My cat won't stop screaming at me

My cat is a five year old Maine Coon mix. He is neutered. He is a perfect cat, with the exception of the fact that he won't stop meowing loudly. It seems like he is screaming at me.
This is mostly an any time of the day thing, but he especially likes to start this about 4am. For no reason it seems.
We have thought that maybe he is bored. We have squishy balls that he loves and runs around the house like a nut with, but in about five minutes, he tosses it in his water bowl. Ok, he's not perfect. I have two issues.
So, when he is playing with anything, he will toss it in the water bowl, and then it is over. What the heck is up with that?
Back to the screaming at me. I was reading an old forum about someone that was looking for a no meow collar for her cat. I am looking for the same. My other thought, people remove dogs voice boxes so they can't bark. Do they do this for cats? I know my cat is in the house, he does not need to be screaming all day.
Since he likes to interrupt sleep, this is the nicest idea I have some up with.
I know people with say this is cruel. For the rest of you, any ideas on both issues?

Cats meow, it's a simple fact one must accept. If you don't like it please rehome your cat with someone who won't be upset that he likes to "talk".

Your cat is probably just bored and trying to communicate to you the only way he can - meowing. It's not like it can sit down and have a conversation with you in English.
Giving him other things to do to enrich his environment should help, intense play sessions with wand type toys or a laser pointer if he likes them, a nice big cat tree, a window he can easily lay in - if you can put a bird feeder outside it you'll make instant "cat tv" for him. If you have your own yard you could make a small enclosure next to the house that he could safely go into and hang around outside.
Getting another cat, if he's friendly with other cats, could even help.

If he's begging for food make sure he is on a set feeding schedule. Never let him get you out of bed because he wants to eat early in the morning - he'll learn that begging works and will keep doing it.


Tossing toys in the water is just a weird quirk many cats have, most of us just live with it and hope we never get a wet toy dropped on us while asleep.

If you respond to the meowling, you are only encouraging him. My cats have quit trying to wake us up in the middle of the night.

I agree with Strange_wings about enriching his environment. Tall cat condos placed by windows to see out in the world, interactive toys, etc.

For your question on debarking/demeowling. I recently adopted an older puppy from a shelter who claimed she was debarked. When I read up on the procedure, I was a bit horrified. They don't remove the voice box. They ram a sharp instrument around their vocal cords to severe them. It doesn't stop them from barking, it only changes the tone of their bark. And long term health wise, if not done properly, it can scar their vocal cords which in turn can cause swelling in their neck, which in turn can inhibit their ability to breath. Dogs die young because of the procedure. If my puppy is debarked, which the vet wasn't able to determine for sure, she sure has a loud bark. You put your pet's health at risk for something that really doesn't do much of anything.

Originally Posted by Mouse469

My cat is a five year old Maine Coon mix. He is neutered. He is a perfect cat, with the exception of the fact that he won't stop meowing loudly. It seems like he is screaming at me.
This is mostly an any time of the day thing, but he especially likes to start this about 4am. For no reason it seems.
We have thought that maybe he is bored. We have squishy balls that he loves and runs around the house like a nut with, but in about five minutes, he tosses it in his water bowl. Ok, he's not perfect. I have two issues.
So, when he is playing with anything, he will toss it in the water bowl, and then it is over. What the heck is up with that?
Back to the screaming at me. I was reading an old forum about someone that was looking for a no meow collar for her cat. I am looking for the same. My other thought, people remove dogs voice boxes so they can't bark. Do they do this for cats? I know my cat is in the house, he does not need to be screaming all day.
Since he likes to interrupt sleep, this is the nicest idea I have some up with.
I know people with say this is cruel. For the rest of you, any ideas on both issues?

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I have 2 Maine Coons also. Maine Coons never lose their "kitten like" personalities. They are "super" affectionate cats and also extremely playful. One of the ways they like to play is "fetch" when your baby throws his toy in his water bowl, he wants you to go and get it and throw it back out again for him to go chase.

Mine "loves" when I throw him his toys in the kitchen but he invariably chases them under the stove so I am constantly fishing out his toys from underneath there

The "screaming" you describe sounds like your cat is *bored*. How often do you play with him? Maine Coons are highly intelligent cats and need a lot of stimulation. Try playing with him for 15 to 30 minutes 3 - 4 times during the evening. Try different games with him. I got mine cubes which they love. Rascal loves to sit in the cube (they are made of nylon with big round holes in them, and you can get them at Wal-Mart for $3 - $4) and I play the finger game with him. He goes crazy for that.

There are lots of other games you can try. Chase the string, ball up a small piece of paper and see if he will chase/bat that around. Fur mice! I don't know why but they love those things.

Samson loves to chase after a plastic straw.

I've even bought at my local Michaels & Hobby Lobby artificial grass-like reeds and they both love that. Just make sure you get the ones that are *soft and flexible* you don't want anything with a sharp end!

Experiment and have fun. You really don't have to buy a lot of expensive toys.

Rascal too does the 4 a.m. thing. He just wants attention I often have to get up in the middle of the night to use the washroom. When that happens, I give him loving then and that ties him over till the morning.

On nights where I don't have to get up and he wakes us up, we simply close the bedroom door. I don't like to do that, but my husband really needs to get his rest. I can always sleep in, he can't.

The last thing I would like to mention is *please* don't do anything to him to have his voice altered or removed.

If after you have tried playing with him etc. his "talking" is still driving you mad, please do your best to find him a new home.

Hope this helps!

Tiger use to do this at 6am and we figured it was because he was lonely and wanted someone to pay attention to him and we were right it seems since we got pepe he doesn't meow loudly at 6am anymore he instead runs after his brother and gets into everything with him oh well can't win them all

Some cats are talkers, like yours. Just their personality. Some cat people highly prize the talkactive interactive cats, other people don't like a talker. It is better to learn to live with the talking and accept the cat like that cat is naturally.