Expert: Dear Tabbi - 8/27/2009

Question
A few weeks back we found a stray -- or should I say he found us out in the country -- we released him to animal control and then adopted him once he was released.  We are told he is 4 years old and now has been neutered.  At first he was very needy and wanted to be held a lot but now has found his independence after a few weeks.  When it gets dark he becomes very restless and cries.  He is keeping me up at night with the loud crying.  He also begs a lot for food and is always hungry.  We keep his food out all the time. He is a small cat 7#.  Why is he crying so much?  This is my first cat since I was a child many years ago.  I wonder what his life was for the last 4 years.  He is a great cat with lots of personality.


Answer
Karen,

Poor thing was probably dumped. More than likely, since he was a stray, night was his hunting time, and he was used to being outside....and cats are creature of habit. If they are used to being outside they get unhappy staying in. But if you let the cat out, don't do it at night! That is the most dangerous time for a cat to be out. You may want to get a BIG dog crate or a pen where you can put him outside safely  for short periods of time. He would enjoy that.

If was recently neutered, it takes a month or two for the testosterone to get out of his system so he may still have tomcat tendancies for awhile.

Suggestion: play with him right before you go to bed. A pet laser light is an excellent interactive toy (you can get them at PetSmart, Petco, etc.)  A good play session before bedtime will tire him out, which is essential for a good nights sleep for you both! Then give the cat a can of catfood (or his big meal) after you play with him, just before you go to bed. He will be tired from playing and full from a can of cat food and he SHOULD sleep.

Some cats (like people) have a higher metabolism and need to eat more than another cat. If you leave dry catfood out make sure it a high quality (like Iams, etc.) that has less filler in it. It is more expensive but it will fill up the cat more and they will eat less of it.

The cat may also need to be wormed which could cause him to be hungry all the time. Worms eat what the cat eats so he doesn't get much nourishment. Don't buy over the counter wormer though, fleas are becoming immune to it. Get it from a vet.

You need to change his behavior. THAT is the hardest part. To do that, you need to COMPLETELY ignore the cat when he starts it. Don't acknowledge him at all. No matter what he does or how long he does it. No verbal or physical acknowledgment at all. EVENTUALLY the cat will stop doing it if he's not getting any attention from it because that is the sole purpose of his actions. You HAVE to be consistant! If you respond to him even once it won't work any more and the habit will continue, even worse than before, because he has found that if he continues long enough EVENTUALLY you will give in to his attention getting.

You need to be patient and understanding. Everything is new and different to him and it will take some time for him to adjust.

Tabbi