Neighbor complaining about cat noise

[Soledad]

Last night my downstairs neighbor complained about the noise of cat paws running back and forth.

Bettie and Boo LOVE to chase each other. Boo is no lightweight, so this is a legitimate complaint. But I have no idea how to stop them!!!

For now, I've placed Bettie in the bathroom at night. We are going to get more rugs to hopefully dull the sound, but are there any real ways of stopping the cats from this noisy play?

I'm so crushed. The last thing I want is for the neighbor to stir up trouble and to be ordered to give up the cats (which I won't).

[ScantyNebula]

I feel your pain .. I am in the same position - only my neighbour hasn't complained YET. For me, it is impossible to separate them because they will claw up the carpet trying to get at each other and will keep us up all night!

One thing you can try is feeding them twice a day .. morning and night .. so at night feed them before you go to bed and hopefully they will be ready for a long night's rest after eating. And also try and play with them a while before you go to bed to tire them out.

You can try it .. I have too ... It doesn't really work for me thought - I don't know what it is with my two! They will not get along well, they don't snuggle, all they want to do is wrestle and bite each other!

[emily_the_spoiled]

I know that there have been posts on this issue before. If I remember correctly a couple of the suggestions were to feed them right before going to bed (since cats will sleep immediately after eating). The other option was to have a long active play session before going to bed (at a reasonable hour) and this will help decrease the issue of the "running herd".

Besides some of this will just calm down as they get older. But good luck!!

[Soledad]

I feed them at night and in the morning as it is.

This lady seems VERY upset and I don't doubt that she will go to management soon. I totally understand that it must SUCK to hear two animals chasing after each other above you, but I'm at a loss as to how to stop it.

I guess my only real solution is to keep Bettie in the bathroom at night. The problem with this is that Boo will not stop meowing for her and then WE get no sleep. Argh.

This is really the worst time for this to be happening.

[moosmom]

Soledad,

I can TOTALLY relate to what is happening to you!!!

When I lived in CT, I lived on the second floor. My neighbor downstairs was a miserable b$%^# when it came to my cats as well as any regular, everday noise I made. I'm not a party person, nor do I play my stereo loud (the music I listen to is piano, classical and stuff like that, unlike her 16 y.o. daughter who listens to Eminem).

She was relentless too. She'd bang on the walls at all hours of the night. At the time I had 6 cats, Casey (RB 2002) was no lightweight either. Indoor cats have to release energy somehow.

Well, this lady was would go to my landlord's house and complain, leave nasty notes, come to my apt and rip me a new a-hole. I offered to give her a room side piece of carpeting (she had no carpeting in her apt, only hardwood floors). I got a nasty note back from her saying it's not the acoustics in her apartment but MY lack of sensitivity to her. What a bunch of bull!!! SHe said I purposely instigated my cats to make noise at 3 a.m. and I played my stereo loud at that time as well. I worked nights for God's sake!! I'm not about to sit up till 3 a.m. just to crank my stereo up to piss her off. One time she banged on the wall at 3 p.m. cuz the cover to the litter box hit the wall as I was cleaning it!!

I tried everything to keep my cats from jumping and running. Nothing helped. She was just plain miserable. Her daughter said "I would like to be able to sleep till at LEAST 10 a.m.!!"

Once I found out I was getting the hell outta there, I made their lives even worse than they thought I could. I would purposely vacuumed the bedroom over her daughter's room at 7:30 a.m. I slammed doors, drawers, cranked up the stereo. I figured she ain't heard NOTHIN yet!!!

My landlord had just about had it with her too. She harassed the hell out of him.

I now live in a nice quiet 1200 sq. ft. apartment with NO ONE under me. My cats can run, jump and do whatever they please without some a-hole complaining over every little noise that's made.

I hope you can work it out with your neighbor. Mine was hopeless.

[ScantyNebula]

Originally posted by Soledad

I guess my only real solution is to keep Bettie in the bathroom at night. The problem with this is that Boo will not stop meowing for her and then WE get no sleep. Argh.

I know! Toby will tear the carpet, Meow like crazy and will not stop until Lily is out of the room. .. its hard I know...I hope my neighbour doesn't mind too much because I really like the place I'm in right now ...

I really have no advice cause I have the same problem .. I wish there was an easy answer. They should make kitty sleeping pills! LOL

[Karen]

Would a nice thick pad underneath the carpet muffle the noise for her somewhat? And, of course, wearing them out some before bedtime!

[catlover4ever]

My suggestion would actually make a little noise at first with tiring them out. One of my kids favorite toys is a toy called DA BIRD. I got it from Drs. Foster and Smith. it is a feather tied to the end of a pole and when it flies through the air it sounds just like a bird flapping it's wings. After a 10 minute play session with this toy they are plum tuckered out and sleep all through the night.

[catmandu]

I had trouble too in the one apartment that I was first living in , when Smokey , Orange Blossom were making noise. they wer Big Toms and occasionally would scrap. that was noisy so eventually i got a place in a boarding house where they wer welcome as they were ace mousers. It is a shame that cats are night creatures and we are day people!

[Randi]

I think a carpet would make a really big difference. Locking them in the bathroom won't solve the problem, I'm sure. Your neighbor should be happy you don't have 2-3 small children, they'd make far more noise!

I hope you find a solution. Good luck!!

[Uabassoon]

I'm thankful I've made good friends with my downstairs neighbor. One night I saw him and as I was walking up the stairs and he asked me "who won" and I was like what are you talking about? Then he said "weren't you and your friend wrestling last night" I started to laugh, I guess Tibby and Corkscrew can be pretty loud. I'm just so very thankful that my neighbor doesn't mind too much, because I'm sure with my tile floor everything sounds so much louder.

[gini]

Soledad, is it possible to get to know this woman a bit better? You haven't lived there too long. My hope is that she likes cats. Could you invite her to your home to meet your cats - say how sorry you are they are bothering her......etc. etc. Then say you haven't had the time to invest in carpets, but as soon as you do you are sure that will cut down on the noise?

I guess I was thinking that honey goes so much further than vinegar.

Two cats - how much noise could they make? It seems a bit picky to me - but you may find out she is the neighborhood complainer. I can't imagine that your cats are running around for hours at a time.

I would be upset too.

[Uabassoon]

Two cats - how much noise could they make? It seems a bit picky to me - but you may find out she is the neighborhood complainer

They can be louder than you can imagine. A few nights ago I was going out with my downstairs neighbor and I was in his apartment waiting for him to get ready and I could hear Tibby and Corkscrew wrestling, now I can understand why he confused it for two people wrestling. But I agree with Gini see if you can make friends with her. I know my downstairs neighbor was a little bothered by the noise until I made friends with him. He really softened up after the first time he met my cats, he saw Corkscrew and just fell in love with him. He said he was a very manly cat and he really liked him. And now occasionaly he's even mentioned that when he gets enough money he'd be interested in getting a cat himself.

I agree completely with Gini here!! Sometimes it is far much better to be nice and kind, and talk about things, instead of going into defence...! Is NOT the easiest way of course, so I wish you all the luck!!

[Cataholic]

As to how much noise two cats can make...it is alot...I had this problem with Tex when I lived in Mass. The guy was nice about it, but, he did tell me how noisy it was. I got into the habit of removing my shoes as soon as I walked in the door..at least I could eliminate my noise.

Soledad- I think the best thing to do is talk to the lady. Let her see your problem. Everyone is more tolerant of people they like. I would try the carpet runners, and in time, they will settle down....maybe in a year! Good luck.

Maybe you can begin looking for a new apartment?