My cats constant crying is driving me loopy

[NewEraNewMindset]

I don't think it's solvable but I think I need to just get it out as I want to SCREAM.

She is a rescue cat. Not from a shelter but a family desperately needed to rehome her due to circumstances changing and she came to is about four months ago.

She settled really well, is a lovely cat, very kind character and good with my toddler, but she cries pitifully so much of the time.

She hates going out and within four minutes of her paws touching grass she is crying at the door/window to be let in. She cries for treats. We give her dreamies a couple of times a day which pacifies her for a nanosecond. Otherwise she has Iams in a bowl regularly topped up. She eats well but is always begging for other food. However will refuse everything else bar tuna.

Things we've tried are normal wet cat food - nope, supreme cat food -nope, prawns - nope, chicken -nope, beef - nope, Turkey -nope, pork - nope.

I suspect the crying is food related. She will settle, will sleep on my bed, sleeps downstairs at night as she is too unsettled upstairs and keeps me awake

[NewEraNewMindset]

Posted too soon.

She loves attention and gets brushed most days and is on our laps in the evening so I don't think she is unhappy. But the constant crying makes me wonder.

Anyone have a similar issue and solved it or is this just how she is and somehow I have to tune the crying out?

[TeenagersDriveMeMad]

Stop giving her Dreamies and stop offering different foods - and definitely no tuna! My kitten was becoming a nightmare when he was getting treats and titbits but seems to have settled down now that he knows that food is coming at fixed times and not before.

Re: the outside thing...are you happy for her to be a mostly inside cat? Could you get a catflap so she doesn't need to ask to be let back in?

[msrisotto]

If she is eating the Iams well, why are you giving other food?

I haven't had a rescue cat nor this issue to your extent, but I know I have trained my cat to cry when she wants something because I run around giving her treats, attention etc when she does cry at me. Reinforcing the behaviour will only encourage more crying which might be worth bearing in mind. And also, intermittently reinforcing it is the most effective way of encouraging the behaviour so consistency is key.

[NewEraNewMindset]

Thanks for the replies.

Initially when she came she wasn't eating the dried food at all. She wasn't really eating so to try and encourage her to eat we tried her with other more tempting foods, eventually got her eating tuna and then she started eating her Iams. I stopped the tuna at that point but yes she does get Dreamies. Normally a handful morning and night but at the weekend probably some at lunch too. We can definitely cut then out if you think that will help?

If I'm feeding my son she will cry around our feet so I have occasionally gone to give her a bit of the meat, if it's a roast for example, but she sniffs it, leaves it and then keeps crying.

We are on the brink of having the kitchen done so will have a cat flap fitted to the new door when it's put in. For the moment though we have glass patio doors.

I'm probably extra irritated as I'm a SAHM who is currently stuck in all day as DS and I have colds again, do she has ample opportunity to be around my feet all day. Plus I have my son kicking off and having temper tantrums and crying about nothing and then the bloody cat starts as well. Argh!! EVERYONE SHUT UP!!!

[Cedar03]

Depends on the cat - our cat was very vocal and was always talking to us by miaowing. Very very irritating. I found we had to be strict about where she was so that she understood the boundaries.

She may not feel safe outside. Does she have somewhere to hide behind? Does she want to be with you? Do you get other cats in your garden? Or foxes?

Our cat used to sit in the house calling us when we were all out in the garden. There was sometimes no pleasing her and she was very irritating. But the rest of the time very good natured.

[NewEraNewMindset]

Well I have stopped the Dreamies this evening and have no plans to buy anymore.

I think she is possibly anxious about being outside generally. I don't think it's related to the area as in cat terms she hardly has any threat to her territory as we only have one or two cats in the area and I see them quite rarely. Her former owner said she didn't tend to roam far so I assume it's just her nature - which is fine! It's just the whinging to be let in four minutes after she's begged to go out that is a bit annoying - and with other cats in the past if they were driving us mad we could always hoof them out the door and they would go and find something more fun to do and leave us in peace for a couple of hours.

Anyway. I shall cut out the treats and see if it helps. She will get a catflap in the new year which will help with the going out and coming in issue and I'll have to see how the rest pans out.

[cozietoesie]

Does she actually have an indoor litter tray? (Sorry if you said but I couldn't see it anywhere.)

Do you know how old she is?

[NewEraNewMindset]

Yes she does. It's available to her all day long and she uses it correctly and it's cleaned out regularly. I've no worries about her cleanliness thankfully, she is a really good girl.

She is five.

[cozietoesie]

I'd get her a second tray, a nice heated pad or fleecy throw in a warm spot and under no circumstances make her go out. It's the time of the year for having a homegirl anyway and she may not actually like outside - some cats don't. I think I'd be making inside really good for her.