How can I stop my cat's excessive meowing??

Question

I adopted my cat 2 years ago. He is a neutered bengal and is 6 years old now. From the very start, he has been VERY vocal. He often meows constantly when I'm not physically in contact with him, even if I'm in the same room. He also wakes me up in the morning to be let into the bedroom. I don't talk back to him to encourage him, and I don't know how to stop it. His meows are extremely loud - louder sometimes than a dog bark. Any suggestions on what to do? Fenistil to calm? Water gun? Do dog-barking solutions like ultrasonic noise work on cats? Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!

Answer 1

give it some cat nip lol

and give it lots of attention and toys.

or get another cat/playmate to keep her busy

Answer 2

Sounds like your cat may have some sort of seperation anxeity. Do you know if your cat had been previously abused? Also, I wonder how old the cat was when he was neutered, it might have happened after the cat reached puberty which is why he may still display some of those charateristics.

I do not know if you just have a talkitive breed, but I would also take the cat to the vet to make sure he is healthy; your cat could possibly be in some sort of pain (doubtful since you said this has been going on since you got the cat, but I wouldn't completely rule it out.)

also, I know there is doggies prozac, there might be something similar to that for cats to calm him down.

You might also consider getting another cat. I know it sounds crazy, but your cat is probably bored and lonely. Make sure your cat has a lot of toys and play with him to tire him out. Also, try to keep your cat awake during the times of the day that you are awake, and let your cat sleep when you sleep so he won't meow all night.

If you cannot do that, you will have to try to train the cat out of meowing. You can train your cat, but you have to be committed to it completely.

Good luck to you.

Answer 3

A cat meowing constantly for no obvious reason is trying to tell you something. TAKE YOUR CAT TO THE VET. TO THE VET TO THE VET TO THE VET! Your cat may well be in pain or suffering and is telling you the only way he knows how. My own cat was meowing constantly for no reason and when he went to the vet I discovered why: a severe Urinary Infection that was painful painful painful for him. Had I not listened to him, he might have died. Ignoring the problem will not help. Punishing your cat will not help. Punishing him is the LAST thing you want to do. He does not understand why you're yelling. Spraying him with water will only confuse him and throwing him outside is no better. CALL THE VET. PERIOD.

Answer 4

Make sure his howls are not the result of a thyroid or cardiac problem. If his physical health is unremarkable, his howls may be the result of anxiety and/or disorientation or a touch of dementia. You may be able to calm him with tight hugs, followed by gentle strokes. Sometimes a 1/2 teaspoon of camomile tea leaves in a tasty food morsel before bedtime can be soothing.

Last but not least, you can sequester him with his comforts in a cozy room with some lavender potpourri and soft music. Tell him you'll see him in the morning.

Answer 5

As for your cat meowing to come in your room leave the door open while you sleep, make sure there are plenty of cat toys around, and cut down on the cat nip, or maybe your cat may wants a feline play mate so get another cat or let it out once in a while and uh let me know if it works.

Answer 6

He's probably bored and is calling out for attention. Don't use punishment for this problem - it won't work, and it may create serious behavior problems. http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=squirtbottlespunishmentandcatbehavior1

If you've petted him before when he cries, then he may have developed the crying out as a habit to get attention, and is now taking it to extremes. I have a cat who did that for a while and drove me nuts until I learned how to get her to stop. The solution for that requires a few different steps:

1) Set aside a scheduled time to play with him, preferably every evening (or more frequently, if you have time). Use an interactive toy that he likes, such as a feather toy on a string attached to a wand, or a laser pointer, or a shoestring. See this link for more information on the importance of play therapy: http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=playtherapyforcats

2) Follow the play therapy time with a meal and some cuddle time.

3) Make a point of petting him and paying some attention to him whenever you notice that he is being quiet (this can be hard to remember to do, but it's important!)

4) Make a point of NOT petting him and paying attention to him when he is meowing. Ignore him completely - don't pet him, don't tell him to stop, don't even make eye contact with him. You're trying to extinguish the unwanted behavior, so don't reward it with any attention - this too can be tough to remember to do.

5) make sure he has a tall cat tree to climb (you can buy one or build your own if you're on a budget), and plenty of things to keep his mind and body occupied - see this link for ideas: http://www.catclinicofroswell.com/faq/detail.aspx?faqid=3
This worked well for my noisy cat - hopefully it will help yours too.

You may also want to consider getting your cat a companion. Since yours is a male, another neutered male would probably be best. A lot of male cats love to wrestle, but the female cats tend not to enjoy playing as roughly. If you do get another cat, be sure to do the introduction slowly and carefully to ensure that they'll get along well. This article explains how: http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=cattocatintroductions

Edited to fix broken links

Answer 7

Hey Bengals is the best cat...
I have a bengals about 5mths old and she is very vocal.
I talk alot to her and I train her to responds. Bengals are very clever, you can tell her not to make so much noise and she will understand. I start to tell to wait for breakfast if i am still asleep and she will wait.. Its takes a while but believe me she will do what you what and love her alot... I tell play hide and seek with her and she will listen to you.
Good luck.

Answer 8

Pick it up by the tail, twirl it around three times and then let it go flying through a piece of drywall that you aren't too concerned about. I don't know if it will work but I saw it on Monty Python once and they seemed to enjoy the process.

Answer 9

give it LOTS of attention! That's what he is trying to get from you! More attention. You might even talk back to it.

Answer 10

give it a toy to play with it'll keep it busy. (it worked on my cat!) :0 GOOD LUCK!