Kittens are full of energy, and they might not want to sleep when you want to. You might want to put them in another room at night, but wonder if it’s the right thing to do.
This article shows if it is ok to put your kittens in a separate room at night, plus how to ensure the room where your kittens sleep is comfortable, and a safe haven for your little ones.
The answer to if it is OK to put kittens in a room at night:
It’s ok to put your kittens in a room at night, as long as they have food, water, toys, and a litter tray. Here is how to set up their room:
- Leave a dim light on.
- Remove hazards from the room.
- Put them in a warm bed.
Don’t put kittens in your bed as they can transmit parasites and bacteria.
Kittens Can Be in a Separate Room at Night
If you have tried sleeping in the same room with your kittens, you have probably learned the hard way that your little ones don’t sleep at night, as much as you expect. These energetic creatures are crepuscular; active at dawn and dusk.
Sleeping in the same room with your kittens can be quite a disruption to your sleep cycle. They can also break things, and get hurt.
Of course, some cat owners don’t mind sleeping in the same room with their cats. But you also have to remember that you have to be ok with that sleeping arrangement. Even though you might want to be in the same room with your cats, some situations force you to set up a different cat room.
For instance, your kittens may keep waking you up in the middle of the night and start playing with your feet, meowing for food, or wanting to be let out. In such a case, you might need to put them in a separate room.
You need to prepare the room where your kittens will sleep. It needs to be somewhere safe, equipped with their necessities, and easily accessible in case you need to check on them.
As long as you are prepared, your cats can enjoy a peaceful sleep. Don’t feel guilty for letting them sleep alone. It’s something that they probably had gotten used to when at the shelters.
Many cat owners would like to know if it’s ok to put their kittens in a room at night because they want to get a decent sleep, and at the same time ensure their furballs are doing just fine.
How to Set up a cat Room for your Kittens
This is not just a matter of throwing your kittens in a spare room one night, because they are being stubborn. The room should be safe, comfortable, warm, with minimal light, have feeding bowls, drinking bowls, and a litter tray.
Let’s talk about these necessities in detail.
1. Remove hazards from the room
Your cats might wake up at night and decide it’s playtime. If you have not kitten-proofed the room, this could spell disaster. Kittens are playful and curious; anything that appears to be moving could be an invitation to pounce on it.
Here are things you can do to ensure the room is a safe place to sleep:
- Remove any breakable glass or objects.
- Close all small spaces. Your kittens are small and can fit in these openings.
- Close all windows.
- Ensure there are no toxic or poisonous houseplants in the room.
- Remove plastic bags.
- Keep electric cables and cords out of their reach.
2. Leave a dim light on
Cats have good vision at night, much better than humans. Your cats will not have trouble navigating in poorly-lit areas. However, this does not mean they can see in pitch darkness. They need some kind of light to see clearly.
You can just leave the curtains open, for some level of light to penetrate the room. If your kittens are new to your home, you can consider leaving the lights on for the first night. This is just to ensure they get accustomed to their new surroundings.
Even if you choose to keep the lights on, ensure it’s dim. Bright lights may affect the quality of their sleep.
A source of light in your kittens’ room will also help you avoid accidents when you enter the room.
Another challenge here is that keeping the lights on might make it difficult for you to establish sleeping patterns. If your kitties are having trouble going to bed, keep the lights off at night.
Be consistent with whatever routine you choose.
3. Keep a warm bed
Your kittens are growing, and therefore they will sleep a lot to boost their physical and mental growth. If their bed is not cozy enough, they will wake you up with loud meowing.
It’s a good thing if you have two or more kittens, because they will snuggle upon each other at night and provide each other with warmth. Nevertheless, their beds should be cozy enough for a good night’s sleep.
You can throw blankets on your kittens’ bed. Now, cats have different personalities. Others will not mind sharing a bed, but some felines will be territorial and seem to dominate the other cat. Use your judgment in whether to let them share a bed or put a separate one for each.
If you notice some kind of bullying in the bed, it’s best to put separate beds for your kittens. Male cats often exhibit territorial behavior even when they are young. They will be fine as long as the beds are warm and cozy.
It’s not necessary to purchase a bed for your kitten. There are lots of things in your house that can serve the same purpose. You can use a laundry basket, or fill a cardboard box with blankets.
4. Include all their necessities
You can only sleep peacefully after you have ensured your kittens have everything they need in their room. These are:
- Separate litter trays
- Different food and water bowls
- Toys
Kittens have not yet established feeding patterns and will eat wherever they feel hungry. It’s good to fill their bowls up with food before youput them in their room at night.
Keep separate bowls at each corner of the room. Eating together might results in aggression because cats are independent creatures, and they may not like to share.
Include a clean litter tray for each of your kittens. Elimination is a private thing for a cat, and sharing a litterbox might be stressful. The Humane Society recommends having one litter box for each cat.
Furthermore, if one cat is aggressive towards the other, it might deny the kitten entry into the litterbox. This might result in inappropriate elimination.
Remember to keep the food and water bowls away from the litter trays.
Another necessity to include in your kittens’ room is toys. Your kitties are energetic and might feel the urge to play as you sleep. Keep simple toys in their room but ensure these don’t have small chewable parts that can cause them to choke.
Don’t Reward Them if They Cry for Attention
Sometimes your kittens meow at night to get your attention. Perhaps they want to initiate playing, or petting. If you want to put an end to this behavior, don’t respond to the meowing. Wait until they are quiet, then go and check on them.
Of course, this does not mean you should completely ignore your pets.
This is an effective way to reinforce good behavior. If you show up each time they meow, you are rewarding the crying habit. Your little ones will observe that their meowing always gets your attention.
Don’t Put Kittens in Your Bed
Kittens love to sleep in a warm place, and you might feel that your bed is the best place to put your little ones. Some cat owners say they like cuddling with their kittens in bed because their purring helps them to sleep well.
You might allow your little ones into your bed, but there are things to keep in mind. If you fall asleep easily without turning around, this sleeping arrangement can work for you. However, if you toss and turn, you could easily injure your kittens.
Another reason why this might not be a good idea is that cats are notorious bed hogs. Once they feel relaxed in your space, it might be difficult to change this agreement in future.
Cats are territorial and the more you let them sleep in their bed, the more they view it as their own personal space. It will promote dominance. Your little ones will not like it when you deny them access to somewhere they were once permitted to sleep. They may even get agitated.
It’s also dangerous to put kittens in your bed, because they can transmit diseases, parasites, and bacteria to you.
Resources
https://thecatsite.com/threads/2-new-kittens-in-a-separate-room-at-night-is-this-okay.252023/
https://purrcraze.com/is-it-ok-to-put-a-cat-in-a-room-at-night
https://www.petmd.com/cat/centers/litter/evr_why_multi_cat_households_need_multiple_litter_boxes
