Cat meowing excessively every morning

[Dairymilk]

Hi all

My cat is Just over a year old. Because he Used to misbehave a lot like peeing and because he still gets into loads of mischief he gets locked up in a room with water and a litter box and a bed and some toys (though not ones he's likely to eat)
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We've been doing this for most of the time we've had him so probably 5 months. He usually goes to bed OK and doesn't complain probably 95% of the time. He knows it's time for bed.

Mornings are a totally different thing. I sleep quite well so usually I don't hear him, so I couldn't tell you whether he meows ALL the time from sunrise, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did. He did today and I noticed because i slept like crap.

Even on days when I wake up with my own alarm or just before it, I can tell he's already been meowing. He always gets let out in the same half hour period and it has only been different maybe 10 times total.

He certainly used to be worse -- he'd try to climb the door and so on and some days he still does. I spent a few weeks trying to only open the door if he's not crying, but I was stood outside that door for half an hour at least each time because he never did stop. I would've taken gentler "hello" meows but he just kept screaming. So that kind of training didn't work out.

I imagine that he is hungry but also lonely. I think my next step will be to get him an automatic feeder that goes off at the time of my alarm. I cannot think of anything else.

We could try to let him out at night, but I think he would still cry because for example if one of us is lying in he will cry outside the bedroom door anyways after he ate.

Has anyone got ANY suggestions at all how to deal with this ? Like I say I sleep like a log so it's not really an issue of my sleep quality but I am upset for him and also afraid to get in trouble with neighbours though thankfully they've not said anything yet.

 

[mxphs]

Hey dairymilk

I can definitely empathise with this. I've made several posts about my cat Humphrey being very meowy all the time since I got him in 2022. Can I ask about what he does during the day? It seems like he's just a super early riser (as most cats are)
Would you ever consider not locking him up anymore? It really drives up their anxiety not being able to roam freely. You mentioned he got up to mischief when he was let out, how many times did he get up to mischief?

 

[Kwik]

Hi there,sounds to me like the little fellow is lonely,I'm not going to assume that you've talked to your Vet to rule out any possible medical conditions.....definitely speak to his veterinarian if you've not already
Cats basically learn to " meow" persistently as a way to communicate with humans,I'm stressed,lonely,hungry,I want out,I'm bored,my litter box is dirty or some other issue they want you to give attention to as only you can
So what do we do about it when their immediate call for action doesn't meet our time line? Well,that's the hard part,isn't it? First,what's the issue? I really don't know why he's in there to begin with,exactly what kind of " misbehaving" is he sequestered for- there might be far better ways to correct the behavior that is undesirable than isolation.....you mentioned " peeing",was his box not meticulously clean when he went outside of it,where did he go,does he have only one box.... You see,there might be a reason that's very simple to fix....
Perhaps you can provide more details,seems like you may have a very social little fellow that is not happy when he hears you up and about and he's by himself,how about a ticking tock,a radio,interactive electronic toys,boredom can really get a very active cat meowing
I do hope you find this encouraging ,be encouraged that there's always answers although unrealistic expectations cannot always be met- we must find ways to live with our beloved cats that we can cohabitate in a mutual space,not separately- then we are better suited to goldfish,lol. So let's try to figure out what you'd like to achieve and how to get there,cats meow and it's their only way to get a message to you the rest is up to us to figure out

 

[Dairymilk]

Well he used to pee anywhere he pleased when he had 3 litter boxes! Now he has two (because he's just not in one room anymore). The vet found nothing wrong with him, it was behavioural and seems to have resolved.

Otherwise he throws things off shelves and other I suppose regular cat stuff. I'm more scared about him getting himself in trouble because he does sometimes eat his toys for example and so either he is away in a separate bedroom or every single single thing he could possibly eat needs to be put away which is not realistic. He does get left alone during the day but it's never the sort of duration that nighttime is.

He also can't be near open windows for example and we sleep with the bedroom window open. It's a fixable situation just another factor.

We play a lot during the day. He is talkative in general and always hungry so it just repeats in the mornings. i will be trying to let him stay out of his room overnight at some point but if he does just meow from sunrise that's too much disruption for my sleep and I can't take care of him if I can only get 4 hours of sleep every night

 

[Dairymilk]

Also he is never in the bedroom while we're up and about that's the problem! He screams while we are still asleep. He gets let out immediately the moment we wake up (apart from when we tried to teach him that being quiet is good and it didn't work).

 

[mxphs]

Did you get him from a shelter? or have you raised him since he was a kitten

 

[Dairymilk]

Did you get him from a shelter? or have you raised him since he was a kitten

He was originally in the care of a man who then just no longer wanted him, then he lived with a sphinx breeder (so lived with sphinx cats and some dogs) who also didn't want him so we got him from her when he was about 8/9 months.

If we take precautions and like tape down fragile things and stuff he can probably come out of his little room, but I don't think we will ever be able to let him into the bedroom where we sleep if he meows from sunrise

 

[Kwik]

Well he used to pee anywhere he pleased when he had 3 litter boxes! Now he has two (because he's just not in one room anymore). The vet found nothing wrong with him, it was behavioural and seems to have resolved.

Otherwise he throws things off shelves and other I suppose regular cat stuff. I'm more scared about him getting himself in trouble because he does sometimes eat his toys for example and so either he is away in a separate bedroom or every single single thing he could possibly eat needs to be put away which is not realistic. He does get left alone during the day but it's never the sort of duration that nighttime is.

He also can't be near open windows for example and we sleep with the bedroom window open. It's a fixable situation just another factor.

We play a lot during the day. He is talkative in general and always hungry so it just repeats in the mornings. i will be trying to let him stay out of his room overnight at some point but if he does just meow from sunrise that's too much disruption for my sleep and I can't take care of him if I can only get 4 hours of sleep every night

Great to know the Vet gave him an " all clear" and thank you for the added info..... You know some cats are simply very vocal,akin to people who talk alot......I think this little guy is a talker but you'll be happy to know that by doing what you've been doing ( letting him out when he's quiet,not when he's meowing) will reinforce the " better to be quiet" response....he's very young and they do test the waters at that age to see what works
So then there's no more litter box issues but there's the problem of his getting into trouble where you fear his safety.....have you tried deterrent sprays? Cat away,Scratch No,Citrus? Those type of things,they do work but you have to spray constantly- but it's just until they learn it's unpleasant to go near" such n such"... There's also 2 sided tape,cats hate walking on sticky surfaces unless of course they are my Bengal Sami,he just figures everything out and realizes" Oh,it's just sticky right where this little strip it,no biggie"... Turning mats upside down so the little plastic nubbies are face up in front of a place you'd like them to keep away from....maybe some of those ideas will help
There's stretched steel sheets ( looks like a cage) you can fit to your inside window frame so it'll be cat proof when open,very inexpensive and easy to do....a cat perch is great too,in front of a window- a cat can entertain themselves for hours on a perch looking outside at birds & movement out there
When your not home & he's alone I'm sure he's not meowing and probably sleeps a lot ,that's another reason he's so active when your home and sleeping and wanting attention-they're nocturnal naturally and simply adjust to our hours - another reason to keep them awake and busy during the daytime but for you it's pretty impossible with work...sounds to me like you have the heart and desire to make things work and I believe it will- just be patient,if he could come in the bedroom that would end his curiosity about what he thinks he's missing and he could see your sleeping- maybe you'd like to try a window cage to protect the screen or open window factor?
. I do wish you the very best,you sound like a responsible pet carer....

 

[Kwik]

He was originally in the care of a man who then just no longer wanted him, then he lived with a sphinx breeder (so lived with sphinx cats and some dogs) who also didn't want him so we got him from her when he was about 8/9 months.

If we take precautions and like tape down fragile things and stuff he can probably come out of his little room, but I don't think we will ever be able to let him into the bedroom where we sleep if he meows from sunrise

So you've only had him for about 90 days? Well gee,that's not very long at all and he's but a year old,he's just getting more and more comfortable and secure in his forever home- you go get yourself some deterrent sprays & pleasing scents as well for the places you DO want him,catnip & cat calming pheromones.Theres also litter attractants( herbs)for inside those litter boxes and let the environment do the training,that's what really works best imo
I've been training animals for 4 decades,there's no better method I've found that letting the surroundings deter & attract than any other way we can come up with- these little creatures follow their nose when the "see" something attractive or that gets their attention
He's been bounced around a bit and unlike dogs,cats familiarize themselves with " territory" first compared to being familiarized with their pack( or persons).... Then & only then do we begin to have their attention......this is just the beginning,I've gotta hunch it's gonna be great

 

[Alldara]

Is he the only pet in your home? He might be very lonely if he used to live with many other pets.

If you can get some museum putty, you can secure your items, also some babyproofing would help.

Building up what enrichment he has so he's not bored and drawn to trouble will be helpful.

But I imagine much of it is due to loneliness. Could you consider getting him a friend?

 

[Kwik]

Is he the only pet in your home? He might be very lonely if he used to live with many other pets.

If you can get some museum putty, you can secure your items, also some babyproofing would help.

Building up what enrichment he has so he's not bored and drawn to trouble will be helpful.

But I imagine much of it is due to loneliness. Could you consider getting him a friend?

Lol,I was thinking the same thing,a little friend
Never thought of putty,what a fantastic ideaI've got a little guy that just doesn't like certain pieces standing upright,as long as he tips them onto their side he's satisfied,lol- like Lladros & other find collectables!!!!It's okay,I truly needed to minimize,lol

 

[Alldara]

QuakeHOLD! Museum Putty 88111 - The Home Depot

Kwik some cats are redecoraters

 

[Dairymilk]

Ok so I slept downstairs on the sofa and let my cat out of his room. He was quite excited to be out I guess so he played a little. He meowed before sunrise I think to try to talk to me and then after sunrise again. It was quite annoying but I tried to ignore it.

Then did that again another night and he lied down with me on the sofa to sleep. Don't think he slept with me all through the night because I definitely know he went to his old room to poop and stuff, but whenever I woke up he was there on the sofa. He meowed a couple of times after sunrise but it wasn't as annoying as it could be, and I ignored him. Also noticed he has slightly stinky breath so maybe I need to get to brushing his teeth. Then I woke up at around 7am when I usually wake up and once I turned around and he saw I am awake he immediately bolted to the kitchen door and started meowing.

So I think in general the lesson here is that he is very hungry in the mornings so maybe a small portion of food between sunrise and when I wake up might be good. So I guess I will order that automatic feeder.

Sleeping on the sofa is very uncomfortable so I need to move back to my bedroom but I'm not sure whether I can let him sleep there with us yet (when he was peeing everywhere my bedroom was quite often the target for example) but I'll probably let him come out of his room.

 

[mxphs]

Wow this sounds liek heaps of progress!!
Glad to hear that your cat hasc calmed down a bit more since you've let them out of the locked up room. An auto feeder sounds like a good idea, wishing you all the best!

 

[Kwik]

Ok so I slept downstairs on the sofa and let my cat out of his room. He was quite excited to be out I guess so he played a little. He meowed before sunrise I think to try to talk to me and then after sunrise again. It was quite annoying but I tried to ignore it.

Then did that again another night and he lied down with me on the sofa to sleep. Don't think he slept with me all through the night because I definitely know he went to his old room to poop and stuff, but whenever I woke up he was there on the sofa. He meowed a couple of times after sunrise but it wasn't as annoying as it could be, and I ignored him. Also noticed he has slightly stinky breath so maybe I need to get to brushing his teeth. Then I woke up at around 7am when I usually wake up and once I turned around and he saw I am awake he immediately bolted to the kitchen door and started meowing.

So I think in general the lesson here is that he is very hungry in the mornings so maybe a small portion of food between sunrise and when I wake up might be good. So I guess I will order that automatic feeder.

Sleeping on the sofa is very uncomfortable so I need to move back to my bedroom but I'm not sure whether I can let him sleep there with us yet (when he was peeing everywhere my bedroom was quite often the target for example) but I'll probably let him come out of his room.

Not that it's any consolation but I can certainly relate to your being uncomfortable and needing to sleep.I just(3 days ago)took in an adult feral & naturally he has to be confined.Long story very short ,he was scared & hiding pretty much up until last night,oh boy what a night!!!!He rattled the cage & got to yawning that I had to lay on the floor next to him in the corner of the cage( not hiding) just to get 2 hrs sleep!
My point in sharing this with you should encourage,you have a baby,the little one is telling you what he needs and you guys can meet those needs-I cannot give this 7yr old guy what hes asking( to get out)-before you know it your lil guy will be a trustworthy,reliable litter box pro,free to roam the house ,find the spots to call his own and you'll have a schedule that suits you both,This will soon be all behind" and they lived happily ever after!"
Hang I'm there,you're doing great-believe me the rewards for your efforts now will continue in truckloads forever

 

[Kwik]

Typo-he wasn't yawning,it's yowling . Don't ya just love predictive text,uggg♡

 

[Dairymilk]

Not that it's any consolation but I can certainly relate to your being uncomfortable and needing to sleep.I just(3 days ago)took in an adult feral & naturally he has to be confined.Long story very short ,he was scared & hiding pretty much up until last night,oh boy what a night!!!!He rattled the cage & got to yawning that I had to lay on the floor next to him in the corner of the cage( not hiding) just to get 2 hrs sleep!
My point in sharing this with you should encourage,you have a baby,the little one is telling you what he needs and you guys can meet those needs-I cannot give this 7yr old guy what hes asking( to get out)-before you know it your lil guy will be a trustworthy,reliable litter box pro,free to roam the house ,find the spots to call his own and you'll have a schedule that suits you both,This will soon be all behind" and they lived happily ever after!"
Hang I'm there,you're doing great-believe me the rewards for your efforts now will continue in truckloads forever

Last night it was my boyfriend that slept on the sofa just to try it out and my cat was a menace! Meowed non stop from 4am while he was free to roam so exhausting god knows what we're supposed to do can't be waking up at 4am every single day to play

 

[Dairymilk]

It's been 7ish months like this and now the sunrise is earlier for spring/summer it's SO tiring!!! I hope he will grow out of this by next summer

 

[Kwik]

I must say,it is difficult when the humans are at work during the daytime
Naturally cats are nocturnal but they do adapt to our time clock-normally you'd play and keep him awake and busy during the day and he'd adjust to the schedule-all he knows,instinctive I'd that the sun went down and it's go time.. it does change over time but I don't think someone going out to sleep near him is a great course of action-would you consider a friend for him?

 

[lollie]

Cats are naturally active during sunset and sunrise. My cat also gets the zoomies around four every morning. She does NOT sleep with me. I leave a small snack of dry food so she can feed herself at 4am, otherwise she would be an unhappy camper to have to wait for breakfast.