cat meowing and scatching way too much!!!?

Question

we adopted a cat(shes fixed) and she meows all night.she was in our room and she was meowing so we put her out and she kept doing it!! Help its driving us crazy and also she scratches alot.Like just moving heer paws with claws out.if ur petting her she does it or if shes purring or if shes on fabric.we were going to get her declawed but is there an easy way.Okay shes meowing now bc im not in there!!!!ASAP HELP

she also is an indoor cat and cant take her out bc of fleas and i just dont know what to do.I arranged to get another cat from the shelter she was in do u think that would make her shut up at nite if she had a friend

Answer 1

My cat does that too, because he either wants attention or is happy. When kittens, they "knead" their claws into their mother's stomach while feeding. It's how they express bliss, and they never really drop that habit, along with all the vocalizations, unless you train them not to when they're still young.

My cat was also born retarded. Go figure.

Answer 2

Depending upon the age of the cat and the length of time she was in the shelter, it may be an issue of a need for attention. If she was in the shelter for an extended period of time, she probably did not recieve affection much and now that she has gotten some at home, she loves it and wants more. As far as the meowing, think of it as a child. When the child cries, you pick it up and comfort it eventually the child learns that crying = comfort. If the cat meowed and recieved attention it will do the same thing and associate meowing with attention. Try ignoring her while she is meowing (if it sounds like an i need attention meow) and as soon as she stopps, pet her for a sec. It may take some time for her to realize what the point is but she will catch on. The pawing or kneading action she does with her paws is what they do while they are nursing which reinforces the idea that she is doing it for a need of comfort and attention. hope it helps and sorry about the other kitty :(

Answer 3

1. Don't declaw her. It is cruel plus she may stop using the litterbox and she may start biting. Use http://www.softpaws.com
, easy and cheap claw caps. Plus, it sounds like you are letting her outside too, so declawing is a NO-NO, she can't survive if she gets lost or attacked.
2. She is meowing because she is still confused and scared and has recently changed house. And she is trying to speak to you. It's a cat you adopted, remember, not a toy. Cats meow. Give her love, affection and a nice bed where she can cuddle up, and give her time.

Answer 4

How old is she, and how long ago did you adopt her? If it's a recent adoption, it could be that she's still adjusting to her new surroundings and she's scared (meowing when you're not with her).

As for scratching, is she actively scratching, or just 'knitting'? That would be when she's happy, content, purring (possibly when she's getting attention). If she is actively scratching, get a scratching post. They're about 5.00 at Wal-Mart (the cardboard ones). I would advise against getting a carpeted scratching post as it would teach her to use the carpet and other fabrics. Plus, with the cardboard one, you can sprinkle a little catnip on it to draw her attention. When you buy it, show it to her, take her paws and 'scratch' the post, it will show her how to use it. And to get her to stop scratching your furniture, use a sray bottle filled with water. Spraying her will teach her that scratching gets her wet, and cats don't like that.

Answer 5

Give the cat a toy like a stuff animal, ball,
Cats are fine outdoors all year round, just put her some
food and water outdoors and let the cat explore and
have fun.

Answer 6

Maybe they are crying to go outside. (My cat used to come and go as he pleased, now we keep him in) He cries Loud. That or it could be territory, I still have "cat scents" and my cat will cry loud ans spray!!

Answer 7

give it a toy , put a ticking clock in the room.

Answer 8

Vocalizing is one way for your cat to communicate with you and with other animals. Some cats "talk" more than others, but most cats do make noise some of the time. We're all familiar with the meaning of hissing and growling, but there are also many other sounds that your cat is capable of, and a variety of reasons for vocalizing. If your cat is hissing or growling, please see our handout: "Understanding Cat Aggression Towards People."

Medical Reasons
If your cat's behavior changes suddenly, the first thing you should do is take her to your veterinarian for a thorough health examination. Cats often hide symptoms of illness until they're seriously ill. Any change in behavior may be an early indication of a medical problem. A new vocalizing behavior, in particular, may indicate physical discomfort stemming from an urgent need for medical attention.

Breed Tendency
Oriental breeds, such as the Siamese, are known to be very vocal. If your cat has a pointed face and a long, lean body, chances are she has some oriental heritage, so "talking" may be a part of her character. Avoid giving her any attention when she is vocal because this will only encourage the vocal behavior. Instead, give her attention when she is quiet.

Attention-Seeking Behavior
Some cats "talk" because they know they'll get a reaction. People may talk back, feed her, yell at her, pick her up and lock her in another room, or pick her up and soothe her. All of these responses will encourage an attention-seeking cat. To discourage this behavior, simply ignore your cat when she does this, and when she is quiet, pour on the love, feed her or give her some treats. This will teach your cat which behaviors you would like her to continue.

Your Cat Wants To Go Outside
If your cat was previously an outdoor cat and you plan to keep her inside, then good for you! Following are some suggestions to help make the transition easier on both of you.

Spay or Neuter: Spaying or neutering will rid your cat of those hormonal urges to go out and seek a mate. This will result in a calmer, friendlier cat.
Play Schedule: Schedule play times during the times your cat would normally be outside. This will distract her from her normal routine and establish another, safer routine.
Window Seat: Be sure your cat has a view of the outdoors and a sunny place to lie. Cats like to watch birds, so putting a bird feeder outside this window is likely to make it a favorite spot for your cat.
Scavenger Hunt: Give your cat a game to play by hiding bits of dry food around the house. Hide the food in paper bags, boxes and behind open doors. This will give her exercise and keep her busy so she doesn't think of going outside. This is especially good to do right before the family leaves the house for the day.
Attention: Try to give your cat extra love and attention during this difficult transition.
Aversives: If your cat still won't give up meowing by the door, try an aversive. Leave strong citrus scents by the door or hide behind a wall and shake a pop can filled with coins to interrupt the behavior. When she is quiet, walk out and give her a food treat and encourage her to play or cuddle.
Grief
Sometimes after the death or departure of a person or animal in your cat's life, she will vocalize to express her grief. This can be a normal part of the grieving process. The best thing you can do for her is keep her schedule the same (or as close as possible) and spend some extra cuddle and playtime with her. With time, this problem should take care of itself.

Transition
If your cat is new to your home or has just gone through a change (move, new person/animal in the household, person moved out)and has just started her talkative behavior, be patient. This may be happening due to the transition and will stop on its own if the behavior is not encouraged. Remember, even scolding can be perceived by your cat as attention, and thus encourage the behavior.

It's impossible to estimate how well any particular pair or group of cats will ultimately tolerate each other. Some cats are unusually territorial, may never adjust to sharing their house, and may do best in a one-cat family. However, many aggressive problems between cats can be successfully resolved. To do this, you may need help, both from your veterinarian and from an animal behavior specialist who is knowledgeable in cat behavior. Cats with aggression problems may never be best friends, but can often learn to mutually tolerate each other with a minimum of conflict. Working with aggression problems between family cats will take time and commitment from you. Don't give up without consulting the appropriate experts.

Common Types Of Aggressive Behaviors Between Cats
Territorial Aggression: Cats are very territorial, much more so than dogs. Territorial aggression occurs when a cat feels that his territory has been invaded by an intruder. Depending on where your cat spends his time, he may view your whole neighborhood as his territory. Female cats can be just as territorial as males. The behavior patterns in this type of aggression include chasing and ambushing the intruder, as well as hissing and swatting when contact occurs. Territorial problems often occur when a new cat is brought into a household, when a young kitten reaches maturity, or when a cat encounters neighborhood cats outside. It's not uncommon for a cat to be territorially aggressive toward one cat in a family, and friendly and tolerant to another.

Intermale Aggression: Adult male cats normally tend to threaten, and sometimes fight with, other males. These behaviors can occur as sexual challenges over a female, or to achieve a relatively high position in the cats' loosely organized social dominance hierarchy. This type of aggression involves much ritualized body posturing, stalking, staring, yowling and howling. Attacks are usually avoided if one cat "backs down" and walks away. If an attack occurs, the attacker will usually jump forward, directing a bite to the nape of the neck, while the opponent falls to the ground on his back and attempts to bite and scratch the attacker's belly with his hind legs. The cats may roll around biting and screaming, suddenly stop, resume posturing, fight again or walk away. Cats don't usually severely injure one another this way, but you should always check for puncture wounds which are prone to infection. Intact males are much more likely to fight in this way than are neutered males.

Defensive Aggression: Defensive aggression occurs when a cat is attempting to protect himself from an attack he believes he cannot escape. This can occur in response to punishment or the threat of punishment from a person, an attack or attempted attack from another cat, or any time he feels threatened or afraid. Defensive postures include crouching with the legs pulled in under the body, laying the ears back, tucking the tail, and possibly rolling slightly to the side. This is not the same as the submissive postures dogs show because it's not intended to "turn off" an attack from another cat. Continuing to approach a cat that's in this posture is likely to precipitate an attack.

Redirected Aggression: This type of aggression is directed toward another animal that didn't initially provoke the behavior. For example, a household cat sitting in the window may see an outdoor cat walk across the front yard. Because he can't attack the outdoor cat, he may instead turn and attack the other family cat that's sitting next to him in the window. Redirected aggression can be either offensive or defensive in nature.

What You Can Do
If your cat's behavior changes suddenly, your first step should always be to contact your veterinarian for a thorough health examination. Cats often hide symptoms of illness until they're seriously ill. Any change in behavior may be an early indication of a medical problem.
Spay or neuter any intact pets in your home. The behavior of one intact animal can affect all of your pets.
Start the slow introduction process over from the beginning (see our handout: "Introducing Your New Cat to Your Other Pets"). You may need professional help from an animal behavior specialist to successfully implement these techniques.
In extreme cases, consult with your veterinarian about medicating your cats while you're working with them on a behavior modification program. Your veterinarian is the only person who is licensed and qualified to prescribe any medication for your cats. Don't attempt to give your cat any over-the-counter or prescription medication without consulting with your veterinarian. Animals don't respond to drugs the same way people do, and a medication that may be safe for a human could be fatal to an animal. Keep in mind that medication, by itself, isn't a permanent solution, and should only be used in conjunction with behavior modification.
What Not To Do
If your cats are fighting, don't allow the fights to continue. Because cats are so territorial, and because they don't establish firm dominance hierarchies, they won't be able to "work things out" as dogs sometimes do. The more often cats fight, the worse the problem is likely to become. To stop a fight in progress, make a loud noise, such as blowing a whistle, squirting the cats with water, or throwing something soft at them. Don't try to pull them apart.
Prevent future fights. This may mean keeping the cats totally separated from each other while you're working on the problem, or at least preventing contact between them in situations likely to trigger a fight.
Don't try to punish the cats involved. Punishment is likely to elicit further aggression and fearful responses, which will only make the problem worse. If you attempt punishment, you may become a target for redirected and defensive aggression.
Because their social organization is somewhat flexible, some cats are relatively tolerant of sharing their house and territory with multiple cats. It's not uncommon for a cat to tolerate some cats, but not get along with others in the house. However, the more cats sharing the same territory, the more likely it is that some of your cats will begin fighting with each other.

When you introduce cats to each other, one of them may send "play" signals which can be misinterpreted by the other cat. If those signals are interpreted as aggression by one of the cats, then you should handle the situation as "aggressive."

The factors that determine how well cats will get along together are not fully understood. Cats that are well-socialized (they had pleasant experiences with other cats during kittenhood) will likely be more sociable than those that haven't been around many other cats. On the other hand, "street cats" that are in the habit of fighting with other cats in order to defend their territory and food resources, may not do well in a multi-cat household. Genetic factors also influence a cat's temperament, so friendly parents are probably more likely to produce friendly offspring.