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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    Courgettes have nothing to do with a carnivorous diet; they’re actually useless and provide no nutrition ^^' Regarding dry food, it all depends. You should also know that wet food (the good quality stuff) is very good for a cat's health. Contrary to what people think, quality wet food doesn't make them put on weight; it's just protein and water (the moisture is brilliant for cats to help avoid kidney issues). What you really need to avoid to stop cats from gaining too much weight and becoming totally food-obsessed is grains and too many carbs, like those found in potatoes, rice and, of course, cereals. It’s simply because dry food with too many grains isn't filling enough for them, so they just keep eating and eating and end up overweight. Give the T-shirt trick a go, as I know my girls always nick my things from the wardrobe when I’m not around, most likely just to catch my scent.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi! I think that’s perfectly normal, your cat is simply expressing themselves!

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    I wasn't talking about you, @Angelina56. We've already tried Feliway, but that's not what it's for—it's for stress. My cat isn't meowing because he's stressed; he meows because he wants to be with me 24/7 and have food available at all times. I refuse to do that because I value my privacy (I'm repeating myself here), and as for the food, if I let him eat as much as he wanted, he'd end up weighing 33 lbs because he just doesn't know when to stop. In fact, when people say "a cat can eat a couple of ounces of courgettes a day!", it makes me laugh. I thought I'd found the solution to help him feel full by giving him unlimited courgettes, but he polished off about 1 lb 5 oz in ten minutes, plus his dry food, and he would've kept going if I hadn't stopped him... I tried it for several days in a row to see if it was just a case of him learning to regulate himself, but no, he has a psychological issue. As for the t-shirt, no, I haven't tried that, but it's worth a go :)
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    I really don't get it... Where exactly was I lecturing you? I’m just trying to explain that a collar won’t fix anything; I haven’t judged you, and I wasn’t trying to preach either...

    Anyway, cat collars like that don’t actually exist. You could try Feliway (which isn’t guaranteed to work), but if that doesn’t do the trick, have you tried leaving a T-shirt with your scent on it?

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks for the pointless lecturing. Thanks anyway to Usibelle who actually gave some proper advice; unfortunately, I’m already aware of that method and it doesn't work. Angeline56, my cats don't panic like that :)

    Anti-meow collars don't exist, but I would have thought there’d be some kind of spin-off of those bark collars—non-electric ones, obviously, as the goal isn't to hurt him.

    I have one perfectly normal cat that I've adapted to (Naru), but Dagon is completely stopping me from living a normal life. I'm constantly sacrificing everything for him, even to the point of not looking for a partner, because he’s obsessively jealous as well.

    So, judge and laugh if you want, but I thought that for once a forum might actually be productive. It’s just more proof that there are only people here to lecture you instead of offering solutions. It’s not for lack of warning you.

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    Usibelle
    Usibelle Icon representing the flag French
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    There's no such thing as an anti-meowing collar. You can use a Feliway plug-in diffuser instead.

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Er, I don't think I was judging, but anyway... like I said, just use some earplugs...
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there, there’s no real way to stop a cat from meowing... A cat that gets sprayed is going to go frantic and try to claw that collar off (I didn't even know those things existed...). Instead of meowing, he could end up strangling himself with the collar. Cats aren't patient by nature; if he gets caught on something, he'll meow for help, but of course, he'll just keep getting sprayed with water, which will panic him even more, and by the next day... no more cat... strangled by his own panic. (This isn't just speculation; these accidents with basic collars happen more often than you’d think.) I’d also add that a collar won’t fix anything; using water on cats is never recommended under any circumstances.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    It’s a good job I gave fair warning... So that’s a definite no :) and there’s an automatic feeder that gives them a bit during the night anyway. If he’s meowing, it’s simply because he wants to be with me. But the thing is, I want to sleep, I’d like some privacy, and I want to be able to use my bedroom. It’s annoying when you state everything clearly but some people still feel the need to give advice without even reading the post properly, or just base it on what THEY would do... So, for those who are bound to ask: "Why do you have cats then?", I'll tell you now: they were dumped on me, and when the person left, they just left them with me. So there we have it. I’m just looking for people’s experiences, and you can keep your judgements to yourselves :)
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hiya! Why don't you just wear some earplugs? xD! And he’s only expressing himself, it's perfectly normal... he’s a CAT after all :/ You could try giving him some food before you go to bed so he leaves you in peace? Or maybe just leave the door open so he can come in??
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