My cat is acting differently at my sister's house

L
Lucie9277 Icon representing the flag French
Report

My cat is meowing a lot, both day and night. I took him to my sister's three days ago because my husband wasn't getting a wink of sleep as it kept waking him up. At my sister's, he doesn't meow at all. I visited him this afternoon and it honestly felt like I was looking at a completely different cat. He's playing and isn't meowing. When he saw me, he went straight into hiding—maybe he was worried I was taking him back home?

My husband thinks, and I reckon he's right, that the cat meows because I react to him, either by shushing him or by going to see what's wrong. One night, for instance, I was ill and my husband slept in the living room; well, the cat came to meow in the bedroom where I was.

The cat is coming back home at the end of September, and I want to change my own behaviour by then to help change his. How should I go about this, and what do I need to do?

Translated from French
icon info

The forum content is sometimes translated from another language, and posts may concern countries with different animal laws. Do your research before making any decisions.

Since the forum is translated by AI, the translations may contain errors.

Would you like to give your opinion on the subject?

Write your message and upload a photo if you want to! Please remain courteous in your exchanges.

Your post will be visible to all members of the international Wamiz forum.

1 answer
Sort by:
    • ProvetoJuniorConseil
    Provetojuniorconseil Icon representing the flag French
    Expert verified
    Report
    Hi there, It sounds like your cat has learned that meowing is a very effective way to get your attention. Even a "shush", getting up to check on him, or talking to him counts as a response, which reinforces the behaviour. The fact that he's much calmer at your sister's is quite interesting and could suggest his behaviour is partly linked to his environment and the habits he's formed with you. Before he comes back, I’d focus on not responding to the meowing at all. Be warned, though—it’s tough at first, and he might even meow more for a few days because he'll be "insisting". If he approaches you when he's calm, then feel free to give him plenty of attention. Does he have toys at your house? A cat tree? He also needs his own dedicated spaces and activities to burn off some energy. On the other hand, a cat that suddenly starts meowing a lot, especially at night, could have a medical issue, anxiety, pain, or hyperthyroidism, etc. If you haven't already, a check-up at the vet would be a really good idea before he returns, especially if this behaviour is new. Have a good day, Maëlla
    Translated from French

  • 1 comment out of 1

    • Do you have a question? An experience to share? Create a post on our forum!
    These topics could be of interest to you!
    Find out more