Male cat problem - Feliway?

Hi, I'm new to the site but I loved and laughed at all the cat stories in the forums - it's so cute... We have 2 adorable cats, Cleo and Lily. Cleo, 1 year old male - he is adorable and so loveable. But a couple of months ago he started crying in the mornings at around 6. It lasts for about an hour, then he is relaxed again and falls asleep. It's a deep cry that doesn't stop and he wants to open the door. We can't smell any urine (spraying) and he also doesn't scratched anywhere except his scratch pole.

He has been neutered and we have had him since he was 6 weeks old, and he is an indoor cat (he has never been outside - just for vet visits). It is driving us mad at the moment, not just because we can't sleep but also because we are not allowed to have cats in the flat, and they might kick us out......

We don't want to give him away, he is part of the famliy and we know he can't help it. What can we do - he sounds so frustrated. Someone suggested Feliway.... will that help? Or is there anything else that we can do?

Another question: does anyone know of a company where I can buy Feliway on the internet and get it shipped to Dubai? I tried a few sites but they only send to US....

Hope anyone can help.....thanks in advance

A Feliway "Comfort Zone" diffuser can be really helpful with anxiety, and it's certainly worth trying... but first, I'd try to rule out other possible problems. For example... how long ago was his neuter surgery? It can take a month or more for the hormones to dissipate, and meanwhile, he may be feeling some combination of frisky and confused. :-)

Even neutered males can become extremely upset if another male comes around their territory... and since this is happening at about the same time every morning, I'm wondering if perhaps one of your neighbors is letting his cat out around that time. You said Cleo wants to open the door -- do you mean the door to the outside? If so, I'll bet this is indeed a "visiting cat" issue.

If you meant the bedroom door, well... that's another matter. Do you keep food out during the night? If so, maybe it's running out around that time and he's just trying to order breakfast!

I'm sure others will be along with more ideas for you. Meanwhile, you might check out valleyvet.com, where I get my Feliway at a very good price. They don't directly address the issue of international shipping on their site, but they do show shipping rates for various US territories, like Guam... so maybe they would be willing to work with you on shipping to Dubai.

Welcome to the site! I'm glad you found this place... it's a terrific resource. Good luck!

HI, thanks for replying.

Well to try and answer all your questions - he has been neutered about 6 months ago and the problem started about 2 months ago. So, I don't know if that can be something.... Wrt the opening of doors - he has always done that - since he was a little kitten he used to jump up and open doors (he hangs on the handle until the door opens - he doesn't like a closed door - haha) Now, he sits and cries in front of the door going outside but we don't know if he tries to open the bathroom door(just next to it) - because that used to be his favourite place to make a mess.... we had to lock it - but that was a long time ago - last year sometime.

We also thought it was food, that he got hungry and orders breakfast but we then made sure they had enough food that will last to the morning - everytime he starts to cry, we first check the food - and there is always food left. So it's not it.

The question of the other cat - people won't let their cats out (as we are not allowed to have cats in the building) - but we know that the neighbour has a cat - but she has been living there since we moved in about a year ago - can it take that long for him to react the other cat? and can he smell the other cat although the cat is inside the other flat?

aaahhhh - all the possibilities.....

Anyway - thank you very much for your advice, I am going to check out that website and try to order some Feliway - maybe it will help.

Thanks

I hope you find something that works, I am sending hugs and prayers for you from Mississippi that you find something to help him and you.



Keep us posted on how things are doing.

Hi & welcome to TCS!

I know you've said that food isn't the problem since there is always leftovers in his bowl. I wonder, though, if you got a timed feeder (you set the time, and the lid pops up at that time), and set if for 6am. I'm thinking if you fed him a little less the night before, and have the timer set for 6am. Maybe that would distract him, and give him something to do. Maybe after his "breakfast" he'll go back to sleep. It just sounds like he is bored maybe.

I don't know, it's just a suggestion.