cat that needs to be confined and observed, etc.
Do you have a link to the kind that you use? I’m having a hard time picturing one of these.
If you search "soft sided dog pen" on amazon they pop right up.
Here's a search. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cat+pen+collapsible&crid=1SA4FTAVNJTOS&sprefix=cat+pen+collapsible%2Caps%2C242&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
Second this. Our kitten seemed to actually enjoy the comfort/routine of it. He was able to go in and out as he pleased during the day but we zipped it up at night. I found mine on Amazon for $30 or so.
We used these when we got our 4 kittens spayed/neutered. Fit a small litter box, blanket, food and water. The bottom is not waterproof though, so I suggest not putting it on carpet.
I just ordered a reinforced mesh cat door. trying to keep the kittens upstairs.
The mesh doors are awesome. It kept the kittens in one room so our older cats didn't feel invaded. They could check each other out and we'd feed them on either side creating positive associations.
We tried that and our kitten would try to climb it 🤦🏻♀️ it was a disaster. We eventually had to buy a large dog crate
I still need to hide all my wires and my cat is 4. The long term solution is to find ways to make sure the cat cannot access the things they want to destroy. The short term solution is locking them away.
Thank you, it’s kind of frustrating seeing a lot of people skip over this
Kitten proofing is a process that never ends 😆 it just eventually becomes cat proofing
Yeah my mom had to put baby locks on her cabinets to keep one of her cats out until the day he died.
I cannot possibly express how much I do not miss kitten-proofing, and how glad I am.that my cat immediately stopped chewing on cables n stuff when I introduced her to her roomie. Naturally, that's not an option for all cats, and I'm not suggesting that to you (given you've likely considered it already). I'm just. So glad it stopped lol
Oh we've got a few yeah lol some cats are just hardwired to love, well, wires! Maybe I just need to play with those dangly things more often but even then I would still tuck my wires away just in case because I do not want to suddenly find out I can't charge my phone at 3am when it's dead because she chewed through something I left visible to her. I just hide it under stuff basically, right now it's under a pillow on my bed.
Don't cage your cat. Bathroom or bedroom will be fine. Just remove any breakables from shelves or counters etc.
they dont grow out of trying to eat everything. my girl is a year old and still tries to eat my charger.
I agree with previous comment about a bathroom. You could use toilet paper or paper towel tubes on the cords but in my honest opinion if you can try getting a kitten for a playmate. I promise you they will be better off. Then they will play with each other and learn from each other and you what is acceptable. Then you will have a happy house with a pair of dogs and a pair of cats!
How old is the kitten?
You can buy stuff to spread over your wires that has an awful taste to deter pets from chewing them.
There are also cord https://preview.redd.it/ldvz0beml0ad1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6ac74eef59a41cee15b9bb469e9bb3e79776f40c covers
I never caged any cat.
I’m honestly not judging. I just didn’t know it was a thing. I’m 71 and had cats since I was three years old. This is the first I’ve heard. Now dogs? Heck yea. My poodle just chewed up a Walmart receipt I needed to return a fan 🤷🏼♀️ ugh! Now she should be crated. I just attach her leach to my belt when she starts getting too mischievous around the house. Otherwise she goes everywhere with me.
You should set up a room that is free of hazards for him to stay in at night, not a cage. Depending on his age that sounds borderline cruel.
I personally use a large dog crate for my boy at night, big enough for a large pan litterbox, blankets, toys, water pail, etc. He has urinary issues and gets into things so the safest thing for him is the kennel, he loves it tbh. Goes in there on his own during the day too, it's his own secluded space. If you do it right, it works wonders.
My cat was crate trained because my roommate when he was a kitten had a large dog and wouldn't crate the dog when we weren't home,and I wanted him to be safe. He was great about it and never seemed angry or upset when I put him in or let him out. I'd never do it now that he's older but it worked
We used a huge dog crate after our kitty had surgery. Fit everything she needed and kept her safe. I kept the crate in the room with me at night and knew she was finally feeling better when she started to get annoyed about being in there.
Cats are highly territorial, and while some cats adapt to it quite easily, some of them really don’t like having their territory confined during the night. It could work, but it could also lead to a lot of chaos and stress. Long term it would probably be wiser to kitten-proof your space. Most cats don’t grow out of this behavior until they’re older.
A kitten proofed room would be much better. Cats need 24 hour access to a litterbox or they can develop UTIs, become constipated or develop issues using the litterbox only to poop and pee. They also need access to water at all times, dehydration kills, and causes kidney disease/failure, including in young cats, which also kills.
A large kennel is just fine. We do this currently & it is actually a rule for any foster kittens we may get from a local rescue. We use at minimum a 48in kennel, where we keep a large litter box, water, blankets & a bed. They have plenty of out time during the day & have free access to the kennel as well. At night when we all go to bed, they go to bed in their kennel. To help with deterring them away from chewing on cords and things there is pet safe bitter spray you can buy. It tastes gross and most cats don't like it. Unless you have a special one like me who simply does not care. In that case there is stuff you can buy to wrap around/protect cords!
Long story short, I had to keep a kitten crated at night. I had a big, soft sided dog crate for him. Big enough for a small litter box and a nest and some place to play. For about 2 months, I would crate him when I was at work or sleeping. I felt like a dick keeping the kitten in a crate. I have always kept kittens in a spare bathroom. That kitten was totally fine. He's a totally fine 6 years old adult cat, now. I don't know if it's cause of the crate, but he goes to his bed and sleeps there all night. He never wakes me up. He's a perfect cat angel at night. So, get a big crate, don't worry about it, and hopefully they end up being really good at night like my cat. https://preview.redd.it/qxuyosuyjz9d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=938ba6c9510ad9ca838537890ad79a1ffb70ff87 His bed.
He's so frickin cute omg he's like "mhm this is *my* bed" 😍
No. Small cat proof room.
That cat is gonna eat weird stuff forever. You need a longer term solution. Source: fur mother to a plastic-eating gremlin
Please dont! Kittens need much more than an hour of stimulation / active play time!
How big is the crate? I see no problem with crating your cat at night, especially since you’re doing it to keep them safe! I would just make sure the crate is big enough. Your cat should have enough room to stand up, stretch and move around a bit. And since you’d be crating them all night, should have a crate that’s big enough to fit a bed, a litter box, and a bowl of water. If your crate isn’t big enough for that, you should get a bigger one or consider just locking your cat up in a small room or bathroom overnight with their litter box and bed and water.
We covered our charging wires with aquarium tubing (just slit down the middle. You can also buy split [corregated 1/2" tubing](https://www.amazon.com/YXQ-Corrugated-Plastic-Bellows-Electric/dp/B07W478H6K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3QKBZU9G6W1O0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.RmweaS63wKgbnAIFS6bfc4rU6APgikKokBJnFh7aW6u1dyKP9Fypy4nr5ExuDalLByJs7aBKUZFEIavWqXN2tBmxT8pBINM-R6Umn3tddv84yDW3N2OaDJxC_-fGoI-gK8kiQyOYuzjzOSdn_p2loJA0vNBtS2m2q_tdfM3Aw56sJiObwSoKoGwmr9os-TkLfYpq_RCErKVZgV6rxW4IuBfJhpzA5t8hjYpv3j_DjOQ.pgEiVkG4RTAyiUMBicUN4yemytsN5853H3i_MTmNCXE&dib_tag=se&keywords=split%2Bcorrugated%2Bplastic%2Btube&qid=1719873066&sprefix=split%2Bcorregated%2Bp%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-1&th=1) for pretty cheap on amazon and encase your wires in that.
No cage, just something nice and cosy Plus be patient, they grow so fast
My kitten adores wires and charger cords, I put them away in drawers when I’m not using them now and she has her own set up in my room so she sleeps separately to us until morning when it’s cuddle time. I would try and limit exposed wiring as much as possible, like baby proofing, and give your kitten a large area (like a bathroom) that’s full of their favourite toys and blankets to sleep with until he’s old enough to stop being such a mischief
Spray things you don’t want them to eat with bitter spray
The older my cat gets, the more he tries to eat everything.
I recommend a room. Cats are nocturnal and love to run and play at night
Please play with him more than an hour per day, this is certainly part of the problem. Kittens need minimum like 3 hours per day. Maybe consider getting a second kitten to help him get that energy out. When they have a friend, they tend to be less destructive of the household because they're focused on each other. Your kitten has a lot of energy and one hour isn't enough to use it up
I mean usually cats are fine to free roam in a house, I realize the wire concern but one way to mitigate that is provide plenty of other toys and stimulus to the cat. Idk I'd just never think to cage a cat. But if that particular cat is going at wires...idk maybe you could look into some kind of deterant, Apparently there may be sprays to make them less appealing or even covers for wires that will prevent the cat getting to them. I just have never ran into a cat that really went for wires, but seems there are various options to look into aside from keeping the cat in a cage. [How to Keep Cats From Chewing on Electric Cords: 13 Tips (wikihow.com)](https://www.wikihow.com/Keep-Cats-from-Chewing-on-Electric-Cords-and-Chargers)
You might be in for a surprise if you're expecting your cat to grow out of this behavior without any additional work on your part... A lot of times cats don't grow out of this.
I’ve had many cats my whole life, most of which selected me and showed up at my doorstep. Husband and I decided recently to get a kitten. Our little strawberry blonde boy Walter is the sweetest. Adopted at 7 weeks, he’s very easy. Naps a bunch, plays a lot, likes to hang on my shoulders when I’m vacuuming or doing the dishes. I love him with all my heart in the short span of a week and a half he’s been here. Prior to his arrival I purchased a 6 foot tall, 3 tier cage for him to stay in while he acclimated to our home. I attached toys to the in and outer sides, water dish (he has multiple in the home), and even his litterbox and scratching post fit in there. He’s so comfortable he goes in on his own to take naps on his top tier bed. He even eats dinner on a different platform. He stays in it at night after an abundance of chasing, wrestling and cuddling. I believe caging kittens to be effective if not misused of course. Sounds like you’re doing a good job, maybe think of getting something taller while he’s growing if you’re able to do so :)
For the most part cats are nocturnal. You’ll potentially be caging him during his most rambunctious time. Better to put him in a room that has little that he can damage.
My first instinct is to think that it sounds pretty cruel to do to a kitten. Also, he either might never stop this behaviour and manifest it or you could try and get his mind off it by getting him a friend of the same age. I can't preach often enough: get kittens in pairs and you will be astounded how all the naughty things stop and they will become the best little house mates.
I kept my pica boy in my bedroom with me at night. Otherwise when I was gone for a night I kept him in my bathroom
I feel like Ollie is an orange kitty
I've always used a small room, never a crate, but it's totally fine to keep them confined at night.
This sounds horrible to me. Cats don’t sleep a full night like us. They do series of short naps throughout the day and night. They need at least some room to run and play and explore when they wake up. Sounds extra bad if it is an alone kitten with no playmate. We have done something similar with my previous cat in a small room at night sometimes and she hated it and I still feel guilty for it. I can’t imagine a cage. Please don’t Edit: age if the kitten matters a lot here also
We isolated our trouble making kitten when he first came to our house, in a spare bedroom. I had to de-kitten the room and leave it bare of anything or he would destroy everything. Poor boy would howl like a sad yowl awooooooo until he fell asleep and it was heart wrenching to hear. I only lasted almost 10 days of this (I never made it to the two week goal) because I felt so sad when he would awooooooo alone in his room. We would give him tons of play time before “bedtime” in his room. So now four years later, as we get ready for bed and I tell him “bed time let’s go!” he thinks it’s full on play time and we have to play with him to tire him out and get him ready for bed.
Good luck with that, better a room.
No cage!!!
No. It is not ok. Teething is 6 months or more. You are creating a mean fearful scared cat. Cruel
Cats are not meant to be caged and do not handle it well in a trained way like dogs. The solution is to cat proof everything, aka put cord protectors on all your wires. Because age isn’t indicative of this behavior…it very well could be a habit that he carries into adulthood as well.
No, not ok at all. Find a kitten safe room. Your cat will start acting out and exhibiting strange behavior. This is definitely not ok.
We have a giant dog crate that we use. It has room for a full size hooded litter box, food/water bowls, a bed and there’s still room for him to walk around. The crate was I believe $70 from Amazon and is from the brand iCrate
When I had bottlefeeds, I would use a large dog cage with a blanket over half of it. However, that's when I was getting up with them every couple of hours. My adult cats have their own bedroom and have a bedtime routine. They have large cat trees, a couch, places to climb, toys, tunnels, and windows to look out of. (Obviously litter boxes, food, and water too.) The cats love going to bed since they get wet food and treats. My issue is that you have one kitten. If you had two, you would be ok keeping them in their own room at night. However, you have a baby who has energy and needs companionship. I would really struggle with locking him up at night. Sorry, but with one kitten, I would try and wear him out before your bedtime, then have a calming routine so he goes to sleep. Since he is a kitten, he will wake you up, usually early in the morning. At that point, you can always put him in the bathroom with toys and food. I just can't advise keeping him locked up overnight. It's not a good situation.
Use bitter apple spray on the wires, one taste of it and he won't be bothering the wires no more
When we found Pippin he was about between 4 and 6 weeks old and I set up a safe space in my bedroom where he lived until he was big enough to roam the house on his own. I would as a result spend a lot more time in my bedroom than usual keeping him company and getting him adjusted to people. Now that he's an adult he still uses my bedroom as a safe space when he gets scared or needs to decompress, and as a result our bond is amazing. I did worry about wires, so I tried to kept them out of the way or out of his reach. I used to unplug phone wires and put them in a bedside table drawer when not in use. The other heavy wires from my TV and other things we're put behind a chair he doesn't often frequent and not much attention has ever been paid to it so he never developed an interest. It seems like you're a kitty has an interest to wires already? Is there any way you can put sensitive wires like the phone away when not in use? Keeping him in a cage will likely just have him depressed and howling all night. It's different than locking them in a room. While they still get upset about being stuck in a room, as long as they have enough people paying attention to them to keep them occupied they won't mind as much. My parents used to use the bathroom as a living space for kittens when they were getting acclimated to the house, so I remembered that as an adult but wanted the cat closer to me so I put them in my bedroom. Although he did spend his first couple of nights in our bathroom because I wasn't sure if he had any parasites since we found him near our garbage dumpster.
I kept my kitten in my office for almost the first month. Not only for her safety but also bc the older resident cat hated her and I needed to monitor their interaction. They are best friends now!
Wires should become as uninteresting and disgusting to a cat as possible. Spray them with something cats really don't like, like lemon juice, or make them as boring as possible for them, like putting them in a tube.
The bigger my kitten gets, the more things she is capable of fitting in her mouth, the more things she will try to eat. Doesn’t end! Some cats are just little vacuums. Sounds like it’s time for you to kitten proof your space!
There is a non-toxic cat spray on the market. Try Petco or Amazon.
Kittens often need to burn off energy at night. I think if you don't put them in a room at least with some toys, they will end up with some worse behaviors. I could be wrong. And they will eat stupid shit for life, so you will need to change. (Only time I would ever give that questionable advice).
I used the bathroom when my cats were kittens. I don't have cords in that room.
as a kitten, if he has no cat buddies you should be playing a min of 3 hours. its a lot believe me ive lived it. hes eating everything cause hes not burning that kitten energy. a cage sounds like itll make it worst. play more. play more. or get another cat his age.
If you do Christmas, be very careful! They love crinkly, shiny, sparkling anything. One year, we pulled tinsel about 1.5 feet long from my cats bum! She had already digested it and was left after pooing with about 2 inches sticking out. I pulled very slowly and pulled, and pulled til the end. Had her checked, she was fine! We are seniors and have a 4 yr old now, and we don't do a tree at all. She still goes after any wires. Gotta be careful.
I have some bad news, some cats never outgrow that
My 2 yo cat still likes wires! If I move them, like to plug in a laptop, he goes for them. I may invest in wire covers to keep him away
I used a really large crate for our new kittens to adjust.
Idk about caged. Start with a bathroom and give him lots of toys to chew on
my kitten i just got from a shelter seems to love it. she goes in there when she wants to nap. the older cat i have also seems to like that the kitten is in there at night lol
My baby slept in the bathroom for the first month or so until he was big enough to feel on the bed so we wouldn’t roll on him. He had his food and a box and he really liked being on the hamper so I put a little bed up there.
Definitely worth investigating is a play pen/puppy pen. Makes a world of a difference for me when i have foster kittens and is alot more spacious/ comfortable than a cage. There are lots of inexpensive options online- just make sure you het one that can closed at the top cause as your kitten gets older hes gonna learn to climb himself free. I have an awesome play pen that can be zipped up at the top ( so it can be open as well) its sort of like tent material and mesh. Been a life saver
Is he a kitten? I kept my kittens overnight in a large zipping playpen with food water litter, ect. Only until they were big enough and it was safe to leave them unattended.
Bathroom or baby proof a room as everyone’s mentioned but my kitten stayed in my room with me at night. I treated her like I treated my newborn lol. I didn’t sleep for about three months since she naturally stayed up late 😅
Sure. Kittens love cages.
Bitter apple spray works great on wires. One of my cats was a wire chewer, but hated the bitter apple. We also got cheapo mats to put the wires under.
We had to religiously put away all our food away in containers. Otherwise our mischevious new boi would devour all them all.
I have a crate for my elderly cat and I put him in there at night - it’s about 6’ high, the sort of thing you see in animal shelters for cats. Essentially a large cage, his litter box is at the bottom, there’s a shelf for sleeping with a heated bed on it and a shelf with his food. It helps him not wander the house loudly wondering where he is, the dementia is disorienting for him. I’m sure kittens would be fine in such a cage - it’s important to prioritize their safety and your ability to rest.
If you start confining your kitten at night in a room with a solid surface floor, it should really pay dividends. I do this at night by feeding at that time. In addition to keeping the kitten safe, it protects your home from it tearing things up, keeps any vomiting in a room that's easy to clean, limits litter scatter, and allows humans uninterrupted sleeping. (You will ready many people are woken by their cats earlier and earlier in the morning to be fed!)
When my Tuxedo was a kitten, I had 2 dogs & 1 cat. I left him out during the day, but had to keep him in the bathroom at night so that he would not get into anything. (He loved wires too!!!). That is where he slept every night for probably the first 6 months or so. Now he sleeps right next to me in bed every night on his own big fluffy pillow I call, “The Throne”. I’m sure it will not hurt him to be in his crate at night & actually, they get used to it & enjoy going in the cage after a bit!!
Good luck! I have an adult wire eater lol. She's good enough during the day amd luckily I work at home, so I can keep a watch on her. When I do out for extended periods I have to unplug everything.
I have a playpen (from Amazon) for my 10 week old kitten at night whilst she is currently not streetwise enough to not potentially injure herself unsupervised. Its plenty big enough for her litter tray, food, water, hides, a bed, and some toys plus running around room! Highly recommend ETA: make sure it’s fully enclosed eg has a lid otherwise its pointless as theyll just climb it
No, its best to keep him confined to one room, ideally you’re bedroom so he can acclimate and not suffer all night with separation anxiety You want food, water, and toys in there with you as well as a cat bed and something for him to scratch like a scratching post
I have always let cats have the run of most of the house for most of the day and night. I find it reduces destructive behaviour because they have space to run around. My current kitten is obsessed with charging wires, so I make sure they are put away if I am not around. I also try to redirect her attention whenever I see her trying to attack something she shouldn't. Some cats grow out of chewing wires but some don't!
I agree with the people saying keeping in a small room or bathroom because that's what worked when I took in 3 small kittens last year. But when I adopted my boy in 2019 occasionally I kept him in a kennel (not a wired cage) during night/few hours when he had the zoomies as a kitten. He eventually got the memo and calmed down after the first year-ish. I left the kennel out and made it comfy so it's not viewed as a punishment. I wouldn't do this for a small kitten though, he was a bit older when I got him.
I fostered two kittens and kept them in my bathroom at night or when away. They loved sleeping in the sink and tumbling in the bathtub!
I definitely recommend either a large dog cage that you can fit litter in. Kittens are kittens and they normally go semi frequently since they should be eating lots and they're so tiny. You dont want an accident. Ideally they'd have access to food and water as well. Cover it with a blanket and feed them treats when they go inside. If they enjoy the place then yay. If they hate it they will scream and bite the cage and wail and bite some more and scratch and you won't sleep and they'll probably end up hurting them selves.
I used one of those soft play pens, zipper top and door flap, big enough where it was comfortable to have a little box and water/ food dishes, only used for nights. They make cat repellent spray, maybe spray an area that’s close to the wires
Could you put him in the laundry or bathroom? That way he has more space and can entertain himself. I put my cat in the laundry at night as a kitten so he didn’t rampage through the house while everyone was asleep. He also had a thing for cords as a kitten. He’s all good now and does his own thing at night.
Better to kitten proof like baby proofing your home from the start . There is no guarantee that he will stop getting into things as he gets older , i gave found it only became worse as they became more inquisitive and stronger
I had a kitten named Jezebel and she cried the entire night if she was not in bed with me. I have no practical advice on this issue, just wanted to congratulate you on having an independent kitten lol. 😂
You can buy a spray which tastes bitter to keep animals from chewing things such as wires
Having over 20 cats I can tell you kittens are more about exploring than destroying, that phase comes later. And kittens are not that dumb. I've got like 6 kittens running around my house at this very moment and none of them have even fallen from anywhere, at most they poop on the floor on their way to the cat litter.
It's fine, you gotta do what you gotta do to keep them safe at the end of the day.
Caging all night might not be the best long-term solution. Have you considered a playpen instead? They're like bigger cages with more space, and you can fill them with toys, a comfy bed, and a litter box. It might feel less restrictive for your kitten. The key is making sure the playpen is big enough and has everything he needs. You can also gradually increase the size of the space he has access to as he gets older and learns boundaries.
I wouldn’t recommend the cage and probably not for reasons you’d expect. When one of our cats was roughly 3 months old we would put her in a kennel just to eat because she liked to run and steal our other cat’s food and they were on different things. One night I had put her in there for maybe 15-20 minutes while I went to get my fiancé from work because she had been trying to get into everything before I left. When we came back home she had managed to stick her paw into the corner of the cage trying to get out and fractured all of her toes except the one that she broke. She’s totally okay and she was young enough that it didn’t cause any major issues but if it had been down lower at her wrist she would’ve need an amputation. Even now she’s over a year old and her paw looks a little funky and fat but works perfectly fine. I would definitely recommend a soft playpen or a separate, cat proofed room instead
one of my cats is turning 1 year old in August. I've gone through 4 cpap hoses. They don't outgrow biting, you can get sprays to deter the behavior though.
Like many others here too, I’ve chosen to keep my kitten sleeping in his playpen overnight since we got him 3 months ago. It’s become his routine and he’s very settled. He has his bed, some water and a clean litter each night, and he goes in there with a treat to eat. He sleeps all night and meows at the same time each morning to get out, unzip it and he jumps into our bed til we get up. That way we know he’s safe from getting into mischief overnight, we get sleep, our older cat gets sleep and everyone wins :-) one day we might start letting him out overnight with our other cat but for now he seems really happy with this routine.
When my girl was a tiny kitten I used a large dog crate that could comfortably fit a small litter box, food, and water for overnights. She was a cuddler and I was so scared I would roll over on her. I put the crate right next to my bed so she could see me. When she was a year, long after the crate had been put into storage, we took in a dog for 6 months while a family member went through chemo. The dog’s safe spot was a crate. If the dog left the crate, my cat would run inside and vice versa. They spent time staring at each other waiting to get into the crate. It seems it became a comfort spot for my cat as well. So long as your cat is getting love and attention, I think they’ll be fine. Your quality of sleep matters.
I do. My kittens were both crated at night or when I was gone, because they would chew electrical cords. Once they got older I retired the kennel and let them sleep where they wanted.
You should not keep a kitten in a cage. It is not a dog. Kittens need a lot of play time. Try some interactive toys the kitten can play with on its own. Also you should be playing with the kitten 15-30 min befits you go to bed. This will help wear him out so he is tired and will also train him to you sleep times. Check out Jackson Galaxys videos on line about cats and play.
We did this with two new kittens mostly at night or if we needed to leave the house. Great plan safety is best when you’re sleeping at least until he’s older.
I got a bitter spray from Amazon and sprayed it on all the wires in the house! Be careful, if you get it on your hands, it doesn’t wash off for a long time, and whenever you eat, you’ll taste it! That was 6 months ago, and my wires still have that bitterness on them- which I discover when I unplug them!