I'm at my wits end. Please help

if you think it is a medical issue then why havent you taken the cat to the vet? it might not nessacerally cost a huge amount of money

and you say your going to get rid of it - if your not going to take the cat to a shelter, i dread to ask this for fear of the answer but how are you going to get rid of the cat. cats are not something you can just through away just becasue there is an issue

the responses you will get is to take the cat to the vet to rule out or diagnose problems no one on the site can give you a definate answer to your cats problem

First of all, can you show the members here some respect by talking to them in a more civilised manner please?!

Please remember, no one here can give any medical advice as it states in the rules you signed up to

1. No online advice can replace direct veterinary intervention. If you suspect that your cat may be ill, please contact your vet immediately. You are welcome to look for advice in the health forum while waiting for that appointment, but never delay proper veterinary care waiting for Internet advice. Remember that cats, and especially kittens, are very adept in keeping pain to themselves and delaying treatment may cause irreversible damage.

If your going to put the cat outside for good, then perhaps it will be better off in a no kill shelter, or change vets for a second opinion.

Jersey Shore Veterinary Emergency Service
1000 Route 70
Lakewood, NJ 08701-5961 MAP
(732) 363-3200
Open nights, weekends and holidays according to http://www.njvma.org/find/emergency.asp
Located in Leisure Square Mall according to this page

I would try asking the above phone number for guidance and/or help because they're local to you

About the dreaded issue of cost, talk honestly about the below (how you felt price-gouged, how you honestly like the cat, etc.), and, yes, I'll say it --- beg if you must --but always be genuine. They might advise that you surrender the kitty to a good shelter or they might agree with you and agree you were price-gouged and work with you.

You don't say whether your cat is neutered or not. If not, that would be a big part of the problem.

You mentioned room mates. Are they losing sleep too. I am sorry you are going through this and I do hope both for your sake and for the cat, that you can find a solution.

I have a cat who used to meow non stop. My parents took him for me because he wasn't getting along with my cat. He meowed his head off there too and my dad was ready to give him back to me. But my mom found something called a "calming collar" at Petsmart, which has some kind of aromatherapy or something and she put that on him. Let me tell you, he is like a different cat! Now, he only meows when you first walk in the door to say hello. The rest of the time and all through the night, he's totally chill and doesn't raise a ruckus at all. My parents are really happy about it because they really do like him and they didn't want to have to give him back to me.

You didn't say how old your cat is? Mine was just about a year old or so. I think a combination of that calming collar and him getting older has helped a lot.

Also the thing you said about the cloudy eye concerns me. That would indicate that there must have been an ulceration in kitty's eye (which would explain why the vet wanted to do the blacklight test). The problem is that those eye ulcerations are extremely painful for the cat. If he doesn't get the right treatment for it, it's possible he is meowing because he is in pain. What does this cloudy eye look like today? Does it look worse? I recently adopted a kitten with a permanent scar over his left eye because the high kill shelter he was at didint properly take care of a very severe upper respitory infection he had as a baby. Unfortunately, they just didn't care, so now he has that scar on his eye. But he's still a loving kitty and I wouldn't trade him for anything.

I think you should try the collar and see if it has any effect since it worked for my cat. But you should also call the vet whose number is listed above and ask a lot of questions. If I were you, I'd be worried he was in pain and that was causing him to meow so much.

Is your cat NEUTERED?

The poor thing; if you think he meows at night because he has to go to the bathroom, imagine what it must feel like to have to go to the bathroom but you can't get to the toilet? You declare that a litterbox in your room is "unacceptable" but it seems that you are unwilling to make any changes. You are the one who took this cat. It is not the cat's fault if he needs to be let out at night. You can get litterboxes that have a cover/hood over the top (in some pretty funky colors) so that things are more "discreet." You can't leave a litterbox somewhere in your place? Would you rather cat start to pee or poop somewhere in your place? You've got to be willing to make some compromises, my friend.

Do you leave food and fresh water out for your cat so that if he's hungry/thirsty during the night, he has access to these?

If you decide you must get rid of this poor cat, contact the local VET clinics and tell them your situation, ask them if you can post a picture/ad of the cat (eg: Free cat to good home poster) at their clinic. Or maybe even some of the clinic staff would be interested in adopting him. The "pound" isn't the only option, you know.

Maybe he's just really lonely at night (cats are nocturnal). Does anyone spend time with him? Play with him?

I feel sorry for him.

Source: TCS. http://www.thecatsite.com/Health/76/...erinarian.html

I found a vet school in NJ but miles west of you but if I were in your shoes I would email the person below (Peggy Dorsey) just to see if she has any words of wisdom.

(or call)

I would do so today because some colleges go on spring break early.

Ms. Peggy Dorsey, Director, Veterinary Technology
(856) 227-7200 x 4205
pdorsey@camdencc.edu
http://www.camdencc.edu/departments/vettech/index.html

I feel sorry for your cat. I hope you can take time from your busy life to help him find a home with someone willing to give him the basic love and care cats need.

Please think hard in future before you commit to another animal. They are not machines we can shut off at night. They shouldn't be punished or ignored for having health problems or ordinary needs and desires. They are a commitment for as long as they live.

You will find many owners here who get up in the night to do all kinds of things for cats they love. (And they're also working, studying, sick, and/or raising kids and grandkids.) You'll find people here going into debt for veterinary care. If they love the cat, they do it.

It sounds like you aren't committed to your cat and he's not doing well. Please acknowledge that, and give him a chance with someone else, starting with a no-kill shelter.

If you consider this advice to be "spitting a smug and useless moral platitude," I'm sorry. But I feel it's a simple truth that had to be said for the sake of the cat, whether or not you choose to listen.

Please don't ever have kids. Seriously, I still don't always get a full night of uninterrupted sleep and my son is 7 1/2. Most of the time I do, but there are still times I'm needed in the middle of the night.

My cats wake me up at times, but they are cats, they are like children, if they have needs that need to be met you are going to hear about it.

Try some Feli-way or a calming collar, but if the cat is waking you up because it has to go to the bathroom you can't fault it for that if you are unwilling to provide it with a litter box. If you didn't have a place to go I'm sure you'd be upset too.

I'm a single mother, I'd love to be able to get a full nights sleep every night but that isn't going to happen. It's called being an adult and taking care of your responsibilities. You decided to get a cat, the cat didn't decide to get you.

Contact a rescue or no-kill shelter and give the cat up if you aren't willing to take care of it properly. Animals cost money. I almost don't want to think about how much I have spent on my kittens on the vet(well Attitude especially, she has to go to the vet constantly because she ends up sick with something) and they are only 8 months old. I adopted her from outside(she was born to one of the dumped cats outside) when she was 8 weeks old. She has leukemia so her immune system is suppressed, her main issue is the never ending eye infection, but I just dropped over $200 in the last week due to her having mastitis, vet care is never cheap. I also ended up adopting her brother who is also leukemia positive, he has only seen the vet for routine shots and stuff(he's never been sick) but even that doesn't come cheap.

If you want something cheap then you don't want an animal or a child. If you aren't willing to make any changes.

Taryn

You sound like an unpleasant person and I'm sorry for your cat. With your very first post, you came out swinging at the very people whose help you were seeking. However, in their usual gracious manner, they gave you advice and even looked up information for you anyways. Personally, I wouldn't have been so gracious.

The reason I was thinking that the cat would be better off at a no-kill shelter was your attitude and tone. It had a note of finality. It had a bitter resentment towards a cat whose ill health and situation is through no fault of its own. Its biggest problem is an unsympathetic and impatient owner.

I got my current cat when I was in law school. He was and is my first and only. I knew nothing about taking care of cats or how he would fit into my life. During the first few months, he woke me up every night for various reasons. He was sick often. I was a poor student, but I realized that I invited him into my home and I better damn well take care of him. 8 years later, he's still here -- healthy and (I hope) happy.

If you had that attitude before posting, perhaps you wouldn't have rubbed me the wrong way.

Considering that my friend's beloved 19y/o cat is dying, I'm quite unsympathetic to those who think their ill cat is disposable.

what about that calming collar someone suggested? did you see that post? seems to fit the "cheap and easy" solution you seek.

Does he have food available at night? many sleepless kitty owners find this a basic fix...

I think you will find that on a cat site, we are all willing to do anything for our cats.

I don't think I have got a full nights sleep since I brought Quincy home, he is either pawing me, meowing at the bedroom door because I locked him out, meowing because he is stuck somewhere he shouldnt be, meowing because he wants the tap in the bathtub turned on so he can drink from it, trying to open the toilet lid so he can drink from the toilet or something.

Never once have I thought about taking him to the shelter and ours is no kill and very good to cats.

Like sharky mentioned, try leaving food out for him at night

Keep him indoors, he will cry at first to go out but will get used to being indoors. The litterbox doesnt have to be in your bedroom, it could be in a bathroom or elsewhere. Once he gets used to not being allowed out he wont be crying to go in and out. Get some Feliway or other calming spray to help him transition to being indoors.

Check out the resources for vets, get him checked out and make sure there is no blockage and get him dewormed if he has been outside, it could be a worm/parasite issue. My prime reason for thinking that he would be better off at a shelter than outside - there are too many dangers outside that can harm him. The shelter can have him seen by a vet and rehomed to someone who will keep him indoors where he is safer. If he has a food allergy, who knows what he is eating outside - it defeats the purpose of the vet visits you paid for!

You'd be surprised... I think I can speak for many of us here at the cat site that we will do what it takes when our cats need us... My cat Lucky was just recently sick, in fact in the last few days... I haven't slept in about 3-4 nights as I wanted to make SURE she ate every couple, or few hours, to get the nutrition she needed. Yep, this is the stuff we will do.
I am unemployed, and the little I have will go towards my other kitty tumor surgery. No DOUBT about it. No question. Not even a small tiny little faint question.
When they meow all night long, my worry is about them... what is hurting them... what is is bothering THEM? Are THEY in pain? Because us? Come on... We can take care of ourselves... But them? Really? They need US. If they are meowing like that, there is something wrong, and that is what bothers me... not that I can't sleep... That's trivial, IMO.
Maybe that's just me, but that's how I love babies. That's how they should be taken care of... IMO, at least.

Please put yourself in our shoes for a minute?.

When someone comes on and posts in the tone you posted with, the cats welfare is priority so you have to look at it from our point of view?. We don't know you, but your first 2 posts spoke volumes.
You see, that's where you obviously differ from the rest of us, because to us an animal still has feelings just as a child would, and if an animal is sick, then they deserve the same medical treatment as a child would.

As for me, I look forward to my 3 am wake up call.

I get my coffee, my cat and slowly watch the world start to wake up.

I think your phrase "get rid of" rubbed many of us the wrong way. You should read some the posts here. All the heartache over sick cats or missing cats or beloved cats that have left this world.

There is not one of us who would not trade sleepless nights just to have our animals well and home with us safe and sound.

Please realize we do not know you, so we must judge on the content and tone of your post. Honestly, I don't know how much anyone can love a cat when they repeatedly use the words "get rid of".

I'm actually surprised that no one has mentioned this yet.

Another very real possibility with the red tinted urine is a urinary tract infection, which would also explain his NEED to be let out (and SCREAMING to get there) to urinate since there is no outlet for him to do so inside the house.

When cats have a UTI they have to go more often because it is difficult for them to urinate due to an inflamed urethra. The red tint to the urine could be evidence of a UTI. If this is the case, he need to be taken to a vet pronto because if it becomes a total blockage due either to crystals forming in the bladder or the inflammation of the urethra he could die within 24 hours. I'm not saying that to be dramatic or whatever - that happens.

While I have no idea about the clinic fees, the solution could be as "easy" as an antibiotic. Probably easy financially, perhaps not to easy to get a pill into him.

If it isn't a UTI, then the solution could be putting a litterbox somewhere in the house. Doesn't have to be your bedroom. Installing a cat door into the door. They make these really cool ones that have magnetic sensors attached to the cat's collar (or both since you have two cats) or even more high tech ones with sensors that are programmed into the cat door and collars so ONLY your cats can get in and out.

The bottom line is that you need to rule out any medical reason behind the excessive meowing. It doesn't always have to mean there's something wrong, like my cat was just a majoer meower, cause he felt like meowing all the time. But there are also cats who meow like that when they are in pain.

If I were you, instead of being so worried about not getting sleep over the meowing, I'd be losing sleep not knowing if he was in pain! It seems like you're really unconcerned with the possibility that he might be in pain and you refuse to get it checked out. See, that doesn't make any sense to me. If it were me, I'd be like, wow, I hope he's ok, better take him to the vet to be sure! Because the thought of any of my cats being in pain just mortifies me! I can't imagine being more concerned with being woken up by kitty than trying to find out and make sure he's ok and healthy. Don't you care if he's hurting? Or are you one of those people who thinks cats don't feel pain? Because they do feel pain, it's very real, and anyone who doesn't care enough about the cat they own and whether or not they are hurting really shouldn't own cats in the first place.

Just take him to the vet's for pete's sake! So you have to eat Ramen for a couple of weeks, big deal? At least then you'll know if he's ok! I just can't understand your mindset about this. It makes no sense to me at all. You have a responsibility to that cat to ensure he is healthy. To do anything less is neglect and bordering on abuse of the animal. And I don't support that at all.

I don't see why it is so strange to compare a cat with a kid. Humans are animals, too, and we perceive pain in much the same way cats do. However, cats are famous for hiding their pain and if your cat has gotten to the point where he is evincing pain he is in agony. No wonder he cries - just as a baby with an earache would.

Why would you go to greater lengths with a child than with your cat? When you adopt a cat is is the same commitment, IMO, as you would have towards a kid. I f you cannot afford/commit to a child at this point in time you are in no position to keep a cat.

Please help the poor guy. He is scared and needs someone to love and care for him and I am choking up just writing this. If it were my cat I would spare no expense and I'm freaking unemployed.

to all of the above. My first thought when reading about the red-tinged urine was a possible urinary tract infection, which is extremely painful, but luckily can usually be cleared up with a course of antibiotics, in pill or injectable form.

Yep, I was so taken aback by the posters use of language, I failed to address this too.

Please take him to the vet regarding this. It is extremely painful for him and can be very serious.

Hopefully the OP will come and read plus act on what has been recommended

Cats are a lot easier than children so yes it is on the same lines. Cats cry for needs of simple reasons(food, water, need out, pain, etc) children cry for any(complex or simple) reason or no reason at all. My child once cried for 4 hours straight after he got his 2 month shots because I was less than 5 minutes late giving him Tylenol once his previous dose wore off, nothing I did would get him to be quiet. I finally had to hand him over to my mother in law to see if she could get him quiet, even having raised 3 kids, so an experienced mother, she couldn't quiet him down either. If you meet the cat's needs they quiet down, children don't always. If a cat's crying and waking you up is bothering you because you HAVE to have a full night's sleep every night how are you going to feel about getting up because you child needs you. You'd prolly be one of those who would never get up at night with a baby anyways.

Sleep is a joke with children. I worked NIGHTS and then had to be up all day taking care of a baby so don't even start about needing a full nights sleep, I was lucky to get a few hours sleep then had to work 10 hours and start all over again the next day. My(now) ex was supposed to take care of him but he was too busy playing on his computer to properly take care of our kid so it fell to me. Your crying over the cat waking you up just doesn't fly, I would have loved to have a cat wake me up once instead of working nights then getting home getting maybe a few hours sleep if I was lucky taking care of a baby all day then having to work 10 hours at night doing tech support having to use my brain and having to think on my feet all 10 hours and being up 24 hours straight happened more than once. I know what tired is, as do all parents who get up multiple times a night with children no matter how hairy they are and trust me you have no idea what tired really is. I get up every night at 3 AM to feed Attitude and Nuts, so I don't get an uninterrupted nights sleep even now.

Actually taking care of a baby was wonderful compared to a toddler. You are whining over the cat wanting out but at least the cat is wanting out and not going inside. You don't get that with a toddler that you are potty training. I did at least one load of laundry a day just washing wet underwear, and a pair of wet pants(he only got one pair of pants a day unless we were going somewhere or he had an accident at school.) I would have been more than happy to clean out a litter box over dealing with my kid peeing everywhere because he had decided he didn't want to be potty trained(and no, you can't force a child to be potty trained.)

Also, food allergies, my son at one point had 46-48 different food allergies, he is still allergic to milk and several other things. Cats are easy, you feed them the same food every day so you find one that works you are done, you don't get that with people.

Kids are also EXPENSIVE, formula, diapers, clothes, food, various gear, toys, etc. You are whining about spending money on vet bills, all the bills for all the testing in the world to find out what is wrong with the cat prolly doesn't even touch how much I would spend in a month. My ex pays around $500 a month on child support and that doesn't even begin to cover what I spend in a month taking care of Bobby, and he's 7, babies are even more expensive.

Seriously never have kids if you are going to whine about the cat waking you up once a night, there is a difference, cats are EASIER than children.

You sound like a spoiled rich kid and I'm willing to bet you are.

Take care of the cat or find someone who is willing to. He needs to go to a vet to see if you can figure out what's wrong.

Taryn

My boy Wellington is sick, and I have isolated him in my bedroom to monitor his eating and litter tray. And no, I don't mind having a tray in there so he is comfortable and I know what he is doing. And yes, he woke me up three times during the night when he wanted a cuddle, and then he went back to sleep on the end of the bed. And I didn't mind at all. I was able to feel his ears and reassure myself that he had no fever, and to comfort him for being alone without his playmates for the moment.

I also have a daughter and I spent many sleepless nights with her when she was a baby. And I didn't mind that either. But now my animals need me and they will get whatever I can give them, in terms of company, attention and the necessary medication.

Does anyone know any updates on this cat. Maybe the person is not coming back to tell us anything else.