Why does my cat meow so much?
Causes of a cat to meow so much, how to deal with cats' Disruptive Crying and Meowing, and tips to rule out medical conditions and manage the cat's chattiness.
Excessive vocalization refers to your cat's uncontrollable, excessive crying or meowing during inconvenient times of the night or day. If your cat's behaviour is unusual, its meows may suggest a medical problem.
- They are lonely and would like to chat with you
- The problem
- The solution
- They want food
- The problem
- The solution
- They are looking for attention
- The problem
- The solution
- They may be suffering from a medical condition or be under stress
- The problem
- The solution
- They are reaching the end of their lives
- The problem
- The solution
- They want to breed
- The problem
- The solution
- What You Shouldn't Do?
- Cats' Disruptive Crying and Meowing
- Symptoms and Types
- What is the source of my cat's excessive meowing?
- Diagnosis
- Living and Management
- To rule out medical conditions and manage the cat's chattiness, follow these tips.
- Rule out illness
- Don't give in to the meowing
- Instead of punishing, redirect
- Recognize and reward quiet behaviour
- Consider your cat's degree of exercise.
- Take into account your cat's age
- If the medicine is required, look into it
There are a variety of reasons why cat's meow.
They mew to their moms when they're kittens because they're cold, hungry, or afraid.
They discover new methods to vocalize and engage with other Cats as they grow older, often by hissing or yowling.
An adult cat's primary mode of communication with you and surrounding people is meowing.
However, if your Cat meows all the time, it can become a significant inconvenience.
The first step in getting your Cat to stop meowing is to find out why the Cat is meowing in the first place.
Something different will be required for a Cat looking for attention than for a cat suffering in agony.
Here are some of the most likely causes Cats to meow constantly, as well as ways to persuade a cat to cease meowing.
They are lonely and would like to chat with you
The problem
If the Cat is left alone at home for extended periods, she or he may become lonely.
Even though Cats are may not be the most social of creatures, they do enjoy the company of other Cats from time to time.
When you return home, your Cat may welcome you with a meow, or she may meow repeatedly when she goes into the room.
Some Cats enjoy imitating humans and joining in on regular discussions as well.
The solution
To calm her down, think about leaving some toys out for her to play with while you're away from home.
You can purchase a kitty condo as well as interactive toys.
Additionally, you may place a bird feeder outside their favourite window to entice birds and provide them with hours of pleasure, or you can play a YouTube video developed specifically for cats.
They want food
The problem
Does your Cat cry uncontrollably whenever someone walks into the kitchen? Even though it is not her usual lunchtime, she or he is most likely begging for something to eat.
When some Cats decide it is time to be fed, they can become extremely vocal about it.
The solution
It is to refuse to feed your Cat when she meows to train her not to do so.
Rather, wait until she/he is completely calm before placing her bowl down.
Avoid giving her treats when she screams out for help.
She will eventually figure out that remaining quiet equals mealtime.
The use of an automatic feeder, that dispenses an amount of food at a certain time every day, is another option to consider.
They are looking for attention
The problem
Some kittens meow at someone when they want your attention.
Cats enjoy being around humans and may begin to converse with you when they would like you to play with them or pet their fur.
Is your Cat clamouring for attention? Give her your whole attention only when the Cat is silent to avoid her continual meowing.
If she starts meowing again, turn your back or stop what you're doing immediately.
The solution
The key is to be mindful of not ignoring her.
Your Cat is looking forward to spending time with you! Every day, she needs quality time for activities such as playing, grooming, and speaking.
Make plans to spend time with your animal buddy, whether or not she is meowing at you.
They may be suffering from a medical condition or be under stress
The problem
A variety of diseases and ailments might cause the Cat to be thirsty, hungry, or in discomfort, which can result in excessive meowing as a result of these conditions.
Kidney illness as well as an overactive thyroid are only two examples of medical problems that fall under this category.
Cats can sometimes become louder when they are under stress.
If you've just relocated, welcomed a new addition to the family, or experienced any other substantial life changes, the Cat may be experiencing stress, which will cause her to meow more.
The solution
It can be a very serious issue to deal with.
If you have reason to believe your Cat is suffering from physical or emotional anguish, make an appointment with your veterinarian for a thorough examination.
They can provide you with advice on how to calm your worried kitty, or they can design a comprehensive treatment plan to alleviate your cat's discomfort.
They are reaching the end of their lives
The problem
As Cats grow older, they may begin to exhibit signs of cognitive dysfunction and mental disorientation, which can be distressing.
They are susceptible to being disoriented, much like elderly adults.
As a result, a cat's crying frequency may increase, especially throughout the nighttime.
The solution
If your Cat becomes disoriented in the middle of the night, a nightlight may be able to make her feel more comfortable.
This problem, on the other hand, is best managed with the assistance of a veterinarian.
They can establish whether your cat's meowing is caused by old age.
Additionally, they may be able to give drugs that can help her symptoms to subside.
They want to breed
The problem
If your Cat is not spayed or neutered, he/she will be quite noisy when she wants to reproduce, which can be very frustrating.
Female Cats are frequently more vocal than male cats.
During their period (which lasts around one week each month), they will yowl, as would male Cats when they sense a female Cat in heat (which also lasts approximately one week every month).
Both, on the other hand, can be extremely irritating to live with.
Having your Cat spayed or even neutered will help to prevent this type of meowing.
The solution
Even while cats' meowing can be irritating, it is often an indication that they are in distress or fear.
You should not disregard your cat's screams, whether they are merely indicating that they demand more attention or that they require medical attention.
If your Cat meows, remember to check on her to determine what's causing the sounds.
Once you understand why your Cat is meowing, you can assist her in resolving her issue.
You may need to set aside some time to play with him/her or make a vet visit.
However, with the help of this technique, you will be able to stop your Cat from meowing nonstop for a little longer.
What You Shouldn't Do?
Never overlook something without first confirming that there is no problem.
Even though you don't want to reward your Cat for meowing, there are occasions when Cats meow for a valid reason - they can't get to their litter box, they're locked in a room, or even a water bowl is empty.
When they meow, keep an eye on them to see if it's something you can reasonably ignore or if it's something that has to be addressed right immediately.
Don't punish a Cat just because it meows.
A meowing Cat will rarely be quieted by hitting, shouting, or spraying it with water in the long term, but all of these behaviours will cause your Cat to distrust or even detest you in the long run.
Don't give in to temptation.
If your cat has been accustomed to obtaining what they want through meowing, they will meow more and louder if and when the meowing stops working.
Things will likely grow worse before they get better.
You just have to keep rewarding peaceful behaviour and disregarding meowing, and they'll eventually catch on.
Cats' Disruptive Crying and Meowing
Excessive vocalization is the term used to describe your cat's uncontrollable, uncontrolled meowing or crying during inconvenient times of the night or the day.
Such vocalizations in older pets may be caused by discomfort, disease, cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), or they may be attributed to a decrease in hearing.
Often, CDS is accompanied by night waking, wherein the patient makes an excessive amount of noise.
Excessive meowing could also be associated with behavioural disorders, which can be managed by behaviour modification education and training.
Cat breeds with a high level of natural energy may be more prone to excessive meowing.
Oriental Cat breeds, such as the Siamese, will be much more prone to extreme vocalization than other types of cats.
During estrus and mating, intact cats, both female and male, become extremely loud.
Symptoms and Types
Cats of advanced age make nighttime vocalizations.
Cats make vocalizations throughout their breeding and estrus periods.
Cats with a lot of energy tend to meow a lot.
Pain or illness can cause vocalizations to occur.
Owners or others may be inconvenienced by excessive vocalization.
What is the source of my cat's excessive meowing?
Medical terms include disease, pain, and CDS.
Anxiety or conflict
Territorial
The owner's return to the room or vocal directives reinforces social or attention-seeking behaviour.
It is common for children to express distress vocalizations (e.g., yowling or whining) when they are separated from their mother, family, social group, or owner.
It is also common for Cats to express grief when they are separated from their owner.
Anti-social behaviour such as growling may be connected with aggressive displays (not just associated with dogs, also happens with cats)
Mating, sexual behaviour
Breed - genetic traits of a particular breed
Diagnosis
You will want to rule out any potential health issues with your Cat before contemplating behaviour modification if the heightened vocalization is out of the ordinary for your cat.
Your veterinarian may perform a complete medical work-up on your pet, which may include a complete blood count (CBC), a chemical blood profile urinalysis, and electrolyte panel, as well as a complete physical exam and examination.
A complete history of the cat's behavioural health before the onset of the symptoms is going to be taken into consideration, as will any possible incidences that may have contributed to the development of this disease.
It is crucial to rule out any physical or non-behavioural causes of the vocalization before proceeding with any further treatment.
Imaging can be used to rule out medical and neurological problems, and BAER (brainstem auditory evoked response) assessment can be used to determine whether or not there is a loss in auditory function.
Living and Management
You may need to take your Cat back to the doctor or a behaviour expert to have the program modified based on the cat's specific response.
When it comes to cats, obedience training and silent command training are frequently beneficial.
Cats need to be socialized and habituated to a range of stimuli and situations during their growth, including interactions with humans and other animals.
This helps to desensitize the Cat to new situations, which helps to reduce anxiety and over-excitation.
To rule out medical conditions and manage the cat's chattiness, follow these tips.
Rule out illness
Changes in vocalization that occur suddenly may signal a health condition.
Take your Cat to the vet if he/she has usually been calm but is abruptly yowling a lot.
Don't give in to the meowing
Even negative attention can reinforce a pattern of behaviour.
Avoid feeding, playing, petting, or communicating to the Cat while he is meowing if at all possible.
Instead of punishing, redirect
If your Cat has a habit of becoming noisy in certain settings or at particular times of each day, try to catch him before he gets started and redivert him/her to a petting session or fun game.
This will ensure that the harmful behaviour does not begin in the first place.
Recognize and reward quiet behaviour
To reinforce calm behaviour, save dinner, petting, playtime, and other activities for quiet times.
Animals often repeat behaviour that favours them; however, it may take some time.
Consider your cat's degree of exercise.
Cats make vocalizations when they are bored.
Make the time for participatory play at least once every day for kittens and younger cats, who require more activity and stimulation.
You may also get your Cat a food-dispensing toy, which will help him burn both physical and mental energy.
Take into account your cat's age
Cats' vision and hearing deteriorate throughout time, and meowing might be caused by confusion or disorientation.
In the evening, these vocalizations can become more intense.
To calm and reassure your senior cat, give them plenty of loving attention.
If the medicine is required, look into it
If your Cat is truly anxious or distressed, your veterinarian may be able to prescribe anti-anxiety medication to help him relax while you work on changing his behaviour.