Anti-meow spray collars

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Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

Before anyone jumps down my throat, please read what I’ve written below and keep an open mind. I’m just looking for some feedback from people who have been through this.

I have two cats, and one of them, Dagon, meows at night the second I make even the slightest movement. They sleep in the garage, but Dagon picks up every noise I make—even when I’m just tossing and turning under my duvet; he clearly has very sharp hearing. He is incredibly clingy both day and night, so he’s meowing for my attention, not because he’s hungry, thirsty, wants to play, or has a dirty litter tray, etc.

This has been a total nightmare for seven years now. I can’t even sleep in my own bedroom anymore because it’s too close to the garage (I’ve been sleeping on the sofa in the living room), and I’m constantly on edge dreading the next meow, which stops me from sleeping.

I’m at my wits' end not being able to sleep where or when I want in my own house, or even having a private life because of the stress these meows cause me!

I should also mention they are very well looked after. They have specific dry food suited to their needs (Dagon is a big lad at 7.5kg, which is about 1 stone 2 lbs), mixed with some cooked courgettes. They have a garden to play in, and I give them plenty of cuddles when I can. They don’t sleep with me, and they never will, as I believe a person has the right to their peace and quiet and their own space at times.

So, my question is:

Have any of you tried anti-meow collars? Or perhaps anti-bark collars for small dogs used on cats? If so, which ones, and can you give me some details? I am strictly talking about spray collars; I have no intention of using electric or static shock collars. The goal is simply to put it on him at night so I can finally move back into my bedroom, where I haven’t slept for nearly two years now. I’ll try every possible solution before even thinking about rehoming him!

Thanks for your kindness and for sharing your stories :) If you’re just here to criticise (like calling me a bad owner or telling me to use earplugs, that sort of nonsense), please don't waste your time.

Robrom

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Yes, they’re both neutered and vaccinated. I’ve checked with the vet to make sure he isn't in any pain or being bothered by anything. We can't sleep with him in the room anymore; after trying time and time again, he just wakes us up all night wanting doors opened and whatnot... in the end, we were absolutely exhausted. I even had a few issues at work during that period because I couldn't get in on time, I was so shattered. So, he doesn't sleep with us anymore. We used to have a garden, but he never goes out. He’s terrified as soon as we try to get him outside—even with a harness, he struggled like mad, wriggled right out of it and bolted back into the house. He’s definitely a proper indoor cat; he just doesn't like going out. I still try every now and then to get him to have a wander near the front door, but that’s as far as he’ll go... at the slightest noise, he runs back inside.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    I’m having the exact same trouble with one of my two. He keeps waking me and my husband up. It was already hard enough when the lack of sleep started catching up with us and we couldn't do anything without being literally pestered, but the worst part is that now he’s waking up my newborn. We can’t all just wear earplugs and live in total silence without being able to hear each other, talk, listen to music, or watch a film in peace—or more importantly, hear if our baby has a problem, is crying, or needs us! It’s just not possible. Obviously, I’m not going to put earplugs on my baby; she needs to hear us and the normal sounds of the house to feel reassured. However, the non-stop meowing from one of my cats is stressing her out. It's stressing me out, and it's stressing the neighbours. We live in a flat and you can hear him everywhere, all the time. Now, I know cats meow—I have another one who meows to express himself, which is normal—but this isn't just an ordinary cat "simply" meowing. You only realise how bad it is when you’re actually dealing with this kind of serious problem yourself. I’ve had cats since I was a baby, I’ve NEVER lived without one. I LOVE CATS, mine especially. Sometimes some meow more than others and that’s that, but this is different. They have everything they need, including plenty of love, of course. I’m trying to hang in there—I adopted them both from a rescue centre—but if I don’t find a solution, I’m going to have to rehome him. It’s a sad thing to say, but he’s making us ill... I’m desperate because I adore him, but he’s stopping me from living a normal life and stopping everyone from sleeping, including my tiny baby, and it’s unbearable. I’m only reaching out to people who are currently dealing with or have dealt with this problem. I’m sorry to say it, but others just can't imagine what it's like and will only be outraged by a post like this, which might seem completely intolerant. Please understand, I’m not a mean person, I’m not cruel, and I love animals. Peace. ^^
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there, just like robron, I’m having the same problem with one of my cats. I’m worried about getting into trouble with the neighbours because he meows so loudly all night long, right through until the early hours. I’ve got six cats, and this one is incredibly jealous of the newest arrival, so I’m forced to keep them separated at night. I’ve set up a room in the basement of my house with a walkway leading outside to a secure garden. So, in the evenings, I take two cats upstairs with us and the other three stay downstairs. They’ve got all their home comforts—a sofa, cushions, a dry food dispenser, fresh water, and even heating for the winter. The thing is, even though he’s a very sweet cat, this meowing is just unbearable. Does anyone have a solution?
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    It’s all well and good to say he’s "expressing himself" when it isn't ruining your life! I’ve got a cat who shouts for no reason too, and honestly, it’s a nightmare. I’ve had several cats, and so has my partner, and none of them were ever this demanding or stubborn. He sleeps in the living room with the rabbit and has a disco ball on a timer plug for night-time entertainment... But come daybreak, if "his lordship" wants to see me or play, he meows non-stop. Whether he sleeps with me or not makes no difference, except that he also meows in the middle of the night to pester me... I’ve seen a behaviourist, and here are the tips she gave—there’s been a slight improvement so far, but nothing major. 1. Switch to a grain-free dry food; it’s better suited to them. 2. Labradorite mineral elixir, one pipette in the morning (this actually works quite well). 3. When the meowing gets too incessant, put him in the bathroom where there’s nothing for him to do until he stops. It can take a loooooong time at first... Top tip: put his litter tray in there with him to avoid any "surprises"... 4. Ignore him as much as possible and only initiate interaction yourself when he isn’t asking for it, so you're the one in charge. 5. Feliway takes at least 2 months to see if it’s working, but to be honest, it did nothing for me either :/ 6. Also, the best reaction is no reaction at all, which is incredibly hard when you’re at the end of your tether... but even a negative reaction is a win for him. 7. Loads of patience... P.S. To all the idealists: I love my cat. I adopted him from a rescue myself. That doesn't stop me finding him a pain in the neck, and no, a cat meowing non-stop without even knowing why isn't normal... If your child was crying and screaming all day, would you just say "oh, they're just expressing themselves", or would you look for a solution?
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hello everyone,

    I always wanted a cat that could talk!

    When he was tiny, he barely made a sound, but on the rare occasions he did meow, it was absolutely adorable.

    Then he grew up… and suddenly I had my talking cat!

    And I do mean "talks" — a different intonation for everything. "Get that stinking lump out of my litter tray!" "Oi, the water fountain sounds different today, top it up!" The classic "the alarm's going off in five minutes so I'm getting in first," and so on…

    Nothing too unusual so far, you might say — except that whenever I have people round, they absolutely lose it when they hear him. These are not normal meows!

    He's a proper impressionist, the cat world's answer to a comedy mimic — a genuine COPYCAT!!!

    We've all seen videos of cats making strange vocalisations, but with him that accounts for about 90% of his entire vocabulary — the remaining 10% being your standard cat meows.

    When my daughter was a newborn, he quickly worked out that a single cry from her would have us both out of bed in a flash.

    You can probably guess what happened — he started copying her cries. And off I'd go, running down the hall.

    There's definitely a sadistic streak in that animal!!!

    These days, whenever I refuse him something, he comes out with these low, intermittent, gravelly sounds — like he's filing an official complaint.

    In a way, it's quite funny. But at night… it's absolutely unbearable.

    My downstairs neighbours asked if I ever heard strange noises at night. "Like the voice of a five-year-old boy whimpering and letting out little yelps." I told them it was probably coming from the building across the road. The poor things — they're getting the full concert too.

    Anyway, the point is — I know my cat well. I've lived with him for eleven years, and he knows me just as well, the little beast.

    Feliway, a bowl of food before bed, cuddles, stern warnings along the lines of "Right, tonight you leave us alone or there'll be consequences!" (complete with the pointed finger) — nothing works!!! Well, maybe for five minutes, then it starts all over again…

    In the end, we've got a decent budget going on earplugs for my wife. I sleep like a log, so it's her who wakes me up when he's kicking off — not him.

    Only those who've been through this — or are still going through it — can truly understand how exhausted and utterly fed up you get. (After a while, without any solution, you could honestly call it a form of torture.)

    As has already been said, you really do have to love your pet to put up with this!

    @Robrom, apparently there's an ultrasonic device that's supposed to help stop this sort of thing. I'm going to give it a go — we'll see…

    So yes, in short: I have a talking cat.

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    If we draw a parallel with dogs, should we let them bark at every passer-by just because they’re "expressing themselves"? Overall, I get the impression there are two camps on this forum: those with a lovely but annoying cat, and those with a lovely, chilled-out cat. People who don’t really like their cats have better things to do than talk about their moggies on a forum (at some point you’ve got to get some perspective and keep a level head). Then there are those who think they’re being nice to their pet, but thanks to being heavy sleepers and/or having a large flat or house and/or a garden, they just don’t hear them meowing (they won’t recognise themselves in this, but there are more of them than you’d think). To those of you with a cat that doesn't wake you up five times a night: I’ll swap with you any day, and then let’s see where we are in three years’ time. It’s funny how some people confuse discipline with abuse, selfishness, and malice. Don’t have kids... Honestly, when I see how some people handle their dogs, I finally understand what’s going on in their heads. From a scientific and sociological perspective, given the level of inbreeding in cats and the troubled pasts of those that have come from a rescue centre*, I’d venture to say that some animals aren’t exactly the sharpest tools in the shed—even if it’s not their fault and they can be adorable. *That’s the case with mine; you really have to love cats to pay around £260 for one, with a fair chance of it being a bit dim (at least that’s what I’ve noticed from experience, comparing an adopted adult cat to a kitten raised at home). Especially when you can get cute kittens for free everywhere that won't have the baggage of being abandoned or living in a cage. I still chose to adopt on principle, though.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Without going into a long-winded summary of the basics, nature gave us senses for a reason; we’re well-designed, at least in theory. Stopping an animal from expressing itself or punishing it is a form of abuse, driven by pure selfishness and perversity. It’s heartbreaking for the animal and shameful for humans who call themselves owners.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    It seems some people on this forum clearly have an issue with training and how they relate to animals. Mind you, it doesn’t surprise me much; pets have a nasty habit of making their owners go a bit gaga. "Would you put your child in the corner and give them a smack just because they’re talking? I don’t think so, or at least I’d hope not!" "He’s talking to you, just let him sleep in your bed." Except a cat isn't a human, and the original issue in this post involves an adult cat. If your 18-year-old kid was making a right racket all night with the music full blast, and your solution was to go and sleep with them, you should probably keep your thoughts on "parenting" to yourself. Speaking as the owner of a very vocal cat who has a loud, raspy, aggressive meow (even if he is a cutie) — and I can tell you that even locking him outside behind double glazing doesn’t stop you hearing him — letting them sleep with you is the single worst thing you can do. Now he meows on the bed, at the foot of the bed, over nothing at all, at every hour of the night. If we put him out of the room, he starts yowling like an abandoned cat that’s been left in a car for a fortnight in the scorching sun without water, then let out only to be tortured. When you put up with a cat that’s ruining your sleep and your health, it’s proof you actually love animals, because plenty of people would have just dumped him at the side of the road. There are stray cats everywhere unfortunately, so if you’re going to take one into your home, they might as well adapt to the extra comfort rather than acting like they're king of the castle, with their owner bowing to every whim and sacrificing their health and social life. @Valou’s comment, showing they’ve managed to train their cat without any force, is a perfect example of successful training.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Cat behaviourists really do exist! When it gets to the point where you can't even get a bit of privacy, you’ve definitely got to call one in! Personally, I think a cat or a dog is only happy if their owner is happy too!
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Um, stopping a cat from meowing and then punishing it for it? Is it just me who finds that absolutely shocking?? 😲 I actually had to go back and re-read that sentence just in case I’d misunderstood. Would you put your child in the naughty corner or give them a smack just for talking? I don’t think so—well, I’d hope not! Personally, I’m really not on board with that kind of thing. To me, it honestly looks like a form of mistreatment.
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