Why Won’t My Cat Shut Up? How To Stop Your Cat Meowing
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Have you ever been serenaded by the dulcet tones of your beloved feline companion’s constant meowing, asking yourself, “Why won’t my cat just give it a rest?”
Well, fret not, fellow cat enthusiast! You’re not alone in your meowing mayhem.
In this article, we’ll delve into the secret world of cat communication, uncover the various reasons behind incessant meowing (and other vocalizations), and arm you with practical techniques to bring back tranquility to your home.
Understanding Your Cat’s Vocalizations
Cats use different sounds to convey their moods, wants, and needs.
For instance, chirps are usually a greeting, while growls and hisses are signs of aggression or fear.
Purring is usually (but not always) a sign of contentment or relaxation, while yowls can indicate distress or mating behavior.
Why Do Cats Meow To Humans And Not Other Cats?
When kittens need food, warmth, or comfort, they instinctively meow to get the attention of their mothers.
As they grow older, the habit tends to fade away; adult cats rarely employ meowing as a means of communication among themselves.
But when it comes to interacting with humans, the dynamics change entirely – because the meow is by far the most common type of vocalization in cat-human communication.
Depending on the pitch, duration, and frequency, cat meows can convey a multitude of meanings, including:
- A greeting
- A request for food
- A request for attention
- Expressing stress or anxiety
- Expressing discomfort or pain
- Expressing the desire for a mate
The choice to meow as a way to provoke a reaction in humans is thought to be strategic.
How? Because cats seem to have “selected” the sound due to its appeal to human ears – almost reminiscent of the way a baby’s cry elicits a response.
When cats’ meows result in their being fed and cared for, their chances of survival significantly improve, all with relatively minimal effort on their part (Tavernier et al., 2019).
You can’t say it’s not smart!
However, smart or not, the charm might wear thin when your cat won’t shut up and the meowing just goes on and on and on.
And on.
Common Reasons Why Your Cat Won’t Stop Meowing
While meowing is a normal part of the way cats communicate with humans, excessive meowing can be a sign of an underlying medical, emotional, or environmental issue.
Here are some of the most common reasons your cat won’t stop meowing:
Hunger
The most obvious explanation is that your cat simply is hungry and wants you to feed him!
You can get around this by making sure kitty’s food and water bowls are always filled and that he has easy access to a variety of choices.
I like to feed our cats wet food twice a day.
The rest of the time they have access to several elevated feeding stations (so the dogs can’t reach them) that I keep filled up with dry food.
This way they can choose when and where they eat, which gives them better control over their environment and can help reduce stress levels.
This is especially helpful in a multi-cat household if, say, one cat is blocking access to a food source or likes to ambush another cat when he’s eating.
Another option is to use an automatic feeder – especially if your cat likes to meow in the middle of the night but you don’t want to leave food lying around.
Our first two cats, George and Loulou, liked to start meowing in the (very) early morning in anticipation of breakfast, so an automatic feeder was just the thing!
A high-fiber diet can also help keep your cat fuller for longer, so you may want to discuss that option with your veterinarian.
Attention Seeking
Some cats meow simply to get your attention.
If your cat seems to be meowing excessively for no particular reason, he might be feeling a bit bored or lonely and looking for some undivided attention or play.
He Wants Something
If your cat is the chatty type and wants something really badly, he may just keep meowing until he gets what he wants.
Our (now senior) Dubai street cat, Spencer, prefers to go outside to go to the bathroom and really doesn’t like to use the litter box.
So if he wakes up in the night and needs to go, he meows incessantly until you get up and let him outside. Even in winter brrrr.
Sometimes, if we can’t be bothered to get up, we try to wait it out to see if he will stop.
Very occasionally he will relent and use the litter box.
But usually, he just keeps on meowing non-stop. So it’s easier just to get up in the first place!
Or install a cat flap.
Bored Or Frustrated
Cats can get bored or frustrated if they are cooped up with nothing much to do.
This is especially true for indoor cats or if you’re spending long hours at work and your cat isn’t getting enough playtime during the day.
So when you get home, he’s full of beans while you’re exhausted and just want to relax.
This can cause your cat to meow excessively as he tries to engage you in a game or capture your attention.
Genetics
Different cats can have different tendencies for meowing, activity levels, and preferences depending on their breed.
Oriental cat breeds (like Siamese cats, for example) are known for their talkative nature and love to have conversations with their humans.
Personally, I’ve rescued many cats and kittens off the streets in Dubai over the years and they tend to be pretty vocal too.
Stress
Fear, anxiety, and stress, especially after a house move or some other huge change, are prime occasions for excessive meowing due to stress.
Going back to Spencer, he also meows non-stop when he is stressed or in a place he doesn’t want to be, such as in his cat box in the car.
To be fair, when he’s in the car with us we are usually going to the vet or moving house, both enormously stressful experiences within themselves, but his capacity for ear-shattering meows while barely pausing to take a breath is quite astonishing.
New Kitten Or Older Cat
If you have just adopted a kitten, it is probably the first time he has been separated from his mother cat and littermates.
His incessant meowing will not necessarily only be a distress call, but also his way of trying to communicate with them.
In the same way, a newly adopted cat or kitten may be unsure when first arriving at his new home.
He may therefore meow incessantly as a way to express his anxiety and confusion at all the strange scents and unfamiliar surroundings.
It will take him a while to settle in and learn that he is safe in this new environment with his new family.
Mating Cry
Excessive meowing in female cats can be a sign of being in heat, while male cats may yowl when looking for a mate.
Having always had spayed and neutered rescue cats, I have limited experience of this.
However, when we rescued our orphan kitten Mini-Me from a Dubai parking lot, her first season was upon us before we knew it and she yowl-meowed loudly and relentlessly for about five days straight.
There was absolutely nothing we could do to stop her or even distract her.
As soon as it was safe to do so, we got her spayed to avoid any future repetitions – both for her sake and for ours.
Illness, Pain, Or Discomfort
If your cat has suddenly become more vocal than usual, it could be a sign of pain, injury, health problems, or an underlying illness.
If you suspect this is the case, try to make your kitty comfortable by providing a safe and cozy resting place, perhaps with a heating pad to help him stay warm.
Despite her pain medication, our elderly cat Millie would meow loudly sometimes when she jumped down from the sofa and it felt painful for her stiff, arthritic joints.
It’s always best to err on the side of caution and check with your vet if you see any sudden changes in your cat’s behavior.
Note: Hyperthyroidism is a common medical condition in older cats that can cause excessive vocalization, particularly at night (Weir et al., 2023). Hypertension (high blood pressure) has also been associated with excessive meowing in older cats (Boltz, 2011).
Aging
Confusion, disorientation, or age-related cognitive decline can all contribute to increased vocalization in older cats.
Now that pet cats are living longer lives, age-related complications such as cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS), which is directly related to the aging of a cat’s brain, are becoming more prevalent in our senior cats.
“Commonly referred to as cat dementia, it ultimately leads to changes in awareness, deficits in learning and memory, and decreased responsiveness to stimuli,” says Dr. Katie Grzyb.
If you suspect that your cat is showing signs of cognitive dysfunction, again, do take him to the vet for a proper diagnosis and treatment.
Hearing Impairment
It is thought that deaf cats may purr and meow more loudly than their hearing counterparts.
Some deaf cats “call out more often and more loudly as they struggle to regulate their own volume,” says Cats Protection.
They may also “walk into a bathroom or walk-in shower and shriek, enjoying the vibration of their voice reverberating from the tiled walls and floor,” explain veterinarians Llera and Downing.
Note that deafness and hearing impairment become more common in old age cats.
How To Deal With A Cat That Won’t Stop Meowing
First of all, it is essential to figure out why your cat won’t shut up.
As I’ve outlined above, there will usually be a very valid reason for the behavior.
Once you’ve ascertained whether your furry friend has a serious medical issue or is simply just a chatty guy, you can then take the appropriate steps to address his mega meowing and keep it under control.
Playtime And Toys
Providing your cat with interactive playtime and toys can help reduce excessive meowing due to boredom.
Toys such as feather wands or even the humble piece of string can keep kitty engaged and entertained and provide an outlet for his natural hunting instincts.
Some people like to use a laser pointer, but these can lead to frustration because there’s never anything to “catch” when the cat pounces on the little red dot.
You can remedy this by throwing down a furry toy mouse for your cat to grab and bite at the same time he is pouncing.
Safe And Stimulating Environment
Providing your cat with hiding spots, elevated perches, and cozy sleeping places can help reduce excessive meowing due to stress or anxiety.
Keeping his litter box clean and providing a quiet, accessible location for his bed can also help reduce stress levels.
If you have multiple cats, make sure there are plenty of resources for all the cats, including food, water, toys, sleeping spots, scratch posts, hiding places, and a clean litter box (ideally one box per cat, plus one extra).
Mealtimes And Automatic Feeders
Hunger-related meowing can be addressed by ensuring that your cat has enough food and water.
It is also a good idea to feed your cat on a regular schedule to establish a routine.
If he tends to meow a lot at all hours of the night, a nice dish of his favorite wet food just before you’re going to bed will usually help calm him down.
Cats often groom themselves after eating, which is a relaxing activity that is often followed by their settling down for a nice doze.
Don’t forget that automatic feeder either!
Grooming And Snuggle Time
Spending quality time grooming and snuggling can help reduce your cat’s excessive meowing, especially if he’s been stuck home alone all day.
Brushing his fur, cleaning his ears, and trimming his nails can also help keep him healthy and comfortable, so he will be less likely to meow due to any kind of discomfort.
Environmental Enrichment
Beefing up your cat’s environment can help reduce meowing if he’s meowing because he’s bored or frustrated.
This means adding enriching items like puzzle feeders that require him to figure out how to extract the food, or even DIY activities like cardboard boxes filled with treats to find and paper shreds for him to explore.
Another option is a kitty fountain that will encourage drinking and make it easier for him to stay hydrated. Or he may just stare at the water and bat at it from time to time!
Cats love their vertical space, so offer plenty of options for your cat to climb, jump up, and scratch, like cat trees and scratching posts.
In the same way, cats love hidey holes.
It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. A cardboard box makes for the perfect hiding place when your cat wants some much-needed alone time.
Not only that, research shows that providing hiding boxes reduces stress in shelter cats (van der Leij et al., 2019).
The more relaxed your cat is, the less he’s likely to walk around the house meowing all day.
It’s a win-win!
Training
If all else fails, you could try actually training your cat not to meow.
You can do this by rewarding him when he is quiet.
Here’s the late great Dr. Sophia Yin demonstrating how this works:
Calming Aids
In some cases, cats may need additional help to reduce excessive meowing and there are a few different options available.
Although they are not always effective, it doesn’t hurt to try.
For example, pheromone sprays or diffusers, such as Feliway, can help calm anxious cats.
Herbal remedies like Rescue Remedy can also help alleviate stress.
Playing calming music designed for cats or classical music (our cats love violin music!) can be helpful, although mileage may vary.
I’ve tried cat-specific music a few times when taking different cats to the vet in the car.
Cat #1 Rainbow calmed down within a few minutes but Cat #2 Spencer, you may be unsurprised to hear, just kept right on meowing at top volume.
So there you go.
What Not To Do To Stop Your Cat Meowing
Of course, there are a few things you should avoid doing when trying to stop your cat from meowing.
Don’t Punish The Cat
- Physical punishment, shouting, or spraying water are ineffective methods to quiet a meowing cat.
- Such actions will only increase kitty’s stress levels and risk making him feel fearful or anxious around you, damaging your bond with him.
- Plus, he won’t learn anything new because you are addressing the symptoms and not the cause.
Ignore Without Ensuring Safety
- Ignoring excessive meowing without checking if your cat is in distress or facing a problem is not advisable.
- It is important to determine if there are immediate concerns, such as your cat being ill or in pain, trapped, unable to reach the litter box, or experiencing thirst or hunger.
- Distraction with a game or treats is far preferable to outright ignoring your cat when he’s trying to communicate with you.
Before You Go
It’s clear that cats meow for a reason, but determining why your kitty won’t shut up is not always an easy answer.
Whether his incessant meowing is due to emotions, a medical issue, his genetics, or something else, understanding the underlying causes and properly addressing them can make all the difference for both you and your feline companion.
If you want to read more about why your cat feels so compelled to talk, I recommend my article Why Do Cats Meow Back At You? Cat Chat Explained! for even greater insight.
In the meantime, a silent house can feel just a bit too quiet at times – at least your cat has something interesting to say!
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Resources
- Cat Dementia: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment – Katie Grzyb
- Cat’s Night Howling, Meowing Could Be Hypertension – Rachel Boltz
- Deaf Cats – Cats Protection
- Ethogram of the adult cat vocalization – Chloé Tavernier, Sohail Ahmed, Katherine Albro Houpt, & Seong Chan Yeon
- Feline vocal communication – Chloé Tavernier, Sohail Ahmed, Katherine Albro Houpt, & Seong Chan Yeon
- Hyperthyroidism in Cats – Malcolm Weir, Krista Williams, Robin Downing, & Ernest Ward
- Teaching a Cat to Be Quiet [Video] – CattleDog Publishing
- Teaching and Training a Deaf Cat – Ryan Llera & Robin Downing
- The Effect Of A Hiding Box On Stress Levels And Body Weight In Dutch Shelter Cats; A Randomized Controlled Trial – W. J. R. van der Leij, L. D. A. M. Selman, J. C. M. Vernooij, & C. M. Vinke
NEED HELP FROM A CAT BEHAVIOR SPECIALIST? If you need more help dealing with a training or behavior issue, please find professional help from a certified feline behavior consultant. They will be able to offer you tailored advice for your cat(s) and situation. Good places to start are: - International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants - COAPE Association of Pet Behaviourists and Trainers - American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
