my spayed female cat won't stop meowing

by Lauren
(Rochester, MI - USA)

I brought home a cat from the humane society a little over a month ago. She is two years old, spayed and front declawed, very affectionate, very loving and sweet. Within the past three days she has been meowing very loudly, and making "coo-ing type" meowing noises.. and she does not stop unless she is sleeping. She has plenty of food and water, and her litter box is clean.. nothing makes her stop. I've tried ignoring her, i've tried petting her.. i've tried giving her a new bowl of food and a new bowl of water.. nothing works, and i'm losing sleep! please help!


Answer by Kate
Funny I have just answered a very similar question for someone else.

This is not an unusual problem, cats are generally more active and alert at night time and they can't understand why we are asleep when we could be paying them attention.

Basically you have to break the cycle and this is not easy or quick. you have to be persistent and calm with the process for it to eventually work.

My advice is

About half and hour before bedtime play a run around game with her to use up a lot of her excess energy. then just before bedtime feed her a meal. then you will have to prevent access to you at night. put her in a room with her bed, litter fresh water and toys.

if you do hear her at night you must not talk to her, or get up to see her as this is just affirming the behaviour.

It can take some time for them to get used to the routine but it will eventually get through to them that the behaviour does not get them what they want and they should stop it.

every night you can find my partner playing with a lipstick top with our little mo is a ritual that if he does not keep she will definitely wake him up for the game.

best wishes kate

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Ziva my cat
by: AnonymousGayle

Ziva was great at finding hided places & she rarely made a sound. At 7 yrs old I was finally able to get her & my other girl(6yrs) spayed at a low cost clinic. Neither had ever had kittens. Sarah did fine. Ziva rarely stops meowing. She doesn't have any other symptoms of heat. She doesn't hide & she's overly affectionate. I like the attention. I'm worried about the vocal. GG
Oral surgery
by: Anonymous

I had my cat a week and she's been perfect. But yesterday she had oral surgery and has been meowing non stop for the past 12 hours. I got only 4 hours of sleep but had to go out to the car to get it
Seek a vet!
by: Anonymous

As a veterinarian, I advise you to seek medical attention for your cat. It sounds very much like ovarian remnant syndrome. If any small piece of ovary remains after a spay, cats will display estrus signs. Most commonly "duck squatting" and vocalization. Ovarian remnants are quite common when done at low cost clinics, humane societies or animal shelters.
My cat is doing same!!
by: Anonymous

I have a British blue whom was spayed about 8 months ago and she has been doing same thing for last 3 nights and daytime too crying and holding her bottom in air if you touch back end she raises it even more. Taking her to vets for blood test cant go another night with no sleep.
in response
by: Lauren

Thank you for your response.. however it's not just at night that she is meowing. It is all day AND all night.. she doesn't stop. From everything I have read it sounds like she is in heat.. yet she is spayed. She is VERY VERY loud and meowing very low.. i have another cat, that's a year older than her and is a male and she is always trying to sniff his rear end, or getting in his face meowing like that. I called a few vet offices and they have all said it sounds like she is in heat.. yet she's supposedly spayed.. i don't know of the humane society selling any animals that aren't fixed. Why is this still happening and how do I keep her quiet? Again.. I'm losing sleep over this.. I think I've managed a total of three maybe four hours of sleep over the past four nights and I'm exhausted. I play with her all the time.. yet right now she has no interest in toys.. she just wants to "need" her back feet and stick her butt up in the air and meow loudly. I just want to keep her quiet!

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