Can I train him not to meow all the time?

My guys do the same thing. They meow obsessively because they know it will eventually get you to feed them. They do it because it WORKS. And if you ignore them, they get annoyed because meows worked in the past, so they ramp it up and become more obnoxious. They don't understand why something that worked in the past isn't working now. So they meow louder, longer.

I've been working on ignoring them. They've been working on how to become louder and more obnoxious. Pouncer discovered how to bite the handle on the lid of a decorative jar, pick it up, and let it clang back into place, drop, repeat. MUCH more effective than a simple annoying meow. :rolleyes: The others simply start knocking stuff over. But we're still ignoring them and not feeding them. After a while, they give up. But its after a loooong, noisy, and headache inducing while.

We're winning. Evenutally, they will just stop it all together. Its a process that will take some time. we've been doing it about 2 months now. It would have gone faster if my husband would be 100% consistent, but when he's tired or frustrated he doesn't want to deal with the meows coming from 7 cats.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sowa

Why is it so expensive for something not great? I know the food has nothing to do with heart problem, but they said it's low in sodium which is important for his heart. They told me the other preventative foods were higher in sodium and there for not as good. Should I be looking into something else? When I asked before they said there was nothing.

---

When it comes to dietary needs for medical conditions, PLEASE consult with your vet BEFORE making any dietary changes.

Royal Canin prescription food is actually very good for specific medical conditions and are expensive because a lot of research, etc, goes in to ensure that they help maintain/prevent medical conditions or problems.

Of course, some are biased on what constitutes a "good" versus "bad" food. There are a lot of myths out there. Bottom line - if your pet is doing well and the medical condition is being maintained, please stick with the food or talk with your vet before making any dietary changes, ESPECIALLY when it comes to prescription diets. When it comes to diets designed to prevent urinary issues/prevent stone formation, etc -- there are many different types of stones out there, different stones form in different pH, so therefore one diet may not work for all stone formations. That's why it is extremely important in cases of stone formation to consult with your vet about which diets work and what you should be using.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jessika

When it comes to dietary needs for medical conditions, PLEASE consult with your vet BEFORE making any dietary changes.

Royal Canin prescription food is actually very good for specific medical conditions and are expensive because a lot of research, etc, goes in to ensure that they help maintain/prevent medical conditions or problems.

Of course, some are biased on what constitutes a "good" versus "bad" food. There are a lot of myths out there. Bottom line - if your pet is doing well and the medical condition is being maintained, please stick with the food or talk with your vet before making any dietary changes, ESPECIALLY when it comes to prescription diets. When it comes to diets designed to prevent urinary issues/prevent stone formation, etc -- there are many different types of stones out there, different stones form in different pH, so therefore one diet may not work for all stone formations. That's why it is extremely important in cases of stone formation to consult with your vet about which diets work and what you should be using.

---

I was just going to post something similar. If the food your feeding your cat is working for his medical condition, don't change the food unless you consult with your vet. I don't think he is meowing because he is wanting more nutrition. I don't think cats are that smart ;) He could be being stubborn, thinking if he meows that he will get more food - whether he's hungry or not. Some cats can eat and eat and eat and never get full. Also, maybe he wants to eat when he's bored. I would do as others have suggested and play with him when he starts to meow. Then he'll get tired out and hopefully decide it's nap time.

Tire him out with play. Laser light, teaser wand, you name it. If you get him to play, he'll be tired and go to sleep.

You can't punish a cat for doing what comes naturally.

When My Cats MEEEEEOOOW at me I take that as a compliment , as that means that they want you to know just how much they LOVE YOU!!:love::love::love:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sowa

My cat meows ALL the time when he doesn't have food in his dish. It's not cute little quiet mews, it's loud annoying meows. Over, and over any time you move until you feed him. He isn't fat, but he's certainly not thin either. (He's got a belly that hangs though :o) Since I lost my other cat, Kiba, I've been working out how much to feed him. I've been giving him what the bag says but it doesn't seem to be enough for him. I even give him extra sometimes because the meowing gets on my nerves. (I know this just makes him do it more, but sometimes I'm not in the mood to ignore it.)

I adopted him when he was 2 years old and already had this habit. I thought it was cute at first, but now it's annoying. I have no idea how to stop it. I tried squirting water at him when he meows but he just keeps meowing. I'll need to get a video of it so you can see how loud he is!

How can I make this stop?

---

Spunky will do that. Sometimes it's food. Usually it's attention. Having 5 other cats isn't sufficient. He wants me to play and I oblige or I won't get anything done.

Hope you work it out.

Giving cuddles is good. Also a pinch of catnip might amuse him for a while. :)

Cali "yells" at me for food also. But her twist is if I ignore her for too long she uses my leg as a scratching post! :eek: But I sure do love my girly. :love::love::love:

What about getting him some of the cat toys where you put kibble in them and he has to bat them around to get the food out? That way he has to work for his food, it will be available longer, and he'll hopefully be too busy to cry all the time.

I have the same problem with Sherpa and he drives me crazy.