Expert: Brandy - 2/19/2007

Question
I recently moved, and brought my 3-4 year old cat with me.  Now, all night long she meows loudly.  If I pet her, she stops.  She's lonely and scared.  Is there a way I can calm her down without needing to constantly reassure her?  If not, how long can I expect this to last?  She's fine while there's activity going on during the day, but when things go quiet, she gets loud.  I'm afraid my neighbors in the duplex (who are also my landlords) will get upset if the cat is keeping them awake all night as well.

Answer
What your cat is doing is perfectly normal, though understandably upsetting to you. She's lost in the house. Nothing is where it should be to her, and she meows to be sure that you are still there.

For starters, if she likes to sit in boxes or a plush pillow, set it somewhere in your bedroom, and if you also have the space, place her litterbox nearby and shut the door to keep her from wandering at night. Eventually she will calm down. A sort of silly thing we did whenever we did a move (14 times in 12 years with an average of 4 cats), is place the bedding near a baby nightlight, also in the bedroom (hey, whatever works).

If she continues, some cat people swear by 'kitty-calm' or 'pet calm' drops which you can add to the food to calm a pet. You can find these in pet stores; groomers and vets also have them. Others swear by feeding simple turkey in that the tryptophan is supposed to make them sleepy. I used to use this route, and it worked, but it may have also worked because my Crew became moving experts and expected the turkey.

If all else fails, your vet can prescribe a very mild tranquilizer, though perhaps your cat will settle in to her new home.

Good luck, and sweet dreams.