Vocal Cat

Whispered

Hi there,

I have two cats 4 years old, brother and sister both neutered/spayed. They are both adorable but I've been having a problem lately with Miller (the boy) it seems that if you are not talking to him and if he's not eating or sleeping he's crying for attention. Now I assume there is nothing wrong with him as he will cry to get outside, I'll open the door, he'll walk out and sit there till I close the door then cry to get back in!!! It's all an attention seeking thing. They have the run of the house except for the sitting room and my bedroom and have everything they want (as far as I can tell), the other one is such a sweetie, she'll come in, eat, sit on my knee for a cuddle then go to bed in the hall way until I call her, all the while he's crying, tearing up and down the stairs (he's over a stone weight so it sounds very loud ) and generally being very noisy. In every other way he is very well behaved, he comes when called, sits when told, leaves a room when told but the constant crying is getting on my nerves. It's gotten to the point where I dont want to let him in anymore because I know the evening will be spent telling him to shush! And with the cold weather coming in, leaving him out is just not an option.

Is there anything I can do to stop him from being so vocal? Or is there any way I can find out what exactly he wants from me?

MsFifers

Found this info on a cat site:
Why is my cat persistently crying?
Most owner complaints about feline vocalization are either to do with the intensity and persistence of the vocalization, or the fact that it occurs at night, when family members or neighbors are trying to sleep. Attention getting behaviours, sexual (estrus or male) behaviours, play behaviour, medical problems, discomfort and aggressive displays are the most common reasons for feline vocalization. Of course, since some cats are quite active at night, it is not surprising that many owners are concerned about their cat’s nighttime vocalization and activity. Some breeds, such as the Siamese are much more likely to be vocal than others.

What can be done to prevent undesirable vocalization?
Providing sufficient play and exercise during the daytime and evening may help to schedule the cat so that it sleeps through the night. Never reward the cat with food, attention, or play, when the cat vocalizes.

Understanding the problem
The cause of the cat's vocalization, those stimuli that are associated with the onset of the behaviour as well as all factors that might be reinforcing the behaviour, must be understood. For some cats, especially those that are middle aged or elderly, veterinary examination is recommended to rule out potential medical causes of vocalization such as pain, endocrine dysfunction and hypertension. Some older cats may begin to vocalize as their senses or cognitive function begins to decline (senility).

Modify the pet
The most important aspect of a correction program is to identify what may be serving to reinforce (reward) the behaviour. Many owners inadvertently encourage the behaviour by giving the cat something it values during vocalization. Attention, affection, play, a treat, allowing the cat access to a desirable area (outdoors, indoors) are all forms of reinforcement. Reinforcement of even a very few of the vocalization outbursts perpetuates the behaviour. Although removal of reinforcement (known as extinction) ultimately reduces or eliminates excessive vocalization, the behaviour at first becomes more intense as the cat attempts to get the reward. This is known as an extinction burst.

Punishment
Physical punishment should never be utilized with cats. Not only is it ineffective at correcting most behaviour problems, it can also lead to fear and anxiety of the owner, people in general or being handled and petted. Although ignoring the vocalization, so that the cat receives no reward for the behaviour, is the best solution, in the long run it can be difficult to do. Punishment devices can be used to interrupt the behaviour immediately and effectively. A spray of water, an ultrasonic device, an audible alarm or a quick puff of compressed air (from a computer or camera lens cleaner) is often effective at stopping the behaviour, and at the same time ensuring that the cat has received no form of reward.


Hope that is of some help. Maybe get a check up at a vet first to ensure he isn't in some kind of pain/discomfort.

It could be that your efforts to quieten him - telling him to shush etc - have been a "reward" to him ie he gets your attention!

I have the exact reverse of your situation - 2 v. quiet cats who completely ignore me except when they want cuddles! How did you get them to sit and come when called etc??

Whispered

Thanks MsFifers

That should help, I just hope i have the patience to do it properly. If I was the only one in the house I think I'd manage to ignore him but I live with my b/f who is not a big cat lover to begin with, never mind when there is a big noisey tom throwing tantrums at 4am. :eek:

I was thinking of trying to get them into a very strict routine of feed in morning, out when I leave for work, back in when I get home, another feed then give them their usual evening of chasing the laser (the best toy i ever bought!!) eating and lounging around then (here comes the hard bit) crating him for the night, do you think that would work, or is it unnecessary? I am hoping it will give him the idea that when he is in his crate it's sleep time and he will get out when I let him out, plus it will keep him from crying at my bedroom door. He does not use a litter box anyway so that would not be a problem (I let them out for ten mins before bed). The only problem I would have with that is Willow (the little girl) is so well behaved it wouldn't be fair to punish her too, but I dont want to differentiate between them as I would be worried it would cause problems (he has a tendency to bully her as she is less than half his size).

As for the sitting and coming when called, they were both rescue cats, found on a building site with a dead mother and dead brothers and sisters, they were the only survivers so they were reared mostly by hand. Willow doesn't sit when told she hovers she was too nervous to teach properly. Miller will do anything for food and cuddles so he was easy to teach. I wanted to teach them to use the toilet but my B/F refuses to share with a cat. (even though the cats would prob be easier to train to put the seat down!!!)

MsFifers

helena.ryan wrote: »

(even though the cats would prob be easier to train to put the seat down!!!)

God - I'm really not sure about the crating - I know my guys would hate that as it is rare that a cat would sleep for the whole night through - you know the way they like to get up for a wander every now and then! Rather than shutting them into a crate - could you confine them to one room - away from your bedroom so you won't hear Miller when he starts up?

And I know you've had them 4 years, and I'm sure have them well figured out at this stage - but it seems to me that a whole night inside without access to a litter tray is a long time for a cat. My 2 would usually need a little visit at some stage in the night. Is there any chance at all that that is a reason for the vocalisation? I've read that cats that have to "hold on" often develop cystitis which would be painful and might cause behaviour problems?

Only a thought - I'm certainly no expert - my cats don't even recognise their own names!

Whispered

Yeah I was suprised at that myself, but i leave the box down for them, they just never use it. I suppose I could put their bed in the kitchen again, but i wont leave the litter box in there so thats a problem. I used to leave the window open for them but very single morning I would find a mouse or similar on my kitchen floor. eeeeeewwwwwww

Thanks for the help.

comongethappy

I've the same problem as well... with my male as well! The female is as good as can be. It's hard because while I may be up at 6am, my husband works shift work and needs to sleep on. I read this article yesterday and I found it helpful so far:

Early AM Wakeups
Cats are notorious for waking their owners up at oh-dark-thirty. If you wish to stop this, there are several steps to take.
The cat may simply be hungry and demanding its food. By feeding it when it wakes you up at an ungodly hour, you are simply reinforcing its behavior. If this is why it's waking you up, you can handle this either by filling the bowl just before you go to sleep so it will not be empty in the morning, or by ignoring the cat's wakeups and feeding it at the exact same time convenient to you every morning. The cat will adjust fairly quickly to the second.

If it is trying to play, there are again several tactics you can try. If you make a practice of tiring it out with play just before bedtime, you can reduce its calls for play at dawn. What works in some cases is to hiss gently at the cat. You can also try shutting it out of the bedroom. If it pounds on the door, put it in a bathroom until you wake up.

In persistent cases, try the vacuum cleaner, eater of noisy kitties. Go to bed, leaving him out in the hall. Position the vacuum cleaner next to the door, inside it. Plug the vacuum in, and arrange things so you can switch the vacuum on from your bed (eg, wire a switch into an extension cord). Wait for the scratching and wailing at the door. Turn the vacuum cleaner on. If cat comes back, turn it on again. The cat will eventually decide to stop bothering you in the morning.



I played with it last night for about 15 mins before bed, feed him when he woke me up (I don't mind as I can go back to sleep straight away) and then when I was up this morning I played w/ him for about 15 mins before work, and he didn't wake my husband up till 9:30. We are going to try to stick to this routine for a while, and if he scratches before 9:30 we plan to shut him into the bathroom with a few toys and his favorite mat. But, if feasible, I think the vaccum idea is worth a go.

Whispered

comongethappy, thanks thats very helpful. I usually feed them before bed, but have often gotten up to his wails and the bowl is still full!! I think he does be bored coz I'll get up (usually giving out to him I must admit) and he sits there looking at me as if saying "oh good, you're up, what do you want to do now?" I tend not to leave toys down for them when I go to bed as he's like a bold child and anything his sister picks up he wants so they fight if I'm not there to supervise. Perhaps I'm not spending enough time with them, if I gave them a bit more attention when I was awake he might let me sleep. He's out all day but is a real home boy and usually doesn't stray far from the garden, she on the otherhand is always away, maybe she tires herself out during the day. A bit more attention and exercise might be all I need (along with the hoover for emergencies). So that begs the question, how do you exercise a cat who gets bored after ten mins?? haha

MsFifers

My cats have about a 10 min attention span also. But switching between toys keeps them interested - although then its me that ends up getting bored! I usually play with them for 10 mins a time, 2 or 3 times during the evening.

The laser toy you have sounds good - I must get one. Other things that interest them are - drag a ribbon around for them to chase, pull the string of a wind up mouse for them to catch, blow bubbles for them that they jump up to burst, dangle a feather at the end of a "fishing rod" toy, throwing little pieces of their dry food across the floor for them to jump on and eat, bounce their ping pong ball across the floor for them. The best thing though is this strip of left over carpet that I roll into a tunnel for them and they run through trying to hide from and catch each other.

I do have a life!! Honest! I have all these toys for them because they are indoor all the time, and I don't want them to get fat and bored.

Just some ideas anyway.