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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

How to get cat to be quiet?

50 replies

Toastandstrawberryjam · 28/05/2015 07:14

I may be asking the impossible here :(

I have two cats, both high maintenance, intelligent types. I like that in cats and it's never been an issue before.

One is a Burmese and has always been a talker, as they often are. But that has changed recently to a continual volley of shouting about everything. He walks round the house endlessly yowling, then round the garden and the neighbours garden. Unless he's eating or sleeping he is noisy and it's driving me insane.

I have tried a plug in stress diffuser to no avail. At night they sleep in the laundry room and have always been fine. Now he will yowl so loudly he wakes up the dog and the DC. If that fails he will climb onto shelves and knock down mugs. Nothing quite like the crashing of China at 2am......

I've had to resort to putting him outside at night, which I hate but he won't calm down and everyone is shattered from being woken up.

He just seems really cross at the whole world and I have no idea how to fix it.

Other cat remains talkative but friendly towards us, although he often avoids noisy cat now and they were the best of friends.

He had a vet check last month and nothing was found.

OP posts:
RainbowFlutterby · 28/05/2015 07:22

I have no advice, but I am in a similar position!

RainbowCat is a high maintenance thick type and does not shut up. It drives me bonkers, so I'm watching with interest.

Sorry to be no help Sad

FinalFatmester · 28/05/2015 07:44

no advice as I don't have cats but next door have a cat like yours and it goes outside at night and wakes the whole street, including the dog which does mad at 4 am when the bloody cat is shouting in the garden and wakes dd Angry Sad so please don't just move your problem cat outside! Grin

Original poster
Toastandstrawberryjam · 28/05/2015 07:50

I don't think he yowls outside at night. I would hear him! He occasionally complains at the back door about 5 and I go and let him in straightaway.

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cozietoesie · 28/05/2015 07:58

Could you take him to bed with you?

Original poster
Toastandstrawberryjam · 28/05/2015 08:04

No that isn't an option, when we have tried in the past he will wake everyone up in the night by pacing round the house and yowling. It's just not fair on my DC. Or me tbh!

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GaryBaldy · 28/05/2015 08:16

Is he getting on in years?

Our old ragdoll used to yowl for no apparent reason as she got older and we've noticed ASBO-cat doing it a lot (grand old dame aged 17), it's like she needs to announce herself all the time.

Fluffycloudland77 · 28/05/2015 08:21

How would they like a light left on for them? cats are crepuscular so light means snooze and dark means party like its 1999.

It's not very safe at night for them to be out.

Original poster
Toastandstrawberryjam · 28/05/2015 08:25

He's 7.

Have tried light. And radio.

I know it's not safe for them to be out. I don't want to do that. But I also don't want my DC continually woken up. He is unbelievably loud at night and it's not that he actually even seems to want anything.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 28/05/2015 08:31

He sounds unhappy and needy. I'm seeing that he's had a vet check and is only 7 - has anything changed recently in his life?

Original poster
Toastandstrawberryjam · 28/05/2015 08:39

my DH has moved out but the cat hated him and life is calmer without him here. So if anything I expected the cat to be better not worse!

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 28/05/2015 08:53

Zylkene? you sprinkle it on their food.

Original poster
Toastandstrawberryjam · 28/05/2015 09:02

I will google that.

It's also corresponded with the dog getting very calm in the house so I'm wondering if the hierarchy has changed somehow.

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RubbishMantra · 28/05/2015 09:05

He may well be adjusting to your DH moving out. Possibly asserting himself as the new alpha male. Asserting his new place in the pecking order, if that makes sense?

cozietoesie · 28/05/2015 09:05

Ah - the shape of the house has changed and it sounds as if he's chancing his arm a bit. (Cat society and dynamics are strange things so you can't necessarily make assumptions about how they'll react.) Is he a strong-willed animal? And what is your relationship with the cats like - are you Top Cat?

Original poster
Toastandstrawberryjam · 28/05/2015 09:11

Very strong willed and determined is how I'd sum him up.

Not sure I'm top cat, they do listen to me to a certain point (as much as cats do). But I don't try and control them or scare them the way DH did. You'd think he would be grateful for a quiet life!!

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HellKitty · 28/05/2015 09:22

I have Burmese, they're inside cats though and do talk a lot. One was very alpha male and thought it was his job to protect us at night. He'd do the rounds and check the DCs were asleep before curling up with me. When I brought DP into our lives alpha male got extremely confused. DP LOVES cats so no problem with him. But there was an incident when out of the blue alpha male sat on DPs knee and went for his wrist, seriously digging his teeth in for about five minutes - DP was an angel, didn't move and took it despite it hurting like fook! After that alpha male saw DP as the alpha male as he (in cats head) had 'won'. No more stress for AM cat. When the DCs go to XHs for a few days both Burmese walk around the house yowling as there are people not there that should be. I just think that they're very ocd and like things in the right place, I imagine your cat is wondering where your ex is!

Sorry for the long post Confused

Original poster
Toastandstrawberryjam · 28/05/2015 09:31

That does make sense.

I read that first as the cats go to your ex's!!!Grin

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HellKitty · 28/05/2015 09:35

Hahah! No chance toast! When they were kittens they both had massive shits in his slippers Grin

Makes me so proud now!

code · 28/05/2015 09:38

It must be the change, he probably needs some time to adjust. I have burmese, when they've been upset in the past they become skittish and noisy. Keep a couple of feliways on the go, zylkene might help but it increases confidence so might go either way...

Original poster
Toastandstrawberryjam · 28/05/2015 09:43

It's nearly four months now and he's getting worse!

Anything that increased his confidence not ideal.

Hellkitty - I love that! I had a Burmese once who liked to throw up on DH's pillow. Of course DH made me rehome him so my happiness at that was somewhat shortlived!

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MrsMarigold · 28/05/2015 09:58

My cat (aka BananaFurball this morning) is very noisy she even woke up a partially deaf relative once! I've tried Feliway diffusers but no avail.

We lock her in the kitchen at night and got one of these fancy microchip cat flaps which can be programmed to open automatically in the morning. Could you move the dog and make it really comfy for him in his room? Now ours is used to the routine in the evening she just gets comfy on her blanket on the sofa in there and sleeps.

Also ours gets rowdy is hungry and thirsty, but has a brain the size of a walnut and forgets her food and water, when we show it to her she calms down. Is there any chance he is hungry. Has he been dewormed recently, (I'm sure he has) but once I forgot to do ours she got worms and was constantly hungry?

Finally are his teeth ok, they can get very grouchy when they have dental issues and they are so common in cats.

Or maybe he is just adjusting to the new domestic arrangement without DH.

Spydra · 28/05/2015 09:59

Due to an injury last week, we made a discovery. My cat will not miaow at all with a head cone on. He's not a terribly noisy cat, but usually says "Hi" and "Feed me". With the cone, nada.

Worth a try perhaps? Not a long term solution though.

cozietoesie · 28/05/2015 10:03

Sorry - had to go off and do something.

It's a difficult one. I've had 'personal' Siamese for most of my life and they're also strong-willed and talkative. Just as well that I'm strong-willed myself. (A friend once said of me that if I'd been a collie, I'd have been bred for my 'eye' as much as anything else.)

It looks as if he's been insecure with the changes and is seizing the opportunity to assert himself and make a new position to take advantage of the situation - but you've just about got time to retrieve the situation.

I think that even if you're not a natural Top Cat, you've got to train yourself to be one. (He'll likely enjoy that and relax rather than resenting you.) Clearly you don't try to scare a cat or 'control' a cat - it's more a question of providing him with a clear and stable environment. A strict routine, consistent behaviour and lots of talking. Answer everything he says even if it's 'Uh Huh' and 'You What?' all the time. And try to take him to bed if you can.

Sorry to have to advise you to up your game for a cat when your DH has left but you can't allow a cat to make your life miserable. (And he won't be that happy either - cats like routine and predictability so you've got to provide that for him if you want to be Number One.)

I've concentrated on him because it sounds as if he's the linch pin in this and that the other animals will fall into line if he does.

Original poster
Toastandstrawberryjam · 28/05/2015 10:05

He is always hungry, and has no trouble knowing where his food is. Although often complains it isn't to his liking. Dewormed a fortnight ago.

Him and other cat have laundry room at night, dog has kitchen. It's lovely in there for them. Cosy bed, food, litter tray, toys. They can't go in the kitchen as he likes to turn the hot water tap on. I can stop him doing this in laundry room by putting a board behind the tap but no way of stopping him in kitchen. So he empties the entire tank and nearly floods the kitchen! They also annoy the dog by walking all over the worktops and jumping on her.

I'm beginning to wonder why I like cats!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Toastandstrawberryjam · 28/05/2015 10:08

He has a strict routine and all those things. But I can't take him to bed and have him prowling round the house at night.

I am firm with him, he stops when I tell him not to do things (scratching carpet, jumping on table). I do talk to him lots though, although it no longer is conversational with him! He just sounds like he's complaining 24/7.

He scratched my eldest last week too, she's just reminded me. Unprovoked, that has never happened before.

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