Liz Allan is a cat behavior expert with 25 years experience of caring for cats. To find out how to deal with the most common, frustrating cat behavior problems, and for lots of other useful information about cats, visit her website: http://www.cat-behavior-explained.com
Excessive meowing is trying, to put it mildly. Imagine the scenario - you're trying to have a conversation, relax after a day at work, cook the dinner - whatever - and MEEEEEOOOW!!! You can't do any of it effectively because your eardrums are taking a constant bashing from that little fluffball who looks far too small to be capable of making such a racket.
Telling Kitty to be quiet doesn't work. If you give her what she wants, she'll happily take it and then instantly find something else to ask for. Shouting at her just makes her raise her voice above yours to a glass-shattering volume.
If this sounds all too familiar, don't worry. It is possible to quieten the noisiest kitties down, and there's one method that's by far the most effective.
Cats that meow non-stop do it because they've learnt this behavior. What do I mean by that? Somewhere along the way, they've learnt that excessive meowing gets them what they want. Imagine it from Kitty's point of view:
MEEEEOW! I want my dinner! (Mom gets it for me)
MEEEEOW! I want some of your dinner! (Mom gives it to me)
MEEEEOW! I want to sit on your lap! (Mom lets me)
MEEEEOW! Let me out! (Mom lets me out)
MEEEEOW! I want one of my favorite treats! (Mom gets it for me)
To get your cat to quieten down, you have to get her to stop associating excessive meowing with getting rewards. The best method for this?
Ignore her verbal blackmail!
This really is the single, most effective method for curbing excessive meowing. Unfortunately, it's quite difficult at first. Your cat has learned to meow non-stop to get what she wants, and it takes time and effort to re-program her mind. When you first start ignoring her verbal assault, she'll try what's worked before... meowing even louder and for longer.
It's vital that you don't give in when she does this. If necessary, watch TV with headphones on. Wear your iPod. Go somewhere you can't hear her. Don't shout at her - chances are she'll prefer negative attention to no attention.
Only reward her when she's quiet. It's important that you do give her lots of love and attention when she's quiet, as this will re-train her that being quiet is good. The aim of ignoring her verbal demands isn't to punish her; it's to train her that howling for attention no longer works.
It may take a while to get your kitty out of her old excessive meowing habits, but if you persevere, she will improve. If your cat is naturally vocal, you may never get her to be really quiet. But you should be able to reduce her meowing to an acceptable level.
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