My Pet World: How to keep a cat busy during the early morning hours

Q: My wife and I rescued two small kittens (5-6 weeks old) from a ditch in November of last year. We took them to the vet and got them cleaned up, one kitten died within the week the other is now a very cute, very active 16 to 18 week old kitten. The problem is she is now big enough to jump over or get through the barriers we have set up to block her from the bedroom. She gets very active at 4 a.m. and comes into the bedroom looking for fun and food. It is not workable for us to shut the bedroom door to keep her out. How can we get her to not be waking us in the early hours. At some point in the future I'd like to be able to have her sleep on the bed with us. Any suggestions or ideas would be much appreciated. -- Leif Nestingen

A: Congratulations on your new kitten that is acting like a kitten should! That is really the answer here. She is acting like a kitten that is bored and does not have a sibling to play with.

It reminds me of when my wife and I just got married, some 30 years ago, and we lived in a small studio apartment and we adopted two kittens. Of course the kittens were alone all day while we were at work and bored out of their minds. So their day started when we got home. They were all over our bed at night chasing out feet and jumping on our heads and otherwise acting like kittens do.

Since it was a studio apartment there was no bedroom door to close and we were at the mercy of the kittens and we just had to take it all and bear. By the time they were a year old they had matured and calmed down. At that point all was well. They would curl up in bed with us and peacefully sleep with us all night.

So the short answer to your question is to shut the bedroom door at night to keep the cat out until she gets older. However, you say that is not an option. So the long answer is to get another kitten to act as a playmate for her and hopefully keep her entertained all night long.

Of course that situation could also backfire. You could have two kittens all over your head at night as my wife and I had. The only other suggestion I can offer is since you say her antics start around 4 a.m., and she begs for food then try getting one of the automatic feeders that work on a timer. That way the cat can access the food at that specific time. Hopefully she will take the food presented to her and take the edge off her antics.

Q: I really need to know if an outside stray male cat can be fixed and not spray indoors. I really feel sorry for this guy. He comes just about every night to eat but he is in rough shape. He always has scratches or wounds. He will let me pet him but is afraid of everything and everyone else. I already have seven cats. Pure accident, I took in two stray pregnant females. I tried to find good homes and when I couldn't, I kept them. They are all fixed, shots and monthly flea meds. It's not a cheap situation. I want to help this guy. My females go out, but back in about every 10 minutes. He does not bother them and they are not afraid of him like they have been of other wondering males. My boys have never been out so I don't allow them to start. Please tell me if you think getting him fixed would stop him from spraying indoors. -- Donna Lampkin

A: You are a very kind person to take pity on these cats. However this issue, like most cat drama, does not have a black or white answer. According to the rules of science a male cat that has no free testosterone in its system should not feel the need to spray; the desire to mate or warn other males off its territory should not be present without the hormone.

The problem is that some neutered cats do spray -- either because it became such an ingrained habit before they were neutered or just because they are cats. However, this does not apply to all cats. There is very little that actually applies to all cats when you think about it.

So my suggestion is you do get him neutered and then ask the vet who performs the operation how long he or she feels that it will take the cat to lose its testosterone based on the cat's physical condition. Then keep him outdoors for the time suggested by the vet before you bring him into the house. If all works out then it is a win situation. If not and you have to put him outdoors again then at least his life will be a lot easier if he has been neutered.

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(Marc Morrone has kept every kind of animal as a pet possible for the last half century and is happy to share his knowledge of pet keeping with those in need of it. Although he cannot answer every question individually, he will publish those of general interest. You can contact him at petxperts2@aol.com; please include your name, city and state.)