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Cat Forum / General Topics / March 2006Help, my cat won't shut up
Ever since my wife got pregnant (coincidence?) our 13 year old cat won't shut up!!! Our child is 10 months old now and the cat is taking a toll on our family life. She whines when she wants her soft food, enters another room, wants us to go to bed, throughout the middle of the night for no reason at all. Its like she is in heat but she has been fixed. And its not a matter of getting attention, we hold her constantly. ANd right when we set her down, meow, meow, meow.. Unless she is sleeping, she must meow 15-30 times an hour.. We have taken her to the vet and physically there is nothing wrong with her. She is constantly waking the baby up.. And i worry about the effect us yelling at the cat will have on our young child's developement. My wife has had cat since it was born and we both love it to death but are at our wits end.. Do they have shock collars for cats? Can u get their vocal cords cut or diminished in some way? It would kill us to put the cat down but we can't take it anymore. Does it sound like this cat is jealous or just plain crazy? > Ever since my wife got pregnant (coincidence?) our 13 year old cat won't > shut up!!! Our child is 10 months old now and the cat is taking a toll on [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > jealous > or just plain crazy? I think the only thing that is plain crazy is your actually serious question about shock collars and vocal chord removal. If it's pissing you off that much, give it to someone else who won't want to shock it or rip it's vocal chords out. It may be jealous, who knows. My cat is very vocal too, but I've never had that thought. If you loved it to death, you wouldn't have even thought of such solutions, yet alone ask them. >Do they have shock collars for cats? Can u get their vocal cords cut >or diminished in some way? It would kill us to put the cat down but we >can't take it anymore. Does it sound like this cat is jealous or just plain >crazy? You're joking right? Also, why would you say that you would have to put her down? You could try finding a new home for her if you can't stand her that much. Then she could be in a home with owners who care about her and don't want to cut her vocal cords or shock her. The things some pet owners say and do never ceases to amaze me. I thought I'd heard it all working in a shelter but this is a new one for me. nobody gets it. SHE won't shut up!!! nobody wants this cat.. No one.. shock collar and vocal removal are just extreme alternatives to having her put down.. U don't understand, we love this cat so much but its killing our family... our son's sleep and health comes first.. She yells as loud and she can at 3-4 in the morning, waking him up. Afternoon nap, wakes him up.. morning nap, wakes him up.. >nobody gets it. SHE won't shut up!!! nobody wants this cat.. No one.. >shock collar and vocal removal are just extreme alternatives to having her [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >3-4 in the morning, waking him up. Afternoon nap, wakes him up.. morning >nap, wakes him up.. You said you took her to vet so I assume vet did a blood profile on her? It would kill us to put the cat down but we can't take it anymore. WTF is that statement is about if you meant that statement take the cat to a shelter that deals with older cats PLEASE. Now if you wrote that because you are upset I can understand and maybe point you in the right direction. But if meant it please give the cat to another family or an older person since you cat is 13 I am going to ask some questions and even if you posted info about it redo it with a honest answer or I don't know is fine to say When you went to the vet was there blood panel done? if so what panel was done and were there any abnormalities Did the vet examine the ears fully? How old is the baby? Did this start all of a sudden or did it when you brought the baby home? They make anti bark collars for small dogs but there is other ways to deal with this behavior Cutting a cat vocal cord is consider an act of cruelty any good vet would never do this. and as I said there are other ways to deal with this than putting the cat down Now personally IMO I think you cat is going senile I had a furball that meowed at the top of her lungs for no reason what so ever she was getting older and going deaf. She would do this till you came over and touched her. You may want to talk to your vet about a agent that could calm the cat down. Or maybe relocating the furball to another family There is no shelter here that would let this cat live very long.. This isnt a big enough city.. We are upset, we would never have her vocal cords ripped out.. but we would consider a shock collar to try and train her to be less vocal. I know they use collars on dogs to stop them from being too aggresive.. Is this a humane way to do it? No.. But how humane would it be to uproot an old cat from its owner of 13 years and have it put in a cage(at a shelter) only to be killed because no one will take it. I was really just wondering if there were any tricks to shut a cat up. > It would kill us to put the cat down but we can't take it anymore. > [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > You may want to talk to your vet about a agent that could calm the cat down. > Or maybe relocating the furball to another family Ok as I said you were upset and I understand if you could answer the questions that I had posted I will try and help I am not a vet or medical personal but can give you my experience Depending on how big the cat the collar may not work due to the difference in vocal patterns in a dog's barks and a meow I recommended the shelter that specialized in older cats instead of putting the cats down. There are natural products and drugs that can calm cats down and or get rid of behavioral problems but medical problems need to ruled out first > There is no shelter here that would let this cat live very long.. This > isnt [quoted text clipped - 52 lines] > down. >> Or maybe relocating the furball to another family Yes she had all the tests done. She gets ear gunk a lot, and we clean it often.. But she had it before she was so vocal.. But it's behavioral.. She doesn't do it randomly.. She does when the sun is shining on the floor and she want's pet. Or when it's not there and she wants it to be. When she enters/exits a room.. IN the middle of the night when she wants attention. But it just doesn't stop.. She just wants attention 24/7 and if she doesnt get it. meow meow meow. Do you trust your vet if so have him recommend a behavior specialist for you. You need to check with them about this social behavior problems. The specialist can recommend possible treatment or routine. I know that is not what you wanted to hear but if she is not doing it randomly and doing it as a bad behavior. You are unable to stop her you will need some outside help to do it. You obviously love you cat since you trying to correct the behavior and not just got rid of her. > Yes she had all the tests done. She gets ear gunk a lot, and we clean it > often.. But she had it before she was so vocal.. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > when she wants attention. But it just doesn't stop.. She just wants > attention 24/7 and if she doesnt get it. meow meow meow. kyuss wrote in desperation (snippety do dah): She whines when she wants her soft food, enters another room, wants us to go to bed, throughout the middle of the night for no reason at all. Its like she is in heat but she has been fixed. And its not a matter of getting attention, we hold her constantly. ANd right when we set her down, meow, meow, meow.. Unless she is sleeping, she must meow 15-30 times an hour.. We have taken her to the vet and physically there is nothing wrong with her. ______________________________________ Considering all the above so far, here's my suggestion. Ask the vet if you can try a mild anti-anxiety drug on her. Don't start with Buspirone, my experience is, it is more likely to cause "unhappy cat" behavior... which could be a sign of side effects that are unpleasant to the cat (headaches or whatever... such things would make US crabby, too!)... Ask your vet (AND get a second opinon!) about Amitriptyline. I get it in 10mg pills. We have 3 male neutered cats that, despite being neutered, spray. They have been on it for almost 8 years, with NO side effects that anyone can see, and their full blood chem panels show NO effect on the kidneys and liver... It is mild, has not altered their personality or made them sluggish... So please inquire about it for your furbaby... it just might work. But build up her dosage gradually... gradually! Two of our cats do well on 3/4 of a tablet twice a day, (cut into 1/2s and 1/4s), and the other does well on 1/2 twice a day. Also... if after a couple three months of whatever the doctor says should be the highest dosage for her, do not stop giving it to her abruptly, taper her off of it gradually, and then nothing for a couple of weeks, then try something else. MEANWHILE... please try a water squirter on her... never her face... just body shots are good enough... most kitties respond to this in most cases... maybe not the crying... but worth a try. If you love her, please give her time with some drug therapy trial time... Sorry to be so long winded... hope you find some answers here... Catgirl >Yes she had all the tests done. She gets ear gunk a lot, and we clean it >often.. But she had it before she was so vocal.. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >when she wants attention. But it just doesn't stop.. She just wants >attention 24/7 and if she doesnt get it. meow meow meow. Get rid of the kid. > Get rid of the kid. EXCELLENT suggestion, where were you with this sage advice 35 years ago? Cats hardly ever sneak out with your car and total it at 3am. The cops hardly ever call Friday night to tell you your cat is in custody for painting the wrestling coach's garden shed pink. Cats will never use your credit cards or run up phone bills without your knowledge. Cats never decide on graduate school instead of employment. Cats don't go into a snit if they don't get that $200,000.00 wedding. Cats don't wear $100 sneakers. Cats don't care what logo is on their jacket or the butt pocket of their jeans. Cats won't insist on martial arts, music, ballet, tap, baton, swimming or origami lessons. Cat's don't need the latest X-box games. You won't have to be up at 2am making cookies because your cat forgot to tell you it's their turn to bring snacks. Cat's are not prone to insisting on expensive orthodontia. The list of advantages is endless Trust me, keep the cat, put the kid on Craig's List while there is still time............if only this wisdom were imparted to me 35 years ago I wouldn't need all this darned Clairol and I'd be retired and living in Antigua basking in the sun........with a cat! Val >> Get rid of the kid. In case you decide to keep the kid and go with a solution you could try this. One of our cats began meowing in the middle of the night and whenever she wanted attention. This went on for a while so we decided to ignore her,(only when she was excessively meowing) like you would a kid in controlled crying. Believe me it takes some self control to be lying in bed at 4 in the morning with a cat standing on your prostrate body meowing in your ear and pretend to carry on sleeping but after a couple of weeks it worked. We applied this to all situations where she was meowing for attention and eventually she stopped. Of course she still makes a racket when it's the legitimate feeding time or when she wants to be let out but no more excessive meowing. Good luck. > Ever since my wife got pregnant (coincidence?) our 13 year old cat won't > shut up!!! Our child is 10 months old now and the cat is taking a toll on [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > jealous > or just plain crazy? Ok I'll put my two cents in here. If the cat has no physical problems then you'll have to deal with the behavior problems. Get some string and play with the cat for awhile several times a day. I also would get a cage big enough to keep the cat and a small liter box in at night or when its behavior becomes intolerable. I used a cat carrier to change my cats behavior. He would attack my leg when I wouldn't let him outside (he was an indoor neutered cat). No big bites but enough to let me know he was mad. I started putting him in the cat carrier for about 20 minutes at a time when he misbehaved. I only had to do it about 2 times and very rarely after that. It was his time out. No more behavior problems. The bad thing he really hated the cat carrier for vet trips so a cage might do better. I had that cat for twelve years and finally he become ill and had to be put down. Still miss him...... >Ok I'll put my two cents in here. If the cat has no physical problems then >you'll have to deal with the behavior problems. Get some string and play [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >better. I had that cat for twelve years and finally he become ill and had >to be put down. Still miss him...... That's the best advice I've seen so far. I have to be on call quite often and I get phone calls in the middle of the night. So I get up and stumble into the computer room. Tigger always get treats when I get up in the morning so, to her, this was no different. And she would come into the computer room reminding me in a very loud voice that I had not given out treats. For awhile I would appease her just to get her to be quiet. But she was getting far too plump so I had to keep treats to just once a day. No matter how loud she meowed I ignored her. She did stop. The cat sees the baby crying and getting immediate attention. So it tries it too and gets attention. You taught the cat that this is the way to get attention, now you have to unteach it. I like the idea of the time out. Perhaps you can put the time out cage in an out of the way place where it won't be so likely to wake the baby. >with the cat for awhile several times a day. I also would get a cage big >enough to keep the cat and a small liter box in at night or when its >behavior becomes intolerable. I used a cat carrier to change my cats >behavior. He would attack my leg when I wouldn't let him outside (he was >an indoor neutered cat). No big bites but enough to let me know he was >mad. I started putting him in the cat carrier for about 20 minutes at a Maybe this worked for biting, but if you put a cat who is always meowing into a cage, she will meow more. She won't like being in there and will meow to be let out. NanCe > >with the cat for awhile several times a day. I also would get a cage > >big [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > NanCe I would put the cage somewhere in house where the family isn't. It's like raising kids--- bad behavior equals timeout. Might work, might not but I figure it's worth a try and meanwhile the cat isn't being hurt. Don't forget the to play with cat with string. I've heard this helps relieve stress for cats........June >I would put the cage somewhere in house where the family isn't. It's like >raising kids--- bad behavior equals timeout. Might work, might not but I >figure it's worth a try and meanwhile the cat isn't being hurt. Don't >forget the to play with cat with string. I've heard this helps relieve >stress for cats........June But a cat does not understand what "bad" is. They are not kids, they are animals. That's why so many people gets frustrated with their pets, because they think they are supposed to act like children would. This is a sure way for the cat to cry more and become depressed by being caged away from the very family she wants to be near. NanCe > >I would put the cage somewhere in house where the family isn't. It's > >like [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > NanCe Ah come on ---20 minutes???? If an animal can be trained with treats for good behavior why not time outs for bad behavior? I've had cats for over 50 years. Not posting anymore on the subject. Just trying to help. All I know is it works with my cats..........June I don't know if the cage / time out would do it but ignoring her when she demands attention should be your first step. By placating her to get her to be quiet you are teaching her to do the very behavior you want to stop. This is assuming she has been checked out by a vet and there is no other reason for her meowing. Have you tried Feliway? |
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