How to remove a cat's vocal chords?

SparkySpitfire

No, I'm not serious.

What is serious though, is this maniacal cat we have. She always had a rather displeasing meow. More like MOOOOOOOOAW than mew if you get me... In her old age she has become increasingly vocal.

She used to be a mostly outdoor cat but now she wants to be inside more and fed more and so she's ALWAYS meowing, unless she's asleep! She goes out at night when the last person in my house goes to bed (usually 4am) and comes in when the first person wakes up (usually half 7), she'll go in an out for toilet breaks/a runaround during the day and when she's out at night she has an outdoor (covered) house to sleep in which she loves.

I don't know if I'm asking for advice or just venting but this cat is driving us mad. We all love her but some fuses are growing short with 5am caterwauls. If someone lets her in at 7.30 then leaves for work, school etc. she walks upstairs and starts howling outside of bedroom doors for someone else to be with her/feed her (again!) it's maddening!

I love you Lizzy but you're a loudmouth...

[/rant]

Call Me Jimmy

Do you know if she is a Chinese Communist sympathiser?

RentDayBlues

My cat is the same, has never meowed its always mow! And my god he's loud! He'll stand at the bottom of the stairs doing it and when we mow back he gets worse. He's a Bengal so he also chirps and sometimes he can actually sound like a baby crying. My sympathies to you, can't offer any real advice.

SparkySpitfire

RentDayBlues wrote: »

My cat is the same, has never meowed its always mow! And my god he's loud! He'll stand at the bottom of the stairs doing it and when we mow back he gets worse. He's a Bengal so he also chirps and sometimes he can actually sound like a baby crying. My sympathies to you, can't offer any real advice.

So is she! She loves a bit of dialogue! It's pretty funny "mowwww"ing back and forth with her, but not at all hours of the morning!

BetterThanThou

We all want to remove our animals vocal chords sometimes Recently I got a puppy, and at times he just randomly decides to bark and howl. If you ignore him, he barks/howls for attention, if you play with him, he barks/howls at you in a "fight", if you give him a toy, he barks/howls at the toy. It can be annoying, but it's super cute.

SillyMangoX

It could be possible as she's getting a wee bit older that her hearing isn't the best so she doesn't actually realise how loud she is being. One of my cats is like that as well though and he's only young. Whenever he wants something it's "MAAAAAOWWWWWW" in the loudest way possible. He's actually gotten laryngitis and lost his voice twice because he's so loud! He shuts up if I sing to him though for some strange reason :pac:

Alun

How old is she? One of the possible causes for "increased vocalization" as it's known, is hyperthyroidism. One of our cats suffered from it and had to be on thyroid medication for a good number of years. It's a simple blood test to detect it, but it can be tricky getting the dosage right in the beginning.

Pumpkinseeds

Behavior Problems in Older Cats




This article gives some of the reasons for increased vocalisation in older cats.

The Effects of Aging
As they age, cats often suffer a decline in functioning, including their cognitive functioning. It’s estimated that cognitive decline—referred to as feline cognitive dysfunction, or FCD—affects more than 55% of cats aged 11 to 15 years and more than 80% of cats aged 16 to 20 years. Memory, ability to learn, awareness, and sight and hearing perception can all deteriorate in cats affected with FCD. This deterioration can cause disturbances in sleeping patterns, disorientation or reduced activity. It can make cats forget previously learned habits they once knew well, such as the location of the litter box or their food bowls. It can increase their anxiety and tendency to react aggressively. It can also change their social relationships with you and with other pets in your home. Understanding the changes your cat is undergoing can help you compassionately and effectively deal with behavior problems that may arise in her senior years.
Some effects of aging aren’t related to cognitive dysfunction. Often these effects can contribute to behavior changes that only look like cognitive decline. Be sure to report all changes you see to your cat’s veterinarian. Don’t assume that your cat is “just getting old” and nothing can be done to help her. Many changes in behavior are signs of treatable medical disorders, and there are a variety of therapies that can comfort your cat and ease her symptoms, including any pain she might be experiencing.

SparkySpitfire

SillyMangoX wrote: »

It could be possible as she's getting a wee bit older that her hearing isn't the best so she doesn't actually realise how loud she is being. One of my cats is like that as well though and he's only young. Whenever he wants something it's "MAAAAAOWWWWWW" in the loudest way possible. He's actually gotten laryngitis and lost his voice twice because he's so loud! He shuts up if I sing to him though for some strange reason :pac:

Hahah that is hilarious. I should start serenading her.

Alun wrote: »

How old is she? One of the possible causes for "increased vocalization" as it's known, is hyperthyroidism. One of our cats suffered from it and had to be on thyroid medication for a good number of years. It's a simple blood test to detect it, but it can be tricky getting the dosage right in the beginning.

She's 11 in May, that's something to consider though!