Reddit mentions of Think Like a Cat: How to Raise a Well-Adjusted Cat--Not a Sour Puss

Enjoy the benefits of conversion, including purrs, happy kneading, head butts, all sorts of amusing forms of playing, etc. Cats make great pets, and kittens are literally "aww-inspiring" with their adorableness.

If you don't have a lot of cat experience and plan on keeping this kitty permanently, I'd recommend reading the book Think Like a Cat by Pam Johnson Bennett. It's comprehensive, easy-to-read, and gives you advice for pretty much every possible scenario--including learning how to keep your cat from waking you up at night.

My bff swears by this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Cat-Well-Adjusted-Cat-Not-ebook/dp/B005ERIIRQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492975987&sr=8-1&keywords=Think+Like+a+Cat

Her cat was waking them up in the middle of the night for food, being a general pain in the ass, etc. She's now stopped. One thing they do is they play hunting games with her before bed and make sure to feed her a few treats so she gets that hunting instinct out of her system and feels fed.

Congratulations on your new kitten! I'm also a relatively new cat owner (about 8 months), but have learned there are plenty of things you can do to keep an indoor cat entertained.

A good place to start is looking into cat towers, climbers, and window perches – according to cat experts like Jackson Galaxy, cats build confidence by being able to traverse a room freely in their own spaces. Cat tunnels and even cardboard boxes can provide provide fun hiding spots if your cat is more of a "bush dweller." Cats are natural explorers, so try to picture your apartment or home from your cat's point of view (think both vertically and horizantally) and provide plenty of points of interest.

Examples: My cat loves watching the neighborhood from the window on this perch. You could even hang a bird feeder outside to provide extra stimulation. Mutlilevel cat towers and climbers also increase a cat's engagement with his envirnonment (you can also install DIY cat shelves).

It's important to play interactively with your new cat to bond, but make sure he has some toys to keep him occupied when you're not around as well. My cat loves this toy and there are plenty of other independent cat-puzzle toys out there. The more stimulated a cat is, the less behavioral issues you will have.

I hope this helps! I would reccomend that any new cat owner look into the TV show "My Cat From Hell" by Jackson Galaxy and/or read the book Think Like a Cat by Pam Johnson-Bennet.

Cats have a natural cycle that isn't often encouraged when they live indoors:

1. Hunt/Play
   
   
2. Eat
   
   
3. Groom
   
   
4. Sleep
   
   If you play with your kitty 10-30 minutes before you feed her at night (right before you go to bed), she's more likely to spend a good amount of time grooming and then settle down to sleep. This can help keep her from waking you up in the mornings.
   
   Every time you feed her before you're ready to get up, you're telling her that her actions give the desired response, and she should keep doing what she's doing.
   
   While the vacuum method can be effective, it can also be highly disruptive to everyone in the household and may cause anxiety and stress in your cat, causing her to act out in other ways.
   
   She will learn the hard way after your surgery that waking you up doesn't feed her, but you'll also need to make sure that you're not waking your sister up to feed her to get her to leave you alone. It may take an entire month for kitty to catch on.
   
   This book is excellent for learning cat behavior, and ways to deal with problems like yours.
   
   Good luck!

It's been 2 years, and you have been very patient! Only a bit more to go!

Dealing with cats is as much of a skill as drawing, for example. You can look at people who have been drawing for years and think "I keep seeing people working miracles with a pencil on paper and here I am, barely able to draw a straight line". But that's not constructive, anyone can learn to draw. Talent is a part of it, but only a small one. The rest is learning and practice.

I have been reading a ton on cat behavior over the past few years. The first cat I had (when I was 6) was really mean, he would scratch me and bite me, and barely let me pet him, and I didn't understand what was going on, and my parents made me give him away. I always wanted a cat though, and wanted to understand what happened. My current cat also came with some behavior issues, but surprisingly, all this learning paid off. He is the sweetest cat and I am clicker training him to sit and give kissies. I still have much to learn, and I am trying to share what I've learned with other people in the meanwhile.

I found Pam Johnson-Bennett's books to be great. I found "Think Like a Cat" in particular to really help me understand cats. I also found My Cat From Hell to be an interesting series, and it helps in seeing interaction directly, although be aware that Jackson Galaxy is not a certified behaviorist as far as I know, and he believes in homeopathic medicine woo, so take everything he says with a grain of salt.

I recommend reading "Think Like a Cat" as this will fill you in with all your questions and continue to be a great reference down the line. Also check out littlebigcat.com and Jackson Galaxy's youtube channel, as well as some episodes of My Cat From Hell (many are available online) to get more insight into cat behavior. In short though, some highlights:

1. Cat's don't "get" discipline as a dog would. They aren't pack animals, so don't care what you think about their behavior or care about appeasing you. The best way to get a cat to stop a behavior is to manipulate the environment to make it unpleasant or change your own behavior. This is very hard for "dog people" to understand and takes some getting used to.
   
   
2. Feed 100% wet food. As this article will explain, cats are designed to eat 65% or more moisture in their diet, and get the vast majority of their fluids from their feed. Dry food is very high carb (even grain-free versions) and have a lot of plant matter cats have no use for and don't utilize well. Most vets I've worked with in the field agreed that ANY wet food was better than ANY dry food, and feeding wet food alone will keep your cat a healthy weight, prevent diabetes and kidney and urinary problems, all of which are very common in cats. Dry food's only benefit is cost and convenience for the owner (and no, it does nothing for the cat's teeth).
   
   
3. Play with your cat. You walk a dog, you play with your cat. Dedicate 15 minutes every day to playing with a wand toy (toys laying on the floor are basically considered dead prey and most cats won't bother with them). Da Bird, The Cat Dancer, and t he Cat Catcher are a few of my favorites and do a good job of imitating prey animals the cat would naturally hunt. Move the wand around and imitate the animal (ie: don't wave it in their face just to have them paw at it a few times...have it hide behind and under things and actually act out the animal). Get them moving around the room as much as possible, and some good jumps in too! By playing with your cat, you will eliminate a large number of problems head-on by giving them an outlet for their desire to kill things (it's what they were put on the earth to do, after all!).
   
   Good luck to you and your new kitty friend!

The good news is that this sounds liike one of the most fixable problems ever.

I think you should read http://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Cat-Well-Adjusted-ebook/dp/B005ERIIRQ/ref=la_B001H6NUGW_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381275035&sr=1-1, as I feel it will give a good framework for solving this issue.

BUT, off that bat, and having read that, my advice is to try free-feeding (having a couple bowls of food/water available open all the time).

EDIT: it sounds like the kitty is hungry

Since they already have the cat (kitten?) I would highly recommend the book Think Like a Cat. People think cats can't be trained, BUT THEY CAN. They should never scratch your furniture (scratching posts/ mats should be in every room) or go outside their box (it has to be cleaned twice a day, two boxes is always a good idea). Also, active play everyday is crucial. No playtime = they will fuck you up! Watching "My Cat From Hell" on youtube might help as well. Good luck!