Excessive Meowing- A Small But Irritating Problem

[Ethan123]

I have 2 cats, the first's name is Darwin and the second's is Gus. When they were kittens, as our first cats, my family and I thought that their meowing whenever we fed them was hilarious and adorable, so we'd often meow back and really heavily associate that meowing with food as they would always meow a ton during the preparation of their food, and especially right before putting the plates down. For a while this was encouraged, and just about a 2 months ago it started to get really annoying and loud, especially in the morning when everyone else is asleep and they just yell at the top of their lungs while being fed. I know that it's our fault that this behavior is here, but we'd really like to try and stop it. We've tried the whole don't give the food until they stop, but it seems like they think it's just a reward for meowing for so long. And I don't think that cats get the idea of shhhhhhh, so we're really at a loss on what to do next.

Thanks in advance- An annoyed but guilty cat owner

 

[susanm9006]

You can try to reset their routine and see if that cuts down on the premeal noise. Instead of letting them follow you to their food dishes, shut them in your bedroom or bathroom for a few minutes while you set out their food and then let them out.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi- thanks for coming here! I don't have any great ideas, but would you have a way to feed them in another part of the house a little ways away from everyone? Hopefully other people here will weigh in...

 

[abyeb]

This is nothing too uncommon- so don’t worry, you’re not alone! A regular feeding schedule can help, as people were discussing in this thread: Cat Constantly Meows For Food

Since they’re meowing mostly in the early morning, I’ll also refer you to this article: How To Stop My Cat From Waking Me Up At Night?

Have you tried leaving some food out for them overnight? Giving them kibble inside a interactive puzzle feeder toy (there are different types available at pet supply stores), could help by giving them some (but not too much!) food to tie them over for the night, and provide some mental stimulation to work to prevent boredom.

 

[Ethan123]

You can try to reset their routine and see if that cuts down on the premeal noise. Instead of letting them follow you to their food dishes, shut them in your bedroom or bathroom for a few minutes while you set out their food and then let them out.

This is nothing too uncommon- so don’t worry, you’re not alone! A regular feeding schedule can help, as people were discussing in this thread: Cat Constantly Meows For Food

Since they’re meowing mostly in the early morning, I’ll also refer you to this article: How To Stop My Cat From Waking Me Up At Night?

Have you tried leaving some food out for them overnight? Giving them kibble inside a interactive puzzle feeder toy (there are different types available at pet supply stores), could help by giving them some (but not too much!) food to tie them over for the night, and provide some mental stimulation to work to prevent boredom.

Thanks, ill give it a shot guys. I already have a scheduled feeding time set up: 6 am and 630 pm. But I haven't tried the preparing the food without them around thing yet. It's not that they're constantly meowing for food, just that they become hysterical as they see us making the food.
Thanks again

 

[Furballsmom]

oh, cool - let us know how things go - keeping our fingers crossed for you and the entire rest of the household!