Pet Tips
Tip 43 – Meowing cat – excessive meowing
Although usually quiet when left alone, cats can be quite vocal when they need to be. Hissing, growling and screaming are all vocalizations that cats make usually when they feel scared or threatened. Other familiar noises include purring and of course the meow.
Cats meow to get human attention. Except from mother to kitten cats rarely meow to one another. Occasional meowing is cute and adorable but excessive meowing can be a problem. As with most behavioral problems there is always the underlying possibility that it stems from some physical ailment. It is important to rule this out before treating any behavioral problem.
Treating excessive meowing
Excessive meowing can be most annoying when we are trying to sleep. Some cats have the habit of meowing and/or scratching in front of the bedroom door until we let them in. The first rule of thumb is do not respond directly to the cat’s meowing. The cat is doing this to get your attention. Getting up to see what the cat wants, shushing or yelling at the cat is the worst thing to do because you are reinforcing the undesirable behaviour by giving the cat attention. Your attention is its reward. The easiest solution is to get a pair of earplugs. If you do not respond to the cat’s meowing it will probably stop within a few days.
If that does not work, you can try some of the following tips:
· Keep your cat extra busy during your waking hours and especially in the evening with toys, extra play etc. This will help it sleep when you sleep.
· Squirting – Have a spray bottle ready and when your cat wakes you with its meowing wait behind your closed door. At the very next meow, spray the cat’s paws from under the door. The cat will learn to associate this behaviour with a squirting.
· Alarms and compressed air devices – These are products available in most pet stores that either make a loud noise or shoot compressed air when the cat passes by an area it’s not supposed to.
It is important to know that some cat breeds are just naturally more vocal than others. These breeds include the Balinese, Burmese, Cornish rex, Japanese Bobtail, Korat, Siamese, and Tonkinese.
We recently switched my cats food to this natural wet food, because the hard food was upsetting her stomach. We were really surprised she would even switch over, because she is extremely picky. She loves it so much, so she literally meows for more food, ALL THE TIME. She will meow non-stop all day, everyday and all through the night. If she hears someones alarm go off in the morning, or the slightest movement that makes her think someone is waking up, she lets out REALLY loud meows.
So now, she literally meows, probably about 10-20 meows per hour, because she wants FRESH COLD food, or attention (which she gets PLENTY of). I can’t take it!!
I’d feed her at exactly the same time each day every day. That way the cat will only expect to be fed at a certain time. If that doesn’t work, feel free to post the question on our forum or ask your vet for advice.
Good luck!
My cat is very lazy during the day. Then, at night he wanders around and scratches at doors and meows very loudly! He usually does it around the same time every night. 11:00pm to about 2:00am. I have been ignoring him for a while but cannot help but to feel like a bully in some way. I wish he would stop agitating me all of the time. It’s been about a week or more and I have begun to worry if there is something wrong. How do I get him to settle down?
You could try some vigorous play before you go to sleep so that your cat is more tired.
My cat meows for no particular reason and just won’t shut up. She’s on prozac because she has a variety of mental problems. She is very vocal and it’s annoying. She never does it at night or for food or really any real reason, she will just walk up to you randomly and meow and scream at the top of her lungs. If you ignore her, she will try and attack you or bite you. If you try to push her away once she is bitting you or climbing on you, she will hiss and become very distraught. Is there any particular reason a cat would be like this? She gets plenty of attention but just freaks out from time to time and just absolutely will not shut up no matter what you do.. you can pay attention to her, she still does it, you can ignore her, she still does it, you can try and discipline her and she still does it.
I’d be contacting my vet and asking for a reference for a cat behaviour person in my area if it were my problem.
Good luck!
are cats ok if there is only 1 in the household? I read on pet finder that you sould get 2 so they have someone to play with, but it never said if they ok being the only cat.
Millions of households have just 1 cat and that’s fine. Not all cats get along w/other cats.
As long as the cat isn’t 100% bored all the time (through play with you the owner) one cat is fine imo.
My 10 year old cat recently picked up a nasty habit in the last 6 months and its killing us. He waits until 10:30 pm and when everyone goes to sleep he starts meowing. Literally screaming as if someone was hurting him. We know its a joke because he is very well taken care of and probably too well taken care of and spoiled and when you open the door he stops and rolls around in front of you. Does anyone have any tips for this. It’s really gotten to the point where nobody sleeps and some nights he has to be put outside.
My first suggestion would be PLAY with the cat at around 9pm or so. A laser pointer is an easy way to get your cat to run around a bit without you having to do much.
Good luck!
marko
Hi,
I just got a bengal cat, its a kitten. I did my research before getting it and I had read that its a vocal cat, however I was not expecting for it to meow ALL THE TIME. It even meows when it eats or drinks or plays. Im lucky enough that at least it doesnt meow that much at night, however im losing my patience….I dont know if this is normal behavior. She does not just meow sometimes, she will meow constantly with maybe a 2 second break in between. The only time it doesnt meow its when it sleeps.
Is this normal? and what should I do
Some cats are incredibly vocal. That said, a vet visit might be in order to see if anything is medically wrong. Vet might be able to make suggestions or offer meds if the meowing is nonstop.
Good luck!
My cat is 2 years old. A female. Im trying to make enough time for play…im just wondering : should i adopt another cat as a playmate as i work during the day? If so, should it be a kitten or adult? Please help!
Hi there! We have 2 cats but our 3 year old male cat constantly cries by the front door. We live in a complex and we have a small back garden. My husband and i are at work from about 8am to 6pm so we always leave a window open so they can jump out and play. I dont let the cats play outside the front unless i’m with them because when we get home ther is nomally a lot of trafic coming in and out of the complex and i’m afraid they will get hit as our front door is right next to the complex entrance. However his crying is driving us crazy. At first we would just ignore him but now its gotten to a point where we actually CANT… It’s not so much at night but early in the morning and in the evening when we get home. we have tried telling him no (which i read we should not do), we have tried putting him out the back (he just carries on crying there) and we have tried spritsing him with water (he runs away when he sees us coming and then kind of looks at us like “i dare you…” it’s kind of funny but annoying at the same time). Please we need some help! Can you suggest anything?
Yes – choose a day and NEVER EVER EVER EVER let the cat out again. After a few weeks to a month the cat will likely accept this and stop the incessant meowing. Everytime the cat meows and u let the cat out….you reward the cat.
BUT – if the cat gets the occasional treat to go outside, all this hard work is over. This is the only way imo. Indoor cats live YEARS longer than outdoor cats.
Good luck.
Hi! Thanks for the great info, it helps a lot =)
Since my cat was a kitten he’s been an outdoor-indoor cat and has always had the run of the house and the backyard. We’ve always tried to make sure he can’t get out of the backyard but he recently reached his full size and weight and we just can’t keep him in because he just tears down any netting or fencing! Last week one of the worst case scenarios happened and he got bitten by a snake. He’s alright now after a stint in hospital and is almost fully recovered but he’s now meowing incessantly to go back outside. Since we can’t keep him confined to the backyard anymore I’m making him an exclusively indoor cat but he just hates it. He won’t stop meowing, he sits at the door and meows for hours, he wakes me up at all hours of the morning, he scratches and pulls up the carpet at the door.
Do I just need to give him time to get used to it while ignoring his pleas or is there something I can actively do to help him adjust quickly?
Good for you!
Cats live years longer when they live exclusively indoors..
I’d try to play with the cat more and give the cat more cool toys…but you ARE doing the right thing….don’t give up. Toys that dispense foods at slow rates are often good distractions. Here’s one that works well for my cat http://www.pipolino.ca/eng/index.html
If the meowing really IS making you batty…you might also ask your vet about meds to calm the cat in the short term.
Good luck!
My 9 yr old cat just picked up a new habit, and it’s starting to rub off on the 4yr old. At around 3am he’ll make himself comfy on the couch downstairs and just start howling and meowing at the top of his lungs like someone is attacking the house and he’s a guard dog. If I do muster up the frustration to go downstairs he just looks at me completely confused. Now the other cat is starting to become incredibly vocal also. I’ve tried playing with him before bed, he’s on a set feeding schedule (automatic feeder, same amount, same time – since May now)
Any suggestions?
I’d post this on the pet forum for a better back and forth….
If you live in a house, you could try earplugs. All this going downstairs to see what this is about might well be pure reward for a cat.
BUUUT – it could also be that the cat has access to a window downstairs and sees another stray cat and THAT is what is making the cat bonkers.
More info is needed here… good luck!
5 yr old (rescue) male cat; we’ve had kitty for 4 years now (found him dying in our back yard from unknown animal attacks and starving to death). Kitty is now very healthy, twice a year regular vet checks, plenty of play time during the day and evening. Kitty has been neutered for 4 years. Lots of kitty toys. Litter box cleaned daily; always fresh water and regular meal times, no table food. No other animal in the house. Inside kitty 98% of the time. Active during the day. Sleeps in my bedroom with the bedroom door open; he has the run of the house. HOWEVER, the ONE door that is shut is my husband’s bedroom door and kitty SCREAMS and BELLOWS in the middle of the night, almost every night. Typical cat that the one door that is shut must be open to His Highness Feline? I end up having to shut my bedroom door with kitty inside with me, so he bellows and claws my bedroom door for hours. Nobody gets to sleep. He can keep this up night after night with no break with me ignoring him, ear plugs in. Some nights he’s fine, other nights he can’t be placated. HELP.
Other people on our pet forum may have better answers, but there are sprays that you can put next to doors that shoot out a harmless mist that scares cats away. One brand is called SSScat I believe. You may want to try that or post this on our forum.
Good luck.
I have a 9 month old male kitten whos recently picked up the habit of meowing during the night. usually he’ll sleep until about 1am then wakes up and meows for food, then to go out. If he isnt let out, he doesnt stop. However, now he’s starting earlier, around 11pm, wanting to go out. Its annoying everyone in the house hold. He never use to do this. Normally he’d sleep through the whole night, but now he just wont shut up. We have another Male cat, about 1 and a bit years old, but he’s perfectly fine. He sleeps all night, and had this problem when he was younger, though not for this long.
Don’t feed the cat at 1am – and don’t let the cat out….ever.
The cat WILL resist for about a month…but then it should stop.
If you occasionally let the cat out and feed the cat after 1am…then the cat is training YOU.
Good luck.
I have a a 17 wk old male (recently fixed) kitten. He meows, almost wails, when you go into a room and shut the door. I was told that part of that behavior was because he wasn’t fixed, so I did that this past week. It seems as though it’s gotten worse. He used to meow then if he didn’t hear anything, would give up. Now he doesn’t give up. My roommate can still in the living room and he will still meow at the door of whoever left the room. Could it still be an attention thing since my roommate will try to coax him back to the livingroom? It’s getting very annoying and irratating. I’ve bought toys that roll and make noise, but he gets bored with them after a couple minutes. We try to play with him as much as we can. Is this something that he has to grow out of or is there a more immediate solution?
For a better back and forth i recommend you post this in our pet forum.
Good luck.
I adopted a shelter cat and last night was her first night in her new home with us. She meowed, I’m not kidding, from 8pm until…. she’s still going at almost 6am. It’s on and off so it’s like I have just almost enough time between to fall asleep and then she starts again. She’s a one year old spayed female so I doubt it’s that she’s in heat. Could it just be that she’s scared to be in a new home? I’m really hoping she’s better tonight because I’m crazy exhausted today and she still seems alert and vocal YIKES!
This is very normal behaviour. I recently adopted 2 cats and the meowing was the same and i looked like crap from lack of sleep.
Give it a few days to a week and the cat should settle. Try seriously playing with the cat before bed time to tire her out.
Good luck.
Marko,
I know I should ignore my cat’s excessive meowing, and I try to, but it’s not working.
He’s 2 years old, neutered, has everything he needs, except constant access to the hallway outside my apartment door. He’s obsessed with getting to go out into the hallway, and once I let him out he just plops down and lays there and rolls around. Then I take him in, and he’s meowing again, relentlessly.
When I squirt him with vinegar-water, he just takes it and doesn’t run off. I got feliway Comfort Zone diffuser, which helps a bit, but isn’t a cure for his incessant need to check outside the front door.
I run him around with the laser pointer, I make him jump with feather toys til he’s laying down tired, and still he meows and sits and stares at the front door, and even scratched a hole in the carpet there.
Yes, there’s a cat that lives down the hall, but I think he’s male – but my kitty did this at our last apartment complex too.
He used to be afraid of the outdoors because his old owners left him out overnight and he got frostbite – now with me, he’s begging always to get outside just to look around.
It’s driving me nuts! He doesn’t do this with anyone else, for example at a friend’s house for a week while I was on vacation. Just me!
Why??? What else can I do???
Hmmmm…I’d post this on our forum as well to see what others say (gosh i say that a lot but there, MANY members answer and here on the blog very few people besides me answer).
Buuuuut – not sure if you are into this suggestion, perhaps try allowing the cat to go to the hallway at the IDENTICAL time every day. (example after breakfast).
Never ever deviate from that pattern and the cat will likely (after a period of adjustment) stop the constant meowing because the cat’s expectations will be met.
Good luck – I have 2 noisy Sphynxes so I know how annoying constant meowing can be.
My 8 month old female kitten, is growling, meowing shrilly and staring at me like she wants to kill me. She swats her brother and growls at him if he even looks at her. She seems to be in alot of discomfort and is snorting through her nose sometimes when she breathes. The last time, about a week ago when this happened, I found a hairball and she seemed alright for a couple of days. Now she’s at it again. How can I help her? She’s just not herself. I want my little sweetie back. She is attacking me right now. Help somebody.
Hi Marko,
I have a 9 month old male cat, he’s neutered, we give him everything he needs but at night he just won’t stop meowing and it’s driving us crazy. I’ve read through all these posts and I guess there’s nothing else i can do but ignore him when he starts, get some earplugs and hope for the best. But lately he got another annoying habit, he started climbing the TV. If he brakes it he’s as good as gone cause my boyfriend will surely kick him out. I don’t know what to do about that. We bought some repellent and we almost chocked, it works for a while but after it wears off he’s right back on the top of the TV doing his dance..
Tnx for all the advice in advance 
On the weekends we go to my parents house, they have a huge yard there and we let him out and after that he sleeps all night long. Do you think it’s a mistake to let him out cause the rest of the week he’s back in our apartment and I guess he doesn’t like it very much because he want’s to be outside..
I really love my cat and I don’t want to give him but he’s definitely driving us crazy
Hey Nina!
Cats hate citrus and cats hate sticky stuff.
A gentle citrus spray may work on the TV if it won’t damage the Tv’s finish.
Double sided tape also works – cat’s hate that stuff.
SSScat is an aerosol repellent that shoots air at the cat when the cat approaches something it should not. many people report good success with it.
In terms of going outside….my opinion …NEVER.
If you must, EXCLUSIVELY under your direct supervision preferably on a long long leash in an area where the cat cannot escape and ALWAYS at the same time or the cat will meow all day. OR in a secure crate sized cage.
When we had Zak – our cat that passed a few years ago we used a large dog cage to allow the cat access to the outdoors but stay safe.
Good luck!
I just got my cat from my neighbor, she is two years old and she is spayed. She cries in that loud, “i’m in heat” sort of way constantly. She isn’t in heat because she is spayed right? I make sure she has fresh food and water and a clean litter box, i play with her with her rattle ball and tease her with string, she has a scratching post that she uses. I can’t think of any other reason she would cry all the time. The vet said she seems perfectly healthy but didn’t say anything else about it.
I hate hearing the cat cry all the time, because it makes me sad and because it hurts my ears lol
We got her a month ago so i guess we didn’t JUST get her lol
We have a female who is approximately 10 months old. She used to be very quiet, but has now started meowing for no apparent reason.
Its not for food and I’m guessing it could just be related to her growing into adulthood and sexual maturity. she hasnt been “done” yet, and has not been allowed outside as our previous at sadly contracted feline leukemia and had to be put down so I’m reluctant to let her out.
Any thoughts?
She could easily be in heat. Please spay her asap to control the pet overpopulation problem as well as other potential beahvioral issues.
Good luck.
Marko,
I have a 11 month old, female, siamese mixed with tabby cat “Onyx”.
She is the best cat I have ever had, but recently she has picked up the awful howling meow as soon as the lights go out and it’s bedtime.
She is an indoor cat ONLY. Plenty of food and water 24-7.
I am getting her fixed next month. We have been low on money, but do you think this meowing like howling could be linked with her going into heat or whatnot?
Imo, Very very likely that this is heat and this yowling should stop with the spay. Sooner is better.
Good luck.
I have a cat that is roughly one and a male, ever since we got him he has always been very vocal. We got him about 8 months ago and the meowing still hasn’t stopped. We can’t have him in our room at night because he doesn’t sleep, he will only attack our feet or paw our faces. He is good sleeping outside the room unless he hears us talking or if we sleep in last our usual 630 wake up time. Also he always goes On the counters, on top if the fridge and any other high surface he can at night. He has a huge kitty cottage and I’ve tried the aluminum foil, sticky tape and nothing works. I love having an affectionate cat but I can’t even leave the house overnight without him freaking coming back the next day. We never give in to him when he meows because no discipline works that has been mentioned online!
If the cat isn’t neutered that may help. But some cats,…just like some people, are very vocal and nothing you do can get them to stop “talking”.
If the meowing is in front of your door at night, you can try SSScat – it’s an aerosol can that shoots out air when the cat passes by and many cats hate it.
Good luck!
I am fostering a cat who meows all the time and I can’t understand why.
She is not a breed of cat known for excessive meowing.
She’s free to go into any room she likes, and I leave doors open for her so she can move around, so it’s not because of that.
She’s about 7 or 8 and she’s spayed.
She always has food and a clean litter box.
She has allergies and crossed eyes, but overall she is very comfortable and happy – but she does require a lot of attention. Even on the first day I had her, she followed me around everywhere, meowing. I pet her all the time, and try to play with her but she doesn’t get too into it. I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong, or if something’s wrong with her. She’s seen a vet recently, and I haven’t had her long, but the people at the shelter warned me that she meowed a lot. It breaks my heart to ignore her, so when she meows, I just talk to her. But I won’t be able to keep it up forever, and I worry that when she finds a permanent home that her adoptive parents won’t know what to do either. Should I just ignore her or is it going to make her depressed if I do? Does she just do it out of habit? If she had some kind of trauma from living in the shelters, would that make her meow at me like this? I just want her to be happy!
You know how some humans talk and talk and talk and talk, some cats are like that as well.
I’d post this on the forum for additional helps.
Good luck
Hi there,
I have a nine year old male cat that has had full run of the house up untill last month when we recently had some friends move into our basement with their cat. We now are keeping the cats seperate by the downstairs door. Downstairs used to be my cats favorite place to go hide and sleep. Ever since the new tenents, my cat has not shut up. He is keeping us awake everynight, which in turn is waking up our dog who is also reacting to his streess? Their cat has only ever lived by itself, where our cat has lived with other dogs and also is an outdoor cat, so we haven’t felt like introducing them wuld be a good idea. We thought about ear plugs, however we also have a young child so we want to make sure we can hear him if need be. This cat is driving us mad!!
PLease Help, All suggestions welcome!
You took away the cat’s favourite place – and put a new strange cat in its favourite place. The cat is reacting as many cats would. A new cat is in YOUR CAT’S territory. This reaction is normal behaviour.
I suggest posting this on our forum for better suggestions but introducing them slowly (feel free to do a search on our site for how best to do this) so that they can share the space might not be a bad idea.
Good luck.