Incessant Meowing

[broadzilla]

I have a 7yr old male himmy.. 

He is driving me absolutely crazy. 

First I'd like to say he's been to the vets and he is perfectly healthy. He gets plenty of food at regular scheduled times and his litter box is clean.

The problem? He constantly meows. CONSTANTLY. We recently moved from a 3bdrm townhouse to a 2bdrm apartment so it's harder to get away from his noise. 

I have read plenty of peoples suggestions for help - playing etc.

He doesn't play, he destroys things. If you have string bouncy play toys, if you play with him he doesn't want to do anything but eat the string. Catnip puts him to sleep and he couldn't really be bothered with it. 

He has other toys but he doesn't play with them, he just carries them around in his mouth and cries. I thought he wanted to play fetch so I threw it and he went and picked it up and then looked at me like I was the worst person in the world. So I think he thinks he's hunting and offering up food. 

I do not know what to do, my husband and I are at our wits end in trying to figure out ways to get him to stop. 

I had someone suggest spraying him with water, but he likes that... Someone suggested a wee bit of vinegar in the water just to make it taste / smell bad but he REALLY likes that. 

I am worried it will come to us having to give him away - he is so loud and never ending that we've gotten noise complaints from our neighbour. 

Help !

 

[yayi]

How long has he been with you? Has he always been vocal? 

Spraying him with water or giving him stuff he will not like, will not work and it is also rather mean. 

Do you spend quality time with your boy? Other than toys, does he have places to climb, hide, run? 

Two of my cats are noisy. San - because he wants a treat. Panda - because she wants to be cuddled. Spoiled kitties! 

 

[sararocks]

Oh no! I am so sorry for you! My little Freyja is also the most vocal kitty I have ever met. She makes me crazy because she won't let me sleep most nights. I feel for you! Sometimes Freyja gets very upset when she can't see me, she will come in chastising me as loud as she can if I am just in the kitchen. She doesn't always want to play or be petted or do anything. She just wants me to sit on the floor and be at her level. Sometimes, I wonder if she thinks I am just too tall for her. Being 5 foot 2, that's the first time I have ever been too tall!

How recent was your move? Do you think he is stressed and maybe having some problems adjusting to the new environment? I don't know if it would make sense to lock him in one of the bedrooms for a couple of days and play like you are re-introducing him to the apartment, but that is the only thing I can think of.

Good luck!!

 

[broadzilla]

we rescued him about 3 years ago.. He has always been vocal but since we were in a 3bdrm townhouse there was 3 levels for him to be noisy on. 

I interact with him all the time..... Mostly because he never wants to leave my side, I swear if I could put him in one of those front loading baby carriers he'd be happy as a clam... I snuggle him, I talk to him,  I play with him and take him for walks outside...I have a fold up stool that I can put into any room so he can always be where I am and comfy. He also has a giant cat tree that he hangs out in to look out the window.. 

maybe I over spoil him??

The other issue is that we have another cat who is 14ish and Oswald (that's his name) loves her and always wants to play with her but as she is an older kitty all she likes to do is sleep. She will play with Oz for a few min and then go back to bed and he cries for her - so I know that is one issue. We want to get him a playmate but I don't know if it is fair to have 3 cats in a 2bdrm apartment. 

We do put him in the bathroom a lot ... Which he doesn't mind because he likes to sleep in the bathtub.. 

I just dunno what to do  

 

[riccadawn]

A playmate definitely sounds warranted here. And I don't think 3 cats in a 2 bedroom apartment is too many. That's what we have here and we're actually considering adopting a 4th cat. All depends on the size of the rooms I suppose.

 

[whollycat]

When you had him to the vet did they check his eyesight and hearing? I know he's pretty young yet at 7 (or before he came to you guys) to have these problems, but you never know. Also, disciplining a kitty for what we perceive as bad behavior never works; it only makes them more insistent on trying to communicate to you what they want.

Since he eats the string on string-type toys, have you ever tried Go Cat's Cat Catcher mouse on a wire toy? It looks to me like you could use the refills and accessories that go with Da Bird, as from the photo of it, it looks like the same way to attach the toys as on the end of Da Bird has.

My thoughts are that he needs more stimulating interaction with you and hubby, and particularly since your older kitty isn't interested. Maybe try playing with an interactive toy like the Cat Catcher with him for 5-10 minute intervals (or longer if you have the time) two to three times a day to start? Get him to chase the toy up his kitty tree and back down, while he's on the floor you can swing it for him to jump and try to catch it (but not in an aggressive way--more gentle motions), run it across the floor for him to chase, etc.

I would play with him with this type of toy before meals because you need let him "catch" the toy mouse or other attachment (he can "catch" the toy more than once) so he doesn't become frustrated, then when done with playtime, feed him. This simulates their natural hunt/catch/kill (eat) instincts. It is also great fun for the kitty parents!

There are also a ton of interactive toys that kitties can use by themselves (maybe look for some that are also battery operated too), here's a link to a search on Amazon for Interactive Cat Toys.

Hope this helps a bit!

 

[emilymaywilcha]

There is no way a two-bedroom house can be too small for three cats. If there is any reason not to adopt another cat, it definitely has nothing to do with house size.

It looks to me like Oswald would rather play with another cat than a cat toy. I have seen cats like that - one kitten looked like he did not know what to do without his sister after she was adopted - at a shelter I used to volunteer at. Make sure you adopt one much closer to Oswald's age or a kitten next time.

 

[mikjegger]

Have you ever thought of separation anxiety?
What do you know about Himmy's past?
How old was he when he was taken from his mother?
And how many previous homes has he had?
Are you away much during the day?
They could also get attached to their environment, so the move might be another trigger
that worsened things.

Our previous cat suffered from it.
She would follow me around the house, and sometimes she would even attack me when i was
getting ready to leave the house.
When i get home i usually found "Woof" (her stuffed toy dog) in front of the cat door.
If she couldn't see or hear me she would walk around the house moaning and crying, carrying Woof around.
She was orphaned at the early age of only 3-4 weeks old. That's when we took her in.
At night she would snuggle up against me in bed.
When she got older we thought of taking in another kitten, so she would have some one to take care off,
but unfortunately she died before we could make that decision.
But i really think it would have helped her.

http://www.petplace.com/cats/separation-anxiety-in-cats/page1.aspx