When a long-awaited mewing creature appears in the house, in addition to joy, many worries emerge. One of which is why does the kitten constantly meow? Most owners become concerned when the timbre of the voice changes or if the pet begins to meow at night. Zoologists say that a change in timbre may indicate that the animal is hungry or is bothered by something, or wants to go to the toilet. In our article we will talk about what to do if a cat constantly meows, and how the owner should react to this.
Reasons for frequent meowing in kittens
The reasons why kittens meow are different from why adult cats meow:
- When a kitten meows, it means that it is stressed, especially if it has just been adopted into the house. In this case, you need to let the animal get used to it and leave it alone.
- A common reason if a kitten has just been taken into the house is that it feels hungry. The fact is that the animal does not know where the bowl or toilet is; the baby is not yet accustomed to the location.
- When a kitten meows, it means that you need to play with it, as if in this way it attracts attention.
- If kittens meow outside the door at night, then you shouldn’t indulge them in this. Otherwise, it may become a habit; he will understand that he is being played with. Then the cat will react in a similar way.
- The best reason is an expression of love.
Vocal cord polyps
Another reason why a cat may not meow is due to growths or tumors on the cat's vocal cords. Since the vocal cords are made of mucous membranes, polyps can arise here. If they are benign, they can still cause voice loss in cats. If they are cancerous, they are potentially life-threatening.
Read also: The child does not crawl on all fours
Polyps on a cat's larynx can cause a cat's voice to become very low, hoarse, or completely unclear. They will need to be treated with surgery and may include chemotherapy or other cancer treatments.
Reasons for frequent meowing in adult cats
Adult animals vocalize for different reasons than small kittens:
- Common causes are when the pet is in heat, his voice becomes louder and shriller. When there is a cat at home, during sexual activity, he will scream in such a heart-rending voice that if the pet is not used for breeding, then it is better to castrate it.
- It happens that a spoiled pet will follow you and yell until the food he doesn’t like is replaced. What to do in this situation is up to the owner to decide. Maybe the owner will change the food to something else that is more beloved by the animal, or maybe he will offer to eat what they give.
- Sometimes the pet screams and walks at night, because cats are predatory animals, and night is hunting time for them. In this case, you can try not letting your pet sleep during the day or try getting another kitten. Maybe they'll have more fun together.
- When a cat meows a lot, you need to check if she needs help, maybe something hurts? This can be checked by touching the tail, paws, back, and tummy. If he doesn't react to touch, then he's fine.
Examination and treatment at home
If your pet begins to cough, his voice disappears and he begins to feel sick, you can try to help him at home. This is possible if the owner is able to independently eliminate the cause, for example, move the animal to a ventilated room or remove a foreign body from its throat. Examination of the larynx allows one to draw primary conclusions about the cause and condition of the animal. If your throat is red and swollen, it is most likely due to an allergy or infection.
You can give your pet an antihistamine, for example, Tavegil or Suprastin, they will help slightly eliminate the first symptoms before being examined by a doctor. A cold or infectious disease, for example, laryngitis, requires complex treatment, which must be carried out by a veterinarian.
Anxiety in your cat that requires you to see a veterinarian
If your cat is worried when going to the toilet, then there is no need to worry if it has been dewormed. However, all necessary conditions must be met:
- If a cat meows and scratches its ear at the same time, then you need to go to the veterinarian, he may have a mite or an allergy.
- If your cat is trembling and meowing, then you should pay attention to whether she is feeling hungry or cold. If not, then you need to visit a veterinarian to check if he has a spinal injury.
- If an adult animal goes to the toilet and meows, then this is a reason to visit the clinic; it may have urolithiasis.
- It is necessary to visit a veterinarian if your pet meows, goes to the toilet frequently and refuses to eat.
- If your pet makes hoarse sounds, as if experiencing interference, then you definitely need the help of a specialist; perhaps he has worms in his heart, or there may be a viral disease.
- If the cat makes a heart-rending cry, then perhaps he has some kind of injury or pain in the abdomen. If the stomach is hard, like a swollen drum, then you should immediately consult a veterinarian. In a normal position, the tummy should be soft and light pressure should not cause any discomfort to the animal.
Let's get out of the box...
As a rule, kittens are brought home in special carriers or boxes. A very thoughtless step would be to immediately allow children (and adults) to drag the baby out of a secluded place into a new “world” and be deafeningly happy to meet him.
The kitten will definitely get out of the box on its own, but it needs a little time for its fears to fall asleep and the cat’s natural curiosity to awaken. First, the baby will show its mustache, then gradually stick its head out and look around. If there are no frightening factors nearby, the kitten will go to explore the room. And of course, the household will also get his attention. It is important not to frighten the kitten with sudden movements and loud sounds, otherwise the baby will hide in a corner and will be very tense in the future. Give the “child” time to get comfortable and get used to the new environment a little.
Kittens brought home for the first time lose their appetite due to stress. For the first 2-3 days, the baby will refuse even tasty food; there is no need to worry about this. The appetite will definitely return, and the owner can help this. The kitten should be seated next to the bowl, gently stroked on the head, and spoken in a soft tone. Most likely, the previous owner’s kitten ate not only its mother’s milk, but also other “dishes.” It’s worth asking about them so that you don’t change the kitten’s diet for the first 10 days. This will make it easier for him to adapt to the new place. The owner should play with the baby more often in order to charge him with positivity, which is so necessary in a “moving” situation.
How to calm a screaming cat
What to do if a previously calm and even lazy cat is constantly yelling at home? The owner has only one option - a consultation with a veterinarian. If an animal has any disease, the doctor will cure it and make life easier for the owner.
Perhaps the pet is showing anxiety due to unsatisfied sexual activity. The use of hormonal drugs that reduce cravings in a pet is harmful to its health. There are two options here: either let the cat go for a walk or castrate him.
You can try feeding your pet more nutritiously at night; it will require more energy to process food. Consequently, the cat will sleep peacefully at night.
You need to be careful with drugs such as Kot-Bayun or Feliway. They can only be used in extreme cases, as they are dangerous for the animal; first you need to be sure that the pet does not have any health problems.
An attentive owner will always determine by the timbre of his pet’s voice whether he has any health problems. The necessary attention and care will help to survive this difficult period not only for the cat, but also for the owner.
What else you need to know about the causes of voice loss in cats
It's good if you know the cause of the disease. After the operation under anesthesia, you were warned about possible silence until the animal fully recovered. You should protect your cat from hypothermia and follow all recommendations.
It’s good if the pet’s silence is short-term and the voice is restored on its own. But you should always be attentive to the accompanying symptoms. Strange behavior, fear of familiar objects, people, drooling, changes in appearance, fear of bright light and water, refusal to eat indicate a fatal disease - rabies in cats. There is no need to experiment or invent a treatment. The infection could have occurred a long time ago, and all this time the family and the owner himself were in danger and were close to the dying infected cat. Contact your doctor immediately.
Take care of furniture, curtains and carpets
You also need to keep this scenario in mind! A cat will tear curtains and scratch carpets if you keep it indoors and do not let it outside. Whatever one may say, this is a defensive reaction! We warned you that you risk not recognizing your furry friend!
How to deal with the problem? Arm yourself with double-sided tape for carpets. Cats hate sticky surfaces and avoid them at all costs. Having noticed that the cat is “not indifferent” to the curtains, think about how you can save them. Either remove them completely or fasten them - it’s more visible in place. Do not indulge the cat's whims: if you release the animal, you risk never seeing it again! Just a week or two of patience, and life in your (new!) home will flow as usual.
Photo: pets4homes.co.uk
Methods of helping a kitten
The kitten should be taken away from its mother no earlier than 1.5-2 months. By this age, animals are already sufficiently socialized and trained in all the necessary skills. At first, the baby will still look for his mother, so the owner needs to pay more attention to the pet and talk to him more often. The animal should be provided with toys that will distract its attention and help pass the time while it is left alone. Returning home, you can hear the kitten's pitiful cries. This can mean both a joyful greeting and complaints of loneliness and hunger. In any case, you need to immediately pick up the kitten, pet it, and then feed it. Over time, a caring owner will learn to understand what exactly the pet is “telling” him.
If circumstances were such that the kitten had to be adopted very young, then for some time the person will have to become its mother. A newborn cat needs to be fed constantly, once every two hours. At 2-3 months the cat is switched to six meals a day. By 6 months, the number of feedings is reduced to 4 times, and by a year - to two.
A small kitten also needs abdominal massage to keep its bowels moving smoothly. You need to do the procedure after eating, and then put the baby in the tray.
The owner will also have to solve the pet’s sexual problems. When meowing expresses the animal’s desire to procreate, you should contact a veterinarian. It is recommended to castrate and sterilize cats between 8 months and a year. If the vocalizations that indicate puberty have begun early, your veterinarian may recommend hormonal or sedative medications for cats. It is advisable not to prescribe medications to the animal yourself, but to leave it to a specialist.
Contents indoors
Keep your pet indoors for the first week or two. Our recommendations mainly apply to those cats that were previously in mixed housing: walked outside, fed and rested at home. In a new place there is an extremely high risk that the cat will try to escape! That’s why we always advise litter training all animals, without exception, even “street” animals. These skills would come in handy now! However, we remember: at first we are only at home. Then you can very carefully accustom your pet to the street. Another skill you may need to learn is walking your cat on a leash.
Hunger
A kitten may give a vocal signal for a completely natural reason: it is hungry. This is the most common reason why animals meow. This applies to both children and adult pets. First of all, any living organism tries to satisfy its nutritional needs. And the kitten, once in a new place, first learns where the “food source” is located. Not finding food, the small animal begins to worry, and then declares its needs to the person.
It is advisable that there is always some food in the bowl; this will save the owner from constant plaintive cries.
In some cases, the cause of meowing is pseudo-hunger. That is, the kitten is full, but with the help of its voice it tries to beg for tidbits. Usually this characterizes the pet in a certain way: he wants to dictate conditions, tries to beg for something tasty, and thereby force the person to follow his lead. As with children, you need to be firm. You cannot indulge your pet's first desire. This does not mean that an animal should not be pampered at all, but in childhood this is especially fraught with consequences. If a person does not want to constantly endure impudent extortion from the cat, then he should make it clear from the very first attempt who is boss in the house. The pet must understand that nothing will be given to him upon request, and the decision as to whether he will receive a treat or not will be made solely by the “senior”.
More familiar smells
Please believe the experience of the author of these lines: the behavior of pets, primarily cats, changes after moving. Sometimes even radical! We understand that in the hustle and bustle, when things are unloaded, it is incredibly difficult to keep track of the cat. And yet, make a note in your memory: the main focus is on your pet(s). If possible, release your cat into the new house or apartment after most of the things have been brought in and arranged. The abundance of familiar smells will certainly alleviate the first stress. And yet, you may not recognize your pet at all. Anything can happen: a previously calm, leisurely cat bristles, rears up, or tries to escape. The sociable animal hides in the farthest corner and does not appear from there for weeks. Something worse also happens: behavioral disorders, increased vocalization, cats refuse to use the litter box and do their business anywhere. Special attention to those who have two or more pets. When moving to a new place, the hierarchy established between them often collapses, wars for leadership flare up with renewed vigor and are often accompanied by fierce fights.
Of course, it is not at all necessary that everything will go according to the pessimistic scenario. Just forewarned means forearmed. The main thing is to minimize the initial stress by surrounding the animal with familiar smells!
What will change with the arrival of a kitten?
Before purchasing a kitten, you must understand that having one in your home will change your life. It's a lot like having kids. Perhaps he will become the center of your home universe, push your ego aside, cause a lot of trouble, but also a lot of pleasant moments. The main thing is to remember that this is a new family member who, if everything goes well, will live with you for 15-20 years, that is, a good part of your life. Therefore, from the very first days, treat him in such a way that these years will be pleasant for everyone in your family.
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