Expert: Jessica - 5/16/2010

Question
Hi My son adopted a 3 year old cat from a friend who is moving. Although very friendly he meows incessantly at night and they are not getting any sleep.Any ideas, thanks, Anne

Answer
Hi Anne.  This kitty is probably feeling a great deal of anxiety about the loss of his home and family, and anxiety tends to worsen at night, when no one is around to distract and comfort the kitty from his feelings of insecurity.  Over-vocalization, especially at night, is a common sign of anxiety in cats.  If the problem is strictly related to his recent life changes, your son should begin to see some improvement in a few weeks.  However, some cats can have anxiety disorders which might be triggered by stressful major events such as the loss of a family.

To help ease anxiety, I recommend starting off with a product such as Feliway, a synthetic phermone which can help calm stressed-out cats.  I use the plug-in diffuser in my own home to help with anxiety and stress.  Learn more at www.feliway.com.  It's available online, through vets and at pet stores.

Some people also find success in the use of flower essences, and I like a line called Spirit Essences, formulated by a vet and animal behaviorist.  See www.spiritessences.com.  The Changing Times formula would probably be a good solution, but the Stress Stopper may be helpful, as well.

Sometimes cats end up needing an antidepressant to control their anxiety-related behavior.  Most cats only need this for a short duration, and the medication can be tapered off and discontinued after the behavior has been resolved.  If your son sees no benefit from the Feliway after two weeks, he should talk to the vet about possibly using an antidepressant.

Your son should try to play with the cat for a solid half hour right before bed and then feed the cat a can of cat food.  Hopefully, this will encourage the cat to sleep for most of the night.  If he gets really fed up, he could try isolating the cat in a room away from the bedrooms with a litter box and some water overnight to try to get some sleep.  However, if the problem is anxiety-related, this may make things worse.

Best of luck!

Jessica