still howling, I'm losing my grip :(

[aprilynn]

Bagira is still continuing to howl at night - and now he's doing it during the day as well!!!! I've tried everything from seclusion to new foods, playing with him before bed...... I think he just hates me and hates it here.... It's been over a week since the howling started - I took him to the vet to see if he's in pain they said he's perfectly healthy.

Ellie is constantly following him around, and I can't tell if they are playing with they chase each other and pounce or if they are fighting. I'm a bad catmom :(

I can't sleep - I've only been getting about 3 hours sleep a night.. and I work second shift...I'm so tired I'm falling asleep during my commute....

[Pawsitive Thinking]

I'm a bad catmom

Not you're not! A bad catmom wouldn't be trying everything to help. You are a TIRED catmom.....wish I had some suggestions:(

(is he neutered?)

[catnapper]

You're not a bad catmom.

When they chase and pounce (ooopps, originally typed "Pouncer" LOL) its more than likely play. As they continue, it'll become more and more play. They should start grooming each other, etc. But that takes time, lots of it.

As for the howling, from what I've heard, Bengals are known for that. My Abby does it (though she's not a Bengal). I find it endearing because she only does it for me. She'll start crying and crying... and usually all I say is "what Abby?" even if I'm in the other room. She always hears me and will howl more, making me come get her, or howl as she comes running into the other room for me. She finds me, seems content and stops howling. Sooooo... we need to discover what he's howling for. Do you ever talk to the previous family? Can you ask them if he had a favorite toy, favorite bed? Is he missing a nightly ritual of a certain treat? It could be ANYTHING!

[aprilynn]

He is neutered... He was neutered before he was adopted so he was just a kitten.... he's now 3 years old - the previous owners said he never howled - and he was kept in their basement... He had no other contact with cats, and was not allowed upstairs. they said they only fed him purina one adult food..... I bought some of that.. he wont touch it - but I bought some fancy feast and he eats that. The howling mostly happens between 2am and 4am........ we even attempted to feed him at that time and he doesnt want it - he wont do it if you're in the room with him.. we've tried bringing him into our bedroom, and petting him and trying to get him into sleep mode - but he wants no part - he runs out and if you try to make him stay he bites. So we just let him go.... My husband has been taking him and putting him into the laundry room when he starts howling, and then nobody can hear him.....and Ellie is continuing to torture him, everytime he goes to eat, she pushes him out of the way, hisses at him.. she's downright mean to him!

They said he didnt have a cat bed, he just slept on a couch they had in their basement.. (it was a finished basement). They said they never really played with him either... perhaps mice were his playthings?? he does play with us though - he loves the feather wand.. but only sometimes... and ellie gets mad at him and pounces on him while he's playing so he runs away

[catmandu]

BAGIRA,IS JUST HAVING ,A HARD TIME ADAPTING,TO HIS NEW PLACE,ROCCA,AND JOHN HNACOCK,DID THAT A BIT,BEFORE THEY ADJUSTED,TO THIERNEW PLACE.
PLEASE BE PATIENT,AND YOU WILL HAVE A CAT THAT WILL EVENTUALLY GET USED,TO HIS LOVING FURR EVER HOME.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/catmandu/cfb4b0ba.jpg

[Pawsitive Thinking]

bless him.....sounds like he has got used to his own company and doesn't know how to deal with a "crowd"

[barncat]

it really sounds as if he were treated like an object before and now has a family. Sometimes with the ferals/abandoneds I've tamed too much attention is overwhelming. Maybe he would like to spend nights alone in the area most like a basement you have with a few toys he could roll if he felt like it.

If he chases the other cats back, it is probably already a form of play... and the feeding issue may be showing who is "boss" cat. Maybe give him some dry food in his night area? That way if they others are keeping him from eating he will have safe food and when you let him out to be social, they will sneak in and steal his food... learning to change places and be together can take time.

Hard as it is right now, it sounds to me like you are the best thing that happened to that cat... Two of my present cats howl when stressed or bored until I or one of the other animals wakes up and does whatever it is they want...Which varies from play to fresh water/food (not that it is gone, mind you, just not quite set the way they wanted) to someone to groom with.

Many of my cats met as adults and things have always---eventually---worked out.

good luck! and don't doubt yourself.... the cat probably isn't sure what he wants....

[aprilynn]

thanks for the encouragement everyone - I feel better now that I got some sleep!!- I guess we'll keep him in the laundry room at night...... we'll see how that goes for a while...

[LaRana]

We kept Loki (our Bengal) in the bathroom with the litterbox for several months until we could "trust" him to behave in the apartment. He howled & meowed there too. Then when we let him out to roam, he got spoiled to it. Then Daniel started getting allergic to him, so we banned him from sleeping in our bedroom. That poor cat howled outside our bedroom, because he really liked sleeping on our feet at night and snuggling with us and waking us up for attention and playing around on our bed at night.

One thing I noticed was that if we started meowing back at him it seemed to make the howling episodes shorten, occasionally. He'd just kind of look at us like "Say what?! Reoooooow." And we'd go back and forth like that. I could probably call you and talk to you in Bengalspeak pretty well, that's how good I got. Other times we just ignored him & put on some sort of white noise, like the ceiling fan or the tv to drown him out, and maybe a towel at the base of the door to drown out some more of the noise. Eventually he did get the hint that he wasn't allowed in our bedroom & that he needed to find ways to entertain himself at night (find bugs, sleep, stalk the magazines, etc). I think time will be the deciding factor for this lil guy.

[catnapper]

Poor guy had a horrible first few years! I think barncat has a point - he might be overwhelmed and overstimulated. How about locking him in the laundry room for a few weeks before you go to bed? Give him his own litterbox, a bowl of food and water, and perhaps a comfoy bed (or my kids' preference of a towel filled laundry basket) It can't hurt to try it for a few weeks.

[kittycats_delight]

Poor baby, I think with time and following the suggestions of the other PT members Begira will work out his problems. I too think that he must be overwhelmed as it really seems he got used to being his own friend and company. Adjustments can be hard and cats are creatures of habit. I am positive that once he re-adjusted to being a family member and being loved instead of just "being" then you will have a marvelous baby on your hands.

Keep us posted please

Michelle and the girls

[lv4dogs]

Originally posted by LaRana
One thing I noticed was that if we started meowing back at him it seemed to make the howling episodes shorten, occasionally. He'd just kind of look at us like "Say what?! Reoooooow." And we'd go back and forth like that. I could probably call you and talk to you in Bengalspeak pretty well, that's how good I got. Other times we just ignored him & put on some sort of white noise, like the ceiling fan or the tv to drown him out, and maybe a towel at the base of the door to drown out some more of the noise. Eventually he did get the hint that he wasn't allowed in our bedroom & that he needed to find ways to entertain himself at night (find bugs, sleep, stalk the magazines, etc). I think time will be the deciding factor for this lil guy.

I swear that helped Tiki quiet down. He's still a talker don't get me wrong. But if I meow back to him when he first starts his "talking" sessions are quiter & shorter. If all else fails I too just drown the noise out with something else. lol

Some breeds or particular cats are just talkers just like humans (lol).

But being overwhelmed may have something to do with it too. Just give him his own space & let him adjust slowly. He may never be a quiet cat but I'm sure with time he'll become a quieter cat.