Is your cat constantly meowing at you like a baby that won’t stop crying?
You’ve fed him, cleaned his litter box out, gave him fresh water, and talked to him a bit asking “What is it?!?”, but the meowing just doesn’t stop. Well, at least you can say you tried, right? Good pet parent points.
Fun fact: Believe it or not, cats actually only meow at humans. Awe doesn’t that make you feel special?? It does me!
In fact, cats rarely meow at other cats, unless they’re being provoked and then they’ll hiss and make some warning noises, but unlike dogs who bark at each other, cats don’t really meow at one another for casual conversation.
Cat’s meow, it’s just what they do.
However, if the meowing is becoming incessant, it’s important to take your cat to the veterinarian as continuous meowing or yowling could indicate a more serious issue.
Again, if your cat is meowing but it’s not chronic, then there should not be a problem, the meowing will naturally come and go.
However, if your cat is meowing more than usual / constantly, then it’s better to be safe and go get a check up.
Let’s look at some possibilities for why your cat is meowing so often and how to stop your cat from meowing.
Possibilities for why your cat is meowing
There are a variety of reasons for why your cat is constantly meowing.
- One of his basic needs are not being met
Cats are fussy creatures. If they don’t like the type of food your providing, they’ll let you know. Same goes for the type of litter.
Fun fact: Some cats are more ‘picky’ than others. This is all because of their breed. We believe Yoda is part Russian Blue because when his litter is not 90% clean, he will most likely let you know by going potty outside of the litter box.
So, what’s important to remember here is that you must pay attention to your cat’s basic needs (food, water, proper potty area). If you can identify the source of the problem here then most likely it will be an easy fix.
- Bored kitty = meow meow meow
Your cat, believe it or not, can get bored. Make sure you are adding new exciting toys into your purrecious furiend’s life about once a month. Though the cat may cherish the same toy, it’s always nice to receive new stuff, don’t you think?
If they are bored they are most likely going to make very sad-sounding yowling sounds. Yoda does this in the living room when I am too busy on my computer (sad I know). So to make him happy I get up and spend 15 minutes just playing with him or making him chase a string through the house.
- “Give me attention!”
Cats are social butterflies. Well, most of them anyway. That being said, cats enjoy when their owners (or other strangers) talk to them and give them the *deserved* attention, so much so that they will constantly meow at you until you give them what they want. Some cats succeed at getting people’s attention more adorably than some other cats who just meow meow meow. If you are a true cat-lover, then you already know that talking to cats/giving cats attention is totally necessary in befriending a cat (the secret is revealed!!)
- There’s a real problem needing to be addressed
Sometimes cats aren’t just meowing at us to say “Feed me hooman” or “Pet me right meow”. If meowing is incessant, then it could signal that a more serious issue is going on. Perhaps your cat is in pain and is trying to tell you. Examine your cat and feel for areas that are sensitive to him (gently rub the belly to see if there are intestinal problems). This could help with identifying any physical injuries that may have occurred while you were out. Otherwise, if you believe your cat maybe suffering from a sickness and/or injury, it’s best to consult with your local veterinarian as soon as possible.
Now that we’ve addressed some reasons for why your cat may be meowing so often, let’s look at how to stop your cat from meowing.
How to stop my cat from meowing so much
The number one unsaid and not-obvious yet sort of obvious rule for stopping your cat from meowing is to just stop responding to the meow.
Do not respond to the meow (but do not ignore it either)
Many cat-owners make the mistake of responding to that adorable (or annoying) meow coming from their cute cat that’s gazing those gigantic, beautiful eyeballs up at you. BAD! This is definitely not a good idea as this teaches kitty that meowing gives them what they want: your attention. However, you should not ignore your cat’s meowing, either, unless if you are 100% positive that s/he is just demanding you for something (like more food after already being fed). Otherwise, your cat maybe really trying to tell you that there is a problem or could be in danger. Always check to see what is causing the meowing. Safety first!
Spay / neuter your cat
I once saw a hilarious sign at the vet’s, “Watch me snip, watch me spay spay”. I love it as it is a great/humorous way to grab people’s attention as they drive by. Spaying and neutering cats can prevent many problems. Meowing is one of them. If your female or male cat is meowing relentlessly, then they may need to be spayed/neutered (if not already).
Take your cat to the vet
If you really just do not understand why your cat is meowing all the time and you don’t know how to stop it, then you should schedule an appointment with the veterinarian.
This should especially be done when the cat in question is an elderly cat as excessive meowing could mean a cognitive dysfunction or that s/he is suffering from some discomfort. Medication may help alleviate any pain associated and thus could help decrease the amount of crying/meowing.
Cat Meowing Summary
Let’s take a quick review of why your cat could be meowing a lot.
- Meows at you for more food
- Meows to be let in/out
- Meows because of loneliness
- Meows to get attention
- Meows because your cat is just vocal/saying hello
- Meows due to discomfort (injury/elderly age)
- Meows because looking for a mate
And now a quick summary of what to do to help reduce your cat’s incessant meowing (in same order as above):
- Teach kitty not to beg for food (do not give in to that adorable face)
- Install a cat door if meowing to be let in/out
- If lonely, provide kitty with a playmate, new toys, or spend more time with kitty
- Only give kitty attention when s/he’s quiet
- Say hello back 🙂
- Consult with your veterinarian
- Have your cat spayed/neutered
Final thoughts
Is there anything that you’ve tried that’s worked/not worked that’s on/not on this article, “How to stop my cat from meowing so much?” Please let us know!! Cats are not obvious creatures and often remain mysterious or hard to understand throughout their lives.
But with this article hopefully you can finally snooze in on a Sunday morning without being woken up for kitty’s breakfast time. Thanks again for following and keeping updated with Fluffy Kitty. If you have any furiends who love cats, please share our site with them! Keep the cat-lovers comin’ 🙂 Before you go check out some of our other articles related to cat’s behavior such as kitty biting and/or showing signs of aggression or viciousness or maybe kitty is even eating your houseplants, or gum?!?