What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

For the past two weeks or so, my cat has been spending maybe a third of her waking time wandering around my apartment, meowing pathetically constantly. Obviously I'd like to figure out what the problem is, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd be very much obliged. Here's what I know:
-The cat is a little over one year old, female, fixed.
-She'll meow even when she has food, water, and a clean litter box.
-When she's in a meowing mood, she's not interested in affection or play, although she'll sometimes be distracted if I vigorously shake her favorite lure.
-Sometimes she'll fixate on the main door of my apartment or the door to the closet where her food is kept. She will scratch at the door or sometimes leap at it. She keeps doing this even though I spray her with a squirt gun almost every time she does.
-I thought she might just be lonely, so I took her to my gf's apartment. She has an older female cat (who strongly dislikes my cat FWIW). She tries to play with gf's cat at about the same frequency as she has in the past, but she's still meowing a lot.
-I bought her some new toys and a harness/leash so I could let her explore a bit in the halls and outside. She seems to like that OK, but again, no end to the meowing.
-She almost never does this when I'm asleep, although she frequently will if I'm in bed reading.

Again, if anyone has any advice, it would be very helpful. I'm starting to worry that my cat is suicidally depressed, plus the meowing seriously impairs my ability to get stuff done at home.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

She could be lonely. Are you willing to have another cat, (it is generally better to have two)? If you did get another cat it would probably need to be a younger male to max. chances of them getting along. She also could just be a meower. What kind of cat is she?

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/3687/fail1ti6.jpg

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
She could be lonely. Are you willing to have another cat, (it is generally better to have two)? If you did get another cat it would probably need to be a younger male to max. chances of them getting along. She also could just be a meower. What kind of cat is she?

[/ QUOTE ]

She's a generic shelter cat. The boredom hypothesis makes sense, because she's really hyperactive (scampering around the apartment at full speed, occasionally letting out loud meows and leaping at walls. but she seems to enjoy that), but what does she want to do? I've thought about a second cat, and I'd get one if it was absolutely necessary, but probably not otherwise.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

i have a cat i truly adore she is female about 8 years old. She has always had a tough time getting along with other cats when i had a few in my home. Is it possible she just wants to be alone??

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

cats are like people in many ways yo. do you think you can sum up your sociality as either "lonely" or "wanting to be alone"?

anyway, just keep doing stuff with your cat that it enjoys, especially outside and such. try to figure out what makes it happy. seriously it shouldn't be too hard to figure out what the problem is if you really put your mind to it.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

Bob,

I wouldn't worry about it too much, unless it's happening like ten hours out of the day. We have two cats that get along really well and probably play/fight for about a half hour a day (maybe more when we're at work). Still, one of them goes through these weird spells where he'll just make these pathetic sounding half meows at nothing. I'll look at him and call his name to distract him. He'll look at me for two seconds and then continue doing it.

The thing with the closet door has little to do with food, I think. I've had a few cats, and every single one is always interested on whatever's in the other side of a closed door.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

Meowing doesn't necessarily mean that the cat is sick, but if she is acting odd, something is probably going on. The boredom hypothesis doesn't seem to make sense since you said when she is meowing she isn't interesting playing.

Is she eating normally?
Having normal bowel movements and urinating regularly?
Any vomiting, diarrhea, etc. etc.?
Has anything in the apartment changed lately?

If she wasn't fixed properly its possible she could be going into heat, but you likely wouldn't describe those vocalizations as meowing, she'd also be arching her @ss in the air and the like.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

I have two cats and one of them meows weirdly occasionally, but not nearly as much as you describe. My first concern would be that she's actually ill or hurt in some way, so I'd take her to the vet. Barring that, try getting her some new toys, pay extra attention to her, etc. My cat does this sometimes when there's an animal outside, perhaps a neighbor has a new pet. Or maybe there's a mouse in a wall somewhere. Good luck.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

Found by searching for "cat meowing all the time"

[ QUOTE ]
Dear Gwen,

Why does my cat meow all the time? My vet says she is healthy.
Worried in Contra Costa


Dear Worried,

The single most common reason a cat will meow excessively is because she has been trained to do so. Kitty has learned that all she has to do is meow and she gets whatever she wants - food, attention, affection. Often, what starts out as a demand for attention soon becomes a self-reinforcing habit. Now kitty will meow all day just for the fun of it. This situation becomes even worse if the cat is lonely or bored. The first step in breaking this habit is to exercise your cat daily with active play sessions. Don't expect kitty to exercise herself. Many cats will swat at a ping-pong ball or a catnip mouse once or twice then lose interest. You must get involved in the game. Tie a string to the mouse and pull it slowly, temptingly and repeatedly across the floor.

Secondly, pay attention to kitty and give her what ever she wants, but ONLY when she is quiet. Ignore her whenever she begins her vocal blackmail. Don't give in. Each time you give in to your cat's verbal demands, you are teaching her to meow even more. If you wait until your cat is quiet, she will soon learn to associate silence with rewards. Some cats enjoy talking and some owners enjoy their cat's chatting to them. But if you want a few moments of peace, you can teach your cat to be quiet on request. Gently ask kitty to "Shush." If the cat ignores you, immediately shout, "BE QUIET!" or squirt her in the face with water once or twice. After a few repetitions, kitty will get the idea and obey the gentle request of "Shush," rather than get screamed at or doused with water.

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

probably wants a [censored].

has it been neutered/spade? cos some female cats (esp. siamese) get really really tiresome when on heat, basically as you describe.

Also, you americans seem really wierd with cats: All the americans I have spokent to treat them as "house pets". Over here, everyone has a cat flap. My cats are free to come & go as they please, which works really well.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
For the past two weeks or so, my cat has been spending maybe a third of her waking time wandering around my apartment, meowing pathetically constantly. Obviously I'd like to figure out what the problem is, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd be very much obliged. Here's what I know:
-The cat is a little over one year old, female, fixed.
-She'll meow even when she has food, water, and a clean litter box.
-When she's in a meowing mood, she's not interested in affection or play, although she'll sometimes be distracted if I vigorously shake her favorite lure.
-Sometimes she'll fixate on the main door of my apartment or the door to the closet where her food is kept. She will scratch at the door or sometimes leap at it. She keeps doing this even though I spray her with a squirt gun almost every time she does.
-I thought she might just be lonely, so I took her to my gf's apartment. She has an older female cat (who strongly dislikes my cat FWIW). She tries to play with gf's cat at about the same frequency as she has in the past, but she's still meowing a lot.
-I bought her some new toys and a harness/leash so I could let her explore a bit in the halls and outside. She seems to like that OK, but again, no end to the meowing.
-She almost never does this when I'm asleep, although she frequently will if I'm in bed reading.

Again, if anyone has any advice, it would be very helpful. I'm starting to worry that my cat is suicidally depressed, plus the meowing seriously impairs my ability to get stuff done at home.

[/ QUOTE ]
Your cat is in heat
I've had tons of cats in my life. This almost always means they're in heat.

After going through 20-30 cats in my lifetime and 1 dog - I can confidently say that cats are absolutely worthless and dont give a flying [censored] about their owners.

Get rid of your cat. Get a dog. It learns, it loves you, and its got a personality.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
But if you want a few moments of peace, you can teach your cat to be quiet on request. Gently ask kitty to "Shush." If the cat ignores you, immediately shout, "BE QUIET!" or squirt her in the face with water once or twice. After a few repetitions, kitty will get the idea and obey the gentle request of "Shush," rather than get screamed at or doused with water.

[/ QUOTE ]

For future parents, I just wanted to point out that this works with toddlers too.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
But if you want a few moments of peace, you can teach your cat to be quiet on request. Gently ask kitty to "Shush." If the cat ignores you, immediately shout, "BE QUIET!" or squirt her in the face with water once or twice. After a few repetitions, kitty will get the idea and obey the gentle request of "Shush," rather than get screamed at or doused with water.

[/ QUOTE ]

For future parents, I just wanted to point out that this works with toddlers too.

[/ QUOTE ]

Does not work on a cat in heat.
It forgets what the [censored] just happened and continues to meow for a tom cat.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
For the past two weeks or so, my cat has been spending maybe a third of her waking time wandering around my apartment, meowing pathetically constantly. Obviously I'd like to figure out what the problem is, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd be very much obliged. Here's what I know:
-The cat is a little over one year old, female, fixed.


[/ QUOTE ]
Your cat is in heat
I've had tons of cats in my life. This almost always means they're in heat.

After going through 20-30 cats in my lifetime and 1 dog - I can confidently say that cats are absolutely worthless and dont give a flying [censored] about their owners.

Get rid of your cat. Get a dog. It learns, it loves you, and its got a personality.

[/ QUOTE ]

Your diagnosis seems spot-on. Excellent work.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

bobman,

What did you end up naming your cat btw?

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

Either your cat has part of a breed that is a meower, (Siamese just vocalize alot, all the time, as do some other breeds), but from your description of her behavior I think she is bored. Especially because she tries to socialize with your g.f.'s cat who repeated rebuffs it.

I suggest one, get a cat tree, that has at least three levels, the bigger the better. This will give her better play space for herself so she will not bore so easily. Two, try to have more active play time with your cat. Then, if she is still really seeming unhappy, she is probably just a more active, social cat, and would be happier with a companion. A younger cat of the opposite sex is always easier to socialize with your current cat. Good luck.

P.S., If worse comes to worse, two cats isn't really much harder than one.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

Is it a realy meow like she is sick or hurt, or is it more like she likes the sound of her own voice? I've had cats that just talk a lot and you could have one.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
For the past two weeks or so, my cat has been spending maybe a third of her waking time wandering around my apartment, meowing pathetically constantly. Obviously I'd like to figure out what the problem is, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'd be very much obliged. Here's what I know:
-The cat is a little over one year old, female, fixed.


[/ QUOTE ]
Your cat is in heat
I've had tons of cats in my life. This almost always means they're in heat.

After going through 20-30 cats in my lifetime and 1 dog - I can confidently say that cats are absolutely worthless and dont give a flying [censored] about their owners.

Get rid of your cat. Get a dog. It learns, it loves you, and its got a personality.

[/ QUOTE ]

Your diagnosis seems spot-on. Excellent work.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ty for the sarcasm - you're obviously a cat owner.

Fixed cats still go into heat.

Doesnt matter if they can have babies or not.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
After going through 20-30 cats in my lifetime

[/ QUOTE ]

20 to 30 cats? Are you eating them or something?

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
After going through 20-30 cats in my lifetime

[/ QUOTE ]

20 to 30 cats? Are you eating them or something?

[/ QUOTE ]
Had 3-5 at a time since I was 5 years old.
And lived in California for most of that time.

Basically we were a meals-on-paws service for the coyotes.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

Belok,

I honestly can't understand how a cat owner could possibly be spouting the "cats have no personality" drivel. It is my hypothesis that you had tons of cats at a time, treated them like crap, and left them outside to be coyote-fodder. Thus, the cats didn't want to give you the time of day. Because you suck, you know?

Just a theory.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
After going through 20-30 cats in my lifetime

[/ QUOTE ]

20 to 30 cats? Are you eating them or something?

[/ QUOTE ]
Had 3-5 at a time since I was 5 years old.
And lived in California for most of that time.

Basically we were a meals-on-paws service for the coyotes.

[/ QUOTE ]

When I was young we went through quite a few cats, too (also lived in the country). Domesticated cats don't really have very good survival instincts. I think my girlfriend's cat would last about 1 day outside the apartment.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

You need to give her some exercise like the quote in esad's post says and you need to involve yourself to make it challenging for her or else she's going to bore of it pretty fast. For some reason my cat doesn't really like those ringing toy balls you can buy at the store, she much rather play with a ball made of tightly bound saran wrap. So we've made a bunch of those and now theres maybe 20 of them around the house under couches and stuff. Make the ball (the noise sets her off), tease a little by pretending to throw and crunching to make noise, throw, she gives chase, rinse and repeat. Another thing I like to do, not sure how much my cat likes it is to have her do pullups on a door. The door opens to the kitchen where it is stopped by the counter, hold her midsection up high, she grabs with her front two and gets to the top, jumps onto the counter, rinse repeat.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

Signs of heat
include continuous meowing, rubbing, arching back, tail flicking, rolling on
the ground, aggression, etc. Signs of heat can last up to two weeks.

She can't be in heat this whole time. Either she is a talker, she is lonely and bored, or is sick. His description does not sound like a sick cat. The fact that she is so active and tries hard to socialize with the only available companion cat makes me believe that she is just a very active cat who does really have enough to do in the apartment. Getting her a good cat tree may give her enough play space to get her to settle down more, and eventually as she ages this will stop, but not for a long time probably. I still think you will probably need to get another cat. By the way, younger doesn't need to mean kitten, just an adolescent.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

Thanks for all the advice!

It seems unlikely that she's in heat. She's not doing the butt-arching, and her behavior isn't the same as the last time she was in heat, before she was fixed.

The general consensus seems to be to play more often with her, as actively as possible. Does anyone have any thoughts on this:
[ QUOTE ]
But if you want a few moments of peace, you can teach your cat to be quiet on request. Gently ask kitty to "Shush." If the cat ignores you, immediately shout, "BE QUIET!" or squirt her in the face with water once or twice. After a few repetitions, kitty will get the idea and obey the gentle request of "Shush," rather than get screamed at or doused with water.

[/ QUOTE ]

Finally, if I do get a second cat, what can I do to make sure they get along? My cat (Medea, btw) and my gf's cat got off on the wrong foot because she's really play-aggressive and decided to jump on the other cat a very short time after they were introduced. Should I just find as playful a second cat as possible and keep them separated for a while so they can get used to each other's scents?

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

When I introduced a second cat into my house I kept them totally separate for a while and slowly, slowly, introduced them to each other. One is much older than the other, they're both female. The older one HATED the younger one for a long time, and the best she ever does is tolerate the younger one. Once a day or so the older one just beats the living [censored] out of the younger one, just for kicks.

I do think it's kind of nice for them to have each other when we're not in the house, but I think the only way you can know they'll be friends is if they're siblings.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Belok,

I honestly can't understand how a cat owner could possibly be spouting the "cats have no personality" drivel. It is my hypothesis that you had tons of cats at a time, treated them like crap, and left them outside to be coyote-fodder. Thus, the cats didn't want to give you the time of day. Because you suck, you know?

Just a theory.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nice theory.

I had 2 indoor cats who are about 10 years old now...we gave them away a year ago because they were just a pain in the ass and not worth the effort. We treated them well, they were spoiled little turds who did nothing but shed all over our house.

Our outdoor cats, however, were the best behaved and at least served a purpose. They were nice to us when we went outside to pet them. They'd catch a bird or snake every now and then, keep rodents away from the house, etc. They were useful and they were friendly. Unfortunately, they were also the most likely to be eaten by Coyotes. When you live away from town and have cats that roam, you really cant avoid this happening.

We never treated our animals badly.



My dog (still a puppy, really), however, at 6 months old knows about 10 obedience commands, actually shows -emotion-, will fetch, walk, swim and float on a raft with us, etc. Not only that, but it is very attached to my GF and I, who raised her.

Ever try to teach a cat to sit? It will stare at you blankly until it realizes you dont have food/wont pet it and then it leaves. At best, your cat likes you to be around, and is dependent on your food.

An outside cat is alright as an accessory. An indoor cat is a waste of time.

A dog is a good pet [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

Sounds to me like the cat is in heat, but a vet check can't hurt. Gotta say, I have both cats and dogs, and they are all affectionate.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

Dogs are good pets for sure but there are also downsides - for instance you can go away for the weekend and just give your cat enough food and water, but with a dog you pretty much have to take it with you or else board it somewhere.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Dogs are good pets for sure but there are also downsides - for instance you can go away for the weekend and just give your cat enough food and water, but with a dog you pretty much have to take it with you or else board it somewhere.

[/ QUOTE ]

Main reason I got a cat. Also, my cat is extremely playful and really dog-like. He loves to fight really hard to the point of me bleeding, can literally jump 6', is extremely affectionate when not beating the [censored] out of me and all around is one of the coolest cats any of my friends have ever seen. Granted, I got really lucky w/ this crazy awesome cat, but to group all cats together and say all cats are worthless so you should get a dog is ridiculous.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

It sounds like she is in heat to me too. Is it possible the "fixing" was botched? I would get her checked by a vet just in case. Aside from that there are lots of great suggestions on this thread.

Some people like cats better and some like dogs, if you treat your pets well it doesn't really matter which you preffer.

To the guy who says cats are worthless, well, I hope you don't decide to discard your dog (or kids!) after 10 years. Sure sounds like you love your puppy now though, I hope he makes it or you find him a good home once he's "outgrown" his cuteness.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I have both cats and dogs, and they are all affectionate.

[/ QUOTE ]

The difference is that dogs are affectionate because they like you and cats are affectionate because they think you will give them something if they pretend to be affectionate. Cats are opportunists. People who think they are affectionate are marks.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I have both cats and dogs, and they are all affectionate.

[/ QUOTE ]

The difference is that dogs are affectionate because they like you and cats are affectionate because they think you will give them something if they pretend to be affectionate. Cats are opportunists. People who think they are affectionate are marks.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dogs like EVERYONE, not just you. I mean, I love dogs too, but my cats are much more discriminating in their affection. Yes, you can make the argument that this is because I feed them, but you could probably make the same argument about my daughter as well.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
I do think it's kind of nice for them to have each other when we're not in the house, but I think the only way you can know they'll be friends is if they're siblings.

[/ QUOTE ]
Siblings are definitely easier to socialize with each other, but other cats will get along, too, given time. Two examples: I had a cat for a couple years before my parents got one. I brought the cat home for a summer, and within two days they were best friends, running around and fighting with each other all day. Every summer I'd bring Chewy home, and they'd fall right back into the same groove. When I graduated college, I moved into an apartment that didn't allow pets, so I left Chewy with my parents for the year (they lived closeby). When I finally moved into an apartment that allowed pets, the two cats were so close, it seemed wrong to separate them...

So onto my next and current cat, Ming the Merciless. I took him out of the shelter straight into an apartment with my gf's surly cat. My gf's cat hissed at Ming for a while, and became so uncomfortable that he started pissing all over the place. After a few weeks he tolerated Ming. A few more and they were playing. Now, 1 1/2 years later, they get along great.

It's definitely possible to make cats get along. I've heard that male/male or male/female works best, and to avoid female/female at all costs. Both of these examples were male/male.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

It's highly unlikely it is in heat unless it wasn't fixed correctly.

Belok, you are pretty wrong every time you posted in this thread. We are sorry that cats don't like you though. Apparently they are a good judge of character.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
It's highly unlikely it is in heat unless it wasn't fixed correctly.

Belok, you are pretty wrong every time you posted in this thread. We are sorry that cats don't like you though. Apparently they are a good judge of character.

[/ QUOTE ]
To take any universal statement made on a message board literally is a bit extreme... It was obviously just my opinion.

Maybe his cat isn't in heat, I could be wrong about that - but I'm just saying after all of my cat experience, when they meow excessively for no reason, spade or not, they want a tom cat. Sure maybe his case is different.

Judge of character? I just expressed my opinion of dogs over cats. I take good care of all of my animals. Even my cats. And sure I liked them while they were around (and they liked me). But I don't miss a single one of them.

Sorry to offend all you cat-lovers out there.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

[ QUOTE ]
To the guy who says cats are worthless, well, I hope you don't decide to discard your dog (or kids!) after 10 years. Sure sounds like you love your puppy now though, I hope he makes it or you find him a good home once he's "outgrown" his cuteness.

[/ QUOTE ]
I plan on discarding my kids once they reach 13 and start thinking they're smarter than me.
Anybody know of a good kennel?

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

If you are going to introduce another cat, it is always better to get a cat of the opposite sex who is younger, preferably not a full grown cat. That way the cat who lives there now will be dominant at first, and won't feel displaced. You should introduce them slowly, over a week or so. Put the new cat in just one room, and just let them sniff each other. Then let them in the same room for very short periods, increasing in duration and frequency. In a week they should be fine. I think that advice on the meowing cat is bad. You should only spray water or yell at your cat when you really have to, not all the time. Current cat training has you spray right next to the cat, not on the cat, and stresses the importance of the cat not associating you with the water. Unless you are talking to this cat, or stop what you are doing to reward the meowing behavior, the cat is just bored. Ignore the cat, play with her more otherwise, get her a cat tree, highly vet recommended, esp. for active cats in smaller indoor enviroments. This may work, and then you won't have to get the second cat, although I think it would be nice, she seems lonely.

Any type of attention or response to a cat's meowing or talking, is a reward for the cat. Scolding, yelling, or shushing can equal reward times three. The best way to discourage the behaviour is to give no reaction when it meows and EXTRA attention and reaction when it's quiet.

Re: What\'s wrong with my cat?
 

http://www.andreaharner.com/archives/pet.jpg