"meow" does not tell me what you want!!!
December 28, 2007 8:40 PM Subscribe
Why has my cat suddenly become so needy and demanding of constant attention?
We have a three year old mixed breed cat. We adopted her about a year and a half ago from a home with one other cat and a dog, but since then she's been the solo cat in the house.
About three weeks ago she became very needy, for no apparent reason. She would meow and demand attention whenever my roommate and I were doing something else (cooking, on the computer, if one of us was in the bathroom she'd meow at the door). I've always gotten the feeling she was a bit lonely being by herself during the day since she would be very affectionate to both of use as soon as we got home from work, but it's turned into an all-day thing.
However, it seems like she doesn't necessarily want attention. She paws us when we're at our computers, so we stop, pick her up, pet her, and she still meows. She has food of the same brand she's always liked, her box is clean, her water dish is clean and full. I just don't know what more she is needing.
She is an indoor cat, in good health (although she does top out about a pound over the acceptable range for her age), and was fixed as a kitten.
We were thinking maybe the home alone while we're at work is getting to her, and bringing another cat in would help. But then we worry she may feel like we're replacing her, or the other cat is moving in on her territory. We figured if we did bring a second cat into the home it would be a male (ours is female), and perhaps even a kitten, so she could maintain her position as alpha cat and minimize dominance issues that would come from two female cats in the house.
Would this be a bad idea? Anyone else have any ideas as to why my cat's gone insane?
We have a three year old mixed breed cat. We adopted her about a year and a half ago from a home with one other cat and a dog, but since then she's been the solo cat in the house.
About three weeks ago she became very needy, for no apparent reason. She would meow and demand attention whenever my roommate and I were doing something else (cooking, on the computer, if one of us was in the bathroom she'd meow at the door). I've always gotten the feeling she was a bit lonely being by herself during the day since she would be very affectionate to both of use as soon as we got home from work, but it's turned into an all-day thing.
However, it seems like she doesn't necessarily want attention. She paws us when we're at our computers, so we stop, pick her up, pet her, and she still meows. She has food of the same brand she's always liked, her box is clean, her water dish is clean and full. I just don't know what more she is needing.
She is an indoor cat, in good health (although she does top out about a pound over the acceptable range for her age), and was fixed as a kitten.
We were thinking maybe the home alone while we're at work is getting to her, and bringing another cat in would help. But then we worry she may feel like we're replacing her, or the other cat is moving in on her territory. We figured if we did bring a second cat into the home it would be a male (ours is female), and perhaps even a kitten, so she could maintain her position as alpha cat and minimize dominance issues that would come from two female cats in the house.
Would this be a bad idea? Anyone else have any ideas as to why my cat's gone insane?
Response by poster: Nah, my roommate has no body fat, and I'm anemic, so we keep it at about 70 at night, 65 during the day. If neither of us are cold she should be fine. It's warmer than last winter was, too, and she was fine in that.
posted by Kellydamnit at 8:51 PM on December 28, 2007
posted by Kellydamnit at 8:51 PM on December 28, 2007
Best answer: Can you get her engaged in some intense play time? A laser pointer chase or a session with her favorite toys might give her a way to release some of that energy with the added bonus of helping her weight.
If that hasn't worked, you could perhaps foster a shelter kitten for a awhile and see how she does with another cat around.
posted by bonobo at 9:05 PM on December 28, 2007
If that hasn't worked, you could perhaps foster a shelter kitten for a awhile and see how she does with another cat around.
posted by bonobo at 9:05 PM on December 28, 2007
Best answer: Perhaps she wants play, rather than just attention? We have three cats, and they all require different sorts of attention to satisfy them. One wants nothing more than to sit nearby, two require some lap time, and one of those requires a vigorous scratching regularly, and the other one of the lap time cats requires a laser pointer or other toy to chase about at times.
In our case, if we fail to provide enough play, the one that likes to play will chase around the loner rather than asking us for attention. In your case, there is nobody to chase around.
posted by wierdo at 9:08 PM on December 28, 2007
In our case, if we fail to provide enough play, the one that likes to play will chase around the loner rather than asking us for attention. In your case, there is nobody to chase around.
posted by wierdo at 9:08 PM on December 28, 2007
Anecdote point: our 1.5-year old adult kitten is exceedingly talkative, and we've found that replying to him, though hilarious, just makes it worse.
Maybe she thinks she's people and is trying to have a conversation with y'all?
posted by subbes at 9:12 PM on December 28, 2007
Maybe she thinks she's people and is trying to have a conversation with y'all?
posted by subbes at 9:12 PM on December 28, 2007
She paws us when we're at our computers, so we stop, pick her up, pet her, and she still meows.
Meaning she meows if you stop petting her? She's got you trained. Any affection in response to her meowing, no matter how infrequent, will reinforce this behavior. My cat only stopped/slowed when we got another cat. (Both are neutered males.)
posted by desjardins at 9:17 PM on December 28, 2007
Meaning she meows if you stop petting her? She's got you trained. Any affection in response to her meowing, no matter how infrequent, will reinforce this behavior. My cat only stopped/slowed when we got another cat. (Both are neutered males.)
posted by desjardins at 9:17 PM on December 28, 2007
Cats sometimes go through weird personality phases every few years. In a couple of years she may go through an aloof phase, or a wool-coats-are-the-devil! phase, or a just-remembered-she's-completely-nocturnal phase.
posted by desuetude at 9:23 PM on December 28, 2007
posted by desuetude at 9:23 PM on December 28, 2007
She may well be sick. When cats become ill they often plead for help, but lacking good verbal skills all they can do is meow. Please bring this to the attention of a vet, since vets are the people who can properly address your question and there may not be any here.
posted by felicopter at 9:26 PM on December 28, 2007 [2 favorites]
posted by felicopter at 9:26 PM on December 28, 2007 [2 favorites]
felicopter's post reminded me of a contemporary of the cat I mentioned above. When she was a few years old, she started making an alarmingly-long-and-loud MEOW whenever her head was stroked in such a way that her ears were pushed back. We took her in for an early checkup, explained to the vet what she did, and he examined her. Seeing nothing wrong with her ears, he petted her the way we described and she did it every time. As with us, she never actually drew back to avoid pets on the head. He said, "That must be her new way of saying, 'Damn, that feels good!'"
posted by bonobo at 9:37 PM on December 28, 2007
posted by bonobo at 9:37 PM on December 28, 2007
Whoops, just realized that the cat I cited in my prior post was in another recent AskMeFi post I commented on today, not this one. Sorry.
posted by bonobo at 9:40 PM on December 28, 2007
posted by bonobo at 9:40 PM on December 28, 2007
Response by poster: felicopter, I thought of that and have been keeping closer tabs than usual on her. She is, in every other respect, as normal as ever. No more or less in the litterbox, eating the same, running around like a maniac and jumping all over everything the same. (she's an indoor cat, but we have a massive apartment, so there's plenty of space for her to go nuts)
That's why I figured it was more likely to be a behavioral issue and not a physical one. Any other time I've had a sick cat there's been some physical sign, either eating less, drinking more, something funky going on in catbox land, avoiding high jumps, etc. And, the meow isn't her "I'm hurt/sick" meow, either. It's her generic "hey, look at me! my dish is empty/pet me/give me treats/I want what you're eating!" meow.
The vet would certanly happen before we did anything as drastic as bringing another animal in, though. No question about that. But if I can get her a laser pointer over the weekend and she's happier for it, all the better, since the vet is closed until Wednesday.
posted by Kellydamnit at 9:43 PM on December 28, 2007
That's why I figured it was more likely to be a behavioral issue and not a physical one. Any other time I've had a sick cat there's been some physical sign, either eating less, drinking more, something funky going on in catbox land, avoiding high jumps, etc. And, the meow isn't her "I'm hurt/sick" meow, either. It's her generic "hey, look at me! my dish is empty/pet me/give me treats/I want what you're eating!" meow.
The vet would certanly happen before we did anything as drastic as bringing another animal in, though. No question about that. But if I can get her a laser pointer over the weekend and she's happier for it, all the better, since the vet is closed until Wednesday.
posted by Kellydamnit at 9:43 PM on December 28, 2007
she likes you. a kitty who likes you will suck up 60 minutes out of every hour you have if she can.
posted by bruce at 11:14 PM on December 28, 2007
posted by bruce at 11:14 PM on December 28, 2007
Wow, I'm glad you asked this question, since my cat is going through a very similar behaviour right now. I don't know if she's in heat or if she's just kind of high strung and slightly neurotic (I love her anyway).
Anyhoo, I believe a single cat would appreciate another cat around. My first cat Autumn would wait by the patio window for hours for the neighbour's cat to drop by, and they always had fun together (neighbour has since moved away). I did eventually get another cat, and they get along famously.
posted by survivorman at 5:40 AM on December 29, 2007
Anyhoo, I believe a single cat would appreciate another cat around. My first cat Autumn would wait by the patio window for hours for the neighbour's cat to drop by, and they always had fun together (neighbour has since moved away). I did eventually get another cat, and they get along famously.
posted by survivorman at 5:40 AM on December 29, 2007
I would take kitty by a vet if she hasn't been in a while. Sudden behavioral changes like this are worth getting checked out; for example. there was the thread about cat dental cleanings a day or so ago. We've seen cats that had a change of disposition after the vet went through their teeth and had found and fixed up an infection. Sometimes they are asking for help in their own little way. There may be nothing wrong at all with the kitty, but just get the vet to verify it and you'll have no worries. But take the love while you can, before kitty changes her mond again. They're good at that.
posted by azpenguin at 6:09 AM on December 29, 2007
posted by azpenguin at 6:09 AM on December 29, 2007
Laser pointers are fun, if the cat will maintain interest (some love 'em, some seem to refuse to notice). A small ball of aluminum foil may due well for a bit (or all night, or 30 seconds). I had one that loved the pull rings (springy, broken ring) from milk and water bottles.
Then there was Toots. Her favorite was a piece of cord with a feather on one end (or even nothing) and a stick (drum stick) on the other, attached to a human. The human has to whip the cord about to entice the cat. By careful, skillful work, a cat will soon be flying around the room, to catch the feather. Toots would chase that thing until she was panting like a dog. She was a well-fed and trim cat. And happy. But I was home with her 90% of the time, our first year. The cord to use is venetian blind cord. It's just the right mix of supple and stiff that you can really get in to playing the line. It's more involved for the human, than a laser pointer, and that can be fun, too :-)
posted by Goofyy at 7:47 AM on December 29, 2007 [1 favorite]
Then there was Toots. Her favorite was a piece of cord with a feather on one end (or even nothing) and a stick (drum stick) on the other, attached to a human. The human has to whip the cord about to entice the cat. By careful, skillful work, a cat will soon be flying around the room, to catch the feather. Toots would chase that thing until she was panting like a dog. She was a well-fed and trim cat. And happy. But I was home with her 90% of the time, our first year. The cord to use is venetian blind cord. It's just the right mix of supple and stiff that you can really get in to playing the line. It's more involved for the human, than a laser pointer, and that can be fun, too :-)
posted by Goofyy at 7:47 AM on December 29, 2007 [1 favorite]
Behavior changes like you're describing can be symptomatic of hyperthyroidism. From what I've read, it would be pretty unlikely to pop in such a young cat. Still, I'm no vet, and I'm sure yours could run some tests to check.
posted by vytae at 9:10 AM on December 29, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by vytae at 9:10 AM on December 29, 2007 [1 favorite]
One of my (two) cats does something like this periodically. But she doesn't seem to be asking for anything more than affection. Every few months, decides that *I*, not my wife, am the absolute love her life. Follows me around, talks to me, sleeps on top of a pile of my clothes while I'm gone, and at night sleeps on top of me with her arms spread out over me. This goes on for a couple weeks, then it's back to her usual, average level of cat affection for a couple months. I always figured it was a phase, a weird cat personality thing that is quite endearing actually. Damn, I hope she's not sick, it never occurred to me...
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 10:34 AM on December 29, 2007
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 10:34 AM on December 29, 2007
2 scenarios - either she is very very bored and needs some real one on one mental stimulation in the way of a game that involves hide/seek/find/bring/reward/repeat or there is something going on inside on a physical level. I'm opting more for the first - cats really do get bored beyond comprehension and a pat on the head doesn't fix whatever it is she really is needing - i.e. undivided attention at least 5 minutes a day. Run, jump play and entice. See how that goes.
posted by watercarrier at 4:21 AM on December 30, 2007
posted by watercarrier at 4:21 AM on December 30, 2007
Response by poster: Got a laser pointer and she seems happy as a clam now.
Still going to keep an eye on her to make sure she's healthy, but that seems to have done the trick.
posted by Kellydamnit at 8:16 PM on December 30, 2007
Still going to keep an eye on her to make sure she's healthy, but that seems to have done the trick.
posted by Kellydamnit at 8:16 PM on December 30, 2007
Julie's like that, and has been for the last 6 months. Yeah, it's just boredom.
posted by damnjezebel at 8:35 PM on December 30, 2007
posted by damnjezebel at 8:35 PM on December 30, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by zadcat at 8:46 PM on December 28, 2007