I Still Think Something Is Wrong With This Cat

[MyHeadHurts]

MOD NOTE: The first thread about Moxy is here.

Here's an update.

Moxy hasn't improved since my last post. I've been giving her wet food (fancy feast classics) every night and earthborn kibble during the day. I also leave a handful of kibble (just enough to cover the bottom) on her dish after dinner so she has munchies for the evening. I also think the portion of the wet food isn't enough to fill her, so kibble and water makes her feel full. That's her snack for the night, so I won't feed her again until morning.

Now she will yowl in distress after I feed her. Like some horrible emergency is going on. It's loud and obnoxious and worse than before. Instead of giving me a few minutes to myself she will start up again within 10 minutes of finishing her wet food. I think she sees the wet food as a reward for her behavior and I'm tempted to just give her kibble for a while.

I've tried to take her out a few more times, but she isn't going to get used to it and I'm not going to try anymore. The last time the vibrations from the car overwhelmed her and this guy almost hit me. I had to swerve and she was tossed to the side of the carrier. When we got there I found out she peed herself. So no more outside time ever.

I haven't had a chance to make or buy any puzzle dishes because of school, but I have been playing with her more and petting her more often. Again, I think she sees this as a reward because basically nothing has changed. I'll pick her up and cuddle as soon as I walk in the door. Sometimes when I'm late I'll feed her first. I thought maybe it would make her feel like a priority and calm down, but she isn't that observant.

She has a ritual thing she does. She will demand cuddles and attention first thing in the morning. It's actually pretty cute, but when I try to get up to shower she'll complain and claw me. I get that she doesn't want me to leave, but this happens EVERY morning. She still won't let me sleep at night so I keep her locked out until I'm up and active. You can imagine she still doesn't like it.

She's still crazy for me. She'll shove her nose into my nostrils, rub her cheek on my face, show me her tummy, and give me love bites. She even lets me hug her and pull on her tail amd play with her ears and all that. I just have no idea how to discipline her without actually punishing her.

Ignoring her has had ZERO effect, just like before.
She has actually taken to scratching the paint completely off my bedroom and bathroom doors. The situation is beyond Elmers gluing it. She cuddles like a teddy bear but needs more attention than a cat really should. Sometimes she'll keep meowing at me after we've played fetch (she will bring her ball back if I throw it--I didn't train her to) and she has her bell ball in her mouth. Yes, this IS unusual for a cat. Hands down this is WEIRD.

What the hell do I do? What is left? I don't believe in devoicing and even if I did it isn't legal in CA. I'm completely and totally at a loss. She's extremely well behaved for the most part EXCEPT her constant unnecessary meowing and yowling. I'm starting to think she doesn't have a reason and just does because she can. Cats are jerks.

 

[susanm9006]

There is only so much you can do to change a cats personality or talkativeness. If you give it time she will probably get calmer but may still be demanding and noisy. So a decision on your part of whether you can live with this and her or whether you might both be better off rehoming her. At a year she can still adjust to a new home but the more time that passes the more difficult it will be.

 

[MyHeadHurts]

No, I'm not rehoming her. Her meowing the single and only problem she has. I'm serious when I say everything else about her is fine. So she can't handle outside. Who cares? I also realize that at the moment I need more space and alone time than most humans. I don't think many cats would appreciate that and I'm not holding the situation against her. She just can't deal with it well. It's like quiet time is stressful somehow. Sometimes when I have late nights I'll check on her and cuddle a bit to calm her. It works for a while, but not long. Same with playing. Being out of sight freaks her out.

I've asked my neighbors how much noise she makes when I'm gone and they said none. She's only loud and annoying when I'm there. So I still think it's seperation anxiety. There just isn't a good resolution that I can afford. This cat taught herself to play fetch just to impress me! I'll never get rid of her. I just can't.

There's also the amount of time, energy, and money I've spent on her. Knowing it was all a waste would just rub salt in the wound. It isn't primary, but it is significant.

 

[MyHeadHurts]

Moxey has been acting out since I started trying to discipline her. She isn't meowing *quite* as much as she used to. But now she will potty on towels if I leave then on the floor, she'll fling her water everywhere and refuse to drink it, and she has developed an obsession with the garbage disposer. She will put her paws in it, which freaks me out. So I put in the stopper. She will fight with it until she either forces it out, or she'll get frustrated with it and meow at my door for an hpur. IGNORING HER DOES NOT WORK. The squirt bottle actually convince her to curb some of it. She was meowing adter midnight and I lifted her up and sprayed her tummy a bunch of times until she ran off. She hasn't been so bad since. Problem is I don't want to keep doing that. I'd rather she drank her water and stayed out of the garbage disposer. One time she pulled a towel down from the rack so she could potty on it.

This is weird and it worries me. Is there any possible way to stop this? She started because I refuse to give her wet food all the time. She tries to refuse to eat her kibble but I'll just leave it out until she does. Might be why she's pottying outside her litter box. She is also still scratching the paint off my doors, but that's old behavior that she'll probably never get over.

Is it possible to fix a cat that refuses to grow up and mellow out? I've been spending a lot more time with her lately. Last Monday was a holiday, so I spent the whole day with her. Didn't do any good. I don't know what to do.

 

[Brian007]

Did you try any of the 'cat-calming' preparations that I suggested on your first thread? Have you been to a vet about her recently? I really do think some kind of anti-anxiety medicine might help, and recommend your looking into the natural, over-the-counter remedies before considering prescription medicine.

Royal Canin Veterinary Diet 'Calm' cat food would be my first instinct, as it wouldn't cost you much more than what you're currently feeding her. It's the one containing the amino acids L-Tryptophan and Casein and is widely available online.

 

[Lari]

How old is she?

Is there any way you can add more wet food to her diet?

 

[MyHeadHurts]

She is about a year and a month or two old. She gets wet food every night. I'm worried that wet food only isn't healthy for her. It's also a lot more expensive than kibble. 75 cents per meal versus 20-30 dollars for a 25 pound bag is a big difference.

I don't have a cat tree yet because of money. Time is an issue now, too, with midterms fast approaching. I only have one big project before them. I work part time so I can survive, but coming up with extra money is an issue. I tried the calming infuser again and it still didn't do anything. She's still cuddly and playful and awesome, just VERY demanding of my time. Like more than any cat I've ever had.

I just realized I spelled her name wrong. Oh well. Kind of embarrassing. Don't tell anyone.

 

[Lari]

Okay, so my cat gets a 50/50 mix of wet and dry as well - either half a 5.5 oz can or a full 3 oz can, but I divide it into three smaller meals a day, so she feels like she's getting more (then her kibble portions over night and when I'm at work). Maybe if you spread it out she'd be happier?

Full disclosure, my kitty is really gentle and easygoing, so what works for me might not work for you, but she's taken pretty well to me praising her doing things I like. I tell her what a good girl every time I see her use her scratching post or litterbox. Now if I have to tell her no and take something away from her she goes dramatically to the scratching post.

And if she's motivated by her wet food, maybe she could get a spoonful of her daily portion when you see her doing something she should?

 

[Timmer]

I don't think it has anything to do with her food at all. I think it's your expectations of her, i.e., to be quiet. I had a cat who was extremely vocal and yes, it can certainly get on your nerves. I understand how you feel. But please don't punish the cat with spraying it or ignoring it whatever you are doing. It's the cat. It's how the cat is.
You have never said, but is this cat by any chance a breed of some sort, like siamese or bengal? I had a bengal. He never stopped meowing. I don't even think he slept very much. I had to be the focus of his attention all the time and I didn't mind because i loved him so much but sometimes I would be trying to eat dinner and he would be screaming his head off and it was making me a nervous wreck. Eventually, I would just take my plate and sit on the floor with him and that would shut him up.
I hate to even suggest this but what about getting another cat to keep this one company? If it's the three of you, some of the focus might be taken off you. Then again, it could backfire on you.

 

[kissthisangel]

I agree with Timmer, the food isn't the problem in this situation. Although I don't know what is. If she is so desperate to be with you, all of the time, I don't see that food, or a new cat tree is going to stop her from being this way. It is very possible a companion could give her the attention she craves, but it sounds like money is tight for you with one cat. Having two may stretch your budget. PLUS you'd have to find another cat with a high dependence, so they would rely on one another. Shelters can help you there, they may have cats with a high dependence level that you can work with. If you can afford more food/ litter and vet care. If not, then I would try providing your cat with more independent entertainment. You can get false aquariums, butterfly tanks etc that might go a way to distract her. Make treat toys, like poking a hole in toilet roll holders, or a box and trying to entice her away from you sometimes.

 

[MyHeadHurts]

I have no idea what breeds Kitty is. She is a mix of a mix, an "accidental" litter. She looks like a brown spotted tabby, and it's been mentioned she might be part Bengal. I don't think she's Siamese at all--she doesn't have the facial structure or the build of one. But yeah, I've been thinking her breeding is making her weird. She wasn't inbred or anything crazy. She is the cuddliest cat I've ever known, so she has to be a mix of domestic breeds. Her toes are normal, so probably no fancy or wild breeds in her blood.

I guess now I'll focus on distracting her. Taking her outside...didn't work. Maybe in a year when she's a full-fledged 2 year old adult cat. For now it can wait. My mom still visits with the dogs and everyone gets along and plays. Maybe if I puppysat every so often? They're all friends, so it couldn't hurt.

A butterfly tank sounds like something I'd want in my bedroom. Maybe I'll get two I'll have to save some money first, but I will definately look online for those.

I will keep you posted.

 

[Timmer]

MyHeadHurts.....I kinda would love a cat like this. My Timmer -- as vocal as he was -- was the best cat I ever had and I mourn his death so badly. I could do whatever I wanted to him and he was OK with that. I could use his body as a pillow (he was a big tom cat) and he loved it. Groom him, clip his nails...whatever. He loved me unconditionally. BUT, he was obnoxious with my attention. I couldn't do anything without him screaming at me. It was like the only thing that made him happy was if I sat on the couch with him, went to bed or laid down on the couch for a nap. I guess he just wanted someone to cuddle with; that human touch. I have another cat and they did nothing but fight to the point where I had to have them separated. I built a door at the top of my second floor landing and she lived up and he lived downstairs. So, getting another cat for you might be a can of worms...it would depend on the other cat. Instead of getting one equally needy, perhaps getting one that's more chill would help him.
Visiting with other cats or dogs is good. If he's not even 2, he is very young and has a lot of energy. He may just calm down later.