Get a Cat to Stop Meowing

Cats meow to say hello, call attention to a problem, indicate disapproval or pain, or request attention. It's up to you to recognize when the meow might be important, and to do a quick check for empty water bowls and other problems. As many cat owners know, however, an obnoxious meow can also be a plea for extra food or attention. Come up with a plan that meets the cat's needs without teaching it that an opera of yowling leads to the result it wants. Keep in mind that retraining your cat can take a while, and that certain breeds such as Siamese tend to be vocal even at the best of times.[1]

Steps

Reducing Food-Related Meowing

  1. Stick to a feeding routine. Cats often meow to beg for food. If you respond to the noise, the cat learns that this is effective. Feed the cat on a strict schedule instead of waiting for a vocal reminder.[2]
    • Most healthy adult cats do fine with one or two meals per day, but may be happier with more frequent, smaller meals.[3] Kittens under six months old need at least three meals a day.[4]
    • This only applies to food, not water. Cats need access to clean drinking water at all times of day and night.
  2. Do not respond to begging. This takes patience, since your pet's first response will often be to meow even more. It's important to let this behavior play itself out without acknowledging it, not even in a negative way.[5] Eventually, the cat will learn that meowing no longer works as a way to get your attention.
    • If it's approaching mealtime and the cat starts to meow, move to another room and shut the door. Come out when the cat stops meowing to fill the food bowl.
    • Some cats meow in the morning because they associate you getting up with their morning meal. Wait at least ten minutes after getting up to break this association.[6]
  3. Switch to an automatic feeder. A feeder that dispenses food at regularly scheduled times may refocus a hungry cat's attention on the machine instead of on you. This also helps the cat learn the mealtime routine.[1]
  4. Consider a food puzzle. If your cat's behavior doesn't improve after a week or two on a strict meal schedule, consider measuring out the daily requirement of dry food into a "food puzzle" instead. These devices let the cat access food at any time without bothering you. Unlike a constantly full cat bowl, however, the food puzzle keeps the cat stimulated and prevents overeating.[7]
  5. Talk to a vet about a special diet. If your cat still meows at the food bowl often, ask a veterinarian for advice. Fiber supplements are one option that can help your cat feel fuller, but try them only under veterinary supervision.[8] Finding the right type of fiber may take trial and error, and too much of it can cause digestive issues.[9] Other cats respond better to small, high-protein meals.[10]
    • A veterinarian can also examine your cat for possible medical issues that cause excessive hunger.

Preventing Night Time Meows

  1. Play with the cat before bed. If your cat meows at night, it may be lonely or bored. Before bed, try 45 minutes of high-energy Exercise-a-Cat such as chasing cat toys, followed by 15 minutes of cuddling or other calming, social activity.[11]
    • If you don't have time to play with your cat, it will be difficult to relieve its boredom. You can still try the tactics below, but it's best to find a family member or pet sitter who can give your cat regular play time.
  2. Give the cat something to do at night. An interactive cat toy or food puzzle will help keep the cat occupied. You can also hide treats or toys around the house so the cat can search for them.[6]
    • Don't increase the total amount of food the cat gets in a 24 hour period. Any food the cat eats at night has to come out of its daytime meals.
  3. Set up a cat bed. If the cat meows at your bedroom door all night but you don't want to share a bed, make sure the cat has the perfect place to sleep. Most cats prefer sleeping on high shelves, in a box or other nook where they can hide but still look out into the room. Add a piece of clothing you've worn recently so the bed smells like you.[12]
  4. Consider getting a second cat. Many cats are happy on their own, but meowing for attention at night is a sign of loneliness. A second cat is one way to provide night time attention, but it can be difficult to predict whether the two animals will get along. If you do consider adopting a new cat, Introduce-a-New-Cat-to-Other-Cats, starting in a separate room. This is more likely to work if your current cat has already been socialized with other felines, or if you can adopt a second cat from the same litter.[13]
  5. Make sure the cat can find its way around. Older cats may have trouble finding their way around due to deteriorating eyesight. If your cat only started to meow at night as it got older, try installing night lights to help it navigate.[6] It's also worth taking the cat to a vet to check for other medical issues.

Addressing Other Causes

  1. Check the litter box. Your cat might meow when the litter box is too dirty to use. Scoop out solid waste every day, and replace all the litter once or twice a week as needed.[14] Sticking to a regular maintenance schedule increases your cat's comfort and prevents the meowing habit from getting out of control.[2]
  2. Help your cat adjust to change. Moving to a new residence, changing your work schedule, rearranging the furniture, and adding a new pet to your household are all factors that can make a cat meow. Speed up the adjustment period by sticking to a routine, Play-With-Cats with your cat daily, and providing quiet hiding places for your cat to relax.[15]
  3. Address boredom or loneliness. Some cats meow to let you know they miss you, or that they need more affection. Try spending more time petting or playing with the cat to alleviate these feelings.[1]
    • Try to start the play sessions when the cat isn't meowing. Responding to the meows reinforces the behavior.
    • If you don't have enough time to play with your cat, consider hiring a pet sitter to visit while you're out of the house.
  4. Fit-a-Cat-Flap. If your indoor/outdoor cat makes endless requests to be let in and out, install a cat door. Measure your cat's height and width first, then install a cat door of the appropriate size.[1]
    • Former outdoor cats confined indoors will inevitably protest for a while. You could Build-an-Outside-Enclosure-for-Cats so the cat has a safer way to spend time outside.
  5. Make sure your cat is not in pain. If your cat is meowing excessively, it's possible that she has hurt herself, or that she is feeling ill. Try a quick physical examination of your cat, or take her in for a check-up at the vet.
    • Examine your cat's eyes and nose for any discharge.[16]
    • Use one or both hands to gently examine your cat's abdomen, beginning at the spine and moving toward the belly. Look for signs of pain or discomfort as you gently palpate the abdomen.[16]
    • Use one or both hands to gently examine your cat's limbs and paws. Do not overextend your cat's limbs. Gently bend the joints as your cat would do if she were walking and moving. Note any pain or discomfort as you examine her limbs, joints, and paws.[16]
  6. Ask your vet if your cat has been spayed/neutered. Sometimes cats that desire a mate and have not been spayed or neutered will meow excessively during the breeding season, which typically extends from February through September in most places located in the Northern Hemisphere. Talk to your veterinarian about whether your cat is in her breeding season, and whether a spaying/neutering procedure might alleviate the problem.[1]
  7. Treat conditions in older cats. Older cats often develop a louder or more insistent meow. Visit a vet promptly if the cat also develops any of the following symptoms:
    • Difficulty finding its way around, not using the litterbox, or a disrupted sleeping or eating schedule. These signs could point to feline cognitive dysfunction, or the normal effects of age such as reduced mobility.[17]
    • Any change in appetite or thirst, weight loss, hyperactivity, lethargy, increased urination, or vomiting. These are potential signs of hyperthyroidism or kidney disease, two very common problems.[18][19]
    • Hearing loss can lead to a lack of "volume control," leading to a louder meow. The cat may fail to respond to noises, act startled when you approach from behind, or scratch its ears more than usual.[20]
  8. If the crying is out of character and excessive, you will want to see your veterinarian as this can be a sign of a larger issue such as overactive thyroid glands.

Retraining Your Cat

  1. Do not respond to unnecessary meows. If all of your cat's needs are met and she is meowing just for attention (or for food she doesn't need), do not respond. Your cat may become even louder or more persistent in the short term, but may eventually realize that meowing no longer earns your attention.[1]
    • This takes patience and consistency. If you give in after an hour of meowing, it teaches the cat that it's worth it to meow for an hour.[21]
  2. Avoid negative reinforcement. Do not scold or yell at your cat for meowing. This is unlikely to discourage future meowing even if you chase the cat away now. It may even teach your cat to fear you, making it more stressed and worsening its behavior.[8]
  3. Reward silence with clicker training. In addition to ignoring undesirable meows, you'll need to give the cat positive feedback. Communicate which behavior you want to encourage by rewarding the cat as soon as it stops meowing. This reward must be immediate for the cat to figure out what you want. The best way to do this is to use a clicker training tool to make a noise as soon as the cat stops meowing, then immediately give the cat a small treat or other reward.
  4. Increase the length of silence slowly. Continue to train the cat with clicker training in short sessions (no more than fifteen minutes at a time).[22] Once the cat seems interested in trying out new behaviors to get the reward, gradually raise the bar. Start "clicking" and rewarding only after the cat has been silent for three seconds, then four seconds, and so on. If you go through several training sessions a day, the cat may learn to quiet down in less than a week.[23]
    • Once the cat starts to figure it out, you can introduce the "quiet" command to communicate what you want. If the cat starts to meow during a training session, say "quiet" firmly and turn your head away until it quiets down.[21]
  5. Wean the cat off the reward system. Once the excessive meowing is back down to a reasonable level, start replacing some of the treats with head scratches or other non-food rewards. Gradually ramp this up until the cat is back on a normal diet.[22]
  6. Respond to new behavior patterns. The cat still needs to get your attention sometimes, and it's up to you to reinforce the right ways to do it. If the cat starts to sit quietly next to you when it wants something, respond to that behavior promptly or the cat may go back to meowing. If it develops new behaviors, such as pawing your leg, it's up to you to decide whether to encourage or discourage this.
    • Your cat will most likely still meow some of the time. There's nothing wrong with responding to a meow that signals a problem, such as an empty water dish.

Tips

  • If your cat does not have any medical, emotional, or environmental problems, she may be meowing just for your affection. If you come to her aid it will only reinforce her understanding that vocalizing is the way to get what she wants. It is best to endure this behavior if this is the problem (sometimes ear plugs to sleep may be needed), and reward her when she is not vocalizing.

Warnings

  • If you believe your cat may have a medical problem, take her to the vet immediately. Do not delay treatment. It is better to take her to the vet and learn that she needs more attention at home, for example, than to delay taking her in and run the risk that a potential medical condition may worsen.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior/meowing-and-yowling
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.homewardtrails.org/resources/cats/excessive-meowing/#.VZ3HCBNViko
  3. ↑ http://icatcare.org/advice/feeding-your-cat-or-kitten
  4. ↑ http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/Health_Information/CW_Feed.cfm
  5. ↑ https://pethelpful.com/dogs/-Dog-Behavior-Understanding-Extinction-Bursts
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 http://www.catchat.org/index.php/meowing
  7. ↑ http://www.hillspet.com/en/us/cat-care/nutrition-feeding/how-to-feed-a-cat
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues/meowing-and-yowling
  9. ↑ http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/small_animal/nutrition/client_info_sheets/gastrointestinal_disease.cfm
  10. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=5rtQ8AazitAC
  11. ↑ http://www.adoptapet.com/blog/stop-cat-meowing-at-night/
  12. ↑ http://www.thepurrcompany.com/cat-articles/index.php?id=27
  13. ↑ http://www.vcahospitals.com/main/pet-health-information/article/animal-health/considerations-when-getting-a-second-cat/216
  14. ↑ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/preventing_litter_box_problems.html
  15. ↑ http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/cat_problem_solver/stress.html
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 http://www.ruralareavet.org/PDF/Physical_Examination.pdf
  17. ↑ http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues/older-cats-behavior-problems
  18. ↑ http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/Health_Information/brochure_hyperthyroid.cfm
  19. ↑ http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/Health_Information/kidneydisease.cfm
  20. ↑ http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/health_information/Deafness.cfm
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/cats_constant_meowing_is_driving_owner_crazy/
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/training_your_cat_positive_reinforcement.html
  23. ↑ https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/training-a-cat-to-be-quiet-my-cat-meows-too-much-what-do-i-do/
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