I am in need of some advice. I have a cat that will not stop meowing at all times of day. We got him when he was almost 1 year old as a companion for our other cat. At first things worked out perfectly, and they love each other and play several times a day together. The older cat is female and is a perfect companion. The younger one is male and won't stop crying. It has gotten to the point where he will have to go if we can't find a way to make him stop.
I have seen other people post similar questions, and most of the responses seem to be a bit judgemental. I just want to make it clear, yes he does have another cat to play with who both get along great, yes he always has food he likes and water in his dish. Yes he gets lots of attention each day, and yes he has been to the vet several times and there are no problems. Our vet believes in natural remedies, and is well respected and you have to get on a waiting list to become a client of hers. I have never met a vet who knows as much or cares as much about animals, and she even is at a loss. His breed is a Rag Doll, which means this behavior is out of character for every other rag doll I have owned. He in all other ways is a good cat, we have been able to get him to use the scratching posts, and he doesn't pee any where.
But he won't stop crying, and I mean belting it out. He is definitely looking for attention, but he already gets several hours of attention each day.
I have heard some people say that, "oh some cats are just noisy", just trust me no one could stand his crying for long. He cries for 4-5 hours out of a day, and I mean full on wailing.
I have read that other people say that a citronella collar would be inhumane. But in this case after over a year of this, isn't that better then giving him away, after he has bonded with the other cat?
I am thinking of trying a stress spray like Feliway, or a calming collar. Anyone have any similar experience, or know of any other solutions that might work? My fiance is basically wanting to give the cat away now, if I can't find a solution in a very short amount of time, then he might have to go, and I really would like to keep the cats together, because they obviously love each other...
Just wanted to add, that the cat is neutered, but wasn't when we first got him at 1 year. I have wondered if that might have been part of the problem, got used to meowing before he was neutered.
And I have also talked to our vet several times, and brought him into make sure nothing is wrong. As with any animal you can never be 100 percent, but I have lived with animals most of my life, and can usually pick up when something isn't right. In this case I am almost 100 percent sure it is just because he wants attention. The other cat sleeps like a normal cat, most of the day, and initially would come when the male cat called. Now she just finds a hiding spot and avoids him when he is crying like that. I do like the idea of calling the vet when he is crying, it might give her more info to work with....
Also, we have tried positive re-enforcement which worked well with both cats on getting them to use the scratching boards around the house instead of the carpets. But with the meowing, it is harder since it means giving him attention when he is behaving. Which isn't always easy when he has been screaming for an hour non-stop. Any tips there would also be welcome....
I have seen other people post similar questions, and most of the responses seem to be a bit judgemental. I just want to make it clear, yes he does have another cat to play with who both get along great, yes he always has food he likes and water in his dish. Yes he gets lots of attention each day, and yes he has been to the vet several times and there are no problems. Our vet believes in natural remedies, and is well respected and you have to get on a waiting list to become a client of hers. I have never met a vet who knows as much or cares as much about animals, and she even is at a loss. His breed is a Rag Doll, which means this behavior is out of character for every other rag doll I have owned. He in all other ways is a good cat, we have been able to get him to use the scratching posts, and he doesn't pee any where.
But he won't stop crying, and I mean belting it out. He is definitely looking for attention, but he already gets several hours of attention each day.
I have heard some people say that, "oh some cats are just noisy", just trust me no one could stand his crying for long. He cries for 4-5 hours out of a day, and I mean full on wailing.
I have read that other people say that a citronella collar would be inhumane. But in this case after over a year of this, isn't that better then giving him away, after he has bonded with the other cat?
I am thinking of trying a stress spray like Feliway, or a calming collar. Anyone have any similar experience, or know of any other solutions that might work? My fiance is basically wanting to give the cat away now, if I can't find a solution in a very short amount of time, then he might have to go, and I really would like to keep the cats together, because they obviously love each other...
Just wanted to add, that the cat is neutered, but wasn't when we first got him at 1 year. I have wondered if that might have been part of the problem, got used to meowing before he was neutered.
And I have also talked to our vet several times, and brought him into make sure nothing is wrong. As with any animal you can never be 100 percent, but I have lived with animals most of my life, and can usually pick up when something isn't right. In this case I am almost 100 percent sure it is just because he wants attention. The other cat sleeps like a normal cat, most of the day, and initially would come when the male cat called. Now she just finds a hiding spot and avoids him when he is crying like that. I do like the idea of calling the vet when he is crying, it might give her more info to work with....
Also, we have tried positive re-enforcement which worked well with both cats on getting them to use the scratching boards around the house instead of the carpets. But with the meowing, it is harder since it means giving him attention when he is behaving. Which isn't always easy when he has been screaming for an hour non-stop. Any tips there would also be welcome....
