Expert: Kate Tilmouth - 8/22/2010

Question
Kate,

I have a very sweet 4 year old part siamese cat. I've had her since she was 4 or 5 weeks old (she was born in the woods and I adopted her from the people who found her, her mom, and her siblings) and I think she thinks I'm her mom. She's very affectionate with people and loves to be held and petted. She's also very active, loves to play, and eats a ton even though she's only 8 pounds.

However...she meows a lot. Loudly. It's not because she wants food - her water and food bowls are always full. The meowing happens most at two times:
1. In the morning. It starts at 6am or earlier and she will meow until I get up. Usually, once I'm awake and moving around, she'll be quieter, but sometimes she'll keep meowing. The other night, she meowed all night long and I barely slept.

2. When I'm outside. I have a semi-enclosed yard and when I'm in the backyard and she sees me out there she'll meow extremely loudly until I come back in or let her out. I'd let her out every time I went out there except she likes to go where it's possible for her to get stuck or leave the property and that makes me nervous.

What I've tried:
- Using a clicker and clicking at her when she's quiet. She doesn't get it.
- Ignoring her. She just gets louder.
- Squirting her with a water bottle. She could care less.
- Doing whatever it is I think she wants me to do (pet her, open the windows so she can hear/look at the birds, etc.). This lasts for moments - she's really hyperactive - and then she starts meowing again.

I love my cat, but it seems she enjoys meowing. Since I work from home and it's hard to concentrate when she's meowing, and it's driving my roommate mad, and preventing me from a full night's rest...I really need her to relax.

When she's lived with other cats in the past, she's been much quieter, so that might be a solution, but I don't want to just get a cat for my cat...unless that's the only thing that can be done.

Thank you!

Answer
Hi
Umm what can i say she is part Siamese and this is what they do.

i have lived with Siamese cats and part Siamese cats before and they have all been extremely vocal and very loud. it is a trait of their breed. So i really don't think there is anything you can do to stop it.

getting another cat is a risk, it may be what she wants but I bet the meowing would continue. the other issue would be if she didn't like the other cat and then you may find you have other problems.

i dont know what to tell you, she has Siamese blood running through her vains and they just love to talk, loudly. Sorry.
best wishes Kate
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