A kitten does not misbehave to make trouble. His behavior is largely based on instinct, and the way you react to your kitten will affect his habits for life. Remember that your kitten has feelings. He deserves kindness, good treatment, and responsible care. Kittens are sensitive to tone of voice. When you see a kitten being naughty a firm ¡°NO¡± usually stops him. If he develops a bad habit, a squirt of water from a spray bottle or a toy water pistol is generally an effective determent. Some misbehavior results from a kitten¡¯s desire to play; the kitten may be bored and looking for something to do. Provide diversions such as toys safe for cats, a box, a crumpled piece of paper or a plastic golf ball. Your kitten may disturb you by playing at night, since cats are nocturnal animals that instinctively sleep in the daytime and hunt at night. You can help alter this behavior by playing with your kitten in the early evening, to use up some of his excess energy. Feeding him his last meal early may also help since he¡¯ll probably get a burst of energy shortly after eating. Also, do not feed him or play with him if he awakens you, this only rewards such behavior. If you notice a definite change in your kitten¡¯s behavior, try to find out what is causing this problem and how you can correct it: is there a new baby in the house, a new type of cat litter, a change in the kitten¡¯s diet? If you cannot solve it, ask your veterinarian for help.