Expert: Kate Tilmouth - 9/4/2009

Question
Hi Kate,
I hope you can help.
I have a 3 year old male cat. I have just moved out of home to a good size apartment with my cat. We previously lived in a house where he would spend much of his day outside, and sometimes inside. Now we live in the apartment, he has to stay inside. I have provided him with a scratch post & a couple of toys, and i leave the blinds open so he can get some sun, and open the door, but leave the screen closed when i am home, as i said, he isnt allowed outside. Previously he was a very happy cat, and now he is very attention seeking from the minute i get home, which is fine, but he meows all the time, even when i am not there. I give him attention and feed him, but the meowing doesnt stop.
I knew there would be problems with him adjusting to staying indoors, but I thought he would be ok by now (we have been there for about 2 months). He seems to do it more when my flatmate is around... like he wants more attention from her... maybe its because she reacts to him? - I have tried ignoring him and trying to train him to stop meowing...
Is there a way to help him settle in the apartment and stop meowing so much? I love having him around, and would hate more than anything to have to have him leave!!
Please help!!!
Thanks!

Answer
Hi
yes it sounds like he is bored. His world has shrunk and he is finding it hard to keep himself happy during the day whereas before e would be doing all the usual catty things out side.

The thing is we have to do our best to try and allow him to continue to carry on all his catty instincts, hunting, chasing, jumping etc etc.

I have written a page about indoor cats and how to make sure there world is as interesting as possible for them to keep them happy. there's nothing worse than a sad cat is there?

Here is the page

http://www.our-happy-cat.com/indoor-cats.html

It also has some links on the page to some of my other pages about cat toys etc.

i hope they can help your kitty and don't worry it may take some time but with your care and attention i'm sure he will settle down. His meowing is his way of getting your attention and this should settle down too once he is active and distracted again.

best wishes kate
http://www.our-happy-cat.com