Talkive Kitty

Question
Hi
I have a 4year old cat. In the last month or so shes has been meowing none stop either very early in the moring or very late at night (when were in bed). I'll call her name she'll give me a few happy chearps and then she'll stop. (shes spadded so she cant be in heat)I'm just wondering why shes been doing this? It just not like her

Thanks for the help
Stacy M.

Answer
Stacy,

Could there be a slight chance that she is going (or is) deaf? The meowing behavior at night usually happens when everyone is in bed and there are not any movements to cause vibrations to let the cat know where his 'people' are and they get confused and cry. I'm including this information to cover the possibilities.

It is also possible that she is seeing or hearing stray cats or nocturnal creatures out the window and is reacting to that.

Actually her actions are a common behavior problem. You need to change your routine with the cat and get her used to the new one. It is a habit she may have had with a previous owner.

Play with her right before you go to bed. A pet laser light is an excellent interactive toy (you can get them at PetSmart, Petco, etc.)  A good play session before bedtime will tire her out, which is essential for a good nights sleep for you both!  

Then give the her a can of catfood after you play with her, just before you go to bed. That way she will have a full tummy, be tired from playing, and should sleep longer.

The way to stop her waking you up is to ignore her. COMPLETELY! It is very difficult to do and annoying, but you can NOT acknowledge her actions in ANY way. She will EVENTUALLY stop when she doesn't get any reaction or attention from you. You have to be consistent though. If you even react once to her, then it won't work and it will be worse because the cat will know if she does it long enough eventually you WILL react, so she will keep it up longer.

DO NOT punish the cat.  She is only trying to get your attention and tell you her wants the only way she knows how. If some behavior got your attention before, then that is how she will do it again...and again.

I hope this helps and gives you some ideas how to go about stopping her wakeup calls.

Tabbi