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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To want to get rid of our cat?

66 replies

mampam · 20/08/2010 10:58

Basically the main problem is that she howls(more of a hideous gurgling really) outside all night. At first we thought it was because we have to lock the cat flap, so if she does go out at night she can't come back in. The reason we do this is because other cats were coming in at night and going through the kitchen bin and spraying.

Being locked out at night isn't the problem though because on several occasions DH has got up and let her in but by the time he gets back upstairs she is back outside and making the god awful noise again.

I worry about her too as she does not very often venture out of our garden or driveway. Even if it is raining she sits outside in the rain and doesn't find shelter. I worry that in the winter if she won't find shelter, especially at night then she might freeze to death in the wind and rain.

Is there any hope for her? Any cat behaviour experts out there to help me with this before DH murders her as he is shattered from not being able to sleep.

OP posts:

Lauriefairycake · 20/08/2010 11:00

Lock her in at night with a tray in the kitchen/utility - the daftie probably thinks she is guarding the door from other cats.

It will take a while to take effect and for her to realise at night that her door to the outside is locked.

piratecat · 20/08/2010 11:00

More info required.

how old is she, how long have you had her. is she spayed?

Is this a recent thing. She could well be defending her territory, she might be being bullied at night by some rogue.

How about bringing her in at night, locking her in the kitchen? water, food and a fleecy blanket?

2kids2dogsandahorse · 20/08/2010 11:01

Can't you lock her in at night? I don't have cats anymore but when we did they used to sleep on our bed and never disturbed us

coraltoes · 20/08/2010 11:01

You shouldn't lock your cat out at night...she sounds distressed...Can you not lock her inside with a cat litter tray over night? Seems incredibly cruel to leave her out over winter especially. I also fail to see why you'd get rid of her for what you describe! Not very responsible a reaction if you ask me.

You cna also look at magnetic or microchip cat flaps that only let your cat in and no others. Ours works by detecting the micrpchip no. in our cats so it only opens for them. Works a treat and means they can go out at night but seek shelter indoors. It prob cost about £60. I'd rather spend that than send my cats away.

DuelingFanjo · 20/08/2010 11:02

How old is she?

If she's an elderly cat she might have a medical problem which is making her howl.

It's also wrong to lock her out all night IMO

LucindaCarlisle · 20/08/2010 11:03

She is howling for a Tom Cat to come and giver her a good seeing to.

2kids2dogsandahorse · 20/08/2010 11:05

RSPB recommend that cats are locked inside at night if that helps any arguements just think of all the little birdies you will be saving.

TBH your cat sounds a bit distressed outside. How old is she, is this a recent thing or has it developed lately? Maybe a trip to the vets would be in order for her, wee infections can cause wierd behaviour.

fatoftheland · 20/08/2010 11:05

My cat does this when she is in season (twice a year). She makes that god awful noise for weeks and then it stops.

LucindaCarlisle · 20/08/2010 11:06

Do you mean wee as in little or wee as in urine?

crazyh · 20/08/2010 11:08

Has she been done? Sounds to me like she is in heat and like LucindaCarlisle said howling for a tom. My family used to foster cats and kittens and the females that hadnt yet been done used to do this, better than what an un-neutered male cat would be doing trust me :)

BuntyPenfold · 20/08/2010 11:11

Our cat flap only lets in our cat - it reads their microchip. Keeps out the bully cats and food burglars and saves a lot of aggro.

2kids2dogsandahorse · 20/08/2010 11:13

wee as in urine :)

Original poster

mampam · 20/08/2010 11:20

We DO NOT lock her out at night, she chooses to go outside. We make sure she is in when we go to bed. We have to have the cat flap locked on a one way system as we do not want other cats doing there business in our kitchen. When DH lets her in, in the middle of the night she goes straight back outside and starts the howling again....that's not us locking her out is it?

She is about 10 years old although we've only had her for just over a year.

She is spayed (so don't think she's calling for a Tom) and healthy.

She started doing this back in January although it would start at about 4.30/5am but now it is from 2am onwards. Before this started she would curl up all night on her bed and not go out until she had been fed in the morning.

Also she won't sleep on her normal bed anymore so I've had to make her a new one out of some old towels until I can buy her a new one (she seems happy enough with this before anyone wants to flame me about not having bought a new bed yet).

We've tried a litter tray but to be honest it didn't work out as she will say pee once in her litter tray and there after go next to the tray plus it's not very practical in our kitchen/dining room where she sleeps. We also have an 11 week old baby so in the long run a litter tray is not practical as we can't keep it seperate ie a porch or something.

OP posts:

DuelingFanjo · 20/08/2010 11:22

I think take her to the vet to check there is nothing wrong.

Original poster

mampam · 20/08/2010 11:22

If the cat is distressed when outside why does she go straight back out there when she is let in?

OP posts:

Lauriefairycake · 20/08/2010 11:26

LOL at you not locking her out - she's a cat so from her perspective she wants to go out when she wants and hassle you to come in when she wants - she considers the shut door and flap as you locking her out.

She definitely sounds like she thinks she's guarding the door.

Right now you have 4 choices:

keep her in with a tray
lock her out (maybe make her a comfy spot in a shed) at night and put up with the howling til she realises you are not going to open the door
give her away
check her physical status with the vet

No one is hinting you're not looking after her btw

sympathies for the no - sleep too.

2kids2dogsandahorse · 20/08/2010 11:27

I think a trip to the vets then TBH it could be her kidneys/urine infection or it could just be her age. 10's not old for a cat but they can go senile just like people. Does she seem disorientated? One of my sister's cats went senile and he started off by seeming disorientated and shouty.

msrisotto · 20/08/2010 11:30

Cats aren't the most intelligent creatures so I wouldn't burden her with responsibility for remembering that she can't get back inside once she's gone out. Also, people suggested keeping her inside to stop her howling, she's not necessarily distressed outside.

Cats usually want 2 litter trays, one for wee, the other for poo. That's just how they are.

tiredpooky · 20/08/2010 11:31

deffo get a magnetic collar and flap system then only she can get in whenever she wants and go when she wants

TitsalinaBumSquash · 20/08/2010 11:32

My Cat is an indoor Cat for various reasons and she is a lovely affectionate, quiet as a mouse Cat until the second i turn the lights out and go to bed then she starts hurling herself up and down the hallway casing anything that makes a noise when batted, she also howls all farking night, she wakes the kids up, wakes the nieghbours up and i am getting to the point where it would be very easy to hand he over to someone else.
If you find a solution to Cat madness OP let me know.

sapphireblue · 20/08/2010 11:35

if she goes out and then can't get back in, she's locked out, isn't she?

I would suggest either trying locking her in over night first or heading straight to the vet to get her checked.

Original poster

mampam · 20/08/2010 11:40

No she doesn't seem disorientated but then she doesn't really seem to do anything really. All she does all day is sit in the garden come rain or shine. She does pester a lot for food, you give her some and she keeps on pestering but that's just cat's in general I suppose.

We keep the greenhouse door open for her with a comfy spot in there but she won't use it, we've even tried leaving the garage door open but to no avail too.

If it's her kidneys why does she only howl all night and not during the day too?

I think options 3&4 are the only viable ones left now. Believe me, with listening to a cat night after night since January howling like she does you'd want to get rid of her too especially when we've tried so many different things to get her to stop. It's really not fair on DH who has to get up and do a days work (he does physically demanding work) after not sleeping - it's just not good for anyone.

OP posts:

BuntyPenfold · 20/08/2010 11:42

LOL at your cat not seeming to do a lot really...... is this your first cat?

SummerRain · 20/08/2010 11:45

Titsalina... my parents cat used do the same.... they locked her in the kitchen every night She's a very sensible old dear now and is allowed roam the house at night but wakes them up at 4/5 every morning to be let out!

mampam... your cat just sounds like a typical contrary female. One of our females howls underneath my daughter's window if she's locked out at night and will keep howling for hours. It doesn't mean she'll stay in for longer than 2 minutes when she does get in though. Cats, especially the females, like to have the option of going in and out as it suits them, we quite often find that dp can let a cat out one door, 20 seconds later i'll let it in a wand it'll go straight back to the door and ask him to be let out again

In short.... Cats are weird

SummerRain · 20/08/2010 11:46

wand? window

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