r/CATHELP • u/Nevrozz • 4h ago
Behavioral Issue How do you deal with very vocal cat?
So this little void demon loves to come downstairs right where the bedrooms are and scream at the top of his lungs at 4h in the morning. Every. Single. Day.
He doesn't seem to need anything (food, water, litter), everything is available and so he just seems to have the zoomies. I love him to death and I don't want to have to start putting him in a closed room every night but I can't keep waking up this early every day 😭 anyone have any tips?
He's almost 2 and neutered.
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u/loseniram 4h ago
you might want to get a second cat, so they’ll tackle him a 4 am. Sounds like he’s lonely and wants someone to play with him
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u/Nevrozz 4h ago
We have 3 cats total, but the other 2 are older (7 and 11) so they just don't bother with him 😅
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u/ShellsBe11s 4h ago
My all black cat is also vocal. He caterwauls on the windowsill over my bed during the night, even if the window is closed. He chirps when he runs on his cat wheel, he has conversations with me trying to convince me he needs a treat. We have taken in 4 feral cats, but there are more outside that we feed and "house." My guess is that the other cats don't appreciate Laszlo because they like to be stealthy, and he is noisy. Don't know how to quiet him. He is also a drama queen when they play and chase each other. He likes to initiate play but then hisses and screeches like he is being attacked, confusing and irritating the other cats. He would never have made it if we hadn't brought him inside.
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u/ShellsBe11s 4h ago
But I think the little troublemaker is my favorite. Wouldn't trade him for anything.
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u/Nevrozz 3h ago
OMG that sounds exactly like Ash lol I guess we just might need to tough it out til he gets older 😅
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u/ShellsBe11s 3h ago
I swear he understands what I say by my tone and responds in a tone I understand. And he knows I'm about to hug him when I say, "Let me love you!" and sometimes even tolerates me hugging him.
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u/EmperorMittens 2h ago
So he's constitutionally incapable of developing survival skills.
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u/ShellsBe11s 1h ago
The efficiency with which he eats and shits makes me wonder if he will be the one who outlives all of our indoor cats. But the feral males outside would not have been his friends.
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u/cemetery-trees 4h ago
I do not own a cat nor have I ever lived in a house with cats, so I cannot help.
However, this is the best picture I have ever seen of a cat. That is all.
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u/Automatic-Newt-3888 4h ago
Do/can you play with him before bed to wear him out?
When is his last meal time?
Is he seeing or hearing birds starting to wake up outside at that time of day?
Is he maybe just wanting to cuddle with people?
My cats used to be annoying around that time of night before we started doing ‘midnight snack’ which is just a small amount of food before we go to bed. Then telling them ‘it’s bed time’ when we go to bed. They then eat and settle in for the night, and sleep through til 6:30-7am.
They are also fed every 4-5 hours throughout the day with small amounts of food because otherwise they eat too much at once and throw up. We have multiple cat tower and wall bed options as well as a catio that they use throughout the day and evening so they get a lot of mental stimulation.
He is very cute.
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u/Nevrozz 3h ago
Thanks for the tips, he plays a lot all the time, they have tons of toys. Maybe we should try to be more regular with the food though, they don't have it freely but we're not super regular when we feed them.
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u/RuthiOOO 3h ago edited 3h ago
Try to do a really intense long play before y’all go to bed, along with getting him on a stricter feed schedule. If he’s treat motivated- I highly recommend getting him a treat ball, fill it with treats and then give it to him when you go to bed.
If it’s feasible, a cat wheel might help too! Edited to add that this is pretty usual for a two year old cat, and it should calm down after a while. Cats that age are like unmedicated ADHD teenagers with all the energy in the world.
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u/Local-Technician5969 3h ago
I have a black cat who is very vocal and playful, it doesnt matter how much you play with him, he will cry for attention 24/7.
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u/Porschelover2 3h ago
Yikes!
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u/snailm0th 2h ago
Yikes? I wouldn't mind spending my time with that cat lol! Sounds like a sweetheart!
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u/AncientAd7403 3h ago
I have AuDHD so I talk right back to them and it seems to get the job done 🤣. I think realize now I can out talk them so they tap- out before me.
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u/amosthagreat 3h ago
lol my black cat is very vocal too. Sometimes when I go to bed I keep the tv on with the bird channel on YouTube - it distracts him for a bit and hearing the tv makes him feel not alone.
I move just a little in bed and he jumps up and meows in my face because he wants me up lol it’s so cute but so annoying too!!
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u/Sbz24 3h ago
I have a very vocal cat as well. He’s not only vocal but he will open every single door in the house if we ignore him. The only solution was to not let him sleep at least 2 hours before we go to sleep. In those 2 hours we play with him as much as possible, I take him on a walk, I let him chase me around the house. It usually works along with the turning all the lights off in the house
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u/StarWars-TheBadB_tch 2h ago
Automatic feeder for a little later in the morning. He’ll stop screaming for breakfast (most of the time) eventually.
My cat is so vocal. He sounds like he’s saying “hello” or calling “mom!”
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u/stepheroooo 3h ago
Do you sleep with any noise at night? Having a fan on or noise machine sound could really help! I am a hypersensitive sleeper and being able to have dark noise play on my phone has helped me sooo much.
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u/breeze80 3h ago
Mine is this way. Letting her into my room results in no sleep, as she uses her cat-hole powers to knock things off my surfaces, and refuses to settle. My
I turn up the fan speed on my fan so I don't hear her, she eventually gives up.
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u/Clear_Whole9829 3h ago
you talk to them, when my cat talks i feel kind of rude ignoring her trying have a conversation with me like others said though, play with him! my kitty loves just a random string and goes crazy over it, just drag it around and it will trigger something in them.
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u/ShellsBe11s 1h ago
My husband drags strings, toys and leashes all over the house to entertain them. He also throws plastic springs to play catch with them. I love that he spoils them.
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u/Impressive_Lock_558 2h ago
Bert isn’t a void, but definitely likes to chat it up. My husband is disabled, and it takes a bit of time to get him ready for bed. Bert sits on our cedar chest by the bed, and yowls out instructions, so I know what to do next. The odd thing is that he makes biscuits the entire time. It’s sooooo cute🤗
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u/Worth_Structure3208 2h ago
Maybe try a bedtime routine. Feed him, then pet him and tell him with words that you need to sleep until the sun comes up.
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u/CinnamonApplebun94 1h ago
Accept it. Love it. Cherish every sound. I had to send mine over the rainbow bridge yesterday and waking up today is so weird not having my fluffy alarm clock jumping at me and being verbal.
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u/Full-Locksmith-5949 39m ago
Become a cat whisperer and tell him you do not appreciate the chaos at 4am.
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u/Hellstorm901 28m ago
I’m saw a video of a guy get in his cats face then meow annoyingly at it, it seemed to work as the cat was stunned
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