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.
· A vet may be able to prescribe calming medication if the above methods fail.
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.
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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!
hi my kitten is 11 months old and sleeps during the day and wont sleep at night he comes in our bed and wakes us up in the middle of the night and 3am in the morning he always had his basket at in our bedroom please help me thank you i would appricate it
Maybe try giving kitty activities during the day like watching TV for cats or play more with the cat during the day.
For a better back and forth feel free to post this in our forum
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
This sounds exactly like our Tokinese, Geoffrey! Exactly. Did you happen to get anywhere with stopping your cat’s incessant meowing?
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.
Our female cat is annoying the heck out of us. She is mainly an indoor cat but we let her go outside during the day. Now when she is inside she meows non-stop until we let her out. She has also started meowing at 2 in the morning to be let out. Any solutions would be awesome.
dirt simple jon. Choose a day and NEVER EVER EVER under any circumstances let the cat out again. After a month the cat could get used to it. That’s the best solution because on average indoor cats live YEARS longer than outdoor cats that get hit by cars, catch diseases, get into cat fights, and come across mean humans.
If you don’t want to do that – i recommend letting your cat out at the same time every day . NEVER vary from that schedule.
If you let the cat out whenever the cat meows excessively – the cat is training YOU…and being successful.
Good luck.
I have a 9 yr old female domestic short hair cat who for the past few months has taken to running around the house and meowing about 20 minutes after eating dinner. She has always been a healthy cat though she does have her share of hair balls. When she is meowing I can call her and she will come to me and sit down in my lap. Not sure if I am dealing with a extra needy cat right now trying to get my attention or if it might be a help thing…we are about a month away from our annual check up…just wanted to get someone else’s ideas on what might be going on with her. Also my cats usally are not vocal unless they are asking for food or treats. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Hi everyone,
I just got a siamese cat one year old, and she is pretty quiet, she is a nice cat, but every time I eave the house for work, she is meowing and screaming at the front door untill I open the door and enter the house, I guess she wants attention, but it’s so anoying and I don’t want oder people in the apartment complex to hear her crazy meowing… Ahhhh
Hey everyone,
My 3 year old male cat has a very loud meowing problem, but ONLY at night! I just recently moved from my parents big house where my cat could go in and outside as he wished to a small one bedroom apt in the city. He would sometimes meow at night at my parents house but we always just put him outside or on his big pillow in the garage where he could go in and out freely – this always stopped the meowing so I have always assumed it was because he wanted to go out. Now that I am in a smaller apartment in a busy city, I am nervous to put him outside when he meows as we are right by a big road and I don’t want him to get locked outside of the apt complex. He usually starts meowing at about 2 or 3 am and will NOT stop until around 6 am, which is usually when I have to get up for work. I have gotten no sleep since we moved here – I try to ignore him but he will jump on my dresser and knock all my stuff off of it or go fling cat litter and feces all over the apartment…. I am considering just chancing it and letting him out or having my parents take him back because I can NOT continue to deal with this.
This is a bit of a complex case for a blog post. I encourage you to post this on our forum to see what suggestions other members may have.
Good luck!
I have an 18-year-old neutered female cat. I adopted her and her sister when they were 5-1/2 weeks old from the local shelter. She’s strictly an indoor cat. I had her sister put to sleep last April. The remaining cat is howling and yowling (is there a difference?) VERY LOUDLY at ANY TIME that she’s awake. I have to turn up the TV a LOT of the time because she’s so loud. She’s been doing it since WAY before I had her sister put to sleep. Both of them would howl/yowl right before they would start eating or drinking, but it only started in the past 3 or 4 years. THAT I can deal with, but the constant howling and yowling when NOT eating or drinking is really getting annoying. If it wasn’t so LOUD it wouldn’t be so bad. I SWEAR she doesn’t miss her sister AT ALL, and they just TOLERATED each other once they became adult cats. I ALREADY sleep with earplugs and can hear her even with them in (and she’s in another room completely). Her howling when I’m sleeping is not a problem, it’s when I’m NOT sleeping that’s really annoying. If anyone else heard her, they’d think I was torturing her for sure. She’s eating fine, drinking fine, I clean her litter box daily. Do cats just tend to DO that when they get that OLD?? I thought about adopting another cat from the shelter to see if that would help, but I just can’t bring myself to DO that to an 18-year-old cat because I read somewhere that adopting another cat when your cat is that old might hasten her death, and I don’t want to do THAT. Help! And thanks!
In my experience, some cats (just like some people) are just more vocal than others.
– AND…..some cats train people. If everytime the cat meows and yowls it gets a response (REWARD), it tends to meow more frequently. The cat has trained the human.
If the meowing or yowling gets a response (REWARD) occasionally it tends to meow more frequently. The cat has trained the human.
If the meowing or yowling NEVER gets a response (REWARD)….eventually it stops.
For a better back and forth you may want to post this on our forum.
Good luck!
Hi,
We live in a small apartment block of just 8 units and had to really push to get our request to get a ragdoll kitten approved.
We brought her home last night and she seems to have settled in well, but as soon she loses sight of us she cries and howls so loudly. She is 10 weeks old and was raised in a house with lots of other cats and dogs so I’m assuming she is lonely. We unfortunately can’t have her sleep on our bed or in our room as my partner has bad allergies and has to get up to go to work really early in the morning. Both of us will also being going to work during the day which I’m worried about as well. We can’t get another cat as our request was only approved for one.
I ended up sleeping on the couch which calmed her down last night but obviously i can’t do this every night. She has already had the chance to explore the whole house so I’m worried that if I lock her in the bathroom and ignore her cries she will go crazy trying to get out!!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! I’m at my wits end and wondering if we made the right decision getting her in the first place! She is gorgeous and I don’t want to give up yet but I am worried the other residents in our block will file a complaint if she is too noisy!
Thanks!
This is normal for day 1. The cat is confused and likely stressed. Play with the cat intensely before bed to tire her out a bit. BUT DO EXPECT some reactions for a good week. The kitten misses her mother and her littermates and was JUST removed from them….so this behaviour is normal. The kitten is a baby – babies are needy. Feel free to join our forum to ask additional questions.
Good luck!
I have a neutered, indoor only male cat that is approximately 3 years old. I rescued him from a shelter about a year ago. I immediately noticed that he was a very needy and clingy cat…not to mention extremely talkative. I recently started working from home so his neediness and excessive meowing have gotten a LOT worse. He wakes me up with his howling type meowing. I do not allow him to sleep with me because he sleeps against my face and STILL wakes me up talking. When I do get up in the morning, he is so needy he gets under my feet and won’t leave me alone. He trips me going up and down the stairs all the time (which scares me because I’m worried I’ll fall one day and hurt the both of us). When I’m trying to work on something or read, he tries to get in my lap or sits next to me and howls. He walks through the house howling. When I come home, he greets me at the door, refuses to move, and howls. The howling is probably the worst behavior. It’s to the extreme that I can’t sleep, I can’t concentrate, and I can’t even relax in my own home. I have tried the spray bottle with no luck. I heard that hissing would work…it did not (he just hid and howled). I have tried ignoring him (for weeks) and it only caused him to be more aggressive in his attempts to get attention. I have also tried leaving him in a room alone with the door closed…he only cried louder. I play with him on a regular basis and he has a normal feeding schedule. He was at the vet approximately 6 months ago and had a great bill of health. I do not want to get another pet (he has literbox problems and will not go in a box if there is another animal in the house). He is declawed so he must be an inside cat. I feel like my only option is to rehome him, but I don’t want to do that because he is a very sweet cat and has a lot of personality and quirks…but I simply cannot handle the bad behaviors much longer. Any suggestions?
This is a tough one – You may want to post this on our forum for additional suggestions.
I might consider talking to my vet again about this and as a last resort I might ask my vet about calming medications.
Good luck!
I have a 2 year old, neutered, indoor only male cat. There are no other pets in the home. I live in a one bedroom apartment (about 900 square feet). There is no area of the home that is off limits to the cat, although he prefers to hang out in the living room. His bed (which he never uses-prefers the couch or on my bed at my feet), his two large cat jungle gym/scratching posts, and a large window that he loves to look out of during the day are all in the living room (which is probably why it’s his favorite room). He has TONS of toys (e.g., catnip mice, kickaroo, etc.). Since he has so many toys, I rotate the toys each week that I leave out each day while I’m at work. I do that so he’ll stay active and interested in the toys. I’ve had him for approximately 6 months.
Prior to this, he lived in my parents front yard for 4 months as a stray. During those 4 months, he was very loving and never aggressive. He was fed each day (but not on a regular schedule and not a healthy diet). About 1 month after living in the yard, he got into the habit of jumping into my father’s truck when he arrived home and attempting to follow him into the house. My parents never allowed him in the home during this time. My mother also noticed that if she was working outside in the yard with her plants that he would sit in a bush and whine or meow as if he wanted attention. A week before I decided to adopt him, my parents took him to the vet to have him medically examined for diseases or conditions and to then proceed with neutering him. He was given a bath (which he LOVES) and a clean bill of health and I took him home with me.
For the first month, he pretty much identified with anybody who visited me. He didn’t seem territorial and never hissed or hid from anyone. He slept through the night and I’d often have to wake him up for breakfast when I awoke for work. However, after the first month, I noticed that he started to follow me around everywhere I went. If I go to the bathroom, he runs in after me before I can shut the door. If I take a shower and shut the door, he’s outside the bathroom door screaming/howling and sticking his hands underneath the door frantically. If I go into my closet or laundry room, he runs in after me. It’s to the point that I really have to watch where I walk because he is right under my feet. The absolute worst part of the current situation is that he does not sleep through the night and screams/cries very loudly. He sleeps from about 10 pm to 3 am (I usually sleep from 10 pm to 5:30 am). No matter where he sleeps (in my bed, on the couch, or on the floor in the living room), he wakes up between 3 am and 3:30 am and begins to vocalize loudly and yowl in a manner that sounds like “hellllooooooo.” When the AC comes on he notices that and does it even LOUDER. I sleep with earplugs and he is so loud that I can still hear him even with the door shut.
What I’ve tried to fix this situation over the past 5 months:
1. Took him to the vet a month ago to see if he had any medical issues. Checked out perfectly fine.
2. Ignore him every time he does this. However, it is difficult to do when he screams non-stop from 3 am to 5:30 am when my alarm goes off. I know that it is non-stop because sometimes I just lay in my bed for those 2 and a half hours waiting for him to be quiet. I feel like I am still providing him with some form of attention or reinforcement because I cannot avoid leaving my room at 5:30 am. I have to get to work otherwise kitty (and myself) don’t get fed!
3. Praise him when he’s quiet. When he is being very calm and quiet, I make it a point to pet him and talk to him soothingly. He eats this up.
4. Feed him on a schedule. Even on the weekends, I wake up to feed him at 5:30 am to keep him on a schedule.
5. Increase his playtime/activity level. Each night I attempt to wear him out through play. He loves “da bird” and the “cat charmer” toys. He also enjoys the laser pointer. He usually gets tired after about 30 minutes of play though. I usually do this around 8:45 or 9 to get him tired and in the mode to sleep.
6. Tried multiple contingencies with relation to the bedroom. I have tried to keep the door shut all day and night to make it a “kitty free” zone. I purchased the SSScat air compression to assist with this. It worked for 2 nights and then he learned the EXACT angle that he could sit and continue to howl that is as close to the bedroom door as he could be without getting the air blown on him. Currently, I am trying just the opposite–keeping the bedroom door open all day while I’m at work and all night. I figured that way he could get comfortable with the space and claim it as his own. Unfortunately, this isn’t going well either because now he jumps on me at 3:30 in the morning and starts screaming in my ear and licking my face.
He’s fed a healthy, natural diet (which he seems to enjoy). I clean his litter box twice daily. He gets monthly baths (which he truly enjoys). He gets plenty of attention and as much play time as he can handle.
The only other thing I can think of is to get a white noise machine. Any other suggestions to help with this issue?
Hi, I have 2 male cats (both from the same litter) and are approaching their 6th year. My black and white cat has recently (well the last 6 weeks or so) started meowing constantly, and then his behaviour starts the ginger and white cat off!. We’ve always had the same routine for them. They get fed some of their wet food when I get up and the rest before I leave for work (about an hour later) and then they get fed some of the wet food when we eat our dinner and the rest before we go to bed. This has been the routine for the last 5 years at least (as we had to change their diet).
We cant leave food out during the day or feed them in one go as they both eat the food too quickly and end up throwing it back up!
They are both indoor cats (not by choice!) they will only go outside if I stand there with them which isn’t practicle as i work full time. The vet has said that some cats are OK with not going out.
I try to interact with them in the evenings to try and tire them out but they are just not interested or not for very long. I have spent a fortune on toys and cat activity centres only to find that the cats are intrigued for about a week and then nothing.
we had to start shutting them out of the bedroom at night as the black and white cat starting chewing through wires (especially our i-phone wires!) and they would both end up scrapping with each other.
This has started to cause tension with my husband and I as I would never dream of getting rid of them even though they are testing my patience now.
I don’t give into the meowing, i only feed them at the routine times otherwise he thinks he’s still entitled to food at the scheduled times as well. I’ve tried the water spray but they’re not stupid and realise it’s only water.
I’ve taken them to the vets and both are healthy.
The only thing I have left to try is the automatic feeders (do they work?) but if there is any other helpful hints, i’d be very grateful.
Hey,
I have a 13 year old female tabby (fixed cat). I got her when I was 4. Every since I was 13 im 17 now. She has constantly meowed at me. Everytime I come in the house and sit down or when I sleep. She insists on sleeping on one of the pillows in back of me. She cries until I pick her up & when I do she salavates and or drools on me. When I sleep in a different room she comes up next to me and gets really clsoe to my face and meows. I seriously don’t know whats gotten into her. Besides the fact that shes old. lol She has no medical issues. Shes small and is still playful. There are four other cats and 2 small dogs in the house. She loves all of them and has no problems with any of them besides the fact that she get extra defensive when another one of my cats comes up on the couch next to me , she growls and put her ears back. What do you think is wrong with her?
Thanks!
To me this sounds like normal behaviour for many cats – sounds like she just wants to be played with and has bonded strongly to you.
My three month old kitten, suffered some head trama a couple weeks ago. He’s not playful anymore, and he’s non stop meowing? i already paid $130 for a vet and i don’t want to pay that much again. Any suggestions?
My cat is 11 years old and he is Burmese, when he was younger we never had a problem with his meowing.
It was only until a few years ago that he started, he is fine when he is asleep, but when he is awake and someone is home he does loud, long meows.
We have to lock him in the laundry at night because he was constantly waking us up, even though when he was younger he slept in my bed every night without a peep.
We try to ignore him, but he doesn’t give up, any suggestions?
GET THAT CAT OFF PROZAC!! ^^ thats incredibly disturbing! prozac can be awful for humans let alone cats, do NOT give your cats anti depressants, that is not a cure for anything.
For Chantal:
We’ve had to try some techniques on them and so far so good.
Instead of feeding them in 2 sections, we feed them their food at once in the morning and right before we go to bed. We only feed them as well when they go quiet (which means a bit of ignoring them for a bit) which they sit down quiet happily after a few minutes. the first few days of trying this were tough but they soon learn
The door scratching has decreased as well so they are not trying to get my attention at some awful early hour of the morning.
Its only been a few weeks but Reggie (the main meower) is starting to be less vocal to get his own way which means less stress for us all – hurrah!
Try with the “ignoring” for a bit and see how that works :0)
My cats coming up to his 18 yr birthday and has started do this, well its been going on for months, ignoring him doesnt work he goes on and on and on , and esculates into screetching ! Dont want to spray things or scare him at his age any other ideas ?
He has an enlarged heart which he is on medication for, he is hyperthyroid but dd not respond well to the traditional meds for this (he went anoreix and self harmed – which apparently is common in some cats to the treatment) so he come off that and is now on a homepathic treatment.
They say he has reduced kidney fubction but that was five years ago … he has been on KD diet for 5 years but have recently took him off that and put him on senior diet which has helped, he doesnt start crying straight away at night and he has put some weight back on.
I know it sounds like he is in an bad way, but he aint he looks like a three year old and is still active within the house (he obviously does not wander to far outside anymore). This has all started since the vets put him on the thyroid meds which did not agree with him, the vets then thought he had dementia and gave him more meds but I honestly dont think he has – he went funny on that thyroid medication but apart from that seems his usual self apart from the early morning crying obviously. Sorry so long winded and thank for any advice !
I had cats all my life and have never had a problem with howling…until NOW…and it goes on day and night. The cat is 20 years old, lost his friend cat of 18 years in 2011 and has since taken to howling day and night. I do not know if the loss of his friend is relevant. He only stops when I tuck him in bed with me under the covers. But then he gets up in a while and continues to howl. Many people are telling me they are having the same problem with cats in every age group. I begin to wonder if it is not related to solar flares…or something new going on with the planet? Animals react to planetary vibes, for example prior to an earthquake or volcanic eruption. He has also become very thin, and that makes me wonder what new is being done with the canned food?
If the cat too thin and is howling at night, then a vet visit is in order. The vet may be able to help with both scenarios.
The wet food is MUCH better for the cat than dry food at this age as many cats this age start to develop kidney problems, and the extra water in canned food is extremely beneficial.
Imo what’s going on with the planet doesn’t have much to do with this – for me this is related to a cat being 20. Congrats on that by the way!!!!
So in summary – please take this cat to a vet who can properly examine it and make precise suggestions do deal with both scenarios.
Good luck!
Hi Marko
Thanks for the reply. My cat practically lives at the vet and he has them stumpt too. Several years back I was told he may have lymphoma because they had no clue (he has not), then 5 years ago go told he had reduced kidney function and has been on that diet ever since, but have now taken him off it and he has put some weight on (not helped by the fact he then was diagnosed with thyroid problems and was one of the cats that have a bad reaction to thyroid medications – he went anorexic and self harmed vet said only option was to put him on a reduced dose of a different brand, but basically same medication – so obviously not going to do that he went on to homeopathic medication for that and its worked a treat). He was then given medications for enlarged heart and dementia as he started hiding in corners (which has stopped – did not give him the meds forthe dementia as I am concerned about the affects of this amount of medications on him and I honest dont beleive he has it they are just clutching at straws now. But anyway the yoweling is the most recent thing and does not appear related to the other history given that everyone on here having the same problem. He does not seem in pain and the vet happy with him albeit she would like him to put weight on but just wish I could stop this yoweling have bought a feline mums hormone defuser (synethetic of course) will see how he gets on with this , and have put him on senior wet food but still has his kidney dry food also available to him at all times. The funny thing is he still looks a 3 year old and is mobile but obviously not as active ie going outside much.
My cat is about a year old now, and ever since he was introduced to our family we had an older male cat that he would cuddle up with and play with. Unfortunately we lost that cat just over a month ago. At first my cat didn’t seem to notice, but now he wanders the house meowing, almost like a howl and he doesn’t stop. We thought it might be because he wanted to go outside, but that proved not to be the case. Is it possible the loss of the other cat and his meowing are connected? Do we just ignore it, or perhaps find him a friend to help him out?
It could easily be that the cat is looking for its playmate which is sad.
You could try earplugs for now and playing with the cat more which may help. If you do get another cat, make sure to introduce them SLOWLY.
Here’s 2 articles that may help – good luck!
http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?threadid=41
http://www.pets.ca/cats/tips/introducing-cats-to-cats-pet-tip-107/
I have an 18 year old indoor cat with cancer. She has always been an indoor cat. She was diagnosed with cancer over 6 months ago. Surprisingly to everyone she has outlived the vet’s initial lifespan approximation (2 wks to 2 months). She was on a healthy regulated diet until her diagnosis when the vet said to go ahead and spoil her because of her timeline. So we switched her over to wet food and fed her at regular times. This went well up until about a week ago. Now she begs to be fed all the time. Even after she’s just been fed. The yowling is now starting to get really annoying. She has earned the nickname Scoldilocks from our family. Is this from the cancer? What is going on?
Good on you for spoiling the cat! Unfortunately…..many cats go nutty for canned food when they’ve never had it before and it sounds like this is what is going on.
Canned food is MUCH better for cats anyway due to the increased water content.
If this were my cat I’d make the feeding times VERY regular with no treats of the canned food….the canned food should be only given at mealtimes.Hopefully the cat will then expect the food only at certain times and therefore won’t be constantly yowling.
Hope that may help and feel free to post this on our forum as well.! Good luck!
I have a 3 legged cat that we’ve had for years but lately she has been running outside all the time to get to the grass.( she’s and indoor cat) and her meowing lately has been unbearable. I tried putting the dogs in the back yard to make her not want to go out there with them but it didn’t work. We have coyotes in our backyard and if she gets out they could kill her, it happend to our last cat who was also 3 legged. I don’t know what to do with her.
You might try grass that cats can eat and keep it indoors. We sell some on this site if interested. Good luck! http://www.pets.ca/products/cat-grass-seeds/
Thanks for the advice marko but we have tried that and it makes her sick.
Hi, I have a 1year old female cat and just brought home an 8 week old male kitten. We trained my female cat not to meow at the door long ago but this new kitten does it now, understandably, but he doesn’t just do this to my room, he does it to my 2 year old son and 4 year old daughter’s rooms too and my 2 year old doesn’t know not to ignore him so he keeps doing it. I tried leaving my door open but then my female comes and pounces on me for a few hours before she tires and sleeps on my bed. This is keeping ALL of us up not to mention getting the kitten tortured by my son when the kitten finally manages to wake him up (he squeezes and throws him if I’m not looking…which I obviously discourage but can’t do while I’m sleeping) who then wakes up my daughter who comes to me to complain. I currently have them locked into my laundry room so we can all sleep but I hate doing that and I know my female is going to take revenge somehow. Lol. But I was wondering if there is anything else I can do to keep both kitties happy. The male doesn’t mind being in the laundry room but I can’t leave the door open because he’ll get out and I can’t close him in by himself because the litter box and food/water is in there. I won’t leave the kids’ rooms open because he pooped on my daughters bed when I did that. I thought of locking my sons door but that seems like a safety hazard and so does blocking the top of the stairs with anything other than a baby gate….which we have and he’s so tiny he slips right through the bars. Please help.
Sometimes the product called feliway can calm cats down. You may wish to try it.
For a better bback and forth please feel free to post this on our forum. Good luck!
we recently adopted a female cat that is 11 months old. great cat. great personality but she darts for the outside doors in the middle of the night or when we cant put her out. i like that she is an outside cat but the meowing during the night and first thing in the morning is unbearable. any recommendations.
I have/had 2 cats and the younger one recently died. They had a weird relationship (one minute cute and cuddling, the next fighting). The older one has picked up this annoying and worrying habit where he meows like someone is hurting him or something is wrong–it’s terrible. Also it’s ALL DAY, even at night. My initial thought is that he is in physical pain, but that doesn’t seem to be the case because we can pick him up, it doesn’t seem to hurt, he walks around, and physically it looks as though nothing has changed. Also, he sleeps in the place where the younger cat was getting sick and had his last days. I’m wondering if he’s mourning him? But they had a weird relationship so I don’t know. Please any advice/answers?
Hi Mego – First off please let me offer you my deepest condolences. I’m so sorry for your loss.
As for the constant meowing, this could easily be a ‘call’ to the other cat that has now passed on, especially if this happened recently.
To be super-safe though. a vet visit is recommended. If the cat is fine phycically, then playing with the cat more might help its mental state.
Good luck!
My cat has done a lot of moving since she has been around. I offered to foster her and the company forgot I had her, so I kept her in my studio apartment. I had to move back home after a year of having her. She got used to 3 floors to roam, no doors closed except the outside doors. Because I lived with my parents, they did not understand their behaviors negatively effected my cat’s behavior. What I mean is exactly what you wrote: they responded to every meow, gave her treats to shut her up, called and yelled her name, played with her, opened windows for her to sit in the sun, and even responded to her waking them up in bed.
Now, I just moved from New Jersey to North Carolina this weekend. I live in a nice size 2-bedroom apartment in the country for the next 2 years while at school. My issue is that Blaze is used to my parents responding to the meowing every morning for the last 2 years that she is insistent on doing that to me. This morning she woke me up at 3:30, I ignored her until 4:30 where she was curled up on my bed meowing. I’m not sure how to break her of 2 years of a bad habit without depressing her from the recent move. Do you have any suggestions.
Maybe feed her later in the evening so she will sleep in longer – just a thought.
We have great cat people on our forum and I recommend that you post this question there in order to see what others suggest.
Good luck!
I just recently adopted a 2yr old black cat. She is a good cat for being the mother of 12 kittens, in a cage at a pet store, and adapting to our family. A few questions. 1-During the day from the time I wake up, til the time I go to bed, she meows a lot! I feed her wet food while I’m getting ready usually between 8 and 8:15, then after she follows me around the house meowing at me. She has dry food, water, i’ve pet her as I pass, but she does this ALL day. She just walks up and meows. We pick her up, which she doesn’t like to much, and cuddle her, play with her, but she still continues to meow. Maybe she does this cause she’s thanking us for adopting her? 2-About 5 in the morning she thinks it is play time, and talk time. (More Meowing) At first we would say something to her but now I don’t respond but she still does it. Sometimes her meows sound like she is in heat, hurt, sad, mad, or that cackle meow which scares me and I think something is wrong. She also does these noises through out the day as well. How can we stop her from meowing at 5 right before waking up for work so I can get my sleep out? 3- How much catnip can you give/should to a cat? Can they have a little every night before bed or should it be like a special type thing? I should mention this is my first cat so I’m still learning. But thought I would ask these questions because I hope it just means she’s happy and comfortable and likes us and is not sad and miserable. All the advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you!.
My father in law gave me a rescue kitten when he was only a few weeks old, now the cat is turning one and he wont stop meowing. We have tried many things to make him stop.
He is a very talkive cat but this is getting a little over the top. He meows when any doors close, he will go crazy start clawing and stick his face under the door and let out the biggest kind of howls.
When we are sitting in the living room he will look at the ceiling and start meowing. Till about four in the morning he meows then starts again at five. We tried igonering him,water bottles and such it just doesnt help. We have gone to the vet about they told us to let him in with us at night, but he attacks us.
If you try to sleep he will bite and claw at you. We havent sleep well in weeks and I have had enough.
The cat always has fresh food and water down and he has lots of toys witch he doesnt like to play with.
I dont know what to do please help
I’d probably post this in our forum for additional advice given that that you are still looking for help.
Good luck.
we have a six year old bengal neutered tom. he has free access to outside (we live in a quiet friendly private area) he is very popular with the other residents and a lovely friendly affectionate darling. he has always “talked” with anyone and very attatched to my husband (i get more attention when he is at work) over the last few weeks he is not at home anywhere near as much, has stopped sleeping in our room often not even in, and has taken to inssessantly “calling” and it just doesnt stop! he doesnt seem interested in cuddles, and doesnt seem to want to be with us anymore. the vet just said “well he is a bengal!” but this is just not like him at all. please help.
I would definitely add Bengals to the list of vocal cats. He goes on random meowing streaks for apparently no reason.
Hello!
My cat is about 8 years old but he’s only been with me for a year now (his former master died).
At first he didn’t meow all that much, but for the last couple of months he started meowing rather histerically from 8 pm to 11 pm, roughly. He cries on the corridor like he’s being hurt or shut somewhere, except he isn’t, of course. He’ll only shut up if I get up and/or go to the kitchen get something done (bizarelly enough, I know).
Then he also wakes me up during the night, usually from 5am onwards, to get my attention.
I once took him to the vet and the recommended I bought «tranquilizer» Feliway; for a while maybe that worked, but not anymore.
I need to rest and also I’m afraid my neighbours will complain.
What’s your advice? I do love my cat but everynight he drives me crazy.
Thank you in advance.
My kitten about 4 and a half months keeps meowing by our front door quite a bit. Sometimes we take the cat outside (we live in an apartment) is he just looking for attention or does he want to go outside?
In my opinion based on general cat knowledge (I am not a vet)- The cat wants to go outside.
If you take the cat out from time to time, you are reinforcing this behaviour.
Personally…a cat that goes outside, on average lives 5-7 years less long than an indoor cat. My 2 cats are indoor cats only.
Good luck!
Thanks for the rep;ies, my cat has calmed down now. It was his thyroid that was causing the yowling. He had a reaction to the meds the vets gave him, so now on the Y/D diet and is fine.
My cat is about a year and a half now and he meows a lot- very loudly like he’s barking almost. He was always vocal but I thought it would have stopped after he was ‘done.’ He also knocks objects over in the middle of the night so I’m constantly on edge! Anyway I used to let him go in and out as he pleased but since moving house it’s too dangerous round here with the cars so I don’t let him out ever now. I thought this may be the cause of the meowing but I’ve been here almost a year. I have a room mate now and we’re both tired of the meowing. I get less sleep for as soon as I hear him start in the night I get nervous about my room mate waking up too. He just sits outside her door screaming. I’ve read some of the advice you’ve given and I definitely think I’ve been enabling him – I always give in to him nowadays with guilt from keeping indoors. The toys I bought him a while ago don’t seem to interest him anymore. Im so tired and I have a fulltime job and I’m starting a masters soon – I need to get some sleep. Do you think It’s too late to try fix these bad habbits we’ve formed? I tried to train him as a kitten with some of these techniques but eventually I just put him outside as it was just unbearable. Now I don’t have that option. I’m pretty sure he’s bored but I’m at work all day. I don’t really want to get another cat either as I’m planning to move again in a couple of years and 1 cat plane ticket/vet bills will be enough. Any help much appreciated. Laurie.
Please post this on our forum for a better back and forth.
Good luck.
My 4 year old female spayed cat has become unbearable. We’ve been dealing with this incessant meow/howling that only occurs when we turn off the lights and to bed for months. During the day I try to play with her,but she doesn’t want to play- she just lays there and stares. I only feed her at night an hour before we go to bed. I have a 1 yr old male neutered cat who occasionally meows to go outside at night, and he can be playful at night but its not nearly as bad as her problem.its driving my fiance crazy because he is a light sleeper, which distresses me. I just don’t know what to do anymore.I care very much about my cats, but humans need sleep to function. Can a vet prescribe feline sleeping medications?
Is it possible that the cat is meowing to go outside with the other cat?
Does the cat meow at other times to go outside? and if so do you let the cat outside?
basically has your cat trained you to occasionally let it our by meowing and sometimes you do and sometimes you don’t?
If so, this might very well be the reason.
and in general cats should be indoor only because they will live longer…
If I’m offbase here, I encourage you to post this on our forum for a better back and forth.
Good luck.
Hello, I have a Siamese mix female (5 years old) who recently has been caterwauling at the top of her lungs all night: from the moment we go to bed to the moment we wake up in the morning. Recently, her brother from the same litter had to be put down due to testing positive for feline HIV. We usually (for years) did not allow the cats in our bedroom because my boyfriend is allergic to their dander, after losing her brother we allowed her to sleep with us in the bedroom, but she just continued the caterwauling right next to us. We have squirted her with H20, tried ignoring her with earplugs (she is too loud and persistent, I’m talking all night long), she was tested for feline HIV and is negative. We are at our wits end and haven’t slept for three nights straight! Please help, if you can recommend a sedative or something that isn’t listed on the usually forums I would greatly appreciate it.
Sage Parker
I just adopted an 11 week old kitten from a local rescue place and she is so stinkin’ cute. She is very curious, and isn’t afraid of a single thing. But she talks constantly. I think when she is sleeping is the only time she isn’t meowing. She sleeps by my fiance and I’s heads at night and is just fine. But all day she follows you around meowing, or you can hear he meowing in the back bedrooms. Is there a reason for this? Can I stop this while shes young? When I was a kid, my Mom and I had a cat who we named Gabby. Ironically she turned into a talker. To this day, she just walks around talking to her self. Is there something I need to do, or is my new kitten just doomed to be a talker?
I’d appreciate any advice anyone can give.
Thanks!
Our one cat will non-stop meow from about 7pm -8pm, we give her a can at 8pm. We used to give her a can in the morning but her meowing would wake us up so we switched it to 8pm. She eats the can like she is starving but she has dry food out all day she eats so it’s not that she’s hungry. We have tried to randomize her can time but she still would start meowing just like usual. Once she gets her can she stops meowing and lays down for the night. She’s a very friendly and good cat except for the hour or so before her can which is ridiculous. We want to still give her the can of wet food to supplement her dry food but want the meowing to stop! Help!
Please post this on our forum for a better back and forth – good luck!
I feel angry and sad. I have had my cat for 11 years. I love him so much but now we are not getting along. He is afraid of me. For 8 months he had to stay somewhere else be be because of many reasons. Because of meowing, they brought him back. I leave him now in the big furnished and well lit basement. It is like his apartment. I feed him well, spend every evening with him. I play with him, caress him, give him his can food etc… The only thing I expect is that he does not meow at night or early in the morning. I always gave him little tap on the head and said a loud NO if he wakes me up. He learned fast. Now that he is older, he is becoming very stubborn. My discipline has become more aggressive. He is afraid of me. He knows when he is wrong and when I am angry. He runs always from me and hide when he hears my steps. I say NO and I go back to sleep. He starts meowing again as soon as I leave. I never broke the rules about feeding him or letting him out of the basement. I am tired all the time ow because he wakes me up and my love for him is turning into hatred. I am desperate. I can’t find anyone to adopt him. Yes, I am willing to give him up. It broke my heart once but I got used to it. He is not happy with me either. I am crying writing this. I want him to be happy. I can’t let him go upstairs with us because my wife can’t stand the hair everywhere and my 2 year old daughter was sick all the time. I just need him to stay quiet when he must so I can enjoy his company when I can. I work long hours during the day and I need my sleep at night. Please help. I don’t want him to be afraid of me anymore. It is heartbreaking to see how he puts his head down and hides in a corner. I tried water spray but same reaction. I pet him for an hour while watching TV. He is still active and likes to play. I got him toys and I try to get him tired before bed. The meowing every time I move in bed upstairs has to stop. Any advice please?
Please post this question (free of course) in our forum.
You are making some basic mistakes here and our members can provide a better back and forth.
I would say this, if you don’t want the cat to be afraid of you, for the love of god stop hitting him. I realize you are frustrated but you are making things so much worse by hitting your cat.
If the hair is bothering your wife…brush the cat daily. Cats have hair and they shed…..Cats are cats and they have basic needs.
Please do post this on our forum and Good luck!
I got my cat 3 months ago, she is now almost 9 months old. She is really good during the day, I play with her and she is mostly out in the garden too. When I go to bed, she will go to her cat bed outside my bedroom and I don’t hear anything all night. But as soon as 7am comes around she starts meowing for hours until I get up. I tried to ignore her but after 2hours of constant meowing I had to give in.
Now I had to move her bed into the kitchen where she has access to the garden. I feel bad that she has to sleep there but every morning she is still meowing from 7 am onwards. How can I get her to stop so she can sleep inher old spot again?
Hey there, I had two 3 month old kittens as house cats in my flat who were both sisters but one was constantly out to destroy and was very energetic for our tiny flat, so I gave her to a friend who has a bigger home for her to play and is very happy.
However with her sister gone my other female kitten in constantly meowing everytime I leave her sight or go into my room. I tried giving her a teddy in her bed with my scent on it for comfort but it just does not seem to work. I’ve also tried spraying her but she just shakes it off and comes back for more.
Any tips would be very much appreciated x
Hi, I’ve got a female cat that I’ve had 2 1/2 years now and she meows incessantly, usually at night, but sometimes during the morning as well. I have cleaned her litter often, always made sure she had fresh food (both canned and dry) and water and played with her often, and given her lots of affection. I’ve tried ignoring her, but she just gets louder and more insistent. She usually does it when I’m awake and everyone else is asleep. I am considering a trip to the vet in the next few weeks, just haven’t been able to afford it with car problems, Christmas shopping etc. I hope nothing is wrong with her, her previous owner said she was perfectly healthy but had some anxiety issues that required medication, so I’m hoping that’s all I’ll have to do to get her to stop. This wasn’t always a problem, when I first got her, she was pretty quiet, stayed in one spot for most of the day, slept in my bed every night. We used to have three cats until last November, one of our other cats passed away and that was about the time she started this constant meowing, so I figured that may have had something to do with it, but it has continued for the past year as our other cat passed away. I don’t know how close she was to the other cats, but usually they just hissed at each other and went about their own ways. She also tends to pee wherever she can and occasionally has tried to bite us (not just playful biting either as she’ll keep trying to gnaw through the skin afterwards as we pull away). She is declawed (from a previous owner as I don’t believe in it myself), so I figured at first it was just her way or showing aggression. I love her very much, but its just a lot to take. Any help is appreciated
I just adopted a 2 year old female cat last night, from a shelter with over 50 other cats. She had been there for several months. She’s extremely sweet and cuddly, but keeps meowing for no reason at all. Just sitting in the middle of the apartment, meowing. Today she has started meowing at any closed door. Is this normal adjustment behaviour, or is this her personality? If it is adjustment, how long is normal for it to last? I assume spray bottle techniques, etc are not a good idea, at this point, as it likely is due to anxiety from the big change, and it would just stress her out more…is this correct?
The people at the shelter said she wasn’t very talkative…
I don’t want to have to bring her back to the shelter, but I can’t deal with this. She’s keeping us and our neighbours awake (and annoyed, during the day). Any thoughts/tips that could help my situation are greatly appreciated!
Please post this in our forum where other cat lovers can suggest how to solve this.
Good luck!
My cat was wailing a lot for attention whenever I was in the apt. I was already giving her a good 10-15 minute rubdown once each evening, and she would be quiet after that for a while. And I let her sit in my lap on a blanket when I was on the computer, and she’d be quiet then. But outside of these, she’d wail whenever I was home.
I found a solution — giving a loud whistle each time she wailed. This made her “cringe”, and crouch suddenly, like the loudness and high pitch really startled her. After only 2 or 3 of these — once each time she wailed — she quieted right down, found a place to lay, and just settled in quietly like nothing happened!
It’s not exactly a whistle, it’s like blowing air through my teeth really hard and fast, as if I were whistling with my tongue like some people can do — although I can’t. But it makes a loud sudden noise — like a hiss. Anyway she really doesn’t like it, and gets the idea. However, I still do make sure I pat her at other times, when she is quiet, so she still gets her attention. So far, it’s working.
FABULOUS suggestion Jeff!! Thanks for posting it!
Hello,
i adopted a flme point siamese mix when he was 8 weeks old. Got him fixed at 4 months (i think thats how okd he was…) then moved into my parents house when he was 6 months. Now he is 2.5 & we just moved into a different house. My brother gets up at 5:30am, & now my cat does too. He sits in the middle of the room crying. When I get up, he purrs & nudges my legs & it seems like he expects something. His food & water dishes are full. & then the moment I lay down he starts crying again. I leave all the doors open so he’s free to wander, so I don’t know what the problem is. I don’t want this to be a habit for him. It’s the first night he’s done this.
Please post this on our forum for a better back and forth – Thx!
Our cats (11months) have started meowing as the sun comes up. They also scratch the bedroom door, ignore the squirt bottle, and are too “explory” to settle in the bedroom! It’s doing my head in!!
i got 2 cats. They are 5 years old. One female and one male. The female went in heat and I dont know if she ever came out , because she now meows very loud every day for 4 months. My male is fixed too. I live in a apartment building so I am sure that i am not the only one going crazy with her meowing. I have tried squirting her with water but now she runs like a game or something.I can can barely sleep with that noise. Any advise.
My older cat died and now my younger cat won’t stop meowing. She keeps going to the doors and won’t stop. Does she miss the other cat and will she stop eventually.
Ok so I have my cat named Renaee and she’s 3 years old and lately she has been meowing when anyone picks her up even when you start rubbing her while holding her she still continues to meows constantly. Now my question should this be something I should be concerned about or something I should just brush off. Input is greatly Appreciated.
Good question – depends on the type of meow.
Some meows are indications of pleasure and some meows are just temporary vocal reactions to being picked up, touched, petted etc. – if this is the case then there’s nothing to worry about.
Sometimes though the meow might sound like a ‘pain meow’. This means you are rubbing or picking up the cat in a painful area. If you can’t tell the difference between these meows, rub your hands gently along your cat. Basically give the cat a gentle thorough massage. Start at the head and neck and move down. See if there are specific areas that elicit a meow that sounds painful. And if you find one, probably best to see a vet.
Good luck.
I have a 10 year old cat that I have had for 9 1/2 years, and she has been every where and through everything you could think of with me. She has always been my baby. About 4 years ago, we decided to get her a kitten as we were not around all the time due to work, and we thought it would be good for her to have the company. It didn’t take long for the new kitten to make herself at home, and my older cat was good with her as well. When the kitten turned two, she started getting aggressive towards my older cat, to the point where the latter would cry out. We tried to correct this behavior, but as the kitten was an alpha personality and the older a mothering cat, it seemed like the older was just letting it happen. They were both fixed at 6 months of age.
About three months ago, I made the hard decision to let the kitten go to another home. To a friends where we can still see her if we like. I thought maybe my older cat would be able to relax more now that she could eat with no interruptions and use the litter box without being kicked out. But she has been meowing continuously now, and now she is starting to drive me nuts. I try to play with her, but she just meows, she has fresh food and water twice daily as per usual, her litter is clean, I don’t know what to do about it any more.
Any suggestions?
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD IF IGNORING MY SIAMESE WORKED, I’D BE A MILLIONAIRE. IT JUST MAKES HER CRY MORE. She escaped outside twice and now daily tortures us w whining to go outside. it starts at 4am and goes all day. Nothing shuts her up. she’s a senior siamese who’s had an amazing life. now she wants to go outside. our big city doesn’t recommend outdoor cats and i don’t want her to have fleas, diseases, fights, car death so in she stays. she’s healthy, the vet says she looks 5 and she’s 13. she’s driving me absolutely bonkers. i love her.
If you have tried everything in the article…then maybe it’s time for meds.
good luck.
I need some help with a senior cat. I consider mysel fairly adept with cats but she has baffled me. She’s about 16 years old, was not played with or well cared for up until 3-4 years ago. She was obese living on free fed crappy dry food, urinating everywhere and puking once a day. No one could touch her, she was never petted so no human contact (she would want on the couch and attack anyone on it). When she came into our possession (given up) she was put on a diet of 1/4cup of high fiber dry food twice a day (10am and 6pm). She would meow a little at feeding times but since it was quick to feed her, no issues. she leveled out at a healthy weight but continued to pee so a trip to the vet discovered crystals. Switched to wet food at the same times she did better with urinating but still occasionally so we added 1/4cup of water to each feeding (dilutes the urine). Now no peeing but the meowing has gotten insane. She wakes us up for food (always still fed at 10/6) and starts meowing at 2pm for her dinner!!!! It takes a few minutes to prep her food (measure wet food, measure water, mix) and she has lost her voice a couple times cause of how loud she meows.
Any suggestions?
Love to help but this is the wrong place. Please post this on our forum for free. Thx and good luck.
Hi there I have a 9month old cat and she has a constant meowing problem it’s only started a few days ago but every waking minute she just doesn’t stop. She has like a growl meow too and no matter what I do she just doesn’t stop. I thought it may have been because of the dog, but her and the dog get along really well like they are best friends. The cat is a indoor cat because she is too afraid to go out side, we think that’s because we found her in a box on the side of the road with 2 of her siblings about 8 months ago, my partner almost ran over the box lucky for me we noticed it before he did.but she is not desexed. The pet shop we took them too recons she’s a tabby but I think she is a cross because she is too long in the body to be a tabby and really skinny. She eats way too much and just won’t put on any weight. If someone can help me figure out what the deal is with her that would be great. She does all different types of moews and I just can’t take it any more
My cat is annoying the crap out of me. She is 3 years old, and we do know she is a high anxiety cat – UTIs to prove it. So we have her taking Composures every single day, sometimes more than one to calm her down. We have calmng cat music we play which seems to help, and she has more toys/cat things than the average child has. She eats a grain free diet and has a running water fountain and everything. two litter boxes… she poops on the floor all the time. She was doing it before when she had worms, and now the worms are gone – we check it every day, there are no worms. She has been in and out of the vet’s to see if anything is wrong with her, they say just anxiety. SHE WILL NOT SHUT UP and she won’t stop pooping on the floor. My boyfriend and I are pretty much fed up at this point. No health problems, plenty of attention (I am home with her all day, every day), three tutu-filled boxes and one awesome tree… why won’t she shut her mouth? And why won’t she use her litter box? It’s kept clean and everything, We really cannot take much more of this. I don’t want to give Kitty up, but my boyfriend is about at the end of his rope. Any suggestions anyone?
This is too complex for a blog post comment. Feel free to post this on our forum for a better back and forth.
My 4 yrs old cat in heat. i know i should have her spayed but her owner didn’t do it and he past away 1.7.13 .i work weird hrs sometime days ,afternoon and nite.her meowing is driving me nuts. help
This problem will only continue until you get your cat spayed. A cat in heat can be spayed and once that’s done your problem should be over.
Good luck.
I have had my cat for 7 years now. I recently moved out I am 21 years old I live with 3 other girls who don’t have pets. Because I have had my cat for so long while living with my parents she has never had any dramatic changes (moving). she is kept outside in a multi level cat kennel and brought in to sleep with me at night (her sleeping habits were not changed when we moved she is outside during the day in a large cage and inside at night her whole life). She does nothing but meow at night. I am a cook and have to be up at 4am I go to bed at 9 but don’t go to sleep till after 12 because of her excessive meowing I knew about the spray bottle trick so I keep one by my bed…although it bothered her at first and worked, she has gotten use to it and continues to meow seconds after I sprayed her this is a continues barrel between me and her and I’m at my breaking point I don’t have days to train her by rewarding the good behavior I need to sleep or I will have to re home her. Please help me it breaks my heart to just think about having to do this
I have a female cat not fixed abs she recently starting meowing a lot and wanting me to follow her upstairs where she goes and sits in the closet or under the bed
one night my cat would meow non stop, and i got worried cus he never meows like such, i forgot i had close the door to his litter box and he wont go poop anywhere else but there.
so ye he was meowing to get my attention cus after i opened the door he did his business and was quite for the rest of the night
I have a cat that constantly meows, and drives me mad, and will even scream at times. Now his brother has started, and that is the end of cats for me. I will keep them, and will look after them in their old age. I am dealing with one of them, and it is rather strange and interesting, and believe it or not it sometimes works. I ask him is he being a pain in the arse. For example on Thursday last he wouldn’t stop meowing, and I asked him several times was he being a pain in the arse, and he curled up and went to sleep. Sounds weird but it can work, and its told me one thing. Never underestimate what a cat can really understand. Another thing which I do is mimic a screaming meow at him, and that is one thing he doesn’t like.