How to accustom a cat to a house or bed and make it sleep in its place at night?

If the house is warm and cozy, it is pleasant to be there. So pets value comfort. Of course, a caring owner who has a cat takes care of more than just feeding the pet. The animal must have its own place to rest and sleep. For such purposes, you can choose a bed. But sometimes you also need to get used to a new place. We'll talk further about how to do this.

Basic requirements for a cat's home

A special bed or a whole house can be purchased at a specialized store. The advantages of having your own home for a pet are the absence of co-sleeping with the owner (the kitten will not disturb its owner’s sleep). And also, if a cat is sick, they will not hide in corners or under sofas. During the illness, the animal will sleep in its house and it will not be difficult for the owner to notice changes in the behavior of his mustachioed pet.

Just buying a house and waiting for the cat to want to live there is not enough

It is important to properly accustom the animal to its place, observing persistence and patience. Only in this case will it be possible to convince the animal that it is important to follow the rules established by humans

A house that does not comply with certain rules will never be able to please a pet, even if the person goes to all sorts of tricks. When buying a home for a cat, you need to carefully select it according to certain parameters, depending on the preferences of a particular pet.

A great house must meet several requirements. The main ones are:

Convenience for the cat. The houses come in all different sizes. When choosing a home for a cat, it is necessary to take into account the size of the pet and its breed. So, Maine Coon or British cats gain quite a lot of weight in adulthood, and if the house is too small for such a cat, he will not want to be in it.

Cozy home. A house made from low-quality materials that are not pleasant for a cat will not bring the animal the desired comfort. The cat will quickly realize that such a home is not suitable for him and simply will not climb there. When choosing a cat house, it is not recommended to skimp on materials.

Sustainability. A significant aspect that allows you to be sure that the cat will not fill up its home during the game. If a cat tries to jump into its house, and at the same time it turns over or falls, then the animal, having become stressed, will not want to return there anymore.

The presence of tunnels and exits. Naturally predatory, cats feel safer if they have multiple escape routes. Having several exits in the house will allow the cat to feel protected.

If the kitten continues to make noise at night

It happens that a pet does not immediately accept a regimen that is inconvenient for him.
And he continues to walk persistently, loudly demanding entertainment. Or he finds entertainment for himself, playing with wires and throwing things around. In such situations at home we use several harsher methods. I'm sure one of them will work with your naughty boy too.

1. If you are ready to sleep in the same bed with a cat, you can grab it tightly with your hands, hold it close to you and hold it until it relaxes and falls asleep.
2. On the contrary, you can turn your pet out the door if your home allows it.
3. A tougher option, but not at all cruel, as some people think, is to put him in a carrier and take him to a quiet, dark room (a toilet or bathroom will do). As a rule, cats in such a situation, if you do not approach them, simply go to sleep. And they begin to be loudly indignant only when they hear footsteps or voices.
4. Finally, you can try to run your wet hands over the toy's fur several times. Not a single representative of the cat family will tolerate a wet fur coat with a foreign smell - it will immediately begin to lick itself fervently. By the time he licks it, he will calm down and go to bed.

All of the above educational techniques should be used if the cat interferes with sleep at night.
The main thing is that the animal establishes a strong connection: if you disturb the sleeping owner, you will get into trouble. When raising a kitten, you must, of course, make allowances for age. It’s rare that a 3-4 month old baby can sleep through the night. But with age and as you train, your pet will be less and less likely to wake you up at an inopportune hour. The main thing is not to give in and do not entertain the kitten at night, even if you yourself have already woken up.

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Common mistakes

Adaptation of a kitten to a new place of residence is easier and faster than in adults. At the same time, the owners themselves can make mistakes that only aggravate the current situation and prevent the pet from quickly getting used to the apartment.

• Don't throw away your pet's old clothes or items. If he had a favorite toy, bedding, and litter box, let them move with you. Familiar smells and objects will instill confidence and calm in your pet.
• Lack of attention. When moving, owners have a lot of trouble. It is necessary to arrange the furniture, put things in order, put all the items in their places. This can take one day or a whole week. But don't ignore your pet at this time.

She needs affection and support. Take a couple of minutes to pick her up, pet her and play with her. In a new place, the cat may not eat, drink, or even go to the toilet for several days. Moreover, all this time she will be in some secluded corner. Don't try to get her out of there.

It’s better to come over, place a bowl of water or a tray next to it, talk kindly and pet the cat. This way she will understand much faster that there is no danger.

You should not scold your pet for other pranks and offenses. As we have already written, the cat simply does not yet know the rules of living in a new house. Help her, don't punish her. This way you will achieve results faster with minimal effort.

Provide a calm atmosphere in your home. Everyone adapts differently. If you see that it’s not easy for your pet, then save her from unnecessary worries. Do not gather noisy groups and at least stop the repairs for a while. Many will think that these are big sacrifices, but just think about the consequences.

An anxious cat can cause much more trouble for its owners. For example, she may flatly refuse to go to the litter box. The risk of a nervous disorder cannot be excluded, which can result in an unbalanced psyche and aggressiveness of the animal.

Cats are very smart pets. They are able to quickly adapt to both a new home and a new owner. It takes a little effort and this process will be easy and quick for both the owners and the pet.

Feeling your care, your pet will quickly understand that nothing threatens her here.

Read on to learn how to accustom a cat to a new home.

Expert advice: how to stop a cat from shitting in the wrong place

Cats are the most common domestic pet. Fluffy, funny, soft, cute, purring creatures that leave no one indifferent. But the attitude towards them changes dramatically if a cat or male cat begins to shit in the wrong place.

Reasons why a cat goes to the toilet anywhere

Before scolding a cat, you should definitely understand the reasons for his action. It’s not just that the pet started shitting in the wrong place. The representatives of the cat family themselves are very clean and defecate only in strictly designated places.

Any of the diseases of the genitourinary and digestive system. Due to painful sensations during bowel movements, a cat may associate the tray with pain, so she tries to avoid it by any means.

Worms. This reason is similar to the previous one. The cat may relieve itself with great effort or pain, which is also associated with the litter box.

Wrong diet. If your pet doesn't eat right, constipation and diarrhea often occur. This occurs due to a lack of vitamins or nutrients the cat needs. To avoid this problem, you need to seek help from a veterinarian, who will adjust your pet’s diet.

Inappropriate tray. Many owners of cats and kittens do not even suspect that their pet may simply not like their toilet. In many long-haired cats, hairs cling to decorations and cracks in trays, thereby tearing out the hair and causing pain and inconvenience.

The smell from the tray. The strong smell from the cat litter causes disgust in the pet due to cleanliness. Therefore, it is not recommended to leave the tray dirty or, on the contrary, to wash it with scented products. The optimal solution is to clean the cat's litter box with regular brown soap.

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What you should not allow your pet to do in the master bedroom

In any case, you should not give the pet the opportunity to feel permissiveness and superiority over the owner. The owner must teach his four-legged friend the rules of behavior in bed.

You should not allow your cat to play in the bed. Often, even after evening entertainment, pets touch their owner’s paws, meow and even try to sit on their owner’s face. It is necessary to stop such attempts by the animal to disturb sleep, and say in a firm voice: “No!” and point the cat to his bed.

If your cat tries to wake you up, you should just ignore it.

This is how she tries to get attention. After waking up, do not feed your cat for a while so that she understands that you do not encourage this behavior

If your pet behaves restlessly and meows all night, you should pay attention to the state of its health. This behavior may be due to illness or stress.

A veterinarian will help determine why the animal is worried.

It often happens that, having taught a cat to sleep with him in bed, the owner feels sleep disturbance. In this case, you will have to remove the pet from the bedroom. This is sometimes more difficult to do than getting a cat to sleep in a bed. The best solution is to let your four-legged friend choose his own place to rest.

In any case, he will give his owner his attention and affection.

Adult cats are able to sleep from 15 to 20 hours a day. It would seem that this is twice the human norm, but it was not so. One of the most common complaints from cat owners is the complete inability to get enough sleep. Many cats manage to distribute their strength so that their short period of active wakefulness coincides with your deepest sleep.

It is at this time that they begin to scamper along the walls, ceiling and curtains, swing from the chandelier, throw flower pots onto the floor, sharpen their claws on a polished cabinet and hunt for all unprotected parts of your body.

But what if your baby has just finally fallen asleep? Or do you have to get up early for work, but your cat bothers you and doesn’t let you sleep at night? What should owners of night owl cats do, and is there a way to train a cat to sleep at night? We will try to give answers to these questions in today's article.

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Author: Pavel Chaika, editor-in-chief of Poznavaika magazine

When writing the article, I tried to make it as interesting, useful and high-quality as possible. I would be grateful for any feedback and constructive criticism in the form of comments on the article. You can also write your wish/question/suggestion to my email [email protected] or Facebook, with respect, the author.

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How to choose a place for a house

Each breed has its own preferences. The issue will be discussed in more detail in Table 1. But there are general requirements for the location of a new home; they must be taken into account first of all:

• absence of drafts;
• location near heating devices;
• location of the home near a computer, TV and other objects that emit radiation.

Table 1. Cat breed and preferred location of the cat house.

At the first stage of training, do not place the house in the place of the cat’s former bedding, to which she is accustomed. Instead of acceptance, it can cause rejection. Place the dwelling close to the litter and begin to actively accustom the animal to it.

How to protect your cat from hairballs in her stomach when shedding?

How to start house training a cat

The process will not take much time and effort if you are just going to adopt a pet. In this case, the house must be purchased in advance, and the baby will immediately know its place. Even if the kitten is already in the house, thanks to its curiosity, it will quickly get used to the house.

An adult animal with established habits is a different matter. It is possible that the cat will immediately fall in love with its new home. But there are some tricks to win over conservatives too.

Using your favorite places

If your pet has lived with you for a long time, there are corners in the apartment where he spends time and sleeps more often. Place the house in such a place, and the cat will enter it, following its habit. Your pet's conservatism will play into your hands - the fluffy will sleep where he loves, and at the same time get used to the housing. If your cat sleeps on the bed with you, you can briefly tolerate the proximity of the apartment next to the bed, or even on it, if space allows.

After three weeks, try to move the house. If the pet does not follow, you need to return the corner back for some more time. Eventually the animal will fall in love with the structure itself, and the cat will willingly follow it.

Using Natural Curiosity

Bring the purchased house into the apartment and place it where it will be immediately visible to your pet. If the cat does not go there right away, take a few days to get used to the new piece of furniture. Then, during the game, you can throw your favorite ball or mouse inside - the first step is taken, the animal goes inside to get the toy. Gradually move your favorite toys inside the structure. The best option is if the cat believes that this is her choice, do not forget that mustachioed friends are very capricious.

Use your fluffy's favorite treat as bait, and visits to your home will become more frequent. Use one of your old things that the cat likes to lie on as bedding - the room will become close in smell. Gradually, your baby will get used to it and begin to sleep in the structure, first during the day, then at night.

Using gentle pressure

Take your pet in your arms and take it to the house, stroking and talking to it as you do so. If the pet settles down calmly in its new home, stroke it while holding it lightly. To reinforce the conditioned reflex, treat him to something tasty. Move the cat during sleep so that he wakes up in a new place, this will speed up recognition.

Reward

Praise your baby when he spends time in his house, treat him with goodies. Cats are smart animals; the owner’s approval, love and affection are important to them. This is the best way to reinforce your pet's correct behavior.

Using Tricks

If your pet is stubborn, resort to other tactics. All cats are partial to catnip. Pet stores sell the weed itself, sprays with the scent of mint, and toys stuffed with it. Regularly, until the pet gets used to the house, scatter or spray catnip, the cat will not be able to resist, will certainly enter the house and stay there for a while. Valerian root also attracts fluffies; it can be used, but not for too long - in cats it causes an effect similar to human intoxication.

Why are cats so active at night?

By nature, cats are nocturnal predators. They see perfectly even in the weakest light, which the human eye perceives as absolute darkness. In addition, cats have excellent hearing. And they rely on it even more than their eyesight. The natural ancestors of domestic cats hunted and looked for a mate at night, and during the day they slept in places hidden from view.

Domestic cats, of course, do not need to hunt at night, but they would be much more comfortable playing at night and sleeping during the day - in their cat house or simply on the “top” of the closet.

There is another feature that forces cats to jump up at night. The fact is that wild cats prey on small rodents and birds. After running for prey and having a light snack, the cat rests. And after a couple of hours he goes hunting again. This is why our pet cats eat little and often - this is how their digestive system works. And that is why the cat will get up at night to have a snack.

How to train a cat to sleep with you

To teach a cat to sleep with you, you will have to be patient, especially if the animal has an independent and obstinate character and does not respond well to close contact. A few tips will help you eventually enjoy a night's sleep with your furry pet:

Encourage your cat to be active during the day to keep her awake at night. Some pets get enough sleep during the day, and when the owner sleeps, they go for walks. Just before bed, play with your four-legged friend to release excess energy. After the game, feed your pet. Cats love to nap after a snack. The furry friend loves warm places. Let him sit closer to the battery. Place a cozy pet bed on a hill near the bed. Cats love to watch what is happening from above. Over time, perhaps the pet will move to the bed. You can lure your furry friend into bed with valerian or catnip. Observe your pet's behavior and put in the bed what he likes. Some cats love the smell of freshly washed laundry, while others, on the contrary, lie on things saturated with the owner’s scent.

It is important to spend plenty of time with your cat during the day. A pet will go to bed with its owner only if it feels sincere trust and affection for him.

Cats love peace and quiet. During the day, you should protect your pet from stress, and hang a thick curtain on the window to prevent light from entering the bedroom. Every time your cat agrees to come to bed, reward him with affection or a treat. As soon as your pet gets used to sleeping in the bed with you, you should abandon this technique. Overfeeding can harm your cat.

What can you do to make your cat sleep longer and not wake up its owners at night?

Despite their self-sufficiency and independence, cats can easily adapt to the lifestyle of a human family.

1. During the day, and especially in the evening, provide your pet with the opportunity to move actively. especially if we are talking about a kitten or a young animal. Both “sophisticated” store-bought toys and ordinary twine with a candy wrapper tied at the end will come in handy. Play until the kitten gets tired. Give it a few minutes to rest and get them back into the game.

For independent play during the day, provide small balls and toys with springs. You can simply tie a candy wrapper with an elastic band to the door handle. Only the door can be damaged by sharp claws.

1. Before going to bed, remove all toys from free access - in a table drawer, in a closet, so that the kitten does not see them. In addition, it is advisable not to leave small objects on the floor or tables that can be thrown off and have fun being chased around the room.
2. Make sure your pet has access to water and a litter tray. If you use dry food, it is also advisable to leave it freely available overnight.
3. The last, most important rule: do not give in to “provocations” at night. Do not get up, do not play lying down, that is, do not entertain your pet in any way.

After some time, the kitten will definitely understand that night is not the time for games.

Teaching a kitten to a place to sleep

Having got a kitten, the owner wants it to follow certain rules in the house. This is much easier with puppies, as they easily remember commands and can follow them. The cat is freedom-loving and, unconditionally trusting its owner, like a dog, will not willingly obey him.

Many people want to train a kitten to sleep in its own place, as this makes it easier for it to go to the toilet at night. If the tray is located far away, then the baby may not rush to it, but will settle down somewhere near the place of sleep. The kitten tries to stay close to its owner and clings to him in his sleep. There is nothing wrong with this, but only if the owner himself is not against it. When it is necessary for your pet to sleep alone, you will need to be persistent and prepare a house for the animal.

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What should a sun lounger be like?

In order for the kitten to want to sleep in its place, you need to provide it with a comfortable bed. You can’t just lay a rug in the corner and think that’s enough. The cat, like the owner, should have a comfortable, cozy sleeping place where he will feel safe.

To teach a kitten to sleep in a new place, they make a house for it from a box, a basket, or buy a ready-made one at a pet store. Some pets like their sleeping place to rock. A special hammock is suitable for them, which can even be attached to a battery. The lounger should always be kept clean and dry. To prevent the baby from freezing at night and waking up from it, he needs to put on a heating pad. It is placed on one edge of the bedding, but not on the entire bottom, so that the pet can cool down if desired. You can also lean the lounger against the radiator.

It is good if the bedding is located in the place that the cat chose itself. A kitten, once in a new home, goes to sleep where it is comfortable and calm, and its wishes must be taken into account whenever possible. It is unacceptable to arrange it on the aisle in a noisy and drafty place. A room in which the light is on for a long time is also not suitable, as it will wake up the baby.

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Features of training

The kitten does not want to sleep in its place - this is a complaint with which many owners turn to experienced breeders or veterinarians. The problem can occur for 3 reasons:

• wrong location for the house;
• kitten attention deficit;
• incorrect accustoming to the place.

If the first 2 reasons are easy to eliminate, then problems arise with the last one. Few owners know all the intricacies of training a pet to a place. As a result, once in a new home, the baby simply cannot understand what they want from him.

As soon as the kitten is brought home, he needs to be shown where the bed is. In order for the pet to be interested in it, it needs to be laid on it and stroked. It would be a good idea to treat the bed with a special compound that attracts cats, which is sold in pet stores. It can be replaced with catnip (catnip) or valerian. The herbs need to be infused in boiling water and a little sprinkled on the bottom of the bed with the resulting mixture. You can wipe the bottom with an alcoholic tincture of valerian.

This treatment allows you to attract the baby and not worry about the kitten looking for its new place to sleep all night. The food and tray should be close to the sleeping area so that it is convenient for the pet to reach them.

Teaching a kitten to sleep in a sleeping place is quite difficult. Unlike dogs, cats are freedom-loving and consider the entire apartment to be theirs, but with enough patience you can achieve good results. You cannot beat or punish a kitten for sleeping in the wrong place. It is also unacceptable to lock a four-legged friend in a house where he should sleep. This will only scare your pet and make him nervous. In such a situation, the opportunity to accustom him to a place will be completely lost.

Choosing the right bed is half the success

The first step to accustom your cat to a bed is to provide a comfortable place to rest. The choice of bed is of enormous importance, since cats value comfort very much. First, determine the place where the bed will be placed; it should be remote, calm and dark. In the first days of training, it is wise to place the bed in your bedroom to make the cat feel calmer.

When choosing a suitable bed, you need to consider several factors:

Cats need space and like to toss and turn and stretch, so the bed should be large. Experience shows that cats ignore accessories that make it inconvenient to turn around or turn over on the other side.

By observing your pet, you can find out in which positions he prefers to sleep. If your cat often curls up into a ball, you need to choose a basket or round bed with sides.

Think about hygiene issues in advance. Choose an accessory, give preference to models with removable covers that are easy to wash. In addition to regular washing, it is necessary to regularly remove hair and dirt from covers.

Many owners consider only beds that are upholstered in woolen fabric to be good.

In fact, it is important to choose a bed that is covered with a natural material that does not create static tension (not necessarily wool). The filler plays an equally important role.

All of the above factors are not important if the cat does not feel safe. To properly equip a resting place, watch your pet; many cats prefer to sleep “under the roof”, in which case it is better to place the lounger under a table or bed. Another great option for secretive animals is a house.

Why does the kitten stubbornly refuse to sleep in its bed?

Cats are independent animals and often change their resting spots and explore new areas where they can sleep peacefully. Before you set a goal on how to accustom a kitten to a place to sleep, find out the reason for its refusal.

If he does not want to sleep in his own bed, this does not mean that he does not like it or that the pet is capricious. However, other available surfaces may have what cats are looking for when they choose a place to sleep: warmth, comfort and security.

This is why many cats prefer to sleep on sofas, tables, on clothes or on your bed. They instinctively feel more protected when they sleep in high places where they are protected from "predators".

If your kitten only wants to sleep in your bed, this may indicate deeper reasons:

• the baby feels safe with you, so he seeks your protection before bed;
• he considers you part of his pack;
• the kitten prefers the height of your bed because it gives him an advantage over possible threats;
• Your furry pet misses you, especially if you spend a lot of time away from home, so he takes advantage of this time to be close.

Many owners prefer that their pet does not sleep on pillows, much less with them, due to allergies, inconvenience, hygienic reasons, or simply because the small predator is active at night and does not allow sleep.

How to accustom a cat to a bed

So, how to accustom a cat to a new bed? There are several basic techniques and many tricks for this. First, just show the animal its new place. At first, the cat may avoid the house, since it is a new object and needs to get used to it. However, more curious animals, on the contrary, tend to quickly explore the new thing, and, in fact, you will not need to think about how to accustom him to the bed. The main thing is to choose the right place for it, and everything will happen by itself.

If, however, independent development is still delayed, try to accustom the cat to a new bed using one of the following methods:

Cat mint. This plant is also called catnip or horehound. Thanks to its aroma, it attracts felines, and therefore will be an excellent tool in an attempt to point the animal to its new place to sleep and rest. Some manufacturers add catnip to the materials used to make beds and houses; Favorite treat. You can put some tasty treat that your pet loves so much in the new place. In this case, over time he will understand that there is something good there, and will not be afraid to lay down to rest in the basket; Valerian

This is the fastest way to attract attention to the update, but it is very risky, since valerian is a kind of drug for cats and sometimes affects them very unpredictably. Instead of attacks of love for a new place, the animal may experience excessive activity, and even aggression towards the structure

You run the risk of witnessing your new item being shattered into pieces under the pressure of your pet’s claws and teeth; Favorite blanket. You can also use a favorite pillow, blanket, or other item that your cat likes to sleep on. Just move it to the place you need, and the animal will come to it if it wants to lie down on its blanket again.

If the cat climbs into a new place, especially when it comes to a closed house, do not try to get it out of there. The pet should feel safe there and a kind of isolation from strangers. Cats like to retire from time to time, so this bed will be a real boon for your pet.

In fact, it is not so difficult to accustom a cat to anything, but you should pay attention to the character of the animal. It might be easier to leave him alone and give him free rein.