By Jeanne Gibson

Before you do anything about your cat's excessive meowing, you need to figure out the reason behind this problem behavior, one that can become serious, if no steps are taken to curb it. Here are 5 of the most common reasons cats meow too much:

1. Your cat may be ill and meow to let you know he or she needs help.

If your fairly quiet cat suddenly starts meowing excessively, it is time to check it out for a physical problem. Look the cat over thoroughly, checking for scratches, tender spots, a tendency to favor one or more paws when walking, reluctance to walk at all, listlessness, discharge from eyes, ears, or nose, etc.

Any one of these cat behavior problems may merit a prompt visit to a veterinarian to make sure needed treatment is started as soon as possible. Solving the cat's health problem usually also solves the problem meowing behavior, too.

2. Most cats meow when they want you to do something for them.

And most cat owners recognize this type of meow. It is usually loud and insistent and can mean, "I want food and water," "My litter box is full," "I want to go outside," or "I want to come inside." When you fulfill the "command," whatever it is, the meowing usually ends—at least until they want you to do something else for them.

3. A cat may meow to alert their owners that something is amiss.

Not all cats pay attention to anything beyond the 4 walls of the house they live in, but some act almost like "watchdogs" for their owners. As soon as a neighborhood cat, dog, raccoon, or other intruder (even a two-legged one) comes anywhere near the house, "Watchdog" cats begin to meow.

Some even growl. Unfortunately, they seldom stop until the intruder leaves the premises so you might as well leave that comfy easy chair and venture outside to take care of the problem if you want any peace and quiet for the rest of the evening. Intruder gone-cat behavior problem of excessive meowing solved.

4. Some breeds of cats are noted for meowing more than others.

If you have a Siamese cat (as I did at one time) you are probably in for being treated to more meowing than with most other breeds, but you still need to check for causes that may indicate trouble. Siamese cats are noted for not only the frequency of their meowing, but also for the loudness, so if excessive meowing is a problem for you, try for a breed that is not noted for being so vocal.

5. Cats are basically social and meow when they just want attention.

Most of us become cat owners in the first place because cats are so appealing. They are cuddly creatures who love to be held and petted, and are great company. All these things are true, but there is one problem. Most cats want to cuddle, to be held and petted, and to share their company with you on their schedule, not yours. And, if you happen to be busy when they decide it is time for some of this attention from you, their response is to meow until it is forthcoming.

If this happens too frequently at your house, and you feel your cat is already receiving sufficient attention, try short periods of banishment from your presence. Put the cat in another room or even in the garage for a short time as soon as the meowing begins, and it won't be long before your cat learns there are certain times he or she needs to be a quieter companion in order to remain in close proximity to you.

Those are five of the most common reasons cats meow too much, and you could probably add a few more from observing your own cat's behavior. Since there are so many causes for excessive meowing in cats, it seems that no one solution to the problem will apply to all. Each of us needs to determine what is behind the excessive meowing of our own particular cat, and then decide where to go from there.

Jeanne Gibson is a math and English teacher who lives in Springfield, Oregon with her husband and an 8-year-old cat named Snoopy. For more Solutions to Cat Behavior Problems, check out her Squidoo lens, http://www.squidoo.com/findingsolutionstocatbehaviorproblems.

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Tags: Cat Behavior