Kate Stafford
,@kstaff
0
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My 1 year old neutered male cat has been singing the song of his people nightly, starting around 0200. It’s actually more a chirp than a meow, but he doesn’t stop until the sun comes up. He isn’t locked out of the bedroom, food and water needs are met, litter is clean, etc. He doesn’t do this during the day. He seems to keep these shenanigans confined to the hallway or the bedroom. He just walks around chirping with the occasional half meow.
The only thing that seems to stop him is if I kick his brother (littermate and best friend) out of my bed and lock them both out of the bedroom, which makes HIM sad. Choir boy is happy to sleep in our bed any other time of day, with or without human or feline companions, so it’s not like he wants his brother out of the room because he himself is uncomfortable in there.
I should add that there have not been any food, litter, family dynamic, or even furniture changes. Nothing new in his world. What gives?!
Comments
My 7 month old neutered kitten keeps peeing on towels and blankets. He doesn’t have a UTI-he was tested. We do our best to keep him out of the bathroom, so the towels are manageable, but it’s impossible to keep him away from the blankets. Help!
Comments
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Sarah Have you tried a different litter in the box? The type of litter you are using may be part of the issue.
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Laura I agree with Sarah. Start with dirt in the box – that seems to attract cats. Slowly transition to a more normal litter.
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Krista Magnifico Hello,
I wrote a ridiculously long answer, which seems to have disappeared into oblivion.. I suggested the following;
1. Never doubt the cat. They are always trying to tell us something, albeit, not always in the most socially pleasing manner. Trust they need you and listen to them. I always say that “if your cat had opposable thumbs they would write on the wall “HEY! MOM! I NEED ____” but instead they pee out of the box.
2. Do multiple urinalyses, not just one. Too often the answer lies in the second or third urine submitted.
3. There is a very strong environmental component. Try lotd of different litter boxes, scrutinize the location (like down in the basement (who wants to go down there?), next to a loud piece of equipment (like the washer or dryer,, too scary), or take the cover off, try different substrate (like potting soil, which is nice a soft like a towel?), try a wide box, low box, covered versus uncovered, etc etc.
4. Try a big cage covered in litter in one area, sand in another and soil in the last. see where he goes. Then fill the bottom with that. Each day add newspaper to the corner or one edge. Every day you make the litter area smaller until it only exists in an area the size of a litter box. Then add the litter box. See if that helps to retrain him.
5. You can board him with us. We essentially keep them until they are calm and litter trained. It is a bit of solitary confinement meets spa escape. The clinic cats were all former inappropriate urinating cats brought in to be euthanized. We retrained all of them. It can take a while but it helps them calm down and readjust.
Lastly, we forget to see the world through our cats eyes. They aren’t us. They too often get fed the wrong food, which causes bladder inflamation, get too bored inside, and some of them really are reclusive, and we dont give them places to hide, or perch, or run.
Please follow up with me at the clinic. I want to help you guys.
I am here for you all
Krista
Hello,
What an interesting question.
My first thought is to wear my veterinarian hat. To look for any signs of illness. An exam and blood work (with urine and fecal) are where I start. From there we talk about behavior. Cats are nocturnal critters and many just like to party after dark. Many also get too much slee due to boredom during the day. So I encourage clients to try to mix up the routine and find a mutually acceptable way to get the entertained and tired during the day so they can sleep with us at night. Things like catnip and taking out toys for the daytime (putting them away at night to discourage playing after dark). A really rigorous play session between 8-11 ( or a few hours before bed time) and a late night (right before bedtime) snack can help. In general finding a way to meet all his needs before bed so he will sleep through the night. Also leaving a tv on during the day. Or programming toys to turn on during the day to break up excessively long nap times during the day when you are at work might also help. If all else fails we use crate training at night at the clinic. The cats know it’s bedtime at 8 pm and they are crated all night. It keeps our in clinic motion sensors happy and the clinic quiet at night. This takes time and patience and they are never crates during the day so they get lots of exercise during the day. Hope this helps. Let us know what happens.
Xox
Krista