Question:
Please take your cat back to the vet and have a complete blood profile done along with a T-4 test to check for Hyperthyroidism. Excessive vocalization is a common symptom of this disease, which happens almost exclusively in older cats. It would be a grave mistake to just assume this is behavioral. There may be other physical causes for this behavior which are not plainly visible, and the blood work will rule in or out a physical cause. Megan "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Zuzu’s Cats Photo Album: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=244574&Auth=false
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >We have a 16 year old [neutered] male cat. Over the >past few years he has learned to express himself. >Stand by the door and meow to be let out. March around >his bowl and meow for food, or different food. Meow to >get in. Meow to get petted. >Well, this is now becoming intolerable. He has gone >from meowing to yelling and howling, and doing so >frequently. Put him out at night, which he howls to >get, and he starts howling to get back in, awaking us >and our neighbors. In the house, he just yells at any >old time. Pick me up, change my food, whatever. This is >a problem because I run a home business — am on the >phone, with customers, etc. >He seems healthy. No lack of energy, no unusual signs >of illness or pain. Was at vet’s recently to get shots, >stayed in a friend’s kennell last week, no signs of >sickness picked up. Oh, and when we don’t answer his >yells, he heads right for the nearest piece of >furniture and starts to tear it up [going right by some >very attracted scatching posts fully laced with >catnitp]. >I suspect I have a psychological problem here. Short of >removing his vocal chords 
what do I do? This has to >stop.
Sounds like he has you very well trained. It is too late in the game to do much. You shouldn’t have given in so easily every time. You pretty much rewarded him for such behavior. Get a cat door. At least one reason for howling will be solved.
Response:
We have a 16 year old [neutered] male cat. Over the past few years he has learned to express himself. Stand by the door and meow to be let out. March around his bowl and meow for food, or different food. Meow to get in. Meow to get petted. Well, this is now becoming intolerable. He has gone from meowing to yelling and howling, and doing so frequently. Put him out at night, which he howls to get, and he starts howling to get back in, awaking us and our neighbors. In the house, he just yells at any old time. Pick me up, change my food, whatever. This is a problem because I run a home business — am on the phone, with customers, etc. He seems healthy. No lack of energy, no unusual signs of illness or pain. Was at vet’s recently to get shots, stayed in a friend’s kennell last week, no signs of sickness picked up. Oh, and when we don’t answer his yells, he heads right for the nearest piece of furniture and starts to tear it up [going right by some very attracted scatching posts fully laced with catnitp]. I suspect I have a psychological problem here. Short of removing his vocal chords what do I do? This has to stop.
Response:
Please take your cat back to the vet and have a complete blood profile done along with a T-4 test to check for Hyperthyroidism. Excessive vocalization is a common symptom of this disease, which happens almost exclusively in older cats. It would be a grave mistake to just assume this is behavioral. There may be other physical causes for this behavior which are not plainly visible, and the blood work will rule in or out a physical cause. Megan "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Zuzu’s Cats Photo Album: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=244574&Auth=false
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >We have a 16 year old [neutered] male cat. Over the >past few years he has learned to express himself. >Stand by the door and meow to be let out. March around >his bowl and meow for food, or different food. Meow to >get in. Meow to get petted. >Well, this is now becoming intolerable. He has gone >from meowing to yelling and howling, and doing so >frequently. Put him out at night, which he howls to >get, and he starts howling to get back in, awaking us >and our neighbors. In the house, he just yells at any >old time. Pick me up, change my food, whatever. This is >a problem because I run a home business — am on the >phone, with customers, etc. >He seems healthy. No lack of energy, no unusual signs >of illness or pain. Was at vet’s recently to get shots, >stayed in a friend’s kennell last week, no signs of >sickness picked up. Oh, and when we don’t answer his >yells, he heads right for the nearest piece of >furniture and starts to tear it up [going right by some >very attracted scatching posts fully laced with >catnitp]. >I suspect I have a psychological problem here. Short of >removing his vocal chords what do I do? This has to >stop.
Sounds like he has you very well trained. It is too late in the game to do much. You shouldn’t have given in so easily every time. You pretty much rewarded him for such behavior. Get a cat door. At least one reason for howling will be solved.
Response:
We have a 16 year old [neutered] male cat. Over the past few years he has learned to express himself. Stand by the door and meow to be let out. March around his bowl and meow for food, or different food. Meow to get in. Meow to get petted. Well, this is now becoming intolerable. He has gone from meowing to yelling and howling, and doing so frequently. Put him out at night, which he howls to get, and he starts howling to get back in, awaking us and our neighbors. In the house, he just yells at any old time. Pick me up, change my food, whatever. This is a problem because I run a home business — am on the phone, with customers, etc. He seems healthy. No lack of energy, no unusual signs of illness or pain. Was at vet’s recently to get shots, stayed in a friend’s kennell last week, no signs of sickness picked up. Oh, and when we don’t answer his yells, he heads right for the nearest piece of furniture and starts to tear it up [going right by some very attracted scatching posts fully laced with catnitp]. I suspect I have a psychological problem here. Short of removing his vocal chords what do I do? This has to stop.
Response:
Please take your cat back to the vet and have a complete blood profile done along with a T-4 test to check for Hyperthyroidism. Excessive vocalization is a common symptom of this disease, which happens almost exclusively in older cats. It would be a grave mistake to just assume this is behavioral. There may be other physical causes for this behavior which are not plainly visible, and the blood work will rule in or out a physical cause. Megan "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Zuzu’s Cats Photo Album: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=244574&Auth=false
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >We have a 16 year old [neutered] male cat. Over the >past few years he has learned to express himself. >Stand by the door and meow to be let out. March around >his bowl and meow for food, or different food. Meow to >get in. Meow to get petted. >Well, this is now becoming intolerable. He has gone >from meowing to yelling and howling, and doing so >frequently. Put him out at night, which he howls to >get, and he starts howling to get back in, awaking us >and our neighbors. In the house, he just yells at any >old time. Pick me up, change my food, whatever. This is >a problem because I run a home business — am on the >phone, with customers, etc. >He seems healthy. No lack of energy, no unusual signs >of illness or pain. Was at vet’s recently to get shots, >stayed in a friend’s kennell last week, no signs of >sickness picked up. Oh, and when we don’t answer his >yells, he heads right for the nearest piece of >furniture and starts to tear it up [going right by some >very attracted scatching posts fully laced with >catnitp]. >I suspect I have a psychological problem here. Short of >removing his vocal chords what do I do? This has to >stop.
Sounds like he has you very well trained. It is too late in the game to do much. You shouldn’t have given in so easily every time. You pretty much rewarded him for such behavior. Get a cat door. At least one reason for howling will be solved.
Response:
We have a 16 year old [neutered] male cat. Over the past few years he has learned to express himself. Stand by the door and meow to be let out. March around his bowl and meow for food, or different food. Meow to get in. Meow to get petted. Well, this is now becoming intolerable. He has gone from meowing to yelling and howling, and doing so frequently. Put him out at night, which he howls to get, and he starts howling to get back in, awaking us and our neighbors. In the house, he just yells at any old time. Pick me up, change my food, whatever. This is a problem because I run a home business — am on the phone, with customers, etc. He seems healthy. No lack of energy, no unusual signs of illness or pain. Was at vet’s recently to get shots, stayed in a friend’s kennell last week, no signs of sickness picked up. Oh, and when we don’t answer his yells, he heads right for the nearest piece of furniture and starts to tear it up [going right by some very attracted scatching posts fully laced with catnitp]. I suspect I have a psychological problem here. Short of removing his vocal chords what do I do? This has to stop.