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- Sep 17, 2015
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We have a 15-year-old orange tabby who has always been vocal and nocturnal but as he's gotten older both the vocal and nocturnal habits have gotten worse.
He'll meow and yowl for various reasons through the night - some nights are worse than others - and I'm tired of losing sleep and at my wit's end!
He sleeps in my room and I'm sure you'd think I could just put him out but it's not that easy! First of all, we have a small house so there are limited options for a place where I can put him where we won't hear him. Second, if I leave him out to roam he just comes and yowls at the door. And let me say, he is one STUBBORN and PERSISTENT cat! Trust me, you can ignore him all day...or night...long and he just keeps at it.
I've tried calming treats before bed but they don't work. Though honestly, it's hard to say fully how they work because he refuses to eat them, even when put in his food, so I can only put at most half a treat in there, and even then he doesn't always eat all of it. I've also tried Feliway to no avail. He doesn't really play anymore so I can't wear him out that way. I can't even say he sleeps all day and that's why he's so nocturnal because he's actually up a bit during the day.
Has anyone had a similar experience or have any suggestions of what to do? We've only tried the VetriScience Composure treats so maybe someone can recommend a different brand? I've thought about a calming collar (this one: Herbal Calming Collars) but I'm not keen on him wearing essential oils so close to his nose.
He's been to the vet multiple times and his tests always come back great so we have no reason to believe it's a medical issue. He does have arthritis (he gets a monthly shot for that) but I don't really think it's a pain thing. As I mentioned, he's always been vocal and nocturnal so I think it's just a problem that his age has made worse.
Any tips or suggestions welcome - I'm so tired!!
He'll meow and yowl for various reasons through the night - some nights are worse than others - and I'm tired of losing sleep and at my wit's end!
He sleeps in my room and I'm sure you'd think I could just put him out but it's not that easy! First of all, we have a small house so there are limited options for a place where I can put him where we won't hear him. Second, if I leave him out to roam he just comes and yowls at the door. And let me say, he is one STUBBORN and PERSISTENT cat! Trust me, you can ignore him all day...or night...long and he just keeps at it.
I've tried calming treats before bed but they don't work. Though honestly, it's hard to say fully how they work because he refuses to eat them, even when put in his food, so I can only put at most half a treat in there, and even then he doesn't always eat all of it. I've also tried Feliway to no avail. He doesn't really play anymore so I can't wear him out that way. I can't even say he sleeps all day and that's why he's so nocturnal because he's actually up a bit during the day.
Has anyone had a similar experience or have any suggestions of what to do? We've only tried the VetriScience Composure treats so maybe someone can recommend a different brand? I've thought about a calming collar (this one: Herbal Calming Collars) but I'm not keen on him wearing essential oils so close to his nose.
He's been to the vet multiple times and his tests always come back great so we have no reason to believe it's a medical issue. He does have arthritis (he gets a monthly shot for that) but I don't really think it's a pain thing. As I mentioned, he's always been vocal and nocturnal so I think it's just a problem that his age has made worse.
Any tips or suggestions welcome - I'm so tired!!