please help my 10 yr old cat (neutered) meows all the time and keeps my whole family awake at night?

Question

we found him 3 mons ago and he is a great pet except for this.he "crys" for his canned food every 3 hours around the clock(dry food out all the time)now thats it nice out he crys to go outside allmost all the time.we are limited to what we can do as we live in a condo(no basment) and can't really let him out as we are close to the road.the vet said hes in good health(teeth too) i think hes just spolied as i feed him whenever he crys to keep him quiet(about 2-3 times in the night) what can i do to brake him of this habbit so we and our neighbors can sleep at night?

Answer 1

firstly you must understand that you created this behavior..you reward him every time he behaves badly by feeding him special food.
close your door at night, get some ear muffs, ear plugs, whatever..or put him in a bathroom with litter box water and food at night, and leave him in there...eventually he'll realize (it may take a while, cats aren't as quick to break bad habits as dogs are) but by no means feed him his fancy food when he crys..if you must feed him the fancy food, give it to him ONLY when he's being quiet.
good luck

Answer 2

Stop feeding him on demand. If he always gets what he wants, what's to stop him?

Set up a specific time during the day he gets his food and stick to it. Another option is to set up two times, giving him half of his food each time (such as before you go to work/school, and again when you return to bed).

If he starts crying at night for more food, get a squirt gun, put some water in it with a few drops of vinegar, and shoot him a couple times. If he whines again, do it again. It'll take a few days before he stops, but he'll eventually make the connection.

Also, feel free to let him out when you're around and can keep an eye on him. If you're living in a condo, he may simply not have enough room to run around, release some extra energy, explore some new places, and just stretch his legs in general.

Answer 3

Colleen, I do believe Michelle said the animal had been seen by a vet.

I would certainly think this cat is an outdoor cat at heart, and until he goes outside I'm not sure he will stop meowing. I don't know how you can marry this with your housing situation I'm afraid. Is it a busy road? Many cats will not roam far (unless unneutered) - many just stick to the back garden. Please don't shove food at him all the time to shut him up, you'll quickly end up with an obese cat that will be even more unhappy!

Chalice

Answer 4

take him to the vet and have blood and urine checks. i adopted a stray who began to increase her cries at night. eventually discovered that her bladder was producing high ph and had crystals that were causing her much discomfort. we treated it with antibiotics and a change in food. as soon as she was feeling better, she no longer howled at night except when she was carrying around a toy and wanted to play. i'm not suggesting that this is what is wrong with your cat, but rather suggesting that illness is not always readily apparent. pick a good vet on recommendation from a friend with a healthy pet. feel free to "interview" vets to pick one you feel comfortable with. good luck and i hope things get better for you soon.

Answer 5

Why haven't you taken this poor thing to the vet? He could be crying for many reasons one of them being he could be in pain, or he could be ill. Shoving food at him isn't going to fix any of that. If a child were crying all night would you do nothing but shove food at them? Or would you take them to a doctor to find the source of the crying? Do so with this poor feline.

Answer 6

Sorry but it sounds like he is very spoiled. You may just have to cater to him or you might be able to teach him to be quiet using the water spray method with accompanying command to hush. Good luck.

Answer 7

put him in the room where his litter box is or the kennel for the night. he may even want to sleep with you.