Major Cat Problems Number 2?

Question

I live in a dorm room with a roommate and we reciently got a kitten. She's about 6 weeks old and is very good, most of the time.

The problem is that cats, or animals in general except fish, are illegal in the dorm rooms and Kodi (that's her name) won't stop meowing.

Any ideas on how to keep her quiet/ how to hide her?

I wrote a question about this earlier and only recieved ugly comments and nasty hints about how terrible my roommate and I are and how we are mean, almost homicidal people who are torturing our cat in the middle of the night.

Truth: we both are experianced cat people and just need some advice about inside cats.

Please only answer this if you have constructive advice. Thankyou.

Answer 1

She is really young to be away from her litter and she may be meowing to try and find mom or because she is distressed and confused in general. She could just be more talkative but, at this age and if she is left alone for long stretches of time, she is probably anxious.

You can try getting her on your schedule. She is awake and active when you are home and asleep when you are gone. Before you go, play with her actively to tire her out and then put down her food so she will eat and then sleep. I would warm up her food to also encourage sleep.

Instead of a hot water bottle that becomes cold, I would look at the pad you put into the microwave to heat up. I would tuck that under a blanket and put the whole thing into a box tipped sideways so it feels very warm and secure. Hopefully she will sleep until you come home.

You can put on some music to hide her talking in general. I would invest in several things that she can climb up on to give her more space to play. Some people put together a heavy rope climbing wall for cats in small spaces and a shelf up above to climb onto.

She will want to sit in the window so I would put something on the window like decorative cling film so she can peek out but is not that visible from the outside.

Answer 2

Make sure she's got everything she needs. Food, water, litter, and entertainment.

I kept a cat "illegally" in a small apartment for a year, and I know she'd get lonely and cry when I was at work or school. Just make sure that she has plenty of toys. Something like one of those donut-shaped things with the ball inside would be good, because it's perfect for kitty to play with when she's alone. Plus a feather-on-a-stick toy is perfect for when she gets noisy when you are around, because no cat can resist a moving feather.

Also, when you're away, you may want to leave a TV or radio on so there's a little noise in the room so she won't feel quite so alone.

Oh yeah--whenever my apartment manager would come by, I'd lure my kitty into the bathroom with Pounce treats, and spread a bunch of them around the room so it'd take her a little while to eat them, and not come out or start meowing before the manager left. And Pounce treats are perfect because cats learn the sound of the shaking container of them VERY quickly and will come running the second they hear it.

And as mentioned, some cats are more talkative than others. If your cat is just a talker, the best thing you can do at this point is to NOT talk back to her when she's "talking" to you. It encourages the behavior. So if she's crying because she needs something, of course you should give it to her, but if she's just meowing cuz she likes the sound of her own voice, turn up your music and ignore her.

Good luck!

Answer 3

The only way to stop her meowing is to stop the REASON she is meowing. She meows because she wants or needs something. She wants food or attention. She's probably very lonely when you go out. She's bored from living in such a small space.

Sorry to say, but unless one of you is with her at all times, she will probably continue to cry. I don't think 'hiding' a cat in a dorm is a good idea -- or even possible. Think about it -- what will happen if you get caught? You will have to give her up, right? Won't that be hard on HER? I'm sure you both love her, so try to think about what's good for HER -- maybe finding a better home for her now, while she's young enough to adjust quickly, is best.

Answer 4

I have had cats all my life and most of them never meowed at all. but I think that was because I was home so much. I always left food and water out all the time and made sure that there was always food in the bowl. I made sure there were plenty of toys to play with too because a cat does tend to get bored with no one there. A cat scratcher is a must too. Make sure you have a place for the kitten to hide out so it is not scared and this will help with the meowing. Turn on the TV or radio if you are out. TV is the best since cats do tend to watch it at times. And other then that I do not know what to tell you because a cat will meow. Sure hope you don't get caught though. To bad they do not understand that having a pet no matter where you are is a pleasure.

Answer 5

(2. will the cat come back) Well it all depends on how long you have had the cat. If you recently got it maybe a couple weeks ago, it might not come back because it is still trying to get comfortable with you. (3. do cats freeze) Cats can find a way to keep warm with thier instincts. Trust me, a cat won't freeze. (1. can a cat survive if it is declawed) Yes, it most likely will, but it would've probably been better if you didn't declaw it. (4. what will make a cat come back) Unfortunatley, you can't really make a cat come back, as it could be far off by now. If it is hungry, and you are the one feeding it, I'm sure it will come back in time. Good luck!

Answer 6

There are two things going on here. Your kitten is lonely and your kitten wants attention. Not just cuddling but play time and that sort of thing.
Do you play with your kitten? This is a must do when they are young. Also, get your kitten a few toys to play with when you guys are gone. This is the only way to burn up some of that pent up energy your kitten has all stored up inside.
Second and most importantly. Like the Beatles said,"All you need is love". Same goes for kittens. This isn't easy but try to keep your kitten in your arms or beside you or on top of you or where ever from the moment you get home. This will ensure the kitten that it is safe and all is well.
Having said all that you need to know it'll take time for kitty to calm down. Be patient. Something tells me that if someone was going to complain about your kitten they would have done it by now.

Meow!

Answer 7

I have learnt some cats are just meowers.

I can sit there and "talk" to my cat. When she hears my voice, more so when I am directing it towards her, she will just start and not shut up until I stop responding. She has all sorts of cries, noises and purrs, I know her hungry one as its louder and more of a "yowl" and her cries for attention are short little kind of yappy noises.

It's quite amusing and the people from the refuge I got her from warned me she was a "talker"

Maybe your kitten is just asking for attention and so the important thing would be to keep it occupied. Keeping other noise in the room could be a good idea, and cats do watch tv so it could be a good distraction for her.

But then again maybe she could just a "talker" to.....

Goodluck but I also have to say, are you sure this the best sitch for her and for you guys? I keep my kitty indoors so I am not against yours being kept inside, but if she gets found etc it could be hard on her. Have you thought of talking to someone in authority and see if you can like "apply" to keep her there, I know in Australia renters ( slightly different situation i know) who wish to keep pets in no pet places have started making applications for their pets, outlining their pets behaviour traits, its training/obedience and showing how much of a responsible owner you are.

Goodluck with it all.

Answer 8

I was in a similar situation with an apartment. The kitty is not happy, she wants out and will only stop with time getting used to her new enviroment. I know its hard and you want a cat but you'll have plenty of time later in life to have animals.

Answer 9

make sure food and water out,plenty of toys,scratch post to sit on,she only little ,try warm bottle wrapped in towel near her,she might think near her mum,kittens dont usually leave mums till 8 weeks,so she is tiny

Answer 10

Only pay attention to her when she's quiet.

Get a squirt bottle that sprays a stream of water. (not the "mist" kind)
When she's loud, squirt her in the face.

Seems mean, but if she wants to keep her home, she must be silent. This is the best way to teach her.