# Extreme mournful vocalizing- bored cat??



## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

My 1-year-old orange boy cat, Allegro, has started to prowl around the house making the loudest and saddest-sounding MROWWW??? sounds that I've ever heard. It seemed to start a couple of weeks ago, when he first figured out how to open the cabinet doors in our kitchen and bathroom. We put child-safe hooks in the cabinets, and so he can't get in them anymore, but he still paws at them and at the garage door over and over, like he's really bored and just wants something to do (and he just HATES having the doors closed to him). He's always been our little explorer.

He has a brother and a sister that he's been very happy playing with, two cat towers (he loves the new one we just got them for Valentine's day) and tons of toys and scratching posts. He gets a lot of exercise chasing our other two cats up and down the stairs and hopping from our loft ledge to the plant shelf to the window ledge above the entryway, and he's at a healthy normal weight.

He does get about 30-40 minutes of interactive play with us every day and lots of cuddle time with us in addition to that--I'm sure we should be doing more, but do you think doing more playtime will help? Why do you think he's making these constant, loud, mournful noises? He sounds really, really pathetic and it's breaking my heart.  I've thought of getting a harness for him and going on walks outside (not right now- it's way too cold and icy out there), but I'm afraid that will make it worse--once he has a taste of the big world outside, he may never give up on trying to get out there. 

There's no way I'll let him free-roam outdoors--for many reasons, but chiefly because we have both a major highway and lots of wildlife near us. 

Thanks in advance!


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## Dave_ph (Jul 7, 2009)

Neutered?


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

Dave_ph said:


> Neutered?


Ah, sorry. Yes, he and our other two cats were neutered/spayed as little kittens.


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## Gloworm (Nov 19, 2010)

My 7 month old kitten does the same. Usually fi i go pick him up and give him a cuddle, he settles down. He seems to like the attention he gets from it, so maybe it is that. He does seem to go away from me into another room, then yowl, and I will go get him. I am really not sure, he is usually fine, runs around with my 5 month old kitten, plays, etc, but he does sound SO mournful at times.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

My cat used to do that frequently (probably still would if he was at the first floor apartment he grew up in...), he'd wander the halls meowing loudly and mournfully. It most often happened late at night. He'd also sit out on the deck during odd hours of the night and then come charging in the house running like a horse and meowing around... it was weird. I can't say I ever was able to fully pin point why he did it - he's neutered and I'd never hear anything too interesting outside. Was it even because he saw something outside? Sometimes he'd do it when everyone was sleeping and he wouldn't stop.

I found if I picked him up and cuddled with him a little he'd calm down and I could get back to sleep. Maybe he was just lonely

Or as weird mood swings - mine does, viciously unexpected ones... maybe the upset meowing is just another side of that.


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## swimkris (Jul 17, 2010)

Simone does the same thing, but I call him whiny instead of mournful lol! I usually just yell out "Simone?," and he will come running into whichever room I'm in. Once he's there, he might quiet down, but he's just as likely to run back off again meowing to himself. I think a lot of it has to do with the type of cat he is because my other rarely ever makes a peep.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

My girl does that quite often. Sometimes she's wondering where I am or her half-brother or her mousie's or just likes to hear her voice. Like _swimkris_, when I call her name, she usually stops. Cats that are deaf seem to do it more.


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## rketto (Aug 22, 2010)

My little boy does this often, like every day, he is a big crybaby  He gets played with a lot and all that but sometimes he just wants attention. Once I pick him up and cuddle him he's usually better. In fact he's doing it right now, lol... better go get him!


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

Thanks for your responses. It's weird, though...we usually call his name and ask him what's wrong, and he just looks at us for a second and goes back to MROWWW???ing. He does not like humans to initiate petting or cuddles (he always flails and wiggles away), but he's VERY cuddly and affectionate when he initiates it (by jumping up into our laps)...he knows that all he has to do is jump into one of our laps and we will give him all the attention he wants--we've never pushed him off or ignored him.


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## raecarrow (Oct 27, 2009)

My Leo does this. He will run about MRROWWWing and looking sort of aggitated. Like you, I can't usually intitiate cuddling. He is a jumpy little guy. So I talk to him and he MRROWWs back and if he doesn't stop I MRRROOOW with him. That usually does the trick.


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## Lenkolas (Jan 18, 2011)

Yeah... my Gatito does the same. But there's a difference:

-He's grieving the death of our girl Sun two months ago
-He used to be an indoor-outdoor cat, but after Sun's death he's not able to go outside as he pleases anymore.

So I thought his sad-sounding "morrrrows" were the result of all that he's going through. In a way, your stories make me feel a little bit better, 'cause your kitties are not mourning-anxious about going outside and they do the same, maybe they just want attention as some of you have pointed out.

Paperbacknovel, your kitty's behavior sounds a lot like Gatito's (about not initiating cuddle sessions and all that). And I love the name  Allegro!

Hugs


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## Abbie (Jan 13, 2011)

My girls do that! Evie only rarely does it, but I think that's because she's coming back in heat as she's not yet spayed (she's had health issues so the vet advised us to wait a little while before we spay), so she does it to call. Although, sometimes she does it if she forgets where I am, so I call out and she comes running. 

Now, Mitzi on the other hand... She is quite a fan of MROWing loudly! She's spayed, so she's no excuse! She will run downstairs and meow and meow, mainly in the conservatory. I don't know why, but she always sounds like she's in pain. I go running to her and she just turns and looks as if to say "oh hi there, mummy", then she'll continue to make noise. I just think of it as a quirky character trait.


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## Time Bandit (Aug 17, 2010)

Samantha does the loud "MROW!" quite often. Most often, I believe it's because she's 'searching' for something....like she'll do it at night if she can't find me (if she doesn't come to bed with me when I do and stays in the living room, then she starts calling for me once she wakes up...happens every time, without fail). About 99% of the time she does it carrying her plush Catfish toy in her mouth, and she slowly walks the apartment with him, "MROOOW!"ing. Usually, just a simple call out of "Sammy baby?" will do it, and she'll come running (Catfish and all!)...other times she plays hard to get and likes me to go find her and after calling her name, she'll be quiet for a sec...then start up again...I have to go to her and cuddle her then, or she won't stop.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Time Bandit said:


> Usually, just a simple call out of "Sammy baby?" will do it, and she'll come running (Catfish and all!)...


 
I call out "I'm in here!" He always shows up relieved like I dissapear on him so often...


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## Time Bandit (Aug 17, 2010)

I get yelled at once Samantha finally arrives...I get a sharp quick "Meow!" to the face, usually followed by a head rub, like she's saying, "I can't believe you left me! But it's ok, I forgive you now." :roll:


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

I've had cats do this before. I always felt like they were looking for someone/something. Usually if I talk to them they will come into the room I'm in and settle down. Like they were afraid I had left them. Does he do it when he's in the same room with you?


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## fatandgreedy (Feb 20, 2011)

My cat MRROWS when he's whining/complaining about the food service and litter service. He usually starts quiet and it gradually gets louder and more whiny.

Next time he does it see if you can catch him eyeing anything and note where he is when he does it. Is it in the kitchen? Near the litterbox?


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## calamityjane (Feb 20, 2011)

I'd second the being concerned about not being able to find you. Sometimes I wind up sleeping on my couch just so my cat will be quiet. Alternately, he might want something. (Which is the other reason mine starts up, sigh.) In that case a little bit of food does the trick when cuddles don't.


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## Des_Esseintes (Nov 27, 2009)

Both my current cat and my previous cat did the "walk around with toy in mouth meowing" thing. I think it just means that they want to play.

After my previous kitty became deaf (old age) she started to do it more often and without her toy in her mouth, especially in the middle of the night. As others have said, I think that was more because she wasn't sure where I was and was scared (poor thing!).


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

Jack talks all the time. Sometimes he'll look straight at me as he does it. Usually he'll be talkative before meals (mom i'm hungry!!) or afterwards (ah, that was a good meal, mom!) He'll also do a (hi mom) when i get home. asides from that i really dunno what he's trying to say when he talks outside of those times.


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

Thanks for all your feedback, guys. 

I think this is directly connected with the garage. My husband is sometimes foolish and when he took out some trash tonight, he accidentally let Allegro out into the garage (the garage door was closed). Not good- there's rat poison out there. This has happened several times in the last month, and it's always my husband who does it, and each time he is able to bring Allegro immediately inside. 

So after that happens tonight, now Allegro won't stop scratching at the door leading to the garage (not doing any damage yet since it's metal) and calling (he sounds so sad!). I've tried "misunderstanding" him and each time I hear him calling, I go over there and talk back and scoop him up and cuddle him. He handles it for a few minutes before he wants to be put down, and when I do, he immediately goes to the garage door again and starts scratching and meowing.

I want him to stay AWAY from the garage door. As interesting as he may find it, it is not safe for him. He may go out there next time without my husband noticing he slipped out, and he could potentially spend hours out there (if my husband goes right to bed without noticing). Other than retraining my husband to be more careful, what else can I do? Ignore him? Put him in a room by himself when he does it? The punishment-by-forced-kissing/cuddling did not work at all (in fact, I'm afraid he might have kept doing it as some sort of game). 

Thanks!


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Just read through this thread. My reaction, reading your last post, was to wonder if it's closely related with the garbage, not just the garage. Do you by chance keep the trash in the garage? If so, is it odoriferous, if only when the lid is opened? Does Allegro get drawn to those smells? If the answer to any or all of those is no, is there anything else in the garage that his sensitive nose might be attracted to, other than rat poison? Whatever it is keeps emanating the scent, and maybe that's what he's after.

If that's not it, I have no clue, sorry, nor do I know what to do about it, other than eliminate the scent if possible, unless it's the rat poison that entices, in which case the choice is eliminate the rat poison or get used to ignoring Allegro's attraction to it and maybe eventually he will stop.


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## tigressbythetail (Dec 1, 2010)

That makes sense, NRD. Something in that garage, and could it be a rat? Not the rat poison but the smell of rats. Poor guy. He wants to do his job.


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

That makes even more sense!!


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

That's true--tomorrow is trash day, and we typically keep the trash in the garage until my husband takes it out that morning. We don't have raw meat in the trash, but I did have to throw out some veggies that went bad (brussels sprouts). Other food remnants are in bags in the bin out there too.

I don't *think* there's a rat out there...we have a brand-new house and live in a new subdivision but have it out there because of field mice...we put it out last spring before we even got cats, because we heard chewing noises coming from the laundry room--it sounded like mice were trying to get in through the laundry tubes. It's just starting to get warm enough, so maybe there is something out there?

But thanks! I'll see if he's any different tomorrow.


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## RowdyAndMalley (Aug 9, 2010)

Malley is the same exact way, if we leave a room, she sits and meows until we return, and it sound so sad and pitiful... yet when we come back and try to pet her, she darts away. Within a few minutes she is up cuddling on our laps.

Cats have such a primal instinct to hunt any prey, whether its bugs, mice, rats...etc. He may know something you dont.:wink


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