Speaking of Cats (was "Hey Gary")

[chiquitita]

Does anyone know how to get a cat to stop meowing constantly. I know, I know, I have heard everyone say, the cat wants something / is sick .... etc. I pay LOTs of attention to the cat, and the vet doesn't think there is anything wrong with him. He used to be an outdoor cat and I brought him in a few months ago after he got into a fight. He just won't quit meowing.. it is rediculous!! We have tried a squirt gun but that only stops him long enough to lick off the water. He is really loud, too, he howls! I love him to death but I can't sleep many nights because of it. If I lock him out of the bedroom he claws up the carpet at the door. If he is awake, he meows. He also HATES the litter box, sometimes I can tell he is walking funny because he has to go to the bathroom and wont because he is holding out hope we will let him out. I end up physically picking him up an putting him in the litter box.

HELP!

[Ed_L]

The only thing I can think of is that he might not be a "he". Is it possible that you have a female in heat?

Ed

[Jakaleena]

OMG, you must have my cat's twin brother!!! LOL

Chester meows constantly (and loudly!), and will also scratch at the carpet if the door is closed!

We've given up and decided he's just "joining in the conversation" the only way he knows how... But, at about any time of the day around here, you can usually hear someone begging:

"Chester! PLEASE, shut up!"

[gland]

Our cat Tiger periodically gets into "meow mode". We just open the door to the garage and let him go out. That seems to take care of the problem. He'll explore the garage then find somewhere to sleep out there. Crazy cat.

He can't get outside because the main garage doors are shut.

I'd also check out what Ed mentioned. If it's a "she" the cat may be in heat.

[chiquitita]

No, he's a boy.

I am sure he is traumatized because his owners left in the middle of the night when they were evicted from their home, and left all of their stuff, even pictures, and when we moved next door about a month later, this cat (Zeus) was still sitting outside their door by his food dish meowing waiting for them to come back. Jerks.

That was almost 3 years ago, though. I know he has seperation anxiety, but it doesn't explain why he howls when we are here. I work from home so I am with him most of the time. Like just now, he goes into the other room and howls, most of the time it is because he has to go potty and doesn't want to go in the litter box, so he complains for 20 minutes before, during, and after going in the box. But sometimes he just howls, in all these different tones and voices - from little feminine squeaks, to REALLY loud howling. Sometimes (and I don't understand this at ALL) he goes into the bathrooms and gets in the tub and meows.

I have had 5 cats in my lifetime and none of them acted like this.

Our other cat, who was also abandon, possibly from the same house, never makes a peep - she keeps to herself and never, ever, ever meows. I think I have heard one or two barely audible squeaks out of her in 3 years.

Maybe Zeus is just a big baby. (He follows me around and likes to be next to me all the time.)

[CJ Swartz]

You said that you brought Zeus in after he got in a fight. Is he neutered? If so, how long ago? Was he an outdoor cat before you brought him inside, or did he stay in a lot of the time?

My life experiences with cats tells me that
1. Unneutered males always want to be out on the prowl, and will howl when their urges are strongest.

2. Males who were neutered AFTER getting used to prowling outdoors, even if they never mated, still appear to have the "urge" to go prowling at night. Howling and caterwauling either comes with the urges, or is found to be useful in getting their way.

Preferring to do bathroom duties outside rather than using the litter box is natural for a formerly outdoor cat. My cats used to have the freedom to be out or in whenever they wished, but then I had to start keeping them indoors or at least in my yard. They tinkle in the litterbox, but still prefer to potty out in the back yard. My most recent adoption, Sunny, was neutered after I took him in, and he will caterwaul at night if I don't let him out. Maybe the garage "trick" that GaryL. uses will work. My brother does supervised backyard time with his 8 cats to help reduce their tension -- maybe someone in the family could try that?

[Doug Nelson]

You might want to have him checked by a vet. Constant meowing can be a sign that something is wrong. I'd especially be concerned about his vision and teeth, as I've had experience with both of those causing behavior changes.

[chiquitita]

He has been to the vet numerous times. They say he appears to be fine. He needs a teeth cleaning but I am pretty sure his mouth doesn't hurt because he eats all the time (hard food) with no problem or any sensitivity. The vet says he is neutered and I have no idea when because we found him that way. I don't even know how old he is. I suspect around 4. The garage thing wouldn't work because he would howl if we left him out there at night and we are in a duplex - he would wake the neighbors. It is too hot here to let him out there during the day. Oh well, he seems to have good days and bad days.

He also throws up alot. That seems to be from overeating. He sometimes just eats and eats and eats and forgets to stop. Then he will turn around and throw up his food, practically still whole (like you wanted that visual).

I am really beginning to think that maybe he is just slow. He bonks his head all the time on the coffee table when he is sitting under it.


CJ - Yes he was an outdoor cat. He is not liking being inside at all. I don't want him outside anymore though, I worry too much about him getting hit by a car or in another fight. (Besides the fact the Vet costs $$$$$ !) I need kitty health insurance.

[Trimoon]

Put a bell around cats neck.. Works every time

[CJ Swartz]

chiquitita, many years ago, we had a Siamese cat who would eat in the tiled kitchen and then walk over to the living room carpet to "toss his cookies". He wasn't even over-eating (he'd only drink the liquid from the top of the catfood and leave the rest); we never knew whether it was just bad timing or his prior planning.

I understand your fears about his being outside, and I understand his frustration at not getting out. You still might try the garage strategy -- early enough in the evening that you can monitor whether he continues to yowl. If he does, bring him back in, but maybe he'll enjoy the change of surroundings enough to calm him down a bit. I believe that cat require some novelty in their life for emotional/intellectual stimulation -- if they play with toys, they need a change from a mouse to a play wand, etc. or they get bored.... and no one wants to deal with a bored, frustrated critter with sharp teeth, sharper claws, and a LOUD complaining voice!

[chiquitita]

Trimoon - a bell? why does that work?


CJ - Yea, I can tell he is bored. I will try letting him in the garage but I guess my fear is he will start to potty out there because it is away from his "living" environment.

[CJ Swartz]

How about supervised potty breaks outside in the back yard -- like a dog? One or two a day might be enough if done when he's refusing the litter box and obviously ready to go. Put him on a collar and leash, or just be very quick at grabbing him when it's time to go in. Do you have a block or slat-fenced yard, or does he have a thousand ways to escape?

[gland]

We tried the collar and leash on Tiger when he was younger. He went where HE wanted to go-period. We wound up doing some outside supervising.

Tiger is now almost 16 so he's slowed down a little bit. When we're outside we take Tiger with us to give him a little outside break. He almost always winds up back in the garage under one of the cars.

[CJ Swartz]

Sunny, my young male cat, likes to go along with me and my dogs on walks around the greenbelt behind our home. He loves to lie down on the walk, then dash like mad to get ahead of us, hide in the bushes and then swoop down on the dogs, etc. He stays with us and will hide in the bushes if a strange dog or too many people come around. Sometimes he'll come into the house when we're done, and sometimes I've got to bring him in.