How to get cat to be quiet?

[Toastandstrawberryjam]

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.

Put a litter tray and feeding station in your bedroom, close the door if needed, and take him to bed. A bedroom may not be the ideal place for such things but at least you'll get some sleep.

Why can't you take him to bed?

I can't close my door. Sorry but my DC come first and I need to be able to hear them in the night.

As much as I love him, he is a cat and they are children who only have me to look after them now. It would mean having both cats in my room messing around all night. That isn't a viable solution for me.

Crikey you poor thing - he sounds like a right pain. I would not have him in the bedroom cozietoesie - I've tried that with ours only to have me eyelids prodded in the night.

He doesn't settle, I've tried before a few nights of it. He will pave constantly back and forth around my room and the other rooms. One time he woke me up yowling and spraying on the side of the bed. I'm not dealing with that in the night.

If he slept I would love to have him upstairs, but I think because he has always slept in "his" room that it seems odd to him to be elsewhere.

Hmmm. Do you actually like him or are you feeling PITA thoughts towards him?

(I'm wondering whether you're the ideal household for him.)

Truthfully? I love him to bits or I wouldn't put up with him. He's always been awkward in personality but we kind of clicked when he was a kitten and things were fine. But now it's like he hates me and his life and frankly I'm struggling with it.

My DC all used to love him but he won't ever settle for a cuddle or stroke, just the incessant whining. They used to go to sleep with him on their beds sometimes, now he will be quiet until the minute they start to drift off, then start up again.

It's really really annoying. I sleep badly at the moment anyhow so his noise is something I don't need.

I get the distinct feeling that the other cat and dog are sick of him too as they have calmed down a lot and seem to want a quiet life. And I'm worried how he will adapt when we move.

But he's funny and quirky and he's ours. I've had to rehome cats before (at DHs insistence) and I hated doing it. He's part of the family.

We have had the other cat since he was two. He was far happier when he had him here. The dog has been here for four years and they get along really well. He brings the dog little offerings from the garden (birds and the like), so I'm presuming he likes her. They often curl up together if they think nobody noticed!!

The DC have all been here before him and he has only ever known this house.

Just in case any of that helps.

I hear you. I was just articulating the thought.

When are you due to move? (That could be your opportunity to set the new routine/scenario - when he's out of kilter anyway.)

Haven't found anywhere to move to yet. But I am concerned. We will be halving the size of our house and going from a detached with big gardens, to probably a little terraced. It's going to be a shock for him and I worry what the new neighbours will think.

We have one of those! We talk back and the TV/radio seem to help. We take her to bed at night. (Under duvet with her head on the pillow- 8 hours of peace)

But although smaller it will be a quieter and calmer household?

If my own experience is anything to go by it will be the dog that's likely to have more of an issue (exercising etc) rather than the cats.

Can you last until the move? I'm one to try pretty well anything rather than say goodbye to a family member - unless I know that they or the rest of the family would definitely be happier if circumstances were different. The move might be enough to help you set a new and more stable routine for him.

That's part of why I love Siamese so, Home - they sleep through!

I do wonder if he just doesn't like us anymore :(

My other cat is half Siamese/half Bengal. He talks but it's melodic and for a purpose!! He sleeps too!

It's calmer here now, that's what I don't understand.

Laziest dog in world = no worries about exercising!!

It's more complicated than just not liking you, I think. Cat dynamics are pretty complicated and you're a multi-animal household that's undergone recent and siginificant changes.

And the other cat being half Siamese and half Bengal doesn't aid the situation, I suspect - it's possible that the cats don't deep down like each other that much and that his recent 'posturing' is to do with him as much as anything else: sezing the opportunity presented by change and all. (That spraying was a bit of a red flag for me.)

Realistically, how far off is the move likely to be?

He's always sprayed. But usually limited it to downstairs and it's always when he feels he's being ignored.

We haven't sold here yet so could be a few months or more.

Interesting that you said about him not liking other cat. He used to be besotted by him and always trying to get his attention, but when other cat was ill a few months ago he was really cruel to him. It was odd.

I'm not sure the cats "get" each other. When I had two Burmese they seemed to understand each other better.

...but when other cat was ill a few months ago he was really cruel to him. It was odd...

Not so odd if he doesn't really like him. Cats are ruthless - 'Kick your enemy when he's down' would be the order of the day I suspect.

I've never had a Siamese/Bengal cross but a Siamese and a Burmese living in the same household would make me edgy, I think. Siamese aren't that comfortable with other cats I've found (fine with the big stupid lumps dogs) so it may well be that your Burmese boy has tested the other cat out and isn't comfortable with him - thinks he's just 'waiting' so is getting his retaliation in first now that the situation feels more fluid to him.

Ok that all sounds like it makes lots of sense!

When we got the Siamese cross it was because I couldn't get another Burmese. We lost one and I couldn't bear to replace him because he was the most perfect cat I had ever had (I know it's wrong to have favourites!). I thought by going oriental it would at least be a similar match. But they are very different, the Burmese is very needy in comparison.

You say that the other cat and the dog get on well, and the two cats not so much.

Would it be feasible to have the other cat and the dog share the kitchen to sleep in and he gets the utility room? Maybe he might prefer a bit more space to himself, which is why when you have allowed him upstairs he's done the pacing thing.

I feel your pain, OP. I have one just like it. We have three cats and number 3 is like this.

He is wormed, up to date on fleas, and had a full vet check. He is fed regularly but he NEVER stops yowling. Not even nice miaows. And I don't know why. I have taken him to the vets. They ran £600 of tests on him. I have to feed him in a separate room to the other two because he wolfs his food and then steals theirs and they just let him. So I feed him in the utility for 15 minutes tops until they have finished.

If I don't let him in by yowl number 3, he will have eaten through something.The bag of cat litter. A cardboard box. A carrier bag. Anything. I can't have him in the bedroom at night because he spends all night running around the room before urinating on the carpet (litter available).

I have tried Feliway. We have cat toys. In the evenings, he climbs into my arms and lies on his back like a baby whilst I stroke him and it's lovely. But the rest of the time... it's tough. I love him to bits but it is getting wearing, to say the least.

I didn't mean to hijack your thread. I just wanted you to know that your cat's twin brother is out there somewhere, and he's just as bad

Multi cat households can be difficult and sometimes the signs are quite subtle. The spraying is a big red flag though. Is he insured? If so your vet can refer him to a behaviourist, they do home visits and look at the whole dynamic. Even if not insured it might be worth the outlay to get the issue resolved.

Dh shouts "enough" when it gets bad here, the cat has one last grumbly miaow and generally shuts up.