I would love any advice someone can offer regarding our female cat. We have four cats, we live in the country on a small farm and they are indoor/outdoor. I took this cat as her old owner's new partner was allergic to cats. Unfortunately, as a kitten she was given everything she wanted when she wanted it. If she yowled to be let out she would get out no matter the time of day, same for food or attention. I have had her now for three years but she is driving me crazy. When we got her she was very obese (ate any time she wanted) so we put her on a diet and she's trimmed up considerably. But she is food obsessed. (we used to have an automatic timer - she learned how to manipulate it to dispense food one kernel at a time and when we taped it so she could not get hew paw up there she pushed it off the counter and exploded the food all over the floor). She yowls for food starting in the early hours of the morning. But that's not the end of it. If you let her in at night she yowls to go out two seconds later. If you let her out then she wants back in. She is very persistent and will scratch the doors endlessly while she is loudly telling you what she wants. Sometimes she just wants in your room to snuggle. We (three of us) are working on never giving her what she wants if it's from yowling (no matter what it is). I have tried "time outs" (putting her in the garage for ten minutes at a time). Both my girlfriend and I have tough sleep schedules due to work so adding this to the mix is becoming exhausting. I hate to get rid of her (I always keep animals for life) but I wonder if this is not the environment for her. She is truly driving all of us crazy. I have done some reading and understand that it could be a health issue. I am going to take her to the vet for a check up and make sure she is not a diabetic or has a thyroid disorder or something but, assuming she is just a demanding lady, what do I do next? Thank you so much for any insight.
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extreme yowling
- Thread starter brettz
- Start Date
Definitely a vet visit to rule out metabolic issues that could cause her hunger. That's the first thing I would do. As far as wanting to go out, and then back in etc, perhaps a cat door so she can choose to her heart's content?
She is spayed, yes?
Stephen
She is spayed, yes?
Stephen
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
Thanks for your response. I will have to think about the cat door idea. She does it inside as well to closed bedroom doors. And I think what she wants is food. Once she gets inside she always rushes to the food area. I'd set a timer to dispense less food more often but we have four cats so I am not sure how to regulate and make sure everyone is getting their share if I don't feed them by hand.
She's definitely going to the vet though. I wonder if the weight loss caused some sort of imbalance in her thyroid or something.
Last night she was at an all time worst. She knows our window and was leaping at it (it was closed) and yowling once she was attached onto the frame before she dropped to the ground. This started at 1:30am and I finally went outside and put her in the garage at 4:45. Once her yowling starts I never want to give her what she's after because, if it's not medical, than I believe she was just spoiled for the first years of her life and that is why she does this (because it worked before).
She's definitely going to the vet though. I wonder if the weight loss caused some sort of imbalance in her thyroid or something.
Last night she was at an all time worst. She knows our window and was leaping at it (it was closed) and yowling once she was attached onto the frame before she dropped to the ground. This started at 1:30am and I finally went outside and put her in the garage at 4:45. Once her yowling starts I never want to give her what she's after because, if it's not medical, than I believe she was just spoiled for the first years of her life and that is why she does this (because it worked before).
Yowling is a classic symptom of hyperthyroidism. It could very well be a behavioral thing but I too would rule out a medical issue. I always say the same thing about litter box issues, could very well be behavioral but rule out the possible medical issues first.
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