Help! I'm getting noise complaints about my cat :(

Hello! I recently moved into a new apartment - it's been about 2 months. I live on the second floor. One afternoon (yes, during the day) my cat (who is tiny btw and weighs about 5 pounds, if that) was running around my living room. Nothing crazy. My downstairs neighbor banged on the floor (his ceiling) so loudly that my poor cat and dog were scared and shaking for about 10 minutes. Then last night around 10:30 I'm woken up by banging on my door. It's security saying that someone has put in a noise complaint. I was in bed...my dog was in bed with me. The only living thing awake in my apartment was my cat. I didn't hear him running around or being crazy but then again, I was half asleep. They security officer said it sounded like someone was stomping around in my apartment. My cat is so tiny so I don't understand how him running or pouncing off the couch could even make that big of a noise. I can't think of anything else that could possibly be making the noise though since I was in bed last night during the complaint and just sitting on the couch playing on my computer when he banged on my floor. I'm so worried that they're going to try and make me get rid of my sweet fur baby! Does anyone have any advice for me?

I also live in a second story apartment, and despite my kitties being less than 10lbs apiece, I know darn good and well they sound like at least 50lbs when they hit the floor.  And one cat... she will intentionally stand there and pounce as hard as she can.  She's a nutjob. 

First suggestion: have you tried tiring your kitty out through vigorous play.  Is your neighbor home 24/7 or is there a good time where you can give your kitty a really wild play session without disturbing the neighbors?  I also take on of my kitties out for walks on a leash, and it really mellows her out for a couple days to be able to get out and stretch, scratch, sniff and climb trees.  My other kitty though hasn't mastered the leash and he is just terrified of the outdoors so I understand how that might not work for everyone.  If there are certain places your cat tends to jump from that echo more, maybe adding a blanket or some type of padding would muffle the landing.  Is a bedroom, study, laundry room some type of room you can corral the kitten in during the hours between 10:00 p.m and 7:00 a.m. (or whatever hours your neighbors seem to complain the most? 

My second suggestion is to attempt to talk with the neighbor and see what you can work out.  I am lucky that the neighbor below me has teenagers... for a couple of years one of them wanted to sing at the top of her lungs and she was not a good singer at all, and the other listens to bass. which booms the whole building.  So... we put up with a lot from them, now that my kitties are such terrors I figure payback and all and we didn't complain about them, they don't complain about us.  Thank God we are friendly... but community living really is give and take.  I empathize with my downstairs neighbors because the basement is community space and when I am in the basement, I can sit and listen to their conversations and hear every step they take so I can only imagine what they hear out of my apartment.  It just works better if both residents try to understand each others situation.  I mean until you have heard your little kitty bounding across the floor while sitting in your neighbor's living room.. its easy to say its not that loud.  But your neighbor could have migraines, or odd working hours, any number of things that could make this unbearable.  You won't know until you talk with them.  Let them know you are working on training the kitty to not be so noisy and then look to see if maybe your play area is right over your neighbors bed, or what sorts of things you can change to keep the noise limit within reason.  I have one neighbor who bangs on the wall if I run my garbage disposal before 8:00 a.m. but he doesn't say anything about the blender that is only a few feet away, but on a different wall.  Acoustics can cause strange things.  I used to have a dog, and he didn't spend much time outside, but my stupid neighbor would complain non stop about my dogs barking.  I never even heard my dog bark.  I was visiting another neighbor one day and we went inside for coffee and I kept hearing my dog bark and bark... I was like " I wonder what's got into Buddy?" and she said he is like that all the time, I was like "No he's not, I never hear him bark" .  IF my other neighbor had just invited me over to hear what it sounded like in THEIR living room, rather than just rant and rave, I am sure we could have come up with an amicable resolution months sooner.  So just remember to remain calm, and hear your neighbor's out when you speak to them, and then do try to come up with something that will keep both of you happy.  Unfortunately human rights, do generally trump animal rights when it comes to courts and law enforcement. 

Good luck on a peaceful resolution. 

Hi jooleeyuh ! Welcome to TCS

You've had some wonderful advice from mollyblue already :bigthumb:

The only thing I have to add is to consider your flooring. A fitted carpet could make a real difference with sound insulation, so that might be something worth looking at.

Really hope you can find a way to resolve matters with your neighbour soon

Generally speaking, you have the right to make some noise in your own apartment during reasonable hours. Your neighbor can complain but there shouldn't be anything that can be done legally.

If your neighbor is reasonable, go talk to him and see when is a good time for you to exercise your pets. Maybe he sleeps during the day to work night shift. If your neighbor isn't reasonable, call your landlord and the local ordinance office to find out what the noise rules are. You have as much right to your home as he does.

Yeah, I think the walls/floors are just really thin at my apartment complex as well because I can hear pretty much everything my other neighbors do. I have taken my cat out on a leash before but I haven't in a while. It might be a good option for playtime for him that isn't disturbing the people below me. I don't know what their schedule is and I'm not home during the day but as soon as I get home from work in the evening I can take him to play outside. I have carpeting everywhere but I may also look into getting a rug to soften the noise a little.

Do you have rugs.. that can help.. 

I live in an apartment and are one of 'those'... noise does bother me.. but if I know it is from a cat, I am more tolerant.. just teens walking with there boots on is enough to get me going.. 

But rugs can really help.. even a few strategically placed scatter rugs.. 

and yes, see if you can meet with your neighbor, preferably in their apartment, so you can hear the noise..

And again.. in my place, at one point, unless the superintendent heard the noise themselves, the complaints were left to the tenants to work out... it is like that now, except the super is not involved any more...

talk to the super, or the property management. It could aid you, when the others complain.. it would show you are trying to resolve the situation, instead of ignoring it.. 

It could mean a lot when it is lease renewal time....

Now, barking dogs, would drive me bonkers!!! as well as kids running up and down the corridors, screaming...

I am a very quiet person...

The noise may not even be coming from you apartment and you may want to bring that up to the office or the guy downstairs. I just recently moved from a lower unit in a complex that everything was paper thin. It didn't seem that it would be that way since it is cement construction but the insides were not cement. One day I stayed home from work and I swear the people right above me were jumping on their couch and stomping on the floor. Come to find out, the complex was replacing the carpet in the apartment kiddie corner to mine on the second floor. You would be amazed at how sound travels in apartment buildings.

Also, they cannot make you get rid of the cat. They could make you move to a lower unit or make you move out though.

sinderela1971 said:

 
The noise may not even be coming from you apartment and you may want to bring that up to the office or the guy downstairs. I just recently moved from a lower unit in a complex that everything was paper thin. It didn't seem that it would be that way since it is cement construction but the insides were not cement. One day I stayed home from work and I swear the people right above me were jumping on their couch and stomping on the floor. Come to find out, the complex was replacing the carpet in the apartment kiddie corner to mine on the second floor. You would be amazed at how sound travels in apartment buildings.

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That's what I was thinking when I was reading this thread! I find it extremely hard to believe that a little 5 pound cat on carpet would sound like people stomping around, 

Me too.

jooleeyuh said:

Hello! I recently moved into a new apartment - it's been about 2 months. I live on the second floor. One afternoon (yes, during the day) my cat (who is tiny btw and weighs about 5 pounds, if that) was running around my living room. Nothing crazy. My downstairs neighbor banged on the floor (his ceiling) so loudly that my poor cat and dog were scared and shaking for about 10 minutes. Then last night around 10:30 I'm woken up by banging on my door. It's security saying that someone has put in a noise complaint. I was in bed...my dog was in bed with me. The only living thing awake in my apartment was my cat. I didn't hear him running around or being crazy but then again, I was half asleep. They security officer said it sounded like someone was stomping around in my apartment. My cat is so tiny so I don't understand how him running or pouncing off the couch could even make that big of a noise. I can't think of anything else that could possibly be making the noise though since I was in bed last night during the complaint and just sitting on the couch playing on my computer when he banged on my floor. I'm so worried that they're going to try and make me get rid of my sweet fur baby! Does anyone have any advice for me?

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Sounds like grumpy neighbors.. some people either have very low tolerance with noises, strange that should be expected since your neighbors live an apartment. I wonder if they have misophonia it's a strong reactions to sounds.

I would bake them a pie or bread and bring down to them and explain about your kitten. If they continue to persist with the sounds about your kitten, then it's harassment! I'm with Willowy general speaking you are allowed to make noises in daytime.

That's definitely possible since I heard my other neighbors so much. It could be them and not me! I feel like my neighbor is just really grumpy. I just hope I can get everything worked out with him. I don't see what else could possibly be making noise if I'm in bed asleep and my dog is in bed with me. I think I'm going to try and play with him outside more if I can get him used to the leash and get some rugs just in case though.
I hate to think I'm irritating someone but I also pay $20/month for pet rent for my cat plus a big pet deposit. He's not crazy or vicious anything and I feel like he deserves to be there. Everyone else at the complex has huge dogs because there is no weight limit. If they aren't having any issues, how is my little kitty causing problems?

jooleeyuh said:

That's definitely possible since I heard my other neighbors so much. It could be them and not me! I feel like my neighbor is just really grumpy. I just hope I can get everything worked out with him. I don't see what else could possibly be making noise if I'm in bed asleep and my dog is in bed with me. I think I'm going to try and play with him outside more if I can get him used to the leash and get some rugs just in case though.
I hate to think I'm irritating someone but I also pay $20/month for pet rent for my cat plus a big pet deposit. He's not crazy or vicious anything and I feel like he deserves to be there. Everyone else at the complex has huge dogs because there is no weight limit. If they aren't having any issues, how is my little kitty causing problems?

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I would ignore the intrusive neighbors, are they elderly? It's possible they prefer quiet space and don't want disturbance and are grumpy as well. Just keep doing whatever you do and play with your new kitty tire her out, buy cat toys and a tree mansion for her.

Please post pictures

Here's the little guy!

jooleeyuh said:

IMG_20141130_161214.jpg

• jooleeyuh
• Feb 9, 2017

Here's the little guy!

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Awwww what a cutie patootie... I would definitely buy a kitty tree mansion

jooleeyuh said:

Hello! I recently moved into a new apartment - it's been about 2 months. I live on the second floor. One afternoon (yes, during the day) my cat (who is tiny btw and weighs about 5 pounds, if that) was running around my living room. Nothing crazy. My downstairs neighbor banged on the floor (his ceiling) so loudly that my poor cat and dog were scared and shaking for about 10 minutes. Then last night around 10:30 I'm woken up by banging on my door. It's security saying that someone has put in a noise complaint. I was in bed...my dog was in bed with me. The only living thing awake in my apartment was my cat. I didn't hear him running around or being crazy but then again, I was half asleep. They security officer said it sounded like someone was stomping around in my apartment. My cat is so tiny so I don't understand how him running or pouncing off the couch could even make that big of a noise. I can't think of anything else that could possibly be making the noise though since I was in bed last night during the complaint and just sitting on the couch playing on my computer when he banged on my floor. I'm so worried that they're going to try and make me get rid of my sweet fur baby! Does anyone have any advice for me?

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I had 9 cats Huge apartment laminate floor with a few rugs lived above retail store

once in 4 years they commented on hearing any noise. I would talk to management

incase complaints continue from this neighbor....plus all the good noise prevention 

tips mentioned to be nice.

I had a neighbor below me tell me she could here my cats running around. She didn't make a big deal about it. But it is possible that the neighbor can hear the little kitty was making some noise running and jumping around. I would imagine that the problem with it, is more the time of the noise, the neighbor was trying to sleep. So I think you do need to try and wear the kitty out before bed time, so he will sleep through the night. Get one of those laser toys an make the kitty run around in circles. And feed the kitty a little bit before bed too, because food can make him sleepy. I was thinking some extra throw rugs over the carpet might help too, as suggested. And if you can, try and befriend the neighbor. Your kitty is soo cute. I put up with a lot of loud music from my downstairs neighbor now, so I figure he owes it to me to put up with my cats making some noise.

I live downstairs & can hear the guy upstairs peeing.  He's quite elderly & when he walks across the floor it shakes like a herd of charging elephants, I think this is because he's slightly bent & his weight distribution is wonky.  I don't go in my living room at all when he's watching tv as I can hear the individual words.  Every single sound that comes down to me cuts me to the bone & it's ever so hard not to hate him.  But he's a really sweet man when I see him & I hold on to this thought when I literally wish he'd drop off this mortal coil, which I'm ashamed about.  To top it off, his bathroom pipes runs behind my bedhead & make loud water-hammering noise whenever he uses the sink.  He knows about all of this but doesn't quite get how much it disturbs & upsets me.  I, on the other hand, creep about my flat like a mouse, too on edge & afraid to disturb him.  I even listen to the tv with headphones.  But he has gone away for 4 months, yay, and the night he left I literally ran around the flat almost hysterical with glee!  

I'm moving soonish but would happily sound proof my ceiling if I stayed here, and I live in rented accommodation.  It's not your fault that your downstairs neighbour can hear you, and although you're willing to try to reduce the noise, it sounds like you won't be able to silence your flat.  It's the building's fault, not yours, or his.  I agree with the above that sound travels in a freakily weird way in apartment buildings & his noise pollution may come from a flat three stories up & two to the left.  So, first of all talk to him about it & do everything suggested above as there's been many excellent pieces of advice.  And you can't be thrown out for your cat's noise because you have a lease, you pay for the privilege of having him, and it's probably against the law.  And they can't make you get rid of him either because of the pet payment you make.  If he continues to complain after you've done everything, then sod him, it's up to him to put egg boxes as soundproofing on his ceiling and wear ear plugs.

Your cat looks like he would enjoy a tree, do you have one?  He also looks quite young and may grow out of bouncing around the place soon.  He's ever so handsome