Cat question.

[eyesroll]

Originally titled: How do you get a yowling cat to shut the fuck up?, but it appears nobody wants to answer that question. So I'll kill with annoyingness.

And then: Trouble with my widdle kitty! Please help! We wuv kitty! And still no answer. Let's go with the basics and see what happens.

Ever since we took her to the vet and got the respiratory infection fixed (which, unbeknownst to us, had likely been festering sub-clinically for months), and especially in this new house, the cat WILL NOT SHUT UP at night.

Oh, she sleeps on and off all day, which is nice because the chance of her bolting out the door when we open it is a lot smaller. But at night, especially from 10 to 12 and again from (ugh) 4 to 6, she just starts mewing at the top of her lungs.

She's 12, is spayed, and has never been the healthiest cat in the world, but the vet says she's doing well.

I am not a "cat person." I don't dislike this cat, and I'm not going to hurt her or ask to get rid of her (as I'd never do that to my SO, whose cat this actually is) but I also don't subscribe to the "we must sacrifice all sleep and normalcy for our fur babies!" school of cat stewardship.

Ideas?

[Strong Atheist]

1. None, which is why I did not respond to the original. My cat, who is

older and sick, does the same thing. They say you can get cats to stop by spraying them with water from a spray bottle, but I can't do that to my cat... maybe your SO can ...

[eyesroll]

7. Thanks -- the spray bottle doesn't work for her vocalizations.

It's been tried. She'll just go elsewhere (not far enough elsewhere) and howl there.

It's used rarely, and only in dangerous situations -- to keep the cat out of the bird room, for instance (she has since shown no interest in the birds -- she went in there once, and the birds were chirping loudly, and she fell asleep on the couch).

[Beware the Beast Man]

2. Have you noticed any strays in the neighborhood?

It's that time of season again, and all the horny cats are winding up on our patio. Eleanor, being the queen she is, shouts them down in the middle of the night.

[eyesroll]

9. I've not seen strays, but that doesn't mean they're not there.

Hm...I wonder if this'll calm down in a few months.

[miss_american_pie]

3. Sorry

I saw all your titles, but know nothing about cats. Good luck, though. :hi:

[eyesroll]

10. Thanks.

I know very little about cats myself, only that this one seems to like sleeping under the tablecloth and gets mad if we actually try to, you know, eat.

[Ohio Joe]

4. You might try some cat toys that...

can have catnip put into them. Keep it in a drawer next to the bed and toss it out when it starts crying. Let the thing get stoned and pass out.

[Beware the Beast Man]

5. Sure, drug them up. Great solution...

:P

That's exactly what I do when my cat gets unmanageable.

[eyesroll]

11. Hm, that's worth a try.

She does have some toys, but I'm not sure whether any of them are catnip. I'll have to ask.

[Ohio Joe]

12. I use a little mouse toy that...

Opens on the bottom and has a pouch to insert catnip, then closes with velcro. My cat goes nuts over it, it can keep her busy for hours.

Another thing is tinfoil balls, I don't know why but every cat i've ever had seems to love them. Just take a small scrap of tinfoil, roll it up and toss it at the cat.

[Dangerously Amused]

6. What time do they eat?

When I fed my cats in the morning, one of them (Ralphie) would wake me up by meowing nonstop for an hour or two before mealtime, and/or engage his brother in an aggressive and sprawling game of chase and wrestle and knock stuff over along the way. But then after they ate they would settle down and sleep or play quietly for the rest of the day. So I changed their mealtime to right before bed. Ralphie still meows before he gets fed, but at least it's when I'm already up and now he sleeps through the night.

Might be worth a try. Good luck.

[eyesroll]

8. She gets fed smaller amounts, 3 times a day, per the vet.

Once in the morning, once when we get home, and once before bed.

:shrug:

[Love Bug]

13. When do you feed her?

I have a vet friend who says when cats won't sleep at night to feed them before you go to bed instead of the morning. Their natural inclination is to eat, poop, then sleep. Use that to your advantage.

Is your cat siamese or part siamese? Yowling at night seems to be a siamese "thing," at least it is for my half-siamese kitty.

edit: Oops, I should have read the whole thread before posting this. However, my advice still stands!

[jukes]

14. a companion-cat might help.

a 2nd cat *might* help in this situ, by giving her some1 to visit w/ while you're sleeping. def not a kitten, though, the age-disparity wd prbly cause more problems than it solves. a shelter-cat over 2 YO, preferably w/ a history of living w/ other cats might fix things up.


caveat: some cats aren't social w/ other cats and if your older-girl is 1 of these, it cd make for other problems. a bit of a die-toss, but even that cd resolve in short order to make for a more stable household.

it sounds as if she needs some stimulation. if a 2nd cat is not acceptable, i recommend slotting some specific playtime w/ kitty, perhaps w/a nice catnip toy to spice it up. for a toy, i'd sugg an old sock w/ some qhality 'nip tied in. refresh or make a new 1 in time, as the scent weakens. kitties like "new" boxes to nest in and explore.

another tip that may help: there's a product (feliway) that is an artificial face-pheromone in spray form that is very calming to cats. you cd spray a toy, or a new box w/ it to help soothe her. i don't recommend the heated-dispenser setup, just a waste. a little spritz on the toy 1ce a week or so shd help.

i'd be wary of any punishment or negative re-inforcement; that's likely to increase her stress & cause more acting-out.

good luck, y you can PM if you nd more. i rescue feral cats, and have had a lot of experience w/some of the more unpleasant cat behaviors.