Hello everyone ,

Me and my girlfriend bought a kitten few months ago, she is scottish straight just over 5 months old.

I want to ask for your opinion, since we have a little clash about Keeping her our of our bedroom at nights and mornings.

My partner firmly says she will be fine alone at night and if she meows we should just ignore her and she will get used to it.

I'm more soft and I just want get to have access at night to out bedroom if she wants to be with us

So I am wondering if it's considered normal to not allow a kitten in owners bedroom,
Or will it affect her socially in the future?

Please give me some advice.
Thank you

Most people, when they get cats, want to be with their cats. My cats have always slept with me, and I wouldn't let anyone keep them from my bedroom, or my bed, so I am on your side.

Especially if you work all day. This means the kitten is alone 8 or more hours a day, and then all night too. This is cruel. Cats are social animals and want to be with their humans.

If you are home with her all day, giving her plenty of attention,and interactive game time, then it's not quite as bad to force her to be alone at night, but I would never do it. Cats should be able to choose where they go and sleep in the home, as long as it is safe for them. She will soon adjust to your routine, though as an active kitten it might take a bit longer.

What is your girlfriend's reasoning behind not wanting her in the bedroom?

 

I have four, and I often have a problem finding a small area for myself! 😺 I decide where to sleep according to where they are.

 

I agree fully with the above. Teddy is allowed into the bedroom. He prefers to sleep in the lounge however if he has a hairball or is being sick, he always wants to be close to me. I think it gives them security allowing them to come in when they are not well. Sometimes it means being wakened out of my sleep but that is a small price to pay for knowing that I am providing him with security especially during recent months leading up to the operation to remove his tumour.

 

I’m in the cats in bedroom camp! Molly currently sleeps on the bed with me all night, though it goes in phases when she’ll use her own bed for weeks at a time, then join me again, lol.

@Vegeta73 I certainly agree it seems cruel to shut her out all night and that won’t be developing much of a bond either.
What you would likely find is once she’s settled she will decide she doesn’t want to spend all night on the bed anyway and will do her own thing.
You could always put a cat bed or two in your room or a jumper/fleece with your scent on it on a convenient perch and then she may well prefer that anyway.

 

I’ve been in both camps. When I got my first 2 cats, come bedtime they got some treats and I shut them in the living room. They soon got used to that being their routine. However, after a while one of them did start to cry at bedtime (but soon stopped) and the other developed a tendency to cry early morning. Fast forward 8 years when one sadly died and I got a new kitten, I decided to allow both in the bedroom. It was high jinx at first as the kitten would run all over the place in the bedroom, but did settle eventually. I’ve never gone back. Now, almost 20 years later both my cats have free run of the flat at night. Both tend to sleep on the bed but sometimes they sleep in the living room. The doors are open and they do whatever they want. I don’t sleep so well when they don’t sleep on the bed with me.

I don’t think it’s cruel to shut them in another room if you don’t want them in the bedroom,, just make sure it’s part of their routine and they know when it’s bedtime that’s where they have to settle down. Although I do also agree that if you’re out all day it’s nice to have them with you at night and it helps them to bond with you. Cats do seem to like sleeping on the bed with their owners.

 

I don’t think it’s cruel to shut them in another room if you don’t want them in the bedroom

But you had two so they had each other. This kitten is an only. And if they work all day, and lock her away from them at night, the kitten will have no time with her people at all.

 

And I notice each night, they know when it's "grab your spot on the bed" time - the minute the lights are switched off is their cue to make a bee-line for my bed and stake their claim on the part of the duvet that looks most appealing, after which they close their eyes tightly and pretend to be asleep, even when they aren't.
There is a perfectly good bed in the spare bedroom (door open) complete with duvet, soft and squidgy to their specifications, but no. Not good enough for them!.

 

Up until recently mine haven’t been able to get into any bedroom.

 

Our cats were always allowed in the bedroom, saved money on carpets! However, if you’ve got a nice cosy cat bed that your cat likes to sleep in you could try putting it outside your bedroom door and see if she’s comfortable she might be quite happy sleeping there.

 

My concern is your cat is only a kitten. I spent the first four weeks with Tabatha, sleeping downstairs with her when she was a kitten. I was so afraid of her having accidents as she was so small. As she grew we started leaving her for periods, but there's people in our household up and down through the night.

I work mostly night shifts, so always allow her to spend time with me on the bed when I sleep.

Now we also have Tabby, he comes up when she goes down. Sometimes on the bed at the same time but rare.

Both are as good as gold and allow me a decent period of sleep.

 

Just consider this - she's a 'baby' who up until now has had the company of her Mum and her siblings 24/7 - she's been uprooted from all she knows and and has been placed with total strangers who, for whatever reason, appear to have ostracized her at night - think about how you would feel in a similar position.

I had my first cat at age 5 (a present after having my tonsils out !) he and every other cat I've had since has been welcome to sleep on my bed whether I'm occupying it at the time or not - in fact I can feel neglected and unwanted if my cat decides to sleep elsewhere. The only time they have done is during the summer when it can be very hot at night or if I'm having a restless night and keep disturbing them

As for the possibility of chewing cables - as others have said that can be easily resolved by getting some cable covers. There are many types available on Amazon - I like this one

Cable Tidy Sleeves, Cable Management Wire, Flexible Spiral Cable Cover Protector Organiser for PC TV Computer Printer Cables etc for Home and Office, ∅13mm 5.6ft 67'' (1.7m Cable Tidy Kit, Black): Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Cable Tidy Sleeves, Cable Management Wire, Flexible Spiral Cable Cover Protector Organiser for PC TV Computer Printer Cables etc for Home and Office, ∅13mm 5.6ft 67'' (1.7m Cable Tidy Kit, Black): Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

www.amazon.co.uk

It also has the advantage of keeping cables tidy and out of the way when cleaning

 

I wish my two kittens would sleep in the bedroom with me!!!! They don’t want to and it breaks my heart!

 

I can certainly understand not wanting them in the room, you only have to look at the morning thread to see how many get disturbed sleep by the cats.