Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:
My 2 1/2-year-old cat, Pickle, will not stop meowing in the mornings. We tried completely ignoring him for two months, we tried squirting him with water every time he meows, we tried a scat mat (he has a particular spot he meows from) and we have tried a Sssscat motion detector air sprayer. I am at my wit’s end. He has a vet appointment today about this, but I’m afraid I may need to re-home him. I will take every step possible to avoid re-homing him as he thinks of our 4-year-old as his mom and has since he was 5 weeks old. He does not function well without the 4-year-old. Any advice would be appreciated. Is there a surgery similar to de-barking a dog for cats? Please help me before I have a mental breakdown; I have not slept a full night in about five months now!
~Marion
Siouxsie: Well, Marion, there are a couple of reasons why cats meow excessively. If Pickle is a Siamese cat, he’s going to be quite vocal anyway, since that’s the nature of Siamese cats.
Thomas: However, it’s possible that there’s some sort of stress factor at work that’s making him want your attention early in the morning.
Dahlia: You say the meowing started about five months ago. Can you recall anything that happened around then that might have caused stress for Pickle? Did you move house? Did your family’s schedule change? Did your daughter start going to day care? Did another animal in the house die? Did he have a medical procedure? Did you change Pickle’s food or litter? Any of these things can stress a cat and cause behavior changes.
Siouxsie: If Pickle is a very people-oriented or needy cat, changes in home life can cause high levels of stress. A cat who was adopted at the age of 5 weeks was probably weaned too early (unless you had the mother in your home at the time), and prematurely weaned cats can develop excessive dependency on the people in their lives for stimulation and company.
Thomas: Another possibility is that Pickle is bored. A bored cat, like a bored child, will do whatever it takes to get attention–even if it’s negative attention.
Dahlia: We’ve never heard of “de-meowing” surgery for cats. Even if there was such a thing, we wouldn’t recommend it. Cutting the vocal cords–whether on a dog or a cat–does not silence the animal; it only makes the vocalizations quieter. It also does not solve the problem that caused the excessive vocalization in the first place.
Siouxsie: The best choice you can make is to find ways to relieve Pickle’s anxiety and do behavior modification so that he doesn’t have a reason to continue this unacceptable meowing.
Thomas: Feline behaviorist Pamela Johnson-Bennett recommends the ignoring treatment for excessive vocalization. You said you tried ignoring the behavior for two months in hopes that he would stop. We suggest ignoring again, but this time, add a couple of elements to the ignoring plan.
Dahlia: If you have an extra room in your house–or even a room you don’t use at night, such as an office or a study–we’d recommend you turn that room into Pickle’s bedroom. The room should be comfortable and pleasant and contain everything Pickle needs: a bed, toys, food and water, and a litterbox. Obviously, it should have a door that closes firmly.
Siouxsie: Ideally, the room should not be the same one where Pickle does his morning meowing. He may be seeing something outside the house that’s agitating him.
Thomas: If it has to be the same room, or it has to be on the same side of the house, you’ll want to close the curtains or blinds when you put Pickle to bed. This may prevent him from seeing whatever gets him meowing.
Dahlia: Make sure the litterbox is as far from the food and water dishes and the bed as possible. Cats don’t like to excrete where they eat. Put a small radio in the room and tune it to a mellow station.
Siouxsie: Before you go to bed at night, play a rousing game of Thing on a String or Cat Fishing. Ten or 15 minutes of this should help Pickle wind down and get ready for a good night’s sleep. Maybe your daughter can help you with this. Since your daughter and Pickle are good buddies, they can play together and enjoy some quality time.
Thomas: In fact, your daughter could play with Pickle more than once a day. We love it when Mama’s nieces come to visit and play with us! If Pickle is bored, regular play will help him feel better and more relaxed.
Dahlia: Make sure to teach your daughter not to use her hands as part of the play. She won’t enjoy playing with Pickle if she gets scratched or bitten regularly!
Siouxsie: Cats like play that stimulates their hunting instincts. When you or your daughter plays with Pickle, make sure to move his toys like a mouse or bird would move rather than flinging the toy all over the place and expecting him to chase it.
Thomas: Another benefit of play is that it will tire Pickle out and make him more likely to sleep through the night.
Dahlia: When you bring Pickle to his room at bedtime, take some time to pet him and love him. Turn on the radio at a very low volume. That background noise may help Pickle feel less lonely and stressed.
Siouxsie: We’d recommend that you use a feline pheromone diffuser in the room as well. These diffusers, sold under the brand name Feliway or Comfort Zone, send out pheromones that cause a cat to feel relaxed and happy. Mama has used Feliway successfully to deal with stress-related behavior problems.
Thomas: A package containing a bottle of Feliway and a plug-in diffuser costs about $50 US at most pet stores and veterinarians’ offices. Replacement bottles to insert in the diffuser are also available.
Dahlia: This program of playing, putting Pickle to bed in his own room, and using Feliway should help to eliminate the excessive meowing.
Siouxsie: If nothing else, it’ll make it hard to hear him carrying on in the wee hours of the morning–and therefore make it easier for you to ignore him.
Thomas: Your veterinarian may recommend a short course of treatment with anti-anxiety drugs. If his meowing is related to severe stress, this could help. We’ve been fortunate that we haven’t had to resort to medications, but just as with people, some cats need to take medications to get their brain chemistry back on an even keel.
Dahlia: Don’t reward Pickle’s inappropriate behavior by giving him attention. Of course, scolding and punishing (such as squirting with water) are forms of attention.
Siouxsie: You’re going to have to be patient and persistent, but we do think you can get Pickle’s excessive meowing under control if you use the steps we’ve outlined above.
Thomas: Good luck, Marion. Please let us know how things turn out.
JaneA Kelley is a punk rock cat mom and award-winning blogger. She is a regular columnist for Catster Magazine, and she and the Paws and Effect Gang share a home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
You can also try comfort zone for cats. It’s like aroma therapy. We got it at 1800petmeds.com and used code “RADIO” to save 10% on the buy. My sister in law told us about it and it took a week or so, but our cat Ralph stopped the constant whining and meowing at night.
My cat enters and exits my bedroom all night long (I have a cat door) and this doesn’t wake me except for the times when she feels compelled to announce her presence as she enters and exits the bedroom. At first I just ignored her but this didn’t stop her. She just meowed louder and tried to paw me awake. So, I took action. One night before going to sleep I placed my vacuum cleaner next to my bed. When she started to meow I quickly turned on the vacuum cleaner and said firmly, “Quiet!” The sound of the vacuum shocked her into silence for the rest of the night. I repeated this action for a few nights until she learned that talking while Mommy is in bed is not acceptable. Now she knows that she cannot make a peep while Mommy is in the bed. It’s sort of funny because when I wake in the morning I see her fighting to restrain herself, rolling around on the floor and doing all that she can to exhaust her excess energy, until I sit up. As soon as I put my foot on the ground, she’s off and meowing and asking to play.
Hi! I used to scream a lot in the mornings too. My Mommy would get really angry and would put me in the bathroom until I was quiet. The problem was that I would get bored in the mornings. So my mom started playing with me before we went to bed. One of the problems is that we live in a one room apartment, while it’s large, there is no extra room for me to go sleep in where she can’t hear me. So we started our good night play time, which I love. Mom only lets me play with my night time toys at night, so that when she brings them out I know it means “time for bed”. She also pets me lots and lots while I fall asleep, which helps me feel relaxed. Now I still meow once in awhile in the mornings, but that is just because I’m hungry. In that case Mommy wakes up and puts a little canned food in my dish, which I adore and eat while she usually goes to the bathroom, then when she goes back to bed, I’m not hungry anymore and am ready to sleep in with her.
It also helps for me to go to the bathroom before I go to bed. I love a fresh litterbox, so mommy scoops and refills it each night before we play so that I want to go potty before we go to bed.
Hope I could help! *meow*
I have the same problem!!!! My kittens nearly 9 months old. He only meows when he wants attention though. Normally playing with him stops the meowing for a while.
I have a similar problem with my cat, who’s about 5 now. He constantly meows for food, he is obsessed with it! Whenever we walk through the kitchen he runs at our feet meowing non-stop and tries to steer us toward his food. Then he sits there and meows the loudest, most ear-shattering, ANNOYING meow in the world.
We’ve tried ALL of the suggestions listed above, and nothing works. When we tried to give him his own room and ignore his meowing, he just clawed at the door non-stop until we finally let him out to avoid ruining our door.
I’m fairly certain his meowing is due to the fact that we moved from a house to an apartment in August so now he is adjusting to being an indoor cat. However, if I take him outside on a leash or to a daycare center, this seems to stress him out more.
Aren’t there cat trainers or something or somewhere he could go to run around and blow off steam? He is driving me NUTS!!!! I don’t know what else to do, I can’t re-home him, but the situation can NOT stay the way it is. Please HELP!!!
I have read about this quite a bit online, and had not found any good solutions. I recently picked up some of those compressed air cans from Staples (meant to clean dust out of a computer, or other electronics). I keep it by me wherever I am in the house, and when the cats act up out of reason, I give a short burst of air in their general direction (but never directly on them). They run away, and then come back in the room and are finally quiet. Of course, this method should only be applied if you have gone through all the other solutions (ruled out medical problems, made sure they are fed, etc.). The good thing is that once the can runs out, they quiet down if you just pick up the empty can and point it towards them….they don’t know that it’s empty :)
I think the main thing to consider is making sure the cats are not living in constant fear, and that you only use the air can when absolutely necessary. You don’t want them to stop meowing when something is actually wrong, and you still want them to like being around you :)
My cats are very chatty, and often out of control (mostly in the morning, and late at night). I’ve been using this approach for 2 weeks now, and they haven’t been out of line since I started.
The compressed air cans usually cost less than $10 for a pack of two, and can last a year or longer if used only when necessary. Usually just the sight of the air can is enough to stop them from driving you crazy!
I have a 2 year old male cat that wont stop crying. I have recently stopped him from going into the outside hallway of my apartment building. Due to him making it outside and comming in with scratches all over his back. He is not fixed so I know the meowing might be due to him being in heat.When I ignore the meowing he stops and lays down, as long as no one moves. However, when I get up he will follow me around and start to meow again. what should I do?
“He is not fixed so I know the meowing might be due to him being in heat”
For a number of reasons (better health, less chance of cancer,eliminate spraying, aggression and wandering,fighting with other cats, impregnating female cats, to name a few), your cat should be neutered. If you can’t afford it, check with your local animal shelter as many have programs in place that offer discounts or referrals to vet clinics that have lower prices.
“…He is not fixed so I know the meowing might be due to him being in heat…”
Sorry Cherish, male cats are never “in heat” (or “on heat” in the English speaking world outside Nth America) and they will seek (and have!) sex whenever it’s available. “On” or “in” heat only applies to female cats (and other animals which have an oestrus rather than menstrual cycle).
cheers,
matt
I am going through this now too. My male cat has been meowing a lot worse since my other male cat has passed away. We have tried ignoring him but it doesn’t seem to work as he gets to the point where we tell him to shush. He does seem to be better for little bit if we pay attention to him and pet him for a few mins. My other cat has been gone for about 3 weeks to a mth now. Is there anything else we can do short of getting another cat for him to play with. I do have a female cat as well but she is old and doesn’t really want to play anymore.
hi my name is sky and i am a simise/bobtailand i do the same thing to my parents … i have alot of energy and i play all day and night with my doggy sister .well about 6 in the morning i get bored and wake every one up . water bottle dosent work,and my food bowl is always full.i relly dont know what i want any suggestions …..
Any news from Marion on if any of this has worked? I have the same thing going on but I know the reason, I just cant get him to stop. I am ready to try kitty prozac. Thanks for the update if there is one.
my cat gilligan will not stop meowing at night. It’s driving me insane! I have done everything I know to do, pheromone diffusers, his own room, toys and playing, everything. I have not had a full night sleep in about 2 months now. My husband and I are about to move in a month and we’ll have to stay with my mom til we get an apartment. I don’t want him to keep her up at night and I’m worried that he might not like the male cat she has. Anyway, I would love to keep him out at night because he loves being around his people, but around 1 in the morning he’ll start playing and it wakes us up. My husband is in the military and wakes up between 3 and 6 in the morning. We cannot keep waking up every night. I don’t want to put him in a shelter or anything. We adopted him from a shelter where a family took him before. Help! what do i do?!
We have a male cat named buddy who Is the best cat in the world until he developed this incessant meowing disorder. I want to strangle him. He won’t stop. We’ve tried everytthing. If I can get the damn thing demeiwed I will. You can play with him and he still meows. It happened when we took in another cat who wouldn’t shut up….it’s like he learned it … We re-homed that cat but now our cat is ruined!
h i have a white cat he is about a year old i also have a female white cat about the same age.she gave birth to one kitten 3 weeks ago they have been separated since then.and now all he does is whine at different times day or night.i cant work out why he is so stressed can any one help.thanks.
My cat Bo has been walking around the house ever since I got him, he wakes me up at night every night.. This has been happening for 3 years, I haven’t slept through the night ever since I got him. He just walks around, yowling, I call his name and he shuts up for about 15 seconds, and starts again. At first I thought it was because he was looking for our other cat, who sleeps with us, but I’d go get Bo and show him where Sophie was, and try to convince him to come to bed. He’d stay in bed about 10 minutes, and get up and yowl again. He’s fixed and has been for the last 3 years, but he still humps his blanket every night, provided he can get a good bite on it. I wonder if it has anything to do with that? I’m about *thisclose* to sending him to live on the farm.. all I want is to sleep all night. That’s all.
We found this page because our 10 year old cat Josie began waking us up with long plaintive whining early in the morning, starting about two weeks ago. We got up to feed her and refresh her water, but she would come back to the bedroom a few minutes later and continue the howling.
Based on some of the advice here, we realized two key things had changed recently. (1) We had moved her litter box from the kitchen to a different room (not far away – on the same floor) and (2) our three year old had suddenly taken a heightened interest in Josie – and caught him yesterday “cuddling” with her in a way that was clearly unpleasant for her.
Last night we explained to out son – in front of Josie – that he must ne gentle with her, and made him promise to stop hurting her. Then we all made a show of bringing the litter box back to the kitchen. We apologized to Josie.
This morning the 5 am wake up calls stopped.
Well nothing has changed for our cat.Nothing at all! And I don’t have any little kids who might bother him.
He is neutered,he is healthy (just got back from the vet) he has had shots,dewormed,food all day long,and there are three of us here to give him attention! It is not enough because he never stops!
I refuse to get another cat when I doubt even that will stop him and then I will be stuck with two cats.
This is worst behaved cat I have ever had.My cat of 10 years who just died last year never acted like this!
My cat is a Ragdoll and is now just over 1 year old! It has ALWAYS had this problem! Often he meows for things he wants, food etc! There are times though that he meows for no reason at all. The worst is in the morning, and escpecially when it rains!
My partner is getting absolutely frustrated and i am scared it will get to the stage that the cat will just be in fear of us!
I do not want to re-home him as I don’t want the same thing to happen with his new family.. I would rather solve the issue and know he is well looked after!
It may be that he is bored but there is no way my partner will let me have another cat, or a dog at that matter!
We have tried ignoring him, all the time but it doesn’t stop. his meow just turns into a wail, stronger louder and longer!
Please help!!
Oh! I have a pure bred ragdoll too and he is now 16. He has been a yowler his whole life. He is worse now. I actually loathe the cat when he gets into these moods where for weeks, sometimes months he just wonders all over the house yowling. It’s a nightmare. I stop short of saying that I hate him. If, he weren’t de-clawed. I would throw him outside. Last night, he did it at 11:30, 2:00, 2:40, 3:30 and always, always at 5:30. On the clock. The house we rent has very thin walls. If he is two stories down in the basement I can hear him as If he is in my ear. I just bought some little chews that have melatonin in them today, I wanted to buy the diffusers but I just knew after $50 it would still not work. I want to lock him in the basement with all his stuff and get a sound machine in our bedroom, but I am terrified of his retaliation. I had to get rid of a cat once because it just peed and pooped everywhere because it was mad, this too was a ragdoll. I am done with cats. I literally can not believe that he is sixteen and tears through my house hollering and scratching the floors on the daily like he is a kitten. I put him on Prozac, it didn’t work, shut the door on him and he screams all night. It seems he never sleeps. Then there are those wonderful days when he is super sweet and purrs and chirps and has very soft meows that are almost cute and I fall in love again until he gets something in his mind and scrunches his face and screams right at me. He eats the most expensive food, I play with him, he gets attention (not when he is yelling), he gets brushed and petted and he has two huge litter boxes that are cleaned every day. I am ashamed to say it, but, I will not be sad when he is gone. It’s dogs for me from now on. Silence is golden. I’m constantly online praying there is something new, some new technique or pill…. But it’s always the same. What works for some, doesn’t for others… Etc etc.
I have a Ragdoll too. It must be their breed. Every since I started my full-time job he has meowed and kept me up. I have not gotten a peaceful night sleep in 2 years. I shut him out of my bedroom – he meows and scratches at the door. I’ve tried everything listed to help with this- nothing helps! I’m at the point where I may start locking him in the garage of a night. I will feel bad but I can’t continue this way. My other cat does not do this at all!
Responding to the “If he weren’t de-clawed I’d throw him outside”…. it’s a RAGDOLL! You don’t send them outside without supervision AT ALL. EVER!
Our Ragdoll is very quiet and affectionate (even when in heat) but our other cat that may be part manx is incredibly noisy 24/7 for several months now. I’m pretty sure he does it because he finds it entertaining.
Your cat is sick. He probably has a thyroid problem. You’ve had him 16 years. He’s old. Seriously. See the fucking vet.
Please help me!
My cat always has food, water,attention, a coasy bed, BUT her meowing is constant, she literally does not stop from the moment i walk in the door.
It is as though she wants something, but she has literally got everything she needs, or has always had!
We just dont know what it is!
she does not look like she is any pain at all..
she looks happy, she just does not stop until she sleeps…
we areliterally out of ideas now… HELP!!!!
Ever since I brought my kitten home she won’t stop crying unless she’s being held, she won’t eat or drink, she’s peeing everywhere, and if I’m not holding her she starts wailing. It’s been to the point where I have to walk around the house with her on my shoulder which is really hard when I have to take care of my one month old son! I’m worried I’ll get evicted if this keeps up. I don’t want to have to give her up but it isn’t fair for my son to be neglected because of this kitten either. Also this cat is pissing all over everything which isn’t really healthy for anyone. She doesn’t appear to be sick but if she’s not eating or drinking (at least not from what I’ve seen) then is this just stress from her being taken away from her previous home, or is it something more serious?
My cat always does that bit he doesnt any more what you do i scream so he runs away then shout really loud shut up !!! it helps get ur anger then put the cat outside it works trust me ! i know how it feels like becasue ur up all night
My cat Hogan used to meow starting at 6:00pm. You can even set your watch by him. Our other cat died this week and Hogan is non stop meowing now, day and night
. We have tried everything under the sun the last few years and nothing has worked. He is Burmese and I believe he was weaned too early, but also I think it’s part of his personality.
Soon he will be relegated to the garage at night. I have to get some sleep! He won’t play with toys either. Never has. And he even meows when we give him attention. The water squirter works temporarily. A few minutes at best. I know he’s stressed about the other cat, but he is making all of us stressed too. My last step is to the vets for some kitty downers.
I found this page today and plan to use some of these tips. I live with 4 other roommates who are not loving my cat Sara in the mornings. She whines like shes dying. We have 4 other cats who dont whine like she does, and they get plenty of exercise throughout the day. And its not good enough to get in my room, she has to rip posters, or knock everything over on dressers. All our cats are fixed so I know thats not the problem. Ive had her since birth, we owned her mother. shes 6 yrs old and weve lived in the same place for 4 of them. We havent changed the spot of the kitty litter dish and change it regularly. Weve used the same food brand for years and the food bowl is always being refilled. Im thinking she might have something going on inside because she loves to eat plastic. I think i might have to make a vet visit. Thanks for the needed help. I love my baby but my roommates want to murder her and theres no way im giving her up!!
Please re-home this siamese cat, someone like you should not be a owner of such a wonderful breed of feline, go buy a dog that is easier neglected. There is an association of siamese cats, you could try to contact them. Also research your future pets for there natural beahaviors, ultimately you probably shouldnt purchase any other pets though ! hope this helped emmensly, notfor you but for the siamese cat that is
“Please re-home this siamese cat”
Nobody said it’s a Siamese. It’s a cat that started acting out and the OP wants to know WHY so they can stop it. Making themselves and the cat feel better. You’re a fucking ignorant son of a bitch.
I have an 18 year old russ blue female, I have loved this cat all her life longt and her me we where so very close for so long,no expence speared for my baby !!! For the last six months she has not stop meowing loadly in my ear in bed !!! I have tryed everything !!! I love this cat so much im crying now as i write this. About 15 mins ago I grabed a tomohawk and was going to smash her head into the carpet !!! I cant take anymore, I am going to the vet today and unless he finds a reason for it ? A tooth caveity or something i will put her down. I cant remember the last time i had any good sleep, The sound is just ringing in my ears all day, I am snappy at work and have had my work mates demand I get the chip off my shoulder or leave !!! I cant belive all the years of love happyness togeather will end like this !!!
Why is it that every new paragraph starts with Siouxsie, Thomas, & Dahlia? Otherwise viewed as STD?
to all of those people who suggested getting another cat to combat the lonely kitty syndrome…WRONG! what if the new kitty and the lonely kitty don’t get along? now you have bigger problems rather than just incessant meowing.
i have four, yes FOUR adopted cats and two of them meow for attention. alot. and they all four follow me from room to room to room to room all day long. everywhere i go, they are right underfoot. makes me nuts!!! they get plenty of playtime (together and individually), toys and treats, from my bf and me, not to mention, each other. probably too much and it has made them needy little boogers. luckily they all get along for the most part.
the bottom line is i love them…even if they drive me crazy. life isn’t fair or easy, and my cats did not get have a fair or easy start in life, but i’m going to make damn sure that they have an amazing rest of their life under my watch. that is what you sign up for/agree to when you adopt an animal. PERIOD!
Thanks for some sense!
I came on here worrying about my 18 year old boy, who meows constantly in the mornings and then just randomly throughout the day cus he has dementia.
I’ve come away laughing at the people who are so agitated and aggravated by a creature they have taken in and given a home to. What selfish animals those cats are? You’d think they’d be grateful… errr… okay…..
They owe you nothing.
Take your cat to an animal rescue, they will go to a better home. And I hope you never have the fortune to be blessed with the unconditional love (meowing, purring, and general ‘aggravation’) from another animal again.
What will the next excuse be? You’re allergic? It scratches the furniture? Or it doesn’t get on with the new puppy.
Pathetic.
maybe he is hungry any ways my cat dos that when he is hungrey
Amylee we have teh same problem with our 18month old male ragdoll who is desexed and we have a female ragdoll 9 months so no chance to be bored but teh male meows throught the night and then he bangs on this picture frame making a really loud noise.
not sure what to do as i have not had a full nights sleep in how long …………………
he always has food available.
not sure what we can do.
obiviously this sounds nuts!! i love cats but sorry i have 2 kids to do a bedtime routine with not about to do the dang cat!! just going to let her live outside hope she enjoys it and wish for the best
My cat started mewing in the morning and we didnt punish her she was just hungery and bored when do u feed ur cat?
i have the same problem with my indoor 5 yr old cat it only started a few months ago she meows every morning so i get up feed her give her a cuddle then go back 2 bed she stays quiet 4 at least 10 to 15mins b then she starts up again ive tryed everything ive started locking her in the other room but it just makes her worse even tryed shutting bedroom door and leaving her with my other cat buit she jus scratches at the door n meows even louder i do agree with u i am at my wits end aswell and have fully run out of explanations on y she douse this x
Hi my cat, Big Ginge has meowd early in the mornings too it’s pissed my man off so much he is at the point where he is considering moving out :( however I think it’s because Gin-ge is an indoor cat as we live in a flat i think he wants to go outside and thats why he meow’s by the door, so on sat I am getting a man to fit a cat flap in our flat door and one in the windown on the downstairs landing so he can go out, but it is a lot of money so I pray he uses it and goes outside like i plan him too and i pray that he can find his way back do u think i am making the right decission?
well, dont have a cat then in the first place i donno why u people who said that love animals “the way they are” complains so much about theyr natural behavior, and want to change your pets at whatever u want, cats scratch, meow, dogs bark, bite stuff, etc etc, if u knowing this don adapt your life to your pet or dont wanna do that then plz dont get a pet, people like that are the cuase of de-clawing, abandon, and animal cruelty. many not all but you are taking the animal not the other way around why an animal has to modify its life just because u want it????
Incessant meowing is bad behaviour. Most cats are quiet for most of the time. There is nothing wrong with trying to find out why your cat is whining for attention and cure it. You are fucking ignorant.
My cat Bowie is doing the same thing at night, non stop meowing. Doesn’t matter if I pull her up on the bed and cuddle with her or keep my door shut. No joke it’s 5am right now and I can’t sleep because she won’t stop. She has a self feeding food dish and the same type of water dish. The two litter boxes are cleaned daily and there haven’t been any big changes, or small ones even. It’s honestly got to be that she is just bored at night and won’t stop meowing.
Some of the responders in this post are saying ‘don’t have a cat, you’re an awful person’. Get over yourself. We are not beating our pets, we are not starving them or chaining them up outside. We are merely trying to solve our problem so we can get some sleep and live normal lives. My two cats are like my children and I would do anything to make sure they are safe and happy. I just want sleep!
I would try putting in furthest room you have and make sure seems close all way of door jam so noise lessens. Then get ear plugs
I hear ya’all. My cat is giving me issues too, and I’m starting to think (after reading all these posts) that I’m stuck.
He’s about 2 years old, and can be a real sweetheart when we come home. But if I don’t instantly play with him – I mean before I even take my coat off, he goes nuts!
He stands in the middle of the room, holds his head up and meows. And meows and meows… Even after we’ve done the ‘bird’ and the ‘laser’, and I’ve found all of his random toys that he’s hidden, between 3 a.m. – 6 a.m. he’s still meowing loudly and scratching at things.
He’s gotten so he wants me to squirt him with the water bottle because it gets him attention. He knows he’s not allowed to scratch the woodwork, and he does it even when there’s sticky tape applied.
I’m pretty sure his determined and nerotic nature is getting worse because I’m getting home later in the day. Still, I wish I knew if there was something to be done. He has a buddy cat at home who is his best friend in the whole world, so he can’t be THAT loney.
Putting him in a separate room at night would only make his buddy anxious, as they both HATE confined rooms.
Not sure what to do here. I’ll keep working at it.
We have same problem 3 to 6 am excessive meowing…..we put him in another room and got ear plugs. Only thing that helped us.
We had my 1 year old cat, Bella, spayed and since then she’s become a diff cat. She went from being a antisocial, moody, quiet cat to this cat that is extremely needy and vocal and never shuts up meowing, she will literally meow for 20 and 30 mins at a time. It’s to the point that I’ve decided not to get any other cats ever again. She is driving me mad.
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!!!!!!! I love our cat…and all animals. He has the best personality ever in a cat. But he starts meowing every morning around 5-6 am and NOTHING will work. I’ve never hurt a living thing and I can’t get rid of him, but I am thinking the best way to keep him and stop the meowing is to turn him into a cat fur pillow. It would go perfectly with one of our sofas.
This is EXACTLY what I expected to find when I looked this problem up… a bunch of drivel as to *why* my cat is meowing and disturbing my already-non-consistent sleep patterns (who CARES!? he’s doing it NOW, which is the problem), and a completely unrealistic approach for someone in a small apartment like me.
Excellent. You just contributed to another cat being taken to the shelter. All of you saying “Oh well, I guess I’m stuck with it”? What!? You’re a HUMAN… it’s a CAT… a small furry animal should NOT dictate how well, and for how long you sleep, for years at a time. You’re a fool if you let your life be controlled like that.
If his stupid little brain doesn’t allow for the capacity of learning to be quiet in the morning, then you can blame God, not me. I’m here to live my life. Off to a cage you go.
**Claps**
This, right here, makes me want to follow your lead.
Idiot thinks there’s a god.
Lol
Please change the cats name to something else besides pickle.
Make sure you play with the cat lots before you head to bed this will tire out the cat and the cat will then sleep instead of meowing all night long.
Had to reply to this one for how stupid and not in any way contributing the suggestion of “change the cats name” is. What in the actual fuck is wrong with “pickle”?
Did anyone consider locking pickles out?
Close the door in some way that he can’t get in. If he doesn’t get to his spot, then he won’t start meowing at your face in the morning. (My cat did the same.)
I have a cat that is 20 year’s old. He will only drink water from the sink. We leave it dripping all the time. Now, all of a sudden he’s meowing constantly, all the time. I have no idea what to do about it.I have learned one thing about dog’s when they pant for no reason. It mean’s they have to poop. It’s weird I know, you’d think the dog would go to the door too let you know, but sometimes, they’ll do weird thing’s. I also have 2 big dog’s that I’m having a problem with. I made the mistake by letting them sleep in bed with me. I have to cover my bed with a sheep , then the next day I will have to vacuum it and then change it. I am a disabled women, I don’t know how much longer I will be able to do it. The one dog, I found/rescued, he was abandoned by someone, I found him at the park. Now, he his by my side constantly. That’s why I named . him Shadow The other one, is not as bad. When we have to go some where. we have to take them every where we go. We tried to leave them home one time, we stood outside the door and we heard them winning and scratching at the door. I love animal’s and it bract’s my heart to hear them whine the way they were.I am a prisoner in my own home. I can’t and never go any where. It’s been like that for over 4 year’s or so.. When they need or want to go outside, they will not go unless I or someone else walk’s with them.I have total body nerve damage When I try to walk with them, I look like a drunk. and I fall every time I walk. I have a fusion cage in my neck that is leaning on my spinal cord and the doctor’s said that I could go paralyzed at any time, for any movement.. I’ve been so lucky so far. Is there anyone out there who can help me/give me some advice that will help me and make thing’s easier for me and my pet’s, who I think of them as my children? My youngest/first dog I have, he use to have no problem jumping onto me bed, but now for some reason, we have to pat the bed in order to get him on.They shed so terribly, I can’t get it all off my floor. I have no vacuum cleaner that can get it all up. If you came to my house and looked at the floor, all you’d see is dog hair. It’s so bad that I’ve gotten ODC problem with it. I need to use a roller brush all the time. I have such sensitive shin, I feel hair on me every where. It is terrible. but I will not get rid of my children.I have so much love for shdow, that no one can believe or understand. It’s as though he is my soul mate, trapped in a dog. I know what you are thinking” This person is crazy and need’s philological help. But there are people out there who know exactly how I feel.. Any feed back good or bad would be helpful. my email is, dingleberry@windstream.net Please, no pranks, just true and honest feed back’s. Thank’s to everyone, and God bless all and everyone that is out there.
Time to send him to China.
Set up a kitchen blender in the spot he likes to meow and have a long extension cord next to you bed. When he meows plug in the extension cord and bam he will run away.
My cat always scratched and meowed every morning for food, even when there was still food in her bowl. A friend suggested changing to a better brand and literally 2 days later she hasn’t scratched again. She now never begs for food either.
Unfortunately most food in supermarkets are simply crap, with no nutrition whatsoever, just empty calories.
If your having this problem, I definately recommend speaking to your local pet store and getting food they recommend that is made of natural ingredients.
I recently took my 8 year male old cat outside while I was doing yard work. What a big big BIG mistake. He has always been very quiet chill cat. Now he wakes up and meows and meows and meows… all day…. eats.. meows…
He is obviously trying to get my attention, as soon as I give it to him (when I’m fed up enough to get up) he brings me to whatever window/door in whatever room he is in.
I’ve only given in twice because I was just super annoyed with it and wanted to “shut him up” So I took him outside and did some more gardening.
I haven’t in a few weeks. #1 It’s too hot. #2 It’s mosquito season and #3 I’m trying to NIP this in the bud.for good.
Any suggestions?
I also have another cat who is 2 years younger and a girl. The first 2 times I took her out with him and she did her thing but does not BUG ME to go back out like he does.
Pablo, I am having the same problem with my cat. Several months ago he started meowing at the patio door constantly. Then he’d meow at the front door. It doesn’t really bother me, but my cat-hating fiancee can’t stand it. He escaped out the door one night when I was coming in from work, and nothing has been the same since. All he ever wants is to be outside. I started letting him out on the patio, which was going really well, but then he figured out how to escape the patio. He wanders around our apartment complex, which is fine by me. He always comes back, and he loves people. Our neighbors enjoy him but have warned me that not everyone in our complex likes cats. But if I bring him in, he just meows at the door until we let him out again. It’s not nonstop, and it’s not that bad, but it is annoying. And I don’t really need to hear about being a bad cat parent because I let my cat outside. News flash: it’s a cat. They’re animals. He goes out to play and comes in when he’s hungry and wants to sleep.
We don’t think you’re a bad cat parent for letting your kitty go outside. We don’t go outside because we live near a busy street and there are lots of other cats (and dogs!) in our neighborhood.
Have you considered creating a “catio,” enclosing all or part of your patio in a way that allows your cat to be outside when he wants to but not wander all over the apartment complex and potentially risk a run-in with a cat hating tenant?
Mama wrote a post for Catster on four ways to keep indoor-outdoor cats safe; maybe you’ll find something there that can be helpful.
Even if you’re fine with the current status quo, this post might have ideas for other kitty parents who want to allow their cats sunshine and fresh air without allowing them to wander around. Purrs!
Some months ago, my grown daughter moved out and took one of our cats with her. I was fine with it since it seemed that her cat and mine (although sisters and had lived together for all of their 7-year-lives) didn’t seem affectionate toward each other. In fact, all we ever saw them do for interaction was fight. Since then, my cat has increased her vocalization significantly. VERY significantly!! In my desperation, I made the mistake of letting her outside, thinking she needed distraction or something. (they had both been strictly indoor cats). I worry about her out in the neighborhood, and she isn’t up on her shots, although she IS spayed. But she could still get hurt by another cat, a dog, or vehicle. Plus, she’s so friendly, I wonder if someone would just keep her (she doesn’t wear a collar or identification). Again, I just needed some RELIEF from her constant meowing!!! I’ve since kept her inside almost 100% of the time, taking her out only when I have the time to supervise her, but that is rare. She is disrupting my sleep pretty much every night. I am beside myself with exhaustion and sleep-deprivation! she is such a sweet kitty, and very affectionate. I love having her sleep with me at night, and she loves to curl up on my chest, a habit I am not opposed to. It’s very comforting. But I am getting more and more resentful towards her constant meowing. Ear plugs don’t work. I hate to isolate her. I don’t have time to be her constant source of entertainment. Should I get another cat?? I’m afraid that if it doesn’t fix the problem (if the problem is, in fact, her grieving over the loss of her sister), then I’m stuck with another potentially neurotic kitty. any advice (constructive, not destructive) is welcome! Thank you!
You need to be debarked. If you continue hearing the meows you may develop permanent insomnia and that is a very nasty thing.
My cat meows at all sorts of odd times during the day. She is nowhere near me when she does this. Nor is she yowling. She does that when other cats come in our yard. This is normal meowing. Not for food _ I can tell that sound. She does that when we are eating and she comes over to beg. Nope this is random meowing about nothing to no one. She is about 12-14 years old. I am not taking her to the vet and incurring the expense of tests and whatnot. I just want her to shut the fuck up. She has food. She has water. She is not very active. She does not want to play. Her little box is cleaned every day. I work at home a lot and I like it quiet. Her random meows are so annoying.