Hi everyone, I've got a problem and I'm at my wits' end... Basically, we adopted a little deaf cat about a year ago, and ever since we got him, he's been meowing at night. Not just quiet little meows, but really loud, raspy ones, sometimes high-pitched, and mostly for no apparent reason. All the doors are left open so he can go wherever he likes, he’s got food and water, and his litter tray is clean. When we get up because of the meowing, he bites our feet or runs away and starts meowing from further off... We've tried playing with him during the day so he's tired out by the evening; result is he goes to bed at the same time as us, but after half an hour or an hour, he gets up and starts again. We bought him an interactive toy, but it’s the same story – he plays with it for ten minutes, gets bored, and comes back to meow... At first, we were told he’d stop after being neutered, but it hasn’t changed a thing – he was neutered back in February. We thought about getting another cat so he wouldn’t be alone, but after introducing him to other animals, he’s very possessive of us and gets aggressive with them. We took him to the vet, who told us there’s nothing that can be done, except maybe trying Feliway... It's really tough for us; the lack of sleep is exhausting us on a daily basis and we’re worried about getting into trouble with the neighbours (we’ve already heard them complaining about the meowing...).
I imagine someone here must have a deaf cat – maybe you have some solutions? Thanks!!
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Hi, I’m in exactly the same boat as you. I’ve had a deaf Turkish Angora for three years now. We used to live in a house where he could go out, but since moving into a flat, he does nothing but meow morning and night without stopping. They're really high-pitched meows and I just don't know what to do. He doesn't want to go outside, he just wants company, so I decided to get another cat for him—a female—but he didn't take to her at all. He's still meowing every night and it wakes us up; we can't even get any sleep. He starts around 1am, then 4am, then 6am... basically non-stop. We're also worried about it disturbing the neighbours because he meows really, really loudly. Please, can you tell me if you've found a solution? I've run out of options and I'm even considering rehoming him, my poor cat. I'm literally desperate.
It’s probably just that she doesn't like being alone, and cats are naturally active at night. If she really is 18, her previous owner (if you can even call them that) must have looked after her well for her to have reached that age already.
Cats love to sleep during the day, which is why she goes off to the bedroom to be on her own; it's not because she's trying to avoid you.
Given her age, it'll be hard to tire her out through play and it's not really recommended anyway. Try feeding her just before you go to bed and use a Feliway diffuser to help calm her down.
It might be better to see a vet for some advice. If she’s microchipped in your neighbour’s name, she legally belongs to them and you won't have any rights over her. However, if they aren't looking for her and are happy for her to live with you, then that's their choice too.
Hello everyone, I’m in desperate need of some help. I moved in with my mum back in September 2021, and when I arrived, I found this really friendly female cat. She seemed to be a stray and had a bit of a weird meow, but I didn’t think much of it at the time. About 2 or 3 months ago, she literally just moved in with us, and since she was house-trained and very calm (doesn’t play or anything), my mum and I kept her.
We later found out that she actually belonged to the neighbour across the road, who has loads of other cats but doesn’t really look after them. He didn’t seem to mind her coming to our house, so we consider her our own now. We’ve realised she’s deaf, which explains why she meows so incredibly loudly, and a neighbour who has a cat of her own told us she’s about 18 years old.
The problem is that she meows way too much at night and she's very loud. My mum works, so she needs her rest, and since I’m at home during the day, I figured I could catch up on my sleep then, but "Her Ladyship" won't let me sleep either. She meows as if she’s looking for me, even though she’s seen me go up to my bedroom, and at night she’s constantly pacing up and down the stairs meowing. Sometimes during the day, she can't seem to stand us being around and goes up to the spare room to sleep in a cardboard box.
My question is, what can we do? My mum is seriously getting fed up with being woken up, and our cat never seems satisfied no matter how much attention we give her.
Can anyone help?
Question: how do you communicate with him since he’s deaf?? Was he born that way? I’m a musician, and I know that deaf people are sensitive to music through vibrations, so you could try 'talking' to him with 'purring' sounds from your throat and by holding him against your chest so he can feel your heart beating through your body's movements, so he feels that bond deep down inside... If that helps at all... have a good evening!!
Hi there, I don’t have a deaf cat myself, but I do have one that’s partially sighted. I also know a deaf kitten at a house where I work. He's incredibly affectionate and very attached to his owner in particular. He doesn't realise how much noise he's making, obviously, and gets really anxious the moment he loses sight of her! That might be the key to your answer; he probably just needs the reassurance of your presence (though if he’s realised that meowing makes you come running, it won't do your nights any favours!!)... I also think Feliway might help him settle, and perhaps letting him sleep in bed with you would help too. You could also try leaving clothes that smell of you in different rooms so he can always scent you even when you're not there, just to reassure him as much as possible... Best of luck and keep us updated!...
If it makes you feel any better, six years ago we adopted a second cat so that our first one wouldn't be so lonely and in the hope he’d become less skittish. The first is a male, and he’s incredibly timid; he was found as a stray and wasn't microchipped or vaccinated, so we took him in. He spent his first two months with us hiding away—it was impossible to touch him. Bit by bit, by talking to him and putting some wet food down in front of us, he started to come out. It took a long time, but now he’s a total velcro cat!
When he was 2, we got our second cat, a female. He hissed at her as well and puffed his tail up, which is completely normal, and that lasted for over a week. When we weren’t in, the little one was kept in our bedroom to avoid any incidents, but once we were home, we let them be together. Gradually, by reassuring both of them, the big one started to accept the little one, seeing that she wasn't a threat to him.
A month ago, my female cat had an accident and had to spend two days at the vet. When she came home, the male hissed at her and was really aggressive; he didn't recognise her anymore because she didn't smell the same. We bought some Feliway, and with time, he’s accepted her again! It can take a while depending on the cat, but I think it’s rare for two cats to truly not get on—it all really depends on their personalities!
We've had him for a year now; when he meows we try to just let him get on with it, but after 10 minutes or so we usually end up getting up so he doesn't wake the whole block... So we play with him or give him some cuddles; sometimes he just wants a bit of company. So yeah, I think he meows for attention because he hates being on his own (for example, when we go out he walks us to the door and waits behind it, and whenever we get back, he’s always sleeping right there).
We introduced him to our next-door neighbour’s kitten, but he wouldn't let him into the flat – he was hissing and puffed up his tail, and he even tried to pounce on him. Another time, a friend came over with her Border Collie and the cat was really aggressive towards the dog, even though the dog was just lying there and not moving. I think he’s just being territorial, but it doesn't exactly encourage us to get another cat :-/
Yes, I get the impression he’s very protective but also quite anxious; you can tell he’s not a solitary cat. I totally understand that he can be protective and hate being alone, but it's tough when he wakes the whole building! Maybe he’d feel more reassured sleeping with you? But like you said at the start, if he’s up again 10 minutes later, that’s a bit of a pain. Perhaps try giving him an old t-shirt of yours that you’ve worn to sleep on; it might settle him down. Have you tried essential oils or Feliway? It works for some cats and really soothes them. Hang in there! Have a good evening.
We've had him for a year now. When he meows, we try to just let him get on with it, but sometimes after 10 minutes we end up getting up so he doesn't wake the whole block... So we play with him or give him some cuddles; sometimes he just wants a bit of company. So yeah, I think he meows to get our attention because he hates being on his own (for instance, when we go out, he walks us to the door and waits behind it, and whenever we get back, he's always sleeping right there).
We introduced him to our next-door neighbour's kitten, but he wouldn't let him into the flat. He was hissing with his tail all puffed up and even tried to pounce on him. Another time, a friend came over with her Border Collie and the cat was really aggressive towards the dog, even though the dog was just lying there and not moving. I think he's just defending his territory, but it doesn't exactly encourage us to adopt another cat :-/
