To calm kittens at night, establish a routine with vigorous playtime before bed, feed them their last meal in the evening, and provide a cozy, quiet space with soft toys; using pheromones or white noise can also help, while keeping them out of your bedroom can prevent middle-of-the-night disruptions.
Tips to help a kitten settle for the night
The kitten 3-3-3 rule is a guideline for adjusting to a new home: 3 days to decompress and hide, 3 weeks to start learning routines and exploring, and 3 months to fully feel secure, comfortable, and show their true personality, requiring patience and consistency from owners during this process.
To manage, increase daytime interactive play sessions to tire the kitten, establish a consistent bedtime routine, and provide stimulating toys. Avoid late-night play that may reinforce activity. Creating a calm, comfortable sleeping area helps. If restlessness persists, consult a vet to rule out medical issues.
To help them settle at night, provide a bed with high sides to keep out draughts and a low front for easy access, and make sure the lining of the bed is thick to keep your kitten warm and comfortable.
If you're sure there's nothing wrong and it's just a cry for attention, you can reward silence as well – to make sure they don't associate meowing at night with getting what they want. Create a cosy, safe environment for your new kitten to cuddle up in.
9-14 months: Congratulations! Your kitten is now an adult. By this time they will have adjusted to their human family's routine. You can expect more restful nights of sleep and a generally calmer more docile cat.
Cats often get the zoomies to exert pent-up energy that they have from sleeping all day. Additionally, since cats are nocturnal, their natural instincts are to hunt during the night, which is another reason why your get will get more energetic after the sun goes down.
Research suggests that cats' short term memories last around 16 hours, which means they can remember recent events and react accordingly. If a cat has had a minor scare—such as a loud noise or being bumped by accident—it may remember and act skittishly for a short period.
The top "silent killers" in cats are Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), often progressing until 75% kidney failure, and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), a heart muscle disease, both often showing few symptoms until advanced stages, along with Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) and Hepatic Lipidosis (Fatty Liver), leading to sudden illness or organ failure if undetected. Early detection through regular vet check-ups, blood tests, and monitoring for subtle changes like increased thirst/urination, weight loss, or hiding is crucial for managing these common, often hidden, feline diseases, says this article.
The amount of time it takes to bond with a kitten can vary. Some kittens bond with their caretakers in a matter of days, while others need more time to feel comfortable and build trust. Kittens that are more fearful or timid might need several weeks to bond with you.
Signs of Anxiety in Cats
The "two kitten rule" is a common recommendation from animal rescues and experts to adopt kittens in pairs (or a kitten with an older companion cat) because it promotes better social skills, reduces behavioral problems like biting/scratching, provides an outlet for their high energy, and leads to calmer, happier cats, making them easier for owners to manage long-term. This rule helps kittens learn bite inhibition and appropriate play from each other, preventing issues like "Tarzan syndrome" where single kittens may become overly rough with humans.
Add a few drops of Quiet Night into your cat's water or apply it directly to their fur to help them relax and adapt to the new nighttime routine. The flower essence blend is crafted to soothe your cat's nerves and reduce late night restlessness, making it easier for them to stay calm and sleep through the night.
Let the cat make contact first
Use the '3-second rule': touch for 3 seconds, then pause to see if the cat wants more.
While keeping your cat in at night is advisable all year round, it becomes more important during fireworks season and Bonfire Night. Cats can become distressed at loud noises and flashes of light and keeping them in when it is dark can help reduce them feeling stressed.
Cats get most annoyed by loud, sudden noises (vacuums, thunder), strong smells (citrus, vinegar), changes in routine, dirty litter boxes, and unwanted handling like being picked up or stared at, as these disrupt their sense of security and sensory balance, triggering their sensitive hearing and instincts for control and safety. Unexpected movements, unfamiliar scents, and being forced into costumes also cause significant stress and annoyance for felines.
To say "I love you" in cat language, use slow blinks, offer gentle head/cheek rubs (scent glands), let them initiate contact, provide interactive play, and simply share calm presence, mimicking their natural affection signals like grooming and trust-building.
The short answer is no, cats can't hold grudges. Cats don't have or process emotions the way that humans do. If you're wondering if cats have a sense of time or a concept of time, they don't. They don't have the time or mental capacity to plot revenge, get jealous, or let a grudge fester.
How to Get Your Kitten to Sleep At Night
Most veterinarians agree that the zoomies are simply a release of energy in our cats and dogs, and it is a pretty normal behavior that most pets experience. Usually, pets with the zoomies are releasing this energy because they are very happy or excited.
Kittens tend to misbehave the most between the ages of 8 weeks to 6 months. During this period, kittens are still learning about their environment and developing their social skills.
Best Cat Toys of 2025: Reviewed & Graded by Experts!
You may need to try a few different options before finding a solution that works for you and your cat, such as: