Home Remedies for Cat Yelling

Some cats will settle for nothing less than your undivided attention, especially if you only have one cat in the house. Perhaps you have been at work all day and your cat has been alone. When you come home, you want to relax, but your cat wants attention. That is when the yelling starts. Cats use vocalizations to communicate. When your cat's yelling becomes obnoxious, it is time to look for an effective home remedy.

  1. What Not to Do

    • The most important thing to remember is to avoid doing anything that will encourage this negative behavior. If your cat is yowling for attention, do not reward her yelling by giving her what she wants. Giving your cat attention for inappropriate behavior only reinforces the idea that yelling equals attention, not unlike a child. Cats learn quickly by experience.

      As difficult as it may be for you, try and ignore her yelling. Do not call her name or give any attention to her actions. You do not want her to associate yelling with anything positive.

    Time Out

    • A bolder action you could take borrows an effective lesson from day care and grade schools. When your cat begins to yowl for attention, give her a time out. If you have a crate or carrier, place her in the crate and cover it with a blanket or towel.

      The benefit lies in giving her a negative experience with which she will associate her behavior. This association is essential. She must learn that yelling will not result in a reward from you. Rather, the result will be something quite different. The isolation helps bring the message home quicker to your cat. You can place the crate in another room for added impact.

    Spray Bottle

    • Many cat owners are probably familiar with the benefits of using a spray bottle as a disciplinary tool for cats. Again, as with the time out, you are making your cat associate bad actions with equally bad consequences.

      When your cat begins yelling, give her a quick squirt. Do not aim the bottle at the cat's face. A spray of water on her behind will suffice. There are several advantages to this remedy, not the least of which is avoiding getting bitten or scratched. You can add an audio cue as well.

      Before you spray your cat, shake the bottle so she can hear the sound it makes. After getting sprayed a few times, you may find that you only have to shake the bottle in order to get her to stop yowling. In fact, perhaps this should be your goal if you take this route for stopping her negative behavior.