Kitten attacks my ankles every night

okay so Cricket is 2 and she is literally a menace at night. Ellie (4) is chill, but Cricket thinks my ankles are prey. i tried the water spray bottle thing from Is the water spray bottle a temporary fix? but she just looks at me and keeps going. it’s 3am and i’m in pain. how do i stop this without getting bitten? i feel like i’m training a puppy who hates me.

Oh no, 3am ankle attacks are the worst. I know exactly what you mean. Have you seen Redirecting predatory instincts in kittens? It’s a bit older but the principles still hold. The spray bottle often fails because it’s not immediate enough for the cat. They don’t connect the water to the bite. You have to interrupt the behavior in the moment.

i read that thread but it was mostly about kittens under 6 months. Cricket is 2, she’s not a baby anymore. also Do cats understand punishment? makes me feel like i’m doing everything wrong. i just want her to leave me alone so i can sleep. is there a toy that works better?

Hey! I’m a vet tech, so I deal with this a lot. At 2 years old, Cricket is still in that high-energy phase, especially if she’s a tabby mix. The spray bottle is definitely losing its effectiveness because she’s desensitized to it. Try redirecting her energy before bed. Use a laser pointer or a wand toy to get her to hunt and pounce for 10-15 minutes right before you go to sleep. It’s in Interactive toys for high energy cats. This should tire her out enough that she’s too exhausted to target your ankles.

Tom is right about the exercise! Muffin is 2 and a Siamese, so she is also very vocal and energetic. I do a little play session with her every night around 10pm. It’s in Establishing a bedtime routine for cats. After the play, I give her a small treat. It helps signal that playtime is over and it’s time to wind down. It took a few weeks for Cricket to get the hang of it, but now she’s much calmer at night.