# cat "crying"



## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

I read a lot of posts from cat owners (usually new cat owners) who are all worked up because their cat is "crying". Or they're getting up at night, or they're feeding extra food because their cat is "crying". Let's face it...a lot of the sounds a cat makes sound to human ears like crying, simply because our brains are programmed to interpret sounds like that as a human child in distress.

But the cat is not necessarily in distress when it makes those sounds. It's more important to decipher the cat's behavior, and its "body language" to determine if it's in distress. And that takes getting to know your cat. The only way to tell if the sounds it makes are the sounds of a cat in distress is if they are sounds that cat does not normally make.

Rocket is a VERY talkative cat, and right now he's walking around the house with his tail in the air, a happy, healthy cat, making sounds that, if you were standing outside my window (well, in the summer anyway, not now...the window's closed), you would SWEAR I was torturing my cat. I certainly am not!! That's just the way he is. I don't know why he talks so much more than my other cats, but he does, and a lot of his talk sounds pretty distressing, if you didn't know him.

Don't assume there's something wrong with your cat just because you think he/she is crying! What is the cat DOING?

Thanks for putting up with my little rant... 8)


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## spacemonkey (Aug 12, 2004)

You make a very good point 8) Like babies, you can usually tell what "kind" of cry it is (i.e. "I'm hungry!" "I'm lonely" "Let's play", etc.) I rarely indulge the lonely or bored cries, unless they escalate, which usually happens when one of the kittens can't find mom or her sister :roll:


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## Kittys Mom (May 7, 2004)

Just like a baby crying. There are different baby cries to signal different emotions. And a parent just learns to differenciate between, conversational "I'm awake in here" cries and hysterical "I'm scared...where are you!" cries.

I usually go see what Thomas is crying about, even when it's not a upset cry. Like last night, I was downstairs in the bathroom and I could hear Thomas upstairs crying, an "I want that and can't get it" cry. (He does this for my hanging plants a lot!). So I go upstairs and for a few minutes couldn't figure it out. Until I finally noticed the fly on the ceiling. I went and got a magazine and swatted the fly down into Thomas' area of reach and that was that. Of course, a minute later he lost the fly and started crying again. But I couldn't find it either so...that was that. 

Is it totally weird that I've considered releasing bugs in the house, like a fly, so that Thomas has something to hunt and kill?


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## catlover7731 (Dec 29, 2004)

*Aren't some breeds more vocal than other cats?*

I think certain breeds are more vocal than other cats. I have heard siamese are very loud cats. Also I was at a cat show last year and that was my first time seeing Bengals in person, WOW where they loud! Beautiful cats but I don't think I could put up with their crying. 8)


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

*Re: Aren't some breeds more vocal than other cats?*



catlover7731 said:


> I think certain breeds are more vocal than other cats.


that may be. I don't know hardly anything about breed characteristics. Rocket is just a DSH orange tabby.

but then, I think he's an exceptional cat 8)


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## BoscosMum (Apr 29, 2004)

Bosco was an Orange & white tabby.....he used to cry like a female in heat....he was goofy!


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

BoscosMum said:


> Bosco...was goofy!


one reason you miss him so much....a cat with an outsize personality, even if it's strange, can grow on you....


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## OsnobunnieO (Jun 28, 2004)

I completely know what you're saying!! My cat has never had a normal "meow"... its always a pathetic little "eeh" or a sad, lonely sounding "moowww"

Its so funny, because the house will be still and quiet, then he sprints across the house (my little "elephant") and gets in a room on the other side, realizes he's alone and kinda "mow? MOW?" its so cute  

Lately, he's been more vocal. Not louder or more demanding, just making more noise. I have to laugh at him more than anything else. He's just so cute


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## Hippyhart (Jul 4, 2004)

But what if the crying continues all night? The mother cat that I'm fostering has been so vocal lately that I'm getting concerned. She cries constantly -- she wants in a room, so I open the door and she won't go in, she wants food then doesn't eat it. I'm wondering if she's in heat? I have no idea, but it has got to stop...I'm losing sleep!


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## EllyMay (Dec 31, 2004)

Cats will cry when they are in heat, no doubt. Sometimes they are just vocal, though. Charlie is a very vocal guy and speaks to anyone who will listen. The dogs, the kids, us, the wall, the mail truck passing by, etc.


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## spacemonkey (Aug 12, 2004)

Hippyhart said:


> But what if the crying continues all night? The mother cat that I'm fostering has been so vocal lately that I'm getting concerned. She cries constantly -- she wants in a room, so I open the door and she won't go in, she wants food then doesn't eat it. I'm wondering if she's in heat? I have no idea, but it has got to stop...I'm losing sleep!


Definately sounds like she's in heat :wink:


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## Hippyhart (Jul 4, 2004)

She cried so much last night that I had to lock her in my office until the morning...how long does this usually last? Is there anything I can do to help? She is nursing right now, so getting her spayed is kind of out of the question.


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## BoscosMum (Apr 29, 2004)

SO she recently had kittens.....is she calling to them?
How old are they? Do you keep all of them in a room together?
If the kittens are loose in the house....I bet she is calling all her babies.

*Edit to add: Oh, You mean she is a nursing baby herself?
Same would apply....she needs to be in a room close with her mother.


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## Hippyhart (Jul 4, 2004)

The mama is nursing six-week-old kittens, and I usually let her roam through the house during the day and evening, then put her back with her babies when she cries (the babies are kept in one room). At night, I put her in the room with her babies, but she isn't having that anymore. She cried when I put her in the room and when I took her out of the room. Finally, we had to lock her up in a separate room at about 2 am (she still cried) and put her back in with her babies at 7 am (cried some more). She is crying right now! It is starting to drive me insane -- I can't get any work done today!


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## BoscosMum (Apr 29, 2004)

Oh I am sorry this is stressing you out!
Maybe someone will post that has actually had kittens before.
I never have....


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## spooky (Jan 5, 2005)

BoscosMum said:


> Bosco was an Orange & white tabby.....he used to cry like a female in heat....he was goofy!



yeah! willy is an orange tabby too... and he does the same thing. if you read my post before, he always does it in the kitchen at like, 2am.

i think he just likes to sing to himself.


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## EllyMay (Dec 31, 2004)

I must have missed that she had 6 week old kittens. My bet is that she is calling to them to come out. Somewhere around 6-7 weeks mama cat will start encouraging the kittens to come out and roam around. She'll do this by meowing and even nudging. It's almost at if, by this point, the mama has cabin fever and wants the kittens to become more independant. Seperating her from her babies overnight will probably aggravate the situation more. Better to move her and the babies to a quieter spot if the meowing is bothering you. Otherwise, just wait it out. As the babies become more independant she'll still call for them (as if she's looking for them) and then it should get quieter.


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## Hippyhart (Jul 4, 2004)

I may just have to move them all every night to my office -- I was afraid that was going to happen; they would grow out of their living space. I've been meaning to wrap my computer cables anyway...


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## BabyKitty (Jan 14, 2005)

Well my cat certainly does cry when Im not paying attention to her. Does any of your guys cats sound like an actual baby? When I am on the phone and she meows people ask me whos baby that was. And when I call and I hear her in the backround I think its my boyfriends nefew.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

BabyKitty said:


> Well my cat certainly does cry when Im not paying attention to her.


no, no, sorry, you missed the point of the topic. to you it SOUNDS like crying. but the cat is not really crying because it's not in distress. it's just trying to get your attention by making a sound it knows will work.


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## Kishkumen (Jan 14, 2005)

My old deaf cat Winnie has this hoarse cry (kind of like Marge Simpson as a cat) whenever she gets lonely. Unfortunately, she'll be lonely only fifteen feet away from me with a direct line of sight, but she'll be looking the other way. 
Because she's deaf, I can't just call for her and it doesn't occur to her to look elsewhere. She just sits and howls until I finally walk over into her peripheral vision. Then she gives this "oh _there_ you are!" reaction. Ten minutes later she'll wander away and forget where I am again.
I know she's not in distress but she is annoying. It isn't a cute pleasant meow. It's a "I'm trapped in the basement and there's a kid with a water gun after me" grating howl that increases in volume over about five minutes.
Is there a good way to get a deaf cat's attention? I 'm thinking of something harmless I can throw near her to get her to turn around.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Kishkumen said:


> I 'm thinking of something harmless I can throw near her to get her to turn around.


I think that's a pretty good idea.

Like your avatar, but don't recognize it. Is it a Swedish fighter?


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## icklemiss21 (Aug 29, 2004)

my neighbour once called the SPCA on me because she thought I was mistreating my cats for the same reason.

Bumper is a *very* vocal cat, and will sometimes just screech for no reason (if I were her, I would probably think someone was abusing him too, I have come in to the room to check to make sure no one has stepped on him etc for him to make so much noise). 

He meows all the time (well the few hours he manages to stay awake in a day at least). He is sepecially vocal when we play and will almost scream that it makes your ears hurt if he can't catch certain toys.

Scully on the other hand has a very low meow and she thought we were covering his cries with something while we abused him because his meow sounds muffled. 

Yeah right, I let one cry as loud as he wants and cover the mouth of the other (because everyone would put their hand over the mouth of a cat that felt threatened or was being abused :?)

Anyway the SPCA was pleased to see that we have 4 healthy cats with no signs of abuse, and I was actually relieved when Bumps decided to have one of his yapping moments when they were at the house. 

The only thing the guy from the SPCA recommended was I buy some earplugs to make sure I don't damage my ears... its funny how cats noises can be misunderstood. And I wasn't even that mad at my neighbour, at least if something ever did happen to my kitties, I know she would be looking out for them, but she could have just said soemthing to me about the noises first to see how I would react. I don't think I would have called the SPCA without talking to her!


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## icklemiss21 (Aug 29, 2004)

spooky said:


> BoscosMum said:
> 
> 
> > Bosco was an Orange & white tabby.....he used to cry like a female in heat....he was goofy!
> ...


Maybe its an orange & white tabby thing - Bumper is an orange & white tabby too and is the noisiest cat I have met.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

timskitties said:


> Kishkumen said:
> 
> 
> > I 'm thinking of something harmless I can throw near her to get her to turn around.
> ...


What I meant is that I thought that was a good idea for a way to get a deaf cat's attention.

But you must also ask yourself if that's really the behavior-response you want to encourage: cat howls<-->cat gets attention.


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## Kishkumen (Jan 14, 2005)

> But you must also ask yourself if that's really the behavior-response you want to encourage: cat howls<-->cat gets attention.


What would you suggest I try for behavior modification?

The current alternative is: cat howls-->owner tries to ignore-->cat howls nonstop for several hours. Winnie's logic seems to be "if it doesn't work, just scream louder"





> Like your avatar, but don't recognize it. Is it a Swedish fighter?


It's a Soviet MiG-23, but from that angle it resembles a Saab Gripen. It was created in Lightwave 3D (so was the ground) and will be the subject of an AIM-120 hit in an upcoming animation project. It needs some weathering, though. It looks too computery right now.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

That's a tough one, the cat being deaf makes it harder, too, and the forum server being really slow right now is about as frustrating. Anyway, what I think is needed is some what to divert the cat from its howling without giving the cat the idea that its howling is generating its desired response, which apparently is attention from the owner. I was wondering how your cat does with self-play toys? Will the cat continue playing with a toy when you get her started? I supposed the deafness is a factor here, because many toys use noise as an attractant. There is a battery-powered toy on the market, sorry I don't know the name of it, but it's a wand-type toy with feathers on the end that's battery powered and uses movement as an attractant. That may be something to capture your cat's attention. Perhaps someone will read this and post the name of the toy.


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## Hippyhart (Jul 4, 2004)

> Perhaps someone will read this and post the name of the toy.


It's called the Panic Mouse 360 -- I haven't tried it yet but have heard good things.


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## BoscosMum (Apr 29, 2004)

Kishkumen
Your first post totally cracked me up! I can just imagine the scene.
:lol: Sorry, I probably shouldnt laugh.


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