Should I Feed My Cat Again if Shes Meowing

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Clicker training can aid reduce your kitty's mealtime meowing.

Q. My true cat meows incessantly before mealtime. How tin I teach her to be more polite when she'due south waiting to consume — or is this fifty-fifty possible?

A. Meows are an effective feline communication tool. Instead of a dinner bell, many a cat guardian is reminded that it's mealtime past the insistent meowing of a four-legged friend. Your true cat uses her voice to connect with you, and scientists have institute that the mealtime cry is singled-out from cries in other contexts: It is more annoying than a typical happy purr—and harder to ignore.

There is besides an upside to this this predinner crying: It is most probable to happen in smaller households, where the cat has a straight one-on-ane human relationship with her person. So your cat'south mealtime vocalizing may point that the two of you lot share a shut bond, which is a good thing. But your annoyance with this behavior is understandable — the "feed me" cry tin can be quite unsettling.

Information technology's of import to teach your cat the polite ways to inquire for what she wants. Fortunately, you can calm your cat's mealtime crying with some simple clicker preparation.

Teach Your Cat to Sit

For many cats, meowing at meals is natural. To minimize the crying, you will need to replace that behavior with another, more acceptable beliefs. Although many cat owners don't realize it, cats are fast learners when they are properly motivated, and food is a skillful motivator. You can reduce mealtime meowing past teaching your cat to to sit and past rewarding her with treats when she does so quietly.

Before you start training, check with your veterinary to rule out any underlying medical cause of the behavior. Certain diseases that increment thirst and hunger, like hyperthyroidism, can cause excessive vocalizations. Take your vet check your cat's weight equally well, to be sure she's eating plenty, and discuss your feeding schedule with your vet, to guarantee that your cat is not going likewise long between meals.

To teach a sit, utilise a lure — in this case, a spoon with a soft treat inside, such every bit canned true cat food or tuna fish. Raise the spoon but above your true cat's nose while she is standing on all four paws and slowly lift it slightly higher up her head. As her lesser starts to tuck underneath her torso, advantage her with a verbal cue, like "aye" or "practiced," or use a clicker to marking the behavior.

As shortly as you offer the verbal reward, lower the spoon beneath the cat'southward mouth and allow her a lick of the food. If she stands on her hind feet when y'all offering the lure, hold the spoon in a lower position then that she can reach it while she'due south sitting. After each success, movement the spoon forward so that your cat again is on all fours, and and so lure over again.

In one case she is sitting on a regular footing in response to the lure, add a word, such as "sit down," as you starting time to move the lure dorsum over her caput. The goal is to phase out the lure and teach her to respond to the command. Once your cat is responding solely to the verbal marking and is sitting quietly in response to the command, transition the lure from the spoon to the food bowl and reward her with her bowl as shortly equally she sits.

If your true cat is an extremely persistent singer, you may need to start easy. Agree a treat in your manus and wait for a quiet mouth and a desirable behavior, like orienting toward you or giving eye contact. Marker that beliefs with a exact cue or a click and reward with a treat. Work to build these quiet behaviors from only a couple of seconds to thirty seconds or longer.

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Source: http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/how-can-i-calm-my-cats-meowing-for-food-at-mealtime

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