Adopted Cat Won't Stop Meowing at night!

I just adopted my bengal from the shelter. He is two years old and neutered. Not only is he very stubborn he is also extremely vocal. He lives in my room which is on the second floor of my townhouse. He is a great cat - playful, loving, and always uses his litter box. However, for the past week he has developed a really bad habit of meowing at night. I've tried all the methods: feeding him wet food right before bed, playing with him for an hour before bed, ignoring his meows for up to two hours, providing him food and water at all times, positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, etc. I would tire him out before bed, he would sleep for a few hours, then he would wake up at 3AM and decide to meow. Last night he kept me awake all night, I'm sure he kept our neighbors up all night as well since his meows are LOUD. I kept waking up and attempting to play with him. He would play, become uninterested, and then go elsewhere to meow. 

I used to let him onto my balcony days and nights but ever since he jumped off the balcony and escaped a few nights ago, I only let him out during the day. At first I thought his angry meows meant that he wanted to go outside. However, last night he was pacing around my entire room and meowing. I sat up to him sitting at the foot of my bed meowing at me! This meowing was not a problem when I first rescued him, it's something he has developed over the past week. 

I am at a loss of what to do. If this does not stop I am definitely considering taking my bengal back to the shelter. He is a beautiful cat and would have no problem getting adopted right away. However, that is my last resort. I want to try my best to fix this problem. What is your advice?

Cat proof you balcony (catio).  And or play with him more (wear him out). 
I would think a Bengal would be hard to wear out though.

I have a tabby that stays outside (catio) all day while I'm at work.  We play for an hour or so when he comes in.  That's the only way to get him to be quiet all night.
I have a bob also, which, I would assume to be the same energy wise as your Bengal.
He has to stay out during the day also.  Even then, it's hit or miss trying to keep him inside all night.
And I've given up on being able to wear him out.  I think he would fall over dead before he would slow down on bit.  He's like that energizer bunny!  

Bengals need a LOT of exercise and a lot of stimulation.  I can't imagine a Bengal living as an only cat in a single room anywhere.  Of course he would get bored and restless.  They need a lot of playtime and interesting things, like an entire house that is "catified."   People get Bengal kittens and then are not prepared for the full Bengal personality when they grow up.  That may have been the reason he ended up in a shelter. The beautiful wild look comes with wild genes that need to be addressed and worked with for the happiness of the cat and the owner.  He may not be the right cat for you unless you are willing to add some stimulating cat things to your home.

This is a link to my own Pinterest page of 'catification" ideas, and there are many others there too. 


If this is not something you might be interested in doing, rather than returning him to a shelter, you might find him a better home through Bengal Rescue.  They have a web site and a Facebook page. You will find some helpful links there.

http://www.bengalrescuenetwork.org/

https://www.facebook.com/bengalrescuenetwork/

Here is a good toy for a Bengal, called "DaBird."  There is a little quiet pause after the first 20 seconds or so but keep going, it comes back. 

mitchan said:

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I am at a loss of what to do. If this does not stop I am definitely considering taking my bengal back to the shelter. He is a beautiful cat and would have no problem getting adopted right away. However, that is my last resort. I want to try my best to fix this problem. What is your advice?

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If you take him back to the shelter he is going to meow with his new people & then they will take him back. At 2 years old I wonder how many homes he has already had.

He's a Bengal--he is going to need a lot of stimulation. I have a vocal Siamese--he's just a chatterbox. He howls at night, but stopped doing it as much when he realized we wouldn't be getting up to respond. Now he does it a couple of times, and then joins someone in bed. We've also learned to sleep through it. However, I don't think that will work with your kitty... he needs a lot of play and exercise.