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When your cat meows too much

Posted Sun, Feb 17, 2008, 11:59 pm PST

Cats quickly learn that we're a verbal species. If their subtle body language isn't getting the message across, they use the form of communication humans know best -- vocalization. Kitty meows and the owner responds.

But that arrangement can be positive or negative. For example, if your cat meows whenever she wants a meal or to go outside and you respond... then she's trained you.

If you think your cat meows too much, first figure out why she's vocalizing and how the behavior started. Here are some common reasons and how to deal with them:

Lots of vocalization may be due to medical causes. If your cat's vocalization is a recent behavior, she may be in pain, so have her checked by the veterinarian. Any change in behavior should be viewed as a red flag for an underlying medical condition.

When older cats meow at night, it may be age-related
Some older cats get disoriented when the house becomes dark and quiet. In many cases, the meowing begins to sound almost mournful. Have kitty checked by the veterinarian in case this is the start of age-related cognitive dysfunction. In addition, you can create a more senior-friendly environment by leaving lights on timers or using night-lights. You can also leave the radio on a timer.

Younger cats who meow at night may be seeking activity
Cats are crepuscular so it's not unusual for them to become more alert at dusk. Set up activities such as puzzle feeders for kitty to enjoy at night.

If your cat has trained you to respond to her incessant meows, don't reward her for unwanted behavior. Reward with praise, treats, or attention when she is quiet.

Read about some truly troubled tabbies and frustrated felines in my new book, Psycho Kitty.

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43 Comments

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1. Cat - 3:18AM on 02/18/08

My boyfriend's cat has gotten increasingly vocal since he recently moved. I was hoping this article would shed more light on this situation, but it did give me some insight. Not a bad article, but would like more info in the future.
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2. forkatte - 6:31AM on 02/18/08

My 'Fatboy" is a talker, always has been. I have learned to understand what alot of his vocalizations mean. But the best part was when I realized he was trying to tell me things. "There's no food in my dish, I want an ice cube in my water, I need to be petted, give me a treat." Now I am teaching him what words I use for what he wants, If he uses the 'treat' meow, I say 'treat', let him smell it, then repeat 'treat', and then give it to him. After not many repetitions he tried to say "treat', looking me straight in the eye. So far he uses the 'words' treat, catnip, play, love (for petting), food, ice cube, yes, no, Girl (for my other cat Little Girl. He understands more, but he tries to say these. It has stopped alot of the random vocalization he used to do, because now he tries to make me understand his meanings. He still vocalizes to LG but I think that is because she ignores him most of the time. Cat, maybe your boyfriends cat needs a little more attention, until he adjusts to his new home.
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3. abbyloulitterbox - 7:08AM on 02/18/08

My two, Abby and Lou, meow for breakfast. They have me very well trained.
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4. Kitty Lady - 7:49AM on 02/18/08

Of my three cats, only Joe is a talker. He has always been one. He will talk if he wants out, but I let him out when I want to, not when he wants. None of my cats like treats. so that doesn't work to modify behavior. It is kind of neat to hear Joe talking to Mike and Lucy at night after I've gone to bed and am reading. As soon as I turn off the light, he leaps on the bed and goes to sleep by my feet. No more talking until time to want to go out in the morning.Mike sometimes answers him, but Lucy stays mum.
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5. Rebecca S - 8:13AM on 02/18/08

Not much info here I have two office cats ( Calico) who drive me nuts meowing all day at least one of the cats do..These cats are spoiled .This artical gave me no information
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6. Lady J - 9:11AM on 02/18/08

My two use vocalization quite well. I know when to follow them, when to call out so I can be located, and when its lights out for bedtime. I also know when Samantha is displeased or when Christopher wants sympathy for being scolded by Samantha. All in all, I'd say they trained me quite well! ;^D
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7. MaineHummnbrd - 9:49AM on 02/18/08

I have an older cat "Kitty" she is about 12 years old. She recently has started meowing a "mournful" meow at night after all the lights are out and it's bedtime. Thanks for the info about older cats and the disorientation. I have since been leaving a night light on in the kitchen where her food & water bowl is.I also call out to her so she knows where I am. She seems to meow less now that she has a light and I call her. Thanks for the great information!
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8. GL B - 9:58AM on 02/18/08

the title of this book, "Psycho Kitty" has got the song "psycho killer" by the Talking Heads stuck in *my* head with a minor lyric substitution "...(don't touch me i'm a real live wire...psycho kitty, que c'est, fa-fa-far better, run run away...") I must admit that this has intensly amused me to the point of laughing out loud (I live alone btw) each time I look over at them and the looks that I am getting in return are priceless! They want me to go to rehab but I say no..no..no (yet another song that will be stuck in my head today).
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9. Jessica B - 3:19PM on 02/18/08

first of all, GLB im cracking up at your post! i often sing to my kitties to and make up words to real songs...LOL.. anyway, my oldest cat has definately become more vocal the past year or so but usually on weekend days when i'm home, she'll sit in the kitchen meowing like crazy. i try not to reward that but she is just too darn cute so i sometimes end up giving her a treat. sometimes in the early morning i hear her crying and i get up out of bed only to find her playing with a toy! i think she's going thru her second kittenhood. lol
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10. Cathy cat lover - 4:22PM on 02/18/08

Some cats are naturally more vocal, especially orange and male. He oftens meows at an open window - I guess to communicate with neighbourhood cats. My other cat is very quiet. She only meows when absolutely necessary - she purrs more often! Their personalities are very different and unique!
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11. bellonkristen - 5:04PM on 02/18/08

my cat sassy,is a meower but she's young.i've spoiled her.she is so cute she's hard to resist.i can't help but spoil her.she's the cutest cat i ever had.THANKS FOR THE GREAT TIPS
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12. gmckerlie - 7:42AM on 02/19/08

with the multitude of cats in my house, mine and fosters there is always one that is the complainer. But right now, I have a little breed girl who is in heat and she is driving everyone crazy even the fixed boys are following her around as she runs around complaining
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13. Katt - 8:41AM on 02/19/08

My cat will sit by the fridge and meow for a treat when I get home from work... but she didn't start the meowing until we were well until this routine. I think she's just excited because she knows what's coming. Also, she does wake up early in the morning (around 4 or 5), but she just sits on my night stand looking at me until I wake up. When I do wake up, she knows it's ok to climb on the bed and cuddle. I wake up frequently anyway, so I'm always happy to see her sitting there.
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14. James - 10:27AM on 02/19/08

My cat, Misty, has become increasingly vocal with age. She's 7 yrs old now. It used to be she would mew just to show me something or make sure I was watching. Now she loves to talk back to me and gets quite sassy every now and then. She has probably learned I find it quite amusing when she talks and now gets really expressive about what she wants. It's pretty cute.
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15. MM - 11:21AM on 02/19/08

I have two Siamese... as good as the article was.. nothing explains 'Meezers! :)
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16. Sharon L - 3:23PM on 02/19/08

My kitties are talkers when its time for breakfast. I don't mind it until its daylight savings time and they wake me up an hour early for a few weeks.
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17. Meredith - 3:59PM on 02/19/08

MM siamese are known for being extra vocal. There is no stopping them.
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18. Jeff - 4:53PM on 02/19/08

I just want to put my two cents in. My cat is a Chatty Cathy and I love it! I wouldn't have it any other way. She tells me things you'd never hear a "regular" kitty say, such as she "talks smack" when we're playing, challenging me, or whenever I'm in the shower, she stands on the commode and seems to be asking if I'm okay, as if the concept of dousing oneself with water is downright painful. Well, I guess for a cat, it is. She also understands some "people words", but I think a lot of that is contextual.
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19. ddnyteskye - 5:59PM on 02/19/08

My Kitty is has a pretty good vocabulary, too, Jeff. We vocalize to each other, and carry on conversations. I can be in another room and know what she's doing by what she's saying. She's very curious and lets the comments fly.
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20. Catherine Morck '90 - 11:22PM on 02/19/08

One of my cats is a huge 18 lb. cat named Teddy. He loves to chat and tell me about his day. It doesn't matter if you speak English to him or meow back. He is a neutered male which is the kind of cat that "talks" the most. I call him my howling beast.
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21. Hector - 11:00AM on 02/20/08

I recently adopted a 2 year old male cat from a local shelter,,,,,,BradleyBoy. He is very vocal,,,especially when I come home from work or first get up in the morning. Mostly I think he just wants a big hug of reassurance,,,that he's not going to be left anywhere again.
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22. Marlene - 12:30PM on 02/20/08

Our male tabby, an only, is an indoor cat -- 9 yrs old. He's used to being inside but we can tell he'd rather be outdoors at times. When he's bored, he meows with real intensity, telling us "I'm bored I want to go out you won't let me so play with me or something!!!" We've found the best remedy -- catnip! We put a spoonful on his perch for him and he's a happy kitty. And he quiets down.
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23. wantu2call - 2:49PM on 02/20/08

Our outside cat that adopted us last year tells us when the dog is hungery. I also found that it liked to be petted.
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24. staceysrad - 4:35PM on 02/20/08

I talk to all three of my cats. I have two boys and a girl. We just recently moved and while the oldest of the cats has seemed to adjust really well, (chasing his tail and attacking the carpet in play mode), his son my second oldest cat (7) seems to be really aggitated. He keeps walking around the hosue meowing. He makes eye contact with me, then meows and his eyes kinda wander but my the end of the meow he is looking me dead in the face again. I know this cat so well as I helped him be born. All of my cats have always talked to me, but these two seems to talk the most. I am having a hard time figuring out why my 7 year old boy won't stop wailing and why he is so aggitated. My girl cat had adapted great as well. We have only been there 4 days but they are already going out back and coming right back into safety. My girl cat yells at me when she wants anything. Mostly to go OUT! But this morning is was because she wanted to come IN, (it was rainging and I couldn't get her in before I went to sleep), needless to say....she was pissed. But I really am worried about my 7 year old. I want him to be happy not filled with anxiety which I can sense in him now. It's killing me. I might try the catnip trick that was talked about in another post. Maybe I think he wants extra activity as he really doesn't like being outside much. I think he is depressed.
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25. Mare - 5:26PM on 02/20/08

I love when cats 'talk' to us. I have 2 older indoor/outdoor cats and one 2 year old indoor little boy. If the outdoor cats have been out for more then 15 minutes, the baby cries and will not stop until I get the other 2 inside. He also stands by his toy box and meows when he wants me to play with his toys and him. I just say the word 'treat' and they all run over to the cabinet and sit and wait.
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26. kittycatangel973 - 7:17PM on 02/20/08

My baby girl Pixel has learned to meow this sweet little meow when someone sneezes. I think I trained her to do this accidently when she was a kitten with a cold and I would say "bless you" everytime she sneezed. It's actually quite endearing.
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27. princessgillibean07 - 8:40AM on 02/21/08

My cat is hilarious...she meows alot when our dog leaves the room! When i get ready for work she follows me out of the bedroom to see what i am doing, but i close the bedroom door so i don't disturb my bf. When she realizes Rusty (bf's dog) is still sleeping in the bedroom, she sits at the door and cries til she goes back in. When Rusty is being taken out to do his business, she sits at the front window and cries until he comes back! She loves her big brother!
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28. Jeff - 4:07PM on 02/21/08

Dear KittyCatAngel: Your cat's name is Pixel? That is very neat. Does she walk through walls? (I hope that makes sense to you!)
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29. Dandelion - 9:49AM on 02/22/08

Hearing loss can also cause a cat to meow more. Some older cats will meow as loudly as they can to make sure they still have a voice. Also, general anxiety or stress caused by moving or other life changes. Kittens meow to call Mom to them if they get lost, and anxious adult cats might revert back to that behavior if they feel insecure about their environment.
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30. l.mikrut - 11:43AM on 02/22/08

I have 2 cats, they are somewhere around 11yrs old. Only one of my cats (the female) is very vocal. Her and I will have meow contests to see who is louder. We all recently moved to a 2 bedroom apartment in another state even and my second bedroom is being used as a storage room for now. I even closed the air vent off and keep the door closed. But for some reason my girl kitty will sit in the middle of the hallway between the 2 rooms and meows her head off. So I have to leave the door open a crack to make her happy. And then once in a while at night she will either sit in the hallway and meow or sit in front of my bedroom doorway and meows. She will even sit in front of the open second bedroom door and meows. I find this to be strange behavior, she never acted like that before at our previous house. We have only lived in this apartment for 4 months now and I think she is well adjusted. Someone mentioned to me that maybe she is seeing ghosts or something. What do you all think? I have not seen or heard any kinda ghosts yet so I dunno what to do about this.
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