Getting my kitten to calm down at night?

[kaytiecat]

Hello everybody! I recently adopted a beautiful baby kitten from our local rescue shelter, and she is absolutely perfect!
There is just one small concern I have with her-- Shes CRAZY at night! We have a six year old cat as well, who comes to be with us and sleeps until we wake up and get out of bed, and we are trying to train the new baby to do the same, or atleast quietly wake up in the night. I play with her like mad at night before bed to tire her out, running back and forth down the hallways and jumping on furniture and everything, its sometimes a couple hour ordeal getting her sleepy for bed! They both have a bazillion toys, and we keep some on the floor of the bedroom, for if she wakes up and needs to play she will have toys.. but she doesn't play with the toys at night-- she much prefers to crawl under the blankies and go crazy while we're sleeping, and you all know just how sharp those little kitten claws are! I can mostly sleep through it, but my boyfriend wakes up instantly and after about 15 minutes of grumbling, has to leave to sleep on the couch. I talked to a close friend of mine who is a huge kitty lover and has raised a few kittens herself, who suggested putting up her food before bed so that she's not kept awake by digesting her food.. which has actually deferred the crazy scratch fests, but now she gets up, every morning around 4 am and sucks on my ear lobes and purrs so loudly!! I can sleep through it for the most part, but its so loud it wakes him up, and since he has to work in the mornings, hes once again stuck sleeping on the couch. Any pointers on how to get her to calm down, or do you think this is something she will grow out of as she matures?

[Lynne&Co.]

Congratulations on rescuing from a shelter! Would love to see pictures of your new addition.
Cats are instinctually nocturnal so kitty up playing at night is normal behaviour. Most cats adapt to their human schedules of sleeping through the night and active during the day but not all do.
Once kitty matures she'll settle into her own schedule which may or may not please you Kitty may copy your 6 year old cats behaviour and sleep through the night or have the odd "mad moment" during the night
She sounds perfectly normal to me

[kaytiecat]

I think she will develop her older sisters sleeping pattern in time, she follows her around and tries to mimic her already!

[kaytiecat]

Sorry that picture is HUGE!

[Lynne&Co.]

Oh my goodness she is super cute. Glad the pic is huge......my eyesight is terrible

[Barkingdog]

Originally Posted by kaytiecat

Sorry that picture is HUGE!

I zoomed it down to 50 % and that helped a lot , he sure it a cutie.
Do you have an automatic cat food feeder , maybe you could leave a little food in it at night. My daughter's cat was waking her up at 5:30 AM by meowing in her face that she was hungry , the cat never bothered her husband.

[kaytiecat]

Heres the little kitty doing her ear sucking-- shes started doing it all the time lol