It's either Wilma or Me!

Ok, so Josh never did give me the ultimatum of him or Wilma but some days I'm sure he would like to. Wilma is a talker... a very loud, obnoxious, vocal, so loud it's nearly screeching talker. It's not at one specific time of the day either. It's all.the.time! She meows the entire morning before we go to work, the whole time we're home on lunch and a majority of the evening. Josh has even left for work early to get away from the meowing. Daily, I tell Wilma she's lucky she's cute because otherwise she would probably spend a majority of her life in the basement (although, we can STILL hear her from down there). Don't get me wrong, the basement isn't some hole in the ground, scary, gross place. It's actually the cats "sanctuary" equipped with 4 litter boxes, endless amounts of food and water, scratching post, and tons of floor to puke on.

If you read my post a couple weeks ago when Wilma first joined our family, you would have learned that she is completely deaf! Therefore, Wilma can't hear how LOUD she is meowing. She meows for 3 simple things: attention, food and simply just saying hello! Wilma ALWAYS wants food and could eat all day. Although, I always keep a full bowl of food in the basement, Wilma wants soft food. This was my mistake. When Wilma first arrived in our home, the meowing started instantly so to keep the meowing to a minimum I fed her soft food every morning and every evening. Well, soft food is costly and I ran out! DON'T EVER RUN OUT OF SOFT FOOD!

I'm thinking to myself how can I help Wilma lower the volume of her screeching meow and keep her from meowing constantly without constantly feeding her soft food. Well, after some research I will be trying some techniques posted on the ASPCA website.

• If your cat meows to say hello, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do much to change things—you have an especially vocal cat who is telling you how glad she is to see you!
• If your cat is meowing for attention, teach her that you’ll only pay attention to her when she’s quiet. Resist the urge to shout at her or give her any form of attention, even angry attention. Instead, be patient and wait for a brief moment of silence. Immediately give her the attention she craves. If she starts to meow again, walk away, and only return to her when she’s quiet. If you’re consistent, she will catch on.
• If you believe your cat cries out of loneliness because you spend too much time out of the house, consider having a pet sitter come partway through the day to visit and play with her. Please see our article Enriching Your Cat’s Life for other ideas to keep your cat entertained while you’re away.
• If your cat meows at you for food, stop feeding her when she cries! Feed her at prescribed times so she learns that it’s futile to ask for food at other times. If that doesn’t work, buy an automatic feeder that you can schedule to open at specific times. At least then she’s more likely to meow at the feeder than at you! This is especially useful if your cat wakes you up in the morning to be fed—she’ll switch from bothering you to sitting and watching the feeder, waiting for it to open. For more ideas on dealing with a cat who’s active in the early hours of the morning, please see our article Nighttime Activity in Cats.
• If you’ve recently placed your cat on a diet, consult with your veterinarian about high-fiber diet foods or supplements that can help your cat feel satisfied with her reduced intake.
• If your cat isn’t prone to gaining weight, consider leaving dry food out for her all the time so she never has to feel hungry. If you feed a high-fiber diet food, your cat can feel full without taking in too many calories. Check with your veterinarian before trying this.
• If your cat is meowing to get you to let her inside/outside, consider installing a cat door so you don’t have to serve as her butler. The ASPCA recommends that cats be kept exclusively indoors to protect them from danger and disease. If you have a cat who’s accustomed to going outside and you want to keep her in, she’s likely to go through a period of meowing at doors and windows. There’s no easy way to get through this, but as long as she never gets outside again, she will eventually adjust to her life indoors and stop meowing so much. Please read our article onEnriching Your Cat’s Life so you can keep her happy by enriching her indoor world. Another option is to build an outdoor cat enclosure so she can spend time outside but remain safe. Our article,Preventing Your Cat from Getting Outside, has more information on this subject.
• If your female cat isn’t spayed and she periodically meows excessively, she may be in heat at those times. Female cats in heat typically become increasingly affectionate, rub against you more, purr, roll around on the floor--and meow a lot. This lasts 4 to10 days. An unspayed female cat who isn’t bred by (doesn’t have sex with) a male cat will continue to come into heat every 18 to 24 days throughout the breeding season (roughly February through September in the Northern Hemisphere). Indoor cats may continue to come into heat all year round. The best way to reduce excessive meowing caused by the heat cycle is to have your cat spayed.
• If your male cat isn’t neutered and he periodically meows excessively, he may be hearing or smelling a female cat in heat. He is likely to pace and meow relentlessly throughout the time the female stays in heat. Unless you can completely prevent him from being able to detect females in heat, the best way to reduce excessive meowing in an intact male cat is to have him neutered.
• If your cat is elderly and has just started meowing excessively, make sure to have her evaluated by your veterinarian for medical conditions, sensory deficits and cognitive dysfunction. Medication may alleviate her discomfort.

What NOT to Do

• Do not ignore your cat when she meows. The one exception is if you know for certain that she’s meowing to get you to do something she wants. In every other instance, it’s safest to assume that something’s wrong—she may not have access to her litter box, or her water bowl may be empty, or she may be locked in a closet. Always make sure that her needs are met before assuming that she’s just being demanding by meowing at you.
• Do not scold or hit your cat for meowing too much. While these punishments may send her scurrying at first, they are unlikely to have a lasting effect on her meowing behavior. They may, however, cause her to become fearful of you.