Cats communicate with each other in a variety of ways. These animals prefer to “talk” to humans in the language that is most understandable to them: by giving sound signals. To a caring owner, the nature, intensity and duration of a cat's meow (or other sounds) can explain what information the pet is trying to convey to him. If a person has recently brought home a new tenant, and the kitten meows all the time, then it is necessary to figure out what the animal wants to say, what is bothering him. Kittens meow for a variety of reasons.
Longing for mother
If a kitten has just moved to a new home, then there may be many reasons why he is making meows and other sounds. All of them will be discussed below, and the first will be called longing for a cat mom.
It is recommended to adopt kittens at 1.5-2.5 months. At this age, they already know how to feed themselves and have learned most of the “cat wisdom.” However, separation from the mother still brings discomfort to the kitten. He can meow pitifully and look for the usual warm barrel.
You can help a small pet by taking him in your arms when he is crying pitifully, warming him with your own warmth, stroking him, caressing him. It is advisable to talk to him in a peaceful and calm voice.
Often kittens wake up at night and, not feeling the usual warmth and smell, begin to meow. At such moments, it is important to calm the pet with tactile contact. Over time, the kitten will stop looking for its mother. The time to get used to new conditions varies from person to person, but as a rule, it does not last too long.
What a kitten's meowing could mean: 6 reasons
All domestic cats in the world speak the same language. In some situations, the cat's voice brings tenderness, in others it irritates. A kitten doesn't just meow. He gives his voice when he wants to communicate, ask or demand something.
Among the reasons that make a cat meow are the following:
- Adaptation to new living conditions. A kitten adapts to coexistence with a person when its mother teaches it. Personality is fully formed when the cub spends up to 100 days of age interacting with its mother and littermates. Even in this case, it takes 2-3 days to get used to the new conditions. When a baby appears in the house, during the daytime he feels increased attention to himself and explores new places. But when night comes and everyone falls asleep, the kitten experiences stress and remembers its mother. He tries to find her and calls her all the time.
- The cat is a solitary night hunter. The biological clock is set for daytime sleep and nighttime activity. If the owners do nothing to coordinate the cat’s life rhythm with theirs, sleepless nights await them.
- The animal slept in the evening, he is bored and wants to play.
- Hunger.
- The animal felt that family members treated him differently. Some household members allow him something, others prohibit him. If there is a row in the family, the pet tries to take advantage of the situation and take a higher place in the hierarchy of the pride.
- The kitten is sick and asks for help.
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The owner of a kitten needs to learn to understand the language the pet speaks. Act strictly but fairly in order to gain the authority of the dominant individual in the human-cat family.
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”.
Stressful state
The constant meowing of a kitten when it has just arrived in a new home is associated not only and not so much with longing for its mother, but with stress from the new space and smells, and the need to master an unusual environment. In the first days, a kitten may be simply scared in a new apartment; he experiences loneliness and feels helpless.
If other animals arrive at the same time, this is a source of additional stress. After all, you need not only to master the space, but also to seek contact with new animals.
The owner needs to calm the animal down, talk to it affectionately more often, pick it up, and stroke it. Over time it will get used to it. To make this happen faster, experts recommend that when picking up a cat from a breeder or cattery, ask for something with a familiar smell to the animal. This could be the bedding on which the kitten is laid when it begins to meow pitifully. The native smell, reminiscent of his mother, will calm him down.
What to do if the kitten does not sleep at night, walks and meows
When the adaptation period has passed, the time has come to gently force the kitten to its biorhythm. If the pet is bored, then in the absence of the owner he will sleep and gain strength for nightly adventures. If there is no one at home, you need to ensure that the kitten does not overeat at this time, does not sleep, but has fun.
For this purpose, there are toys that should be changed every 3-5 days: scratching posts, multi-level cat furniture, houses in which you can hide. Cats love enclosed spaces. Therefore, a tunnel made of rustling material may become a favorite place for games.
The kitten will be provided with a place to rest. It’s good if it is away from the radiators and closer to the window, so that the pet does not sleep, but finds out what is happening behind the window glass.
You should delineate the area accessible to your pet and keep it out of the nursery and bedroom. If penetration has occurred, a lot of effort will have to be made to wean the animal from visiting prohibited places.
Be sure to read:
A cat yells at night: what to do, the main reasons, how to calm the animal, what not to do
Finally, the pet just needs to be tired. Organize active games, it is important for the kitten to play enough. For the first time, a candy wrapper on a string will do. Then they offer him fishing rods, teasers, and squeaky mice. You can open a plastic bag for the animal, he will happily jump into it. It is necessary not only to provide your pet with toys, but also to take part in the game with him.
After playing, the tired pet is fed well. The food puts you to sleep, and the animal will not bother anyone at night.
Finding a toilet
A small animal may scream in confusion, not knowing where to relieve itself. In such cases, you should put him in a tray and, if possible, explain why this device is needed. Even if the kitten is accustomed to the tray, in a new place he may not understand what this piece of furniture is for, so it is necessary to show it. By the third or fourth time, the animal will definitely understand the purpose and location of the toilet. In some cases, once is enough.
If a kitten comes to a new home at a very early age (up to a month), it may be in pain if it wants to go to the toilet. The fact is that a cat constantly licks newborn kittens, and this action has different purposes. Mom doesn't wash the babies as much as she massages them. This stimulates the kitten's still weak intestinal peristalsis. In such cases, the owner needs to gently massage the pet’s tummy, starting the process of defecation.
Demanding attention and affection
Although cats show individuality, sometimes they behave like royalty who do not care about others, they still need communication. In the house where he was born (except for exceptional cases when the baby is left without a mother immediately after birth), the kitten always has playmates. These are brothers and sisters and a mother cat who explains the rules of behavior to the baby and instills the necessary skills. Finding itself alone in new conditions, the kitten will seek the company of a person, ask to play with him or pet him.
Outdoor games with a kitten will not only ensure its normal physical and mental development. Having played enough and been properly tired, the kitten will stop wandering around at night and bothering its owners with screams.
Your kitten is in pain
You'll know it when you hear it—the shrill cry of a wounded animal is hard to miss. If you hear a kitten squawk, it is a sign that it is in serious distress. This can happen for a number of reasons, such as a limb being stuck in an awkward position or the tail being accidentally stepped on.
Immediately address the source of the pain and evaluate the situation to see if further treatment is required. Contact your veterinarian if you suspect your kitten is injured.
Onset of puberty
Different breeds of domestic cats reach puberty at different times. Most young individuals are ready for intercourse by 6-7 months. In some breeds, such as Maine Coons, it may begin at this age, but last slightly longer, up to about 15 months.
The play of hormones, the powerful instinct of procreation felt by a young animal, makes it restless. It will scream loudly at any time of the day, roll on the floor, and demand to be let out into the street.
During this difficult period, some individuals may show aggression towards humans. Cats begin to mark their territory, and their smell at this time intensifies several times thanks to hormones.
The owner of a domestic cat should immediately decide on a solution to this problem. There are actually two of them: castration (sterilization) or providing the opportunity for the realization of instinct. In all other cases, the animal will experience real agony during periods of sexual heat. There is no need to be afraid to sterilize an animal if the owner’s plans do not include breeding cats. Veterinarians believe that this simple procedure not only does not cause harm, much less moral suffering, to the animal (they simply have no morals), but even prolongs life and preserves health.
Diseases and conditions requiring medical attention
A kitten may cry and meow loudly because something hurts. The cause of pain may be poor digestion or a serious illness. It is necessary to carefully examine the pet and observe its behavior.
The following symptoms should alert the owner:
- increased body temperature, dry nose (in cats the normal temperature is about 38 degrees, in a kitten this figure can vary significantly, since the process of thermoregulation has not yet been established);
- prolonged cleanliness in the tray or, conversely, diarrhea;
- blood in the urine or stool;
- vomit;
- loss of appetite or complete refusal to eat;
- discharge of various types from the eyes, ears;
- swollen, hard tummy;
- impaired coordination of movements.
You should also observe how often the kitten itches. If he constantly bites himself, gnaws something in his fur, or scratches himself heavily, this is a sign of infection with ectoparasites. If these symptoms appear, you should immediately show the animal to a veterinarian. He will determine the cause and prescribe the necessary treatment.
Anxiety in your kitten that requires you to contact your veterinarian
It is necessary to contact a veterinarian in the following situations:
- All educational methods of weaning off screaming did not help.
- Additional symptoms of the disease have been discovered.
If you notice at least one of the following signs of a meowing pet, you must show it to a veterinarian:
- refusal of food;
- thirst;
- problems going to the toilet;
- the kitten tries to hide;
- diarrhea;
- constipation;
- aggression;
- increased licking;
- increased tearfulness;
- redness of the eyes;
- dyspnea;
- change in gum color.
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.
Your kitten needs to poop
When kittens first get used to using the litter box on their own, they often become a little restless about the litter box. Kittens under 8 weeks of age will often meow before or during a bowel movement, and this is normal as long as the kitten is not tense or uncomfortable.
If your kitten cries every time she poops or struggles to use the litter box, take her to the vet to make sure there is not an underlying health problem. Constipation, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems should be taken seriously, especially in young kittens, so don't delay if you suspect your kitten is unwell.
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