Adopted cat - 1 week in - constant meowing

[Naranjo]

Any advice gratefully received!

4 year old shy rescue cat. Had her one week, she hid first 3 days, then graduated to sleeping all day hiding but wandering around in evening, with a bit of meowing pre-litter tray. Last night we had the breakthrough of me being able to stroke her and she went all out, climbing all over me, showing her belly, licking my hands, sitting on my lap.

Today she has been out in the living room all day (never done that before). The problem is she is constantly meowing. She was reaching for the door handle of the living room last night (have kept her downstairs so far) so in desperation just opened it so she can start exploring the rest of the house.

Hasn't stopped her, still meowing. She is eating fine (eating a lot, though she is skinny so I've kept giving her quite a bit), drinking water, pooing ok.

Please tell me the meowing isn't a permanent feature! I work at home so it's driving me crazy. She hasn't let me stroke her today, though has come to smell my hand a couple of times. I'm trying to just ignore her but don't know if it's the right thing to do. I'm not an experienced cat owner.

Was she previously an outdoor cat? Mine meow when they are hungry or want to go out - ignore either at your peril as the meowing just gets worse then the destruction of the house starts 😂

My rescue boy meowed the whole way home and then allll of the first night (literally every minute) until 5am….

He meowed A LOT mainly at night for the first few weeks but nearly a year later it’s calmed down a lot- I think we underestimate how long it takes them to settle in. He’s a different cat now to even how he was at 6 months (also goes wild for cuddles and fuss!). He’s now only particularly shouty when he wants to eat or play.

This sounds a bit crazy, but... have you tried just answering back in a calm voice? Copy the intonation of the miaow a bit, and just speak reassuringly.

I've found that has worked quite well with all the cats I've had over the years.

Was she previously a lone dcat? When we lost one of ours dcat became very vocal.
Until we got a dkitten!! Happy boy dcat again!

Thanks for replies - she's always been an indoor cat, but previously lived with 3 other cats. They were separated at the rescue centre as they thought they were unbonded.

I do answer her in a calm way, sometimes get down to her level to see what she wants. Yesterday it was food she wanted, as she was pointing towards the food drawer but today it was just aimless pacing around.

She has stopped now. Two theories - she had trapped wind - thought I heard her fart (the search goes on for a dry food she likes, doesn't upset her stomach and is good for her).

Or she found it cold behind the washing machine where she usually sleeps in the daytime so wanted me to do something about it. She won't sleep in her nice warm igloo unless I'm on the couch, if I'm at my work desk she won't go in there, even though there's not much difference in distance to the igloo, which is safely tucked under the stairs and I never bother her when she's in it.

Either way...delighted it's stopped for now! Though now i have to go back to my desk...

If my cat meows at me I meow back at him, he seems to quite like it (or maybe I confuse him!). Glad she has stopped for now, maybe it was a settling-in thing

Ours meows a lot when she comes in - like she's either telling us she's back, or wants to know if we're there. I answer back with a meow! We have quite a chat sometimes... she is also very vocal when she wants something she can't have (but which she's used to having) - if we've had to keep her inside for example, she will constantly meow to tell us she is not happy. Or if she thinks it's dinner time and we don't.

I think some cats just like to have a chat and tell you what they think.

Just talk to her. She's trying to communicate with this new human in the way she knows humans communicate. It's probably things like 'what's that? Do you know a big dog fox walks through the garden at 11.20 every night? Are you going to come with me as protection when I explore upstairs in case there's a monster? I've left something in the litter tray you'll need to remove before I can use it again. There needs to be at least three other beds set up for me to ignore because I want to sleep upstairs with you at night'

I talk back to mine as well
Think sometimes they just like the sound of their own voice!

She's been a lot less vocal today but still pretty noisy. I'm pretty sure it's because she's unsettled as it's too cold to sleep behind the washing machine, and she doesn't totally relax in the igloo. She also wants me down on the floor by her scratching post which is where she feels secure enough to let me stroke her - which I've done twice now for quite a long time - I can't spend all day down there though!

I'll try the meowing back. This morning I've done a mixture of talking to her a few times and then just ignoring after that. Also one 'shush' in exasperation which worked, so I suspect her previous owner used that.

I think she misses her companion cats and may be lonely, but only you can judge.

She needs company she is talking to you

Yes I think she may be missing her companion cats. She now wants to be on my lap all the time and licks my hands and wants to lick my face. She's off exploring upstairs at the moment and I can hear her meowing up there too, seems her default for attention/when she's unsure/restless.

She'll settle down soon, when she's reassured that your home is hers too. It's probably unlikely, as she's a rescue and has probably been checked, plus she's quite young, but hyperthyroidism causes crying out in cats. The vet will advise on this. Just a thought. Get her a Teddy to snuggle up to

p.s., you haven't paid the obligatory litter tray cat tax

I don't have a Siamese myself but I have heard that they're very chatty vocal cats, could she be part- Siamese?

She may be part something else, she has quite big ears. Here she is

Aww, she looks really happy & settled. Give her a little bit more time and see how she goes.

Cat food, one cat by Aldi, nearly the same as purina one, mine has a sensitive tum too.
She’s a beauty 🙂

The miaowing was at fever pitch today because I was working at home, so couldn't endlessly pet her or have her on my lap though must have petted her on an off today for at least 1.5 hours. She has also started miaowing when I go up to bed - I've been up here 2 hours as I wanted some peace to read and go on the internet (she won't allow it if she's on my lap) and she is still miaowing and banging around. I don't allow her upstairs in the evenings.

I've been enforcing that I won't give any attention when I'm at my desk, only when I'm on the sofa or down on the rug. It's hard going though, her pitiful cries were all the way through one of my zoom calls!

I guess I'm not even 2 weeks in so fingers crossed this improves. Her previous owner couldn't possibly have given her this much attention (she had 4 cats) so must be a combo of feeling unsure in new house, not having cat companions, being relieved to be out of the rescue, and my huge amounts of attention so far to settle her in. Her favourite position is to lie on my chest gazing at me, it's intense,