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My Cat Won’t Stop Meowing and It’s Driving Me Insane

Cats use meowing specifically for communicating with people. While this is incredibly sweet, your cat could be overdoing it. After a day full of meowing, you probably just want to know why it’s happening and how to put a stop to it.

If your cat won’t stop meowing, you should first figure out why. The excessive meowing could be from illness, hunger, or their need for attention. Once you know what the problem is, you should use constructive solutions like giving them food and water if they need it or playing with them.

Causes for cats meowing a lot vary, and based on that, so do solutions. To make sure that your cat is healthy and happy, but still well-behaved, read up on the most common causes of meowing, and then read tips on how to solve them.

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Reasons Why Your Cat Is Meowing

Here are some of the most common reasons behind excessive cat meowing.

Your Cat Is Hungry or Thirsty

One of the most common reasons why your cat is making that much noise is hunger or thirst.

Sometimes cats start meowing excessively near their food and water bowls. If there isn’t any food or water in their bowls, they’ll meow until you fill the bowls back up.

Fortunately, this problem is quite easy to fix: simply give them food or water. However, you have to be smart when giving in to their needs. More on that later.

Your Cat Is in Heat

If your cat is meowing excessively, the reason behind it could be the fact that they are in heat. This is a common occurrence if your pet hasn’t been neutered or spayed. When in heat, cats truly make a lot of noise and display plenty of annoying behavior.

Female cats are a lot louder because they will yowl whether there are males around or not. Male cats, however, are more prone to yowling if they smell a potential partner around. This problem is easily prevented if you spay or neuter your cat — if you don’t want kittens.

Your Cat Could Have Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is an illness that typically affects older cats. The yowling and meowing is not the only symptom, however. You can spot your cat losing weight but eating a lot more, being too active and jumpy, and making a lot more noise.

Of course, you can’t be sure that this is your problem unless you take your cat to the vet and get a checkup as well as a blood test. Then the vet will be able to help you and provide treatment.

Your Cat Is in Pain

Another reason for constant meowing could be that your cat is feeling pain. Cats are generally not prone to showing it, but if something hurts them a lot, they will make noise as a way to ask for help. It could be anything, from infection to any other illness, so make sure that you take your cat to the vet.

Your Cat Is Lonely

If you haven’t been around all day, your feline friend could be feeling lonely. Cats may not be as social as dogs, but they still love attention, especially if they are very attached to you. They could be bored while you’re not home or simply miss you.

Your Cat Is Stressed

Has there recently been a big change in your life? A big move or a new member of the family — whether a baby or a pet — could have your cat seriously stressed out. Meowing due to stress could also be due to an illness, or if someone they loved has died.

Your Cat Is Old

Older cats can develop a host of conditions that could result in excessive meowing. Your cat could be senile, which could make them feel scared of sudden movements and noises. They could be disoriented as well. This can make them meow a lot as a way to announce their discomfort with their issues.

How to Stop Your Cat From Meowing Excessively

If you want to decrease the amount of noise your cat makes and prevent them from meowing during the night, here are some easy-to-implement tips:

Make Sure That Everything Is Okay

Before jumping to conclusions, check if your cat is okay. If they are just hungry, decide whether to feed them right away or stick to their schedule. Provide plenty of water at all times and make their life conditions ideal. Then, check if there are any other issues, especially the ones pertaining to health.

Don’t Punish Your Cat

Punishing your cat is the worst idea possible. It’s understandable that you are stressed out by the constant meowing, but try to relax, remove yourself from the room where the cat is, and reconsider your actions. If you just yell at your cat or spray at them, they will dislike you and it could make the meowing worse.

…but Don’t Give In

Giving in is also a bad idea. They will get used to you giving in every time and they will just meow more. If they want something that they can’t have or that they can’t have right now, don’t let them have it. But, be gentle about it.

Find Something for Them to Play With

If you spend a lot of time outside of your home, whether at work or in school, you should find plenty of entertainment for them. That way, they won’t meow as much when you come back home, and they might be tired enough to take a nap while you rest.

Always Have Food and Water Out for Them

An automatic dispenser is a good idea to prevent your cat from meowing during the night. They will get their food and water whenever they need it, so you won’t have to worry about it, and at least you know that your cat isn’t meowing because they lack something.

Go to the Vet

If the meowing doesn’t stop for several consecutive days and you can’t find a decent reason for it, you should take your cat to the vet for a complete checkup. They could find an illness or a problem that is causing all the meowing and yowling.

Play With Them During the Day

If your main problem is meowing during the night, you should invest some time during the day and play with your cat. This is especially true before you want to go to sleep. This will tire them out and you will be able to sleep properly.

The more you play with them and tire them out during the day, the more they will sleep. You might even get your cat to stay awake during the day and sleep at night — switch their rhythm.

Keep Their Litter Box Clean

Cats are quite clean, and they will hate having to go in a dirty litter box. This is why it’s a good idea to clean your litter box frequently. Try to clean it before you go to work and before you go to sleep. This will prevent many different illnesses.

Turn Night Lights on for Senior Cats

Senior cats get disoriented frequently and they might have a weak vision. So, leaving the night lights on for them should help them move around, find food, and find their litter box. It can also prevent them from meowing.

Conclusion

The most important thing to do is not to abuse your cat and not to give in if the reason behind meowing isn’t something that could harm them. Make sure that the cat has everything it needs most of the time. Another possible cause of your cat meowing could be their species.

For example, Siamese cats meow a lot more than other cats, and in that case, there’s not a lot you can do. Remember to keep your cool and try to enjoy that your feline friend wants to talk to you.