I have a cat that makes a lot more noise than most cats do. She purrs, whines, and yowls when she plays. At night sometimes she sits outside my bedroom door and meows constantly until I get up! She has plenty of food, water, and toys to play with. What’s wrong?

Answer

Vocalizing is a very normal part of being a cat, and some cats naturally make more noise than others. Some breeds are more prone to "talking." The oriental breeds, particularly Siamese cats, tend to do a lot of vocalizing. So, to some extent, the noisemaking is just part of your cat’s personality. Unless your cat seems to be distressed or in pain, you can consider her chattiness quite normal.

Normal or not, you may still want to stop her late-night meowing so you can get some sleep! She is most likely looking for attention, and she has learned that if she cries long enough, you will get up and let her in the bedroom. The most effective step toward changing her undesired behavior is not to reward it. If you consistently refuse to respond to her crying, she may eventually stop. It may take a lot of patience and persistence to retrain her, but she can eventually learn to entertain herself at night.

It may also help to tire her out before bedtime. Let her chase a string or a feather toy for twenty minutes before bedtime, and she may sleep later the next morning. It may also satisfy her need for attention enough to last her through the night.

Another idea is to place some of her favorite toys near your bedroom door, to distract her when she comes looking for a playmate. You may even want to consider getting another cat. A second pet could keep her from feeling bored or lonely at night, and make her feel more secure. Introducing a new cat to the household can be challenging, however. Depending on your cat’s age and personality, she may be hostile to the "intruder." Older and fussier cats can have a hard time adjusting to new family members. Consider your cat’s personality before you adopt a new pet, or you could have fighting cats waking you up instead of meowing.

If none of these solutions are effective, you may have to shut your cat in a room far enough away from yours that you can get some sleep. You may want to take her to a veterinarian to discuss whether she should be treated for an anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder. In extreme cases, veterinarians can prescribe antianxiety medication to stop compulsive behavior.