Driving me nuts

shorty

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I adopted my male cat Yuki yesterday from a home. He is seven months old and very lovable. He has a purr like a jet engine and follows me around all day. He was an indoor/outdoor kitty at this home, but I can keeping him indoors because I live on a main road with railroad tracks right in the middle of a college town. Dangerous for cats.

But once the sun goes down and the late night hours come, he just goes crazy. All he wants to do is go out. While I'm still up he'll claw at the screens so I have to close the windows. Then when I get into bed he just yowls away all night. It's maddening to say the least.

I have insomnia so what little sleep I do get, I need. I am also a very light sleeper so any noise will wake me up. I can't spend the whole night running around the apartment to calm him down.

Help?
 

missymotus

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Is he neutered? That should cut down on the yowling if he isn't.

Also try a good play session before bed, followed by a meal of wet food.
 
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shorty

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Yes he's neutered. I as told by the vet to give him a total of 2/3 of a cup of food a day. I give him 1/3 in the morning and if he eats that all I give him the other 1/3 at night.

He's going bezerk right now and I'm worried my neighbors are going to get upset.
 

katachtig

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There is a product called Feliway. It is a little expensive for the diffusers but it helps calm cats down. You can usually find it in places like Petco and PetSmart.

And I agree on playing with him to exhaust him before going to bed.

Also, try to ignore him when he howls. If he's getting attention, it reinforces the behavior.
 
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shorty

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If I ignore him he just keeps yowling.

The previous owner used to use a squirt bottle when he did something wrong...I don't know about that, I think that will just make him hate me.
 

shanynne

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I hate to say this, but once they are used to going outside, they want out all the time. It's almost impossible to turn an outdoor cat into an indoor one only. I doubt the yowling will stop.

I am loathe even to suggest this, but perhaps you might consider re-homing him somewhere where he can go outside in an area that is fairly safe, or return him to the home where you got him from.

I wish I had some better advice to offer
 

skimble

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Not sure if this will help much. Can't hurt to try different suggestions and maybe something will work.

He is eating a third cup of food AM and PM. Not sure what type food, nor do I discount what a vet says. But, for a kitten with lots of energy he may want more food. Look on the label of food bag or can and see recommended feeding guidelines. Many of the dry food labels I checked were 3/4 to 1 cup a day. Kittens require more calories. Play with him and tire him out late in the day then feed him a larger meal after and he may sleep. Also, if you are there during the day interupt his naps and keep him awake. Someone suggested to me when I work at home to wad up pieces of paper and throw it at my napping kitten to keep him awake. Paper doesn't hurt, just a way to wake him up so you don't have to get up. After not napping much then the playtime and large meal, he should be too pooped to stay awake. Much like having a human baby in the house that keeps parents up at night.

Give him more time to be indoor cat. Especially being that young. I have 5 ferals living inside and they adjusted. They ranged in age from 8 months to 4 years old when I brought them in after their colony was destroyed. I brought another outdoor only cat in and he adjusted. Some will say it depends on the cat. He should be young enough to train as indoor for safety.

Another thought is this may just be kitten "night crazies" and he will grow out of this hyper age. My 9 month old boys are starting to mellow some.

Does he have another cat friend to play with? It may help if he had a playmate.

Hang in there and see what works for you and your kitten.
 

skimble

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Sorry, I thought of one more thing. It may help to put some type of bird feeder outside a window where he can look out and be entertained. They do make a type that will stick on the outside of windows. Good luck.
 
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shorty

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Originally Posted by Shanynne

I hate to say this, but once they are used to going outside, they want out all the time. It's almost impossible to turn an outdoor cat into an indoor one only. I doubt the yowling will stop.

I am loathe even to suggest this, but perhaps you might consider re-homing him somewhere where he can go outside in an area that is fairly safe, or return him to the home where you got him from.

I wish I had some better advice to offer
Re-homing this cat is not an option. I just got him and paid all his vet bills. He's starting to mellow out, now he's just very skiddish. And he wasn't stictly an outdoor cat.

Thank you Skimble, you are right he is still a young boy adjusting to a new environment. He is very smart and I think it will just take some patience to get him used to his new life.
 

katachtig

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Out of curiosity, do you know how long ago he was neutered? If it was recent, he may still be working the hormones out of his system.
 

jack31

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My Harley spent his first year outside as a stray and although he spent his next 4 months in a shelter has had no issue acclimating to indoor life with us. In fact, I'm not sure if he'd go near an open outside door.

Just be patient and keep him active. Perhaps buy one of those cat dvd things with birds, or the bird feeder idea is a good one.

Leslie
 

shanynne

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Originally Posted by Skimble

Not sure if this will help much. Can't hurt to try different suggestions and maybe something will work.

He is eating a third cup of food AM and PM. Not sure what type food, nor do I discount what a vet says. But, for a kitten with lots of energy he may want more food. Look on the label of food bag or can and see recommended feeding guidelines. Many of the dry food labels I checked were 3/4 to 1 cup a day. Kittens require more calories. Play with him and tire him out late in the day then feed him a larger meal after and he may sleep. Also, if you are there during the day interupt his naps and keep him awake. Someone suggested to me when I work at home to wad up pieces of paper and throw it at my napping kitten to keep him awake. Paper doesn't hurt, just a way to wake him up so you don't have to get up. After not napping much then the playtime and large meal, he should be too pooped to stay awake. Much like having a human baby in the house that keeps parents up at night.

Give him more time to be indoor cat. Especially being that young. I have 5 ferals living inside and they adjusted. They ranged in age from 8 months to 4 years old when I brought them in after their colony was destroyed. I brought another outdoor only cat in and he adjusted. Some will say it depends on the cat. He should be young enough to train as indoor for safety.

Another thought is this may just be kitten "night crazies" and he will grow out of this hyper age. My 9 month old boys are starting to mellow some.

Does he have another cat friend to play with? It may help if he had a playmate.

Hang in there and see what works for you and your kitten.
Wow I did not think it could be possible for an outdoor cat to become an indoor one. It certainly has not been my experience. But I am very happy to learn that it is indeed possible


Shorty I apologize if the advice I offered was not the best,
it was certainly not intended that way, but based on my own experience. I'm sure if you follow Skimble's advice that all will work out for you and your new kitty.
 

wingss2fly

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I had an out door cat I turned to indoors only. And it took a few weeks for the cat to not dive for the door when it was opened, and she yelled to be let out to play at night. But they learn. And I agree on the food, it depends on the weight of the cat along with age. If he sleeps all day, and is getting fat maybe 2/3....my food says 7 to 9 months, and over 7 lbs. 3/4 of a cup. Plus I feed some wet food everyother day. I can't afford wet daily with 4, but the dry is a good brand.
Good luck!
K.
 

mrblanche

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Originally Posted by Shanynne

Wow I did not think it could be possible for an outdoor cat to become an indoor one. It certainly has not been my experience. But I am very happy to learn that it is indeed possible
Our first cat was definitely outdoors. I picked him up by the side of the road and brought him home (well, he followed me home after I petted him, against the wishes of my wife). We fed him, then put him outside for the night. The next morning, when I called him, he crawled out from under a car (we lived in student apartments at the time). He had black grease on his white fur, and burned paws. It took only a few moments of thinking what would have happened if the neighbors had started their car before we got up, and he never spent another minute outdoors in his life, except on a leash.

You see, what it takes to make an outdoor cat an indoor cat is just a door.
 
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shorty

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Originally Posted by wingss2fly

I had an out door cat I turned to indoors only. And it took a few weeks for the cat to not dive for the door when it was opened, and she yelled to be let out to play at night. But they learn. And I agree on the food, it depends on the weight of the cat along with age. If he sleeps all day, and is getting fat maybe 2/3....my food says 7 to 9 months, and over 7 lbs. 3/4 of a cup. Plus I feed some wet food everyother day. I can't afford wet daily with 4, but the dry is a good brand.
Good luck!
K.
I called my vet about a feeding schedule for him and she said for the weight of the cat and the brand of the food, he should be fed 2/3 of a cup of food per day.

He seems to be calming down at night. I think. He is still so skiddish though. I'm thinking of locking him in my room for a week so he can just get used to everything without freaking out. I'm afraid he'll start acting destructive though and keep me up more then I should

*Sigh* I love this cat but sometimes it seems that there the amount of stress over rides the amount of fun I am having with him.
 

danits_24

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Hi,
It can relay be difficult for your cat to get used to become an indoor cat only, after being an outdoor cat as well, so what I can suggest you is to buy a leash and go out with him for a walk in the evening hours and see how that will work. Any way, you are absolutely right you don't want to let him go out alone, because it's dangerous.
 
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