We cat owners love the way our cats communicate with us verbally and with their fun gestures.

And while we love to hear our feline friends ‘talk’ to us, sometimes they’re meowing can take on a life of its own.  When our cats meow frequently, it can become overwhelming and a little annoying.  However, there are reasons why your cat might be meowing and ways to combat it.

Your cat is getting older

As our cats get older, they tend to meow more often.  I know that my cat, Sammy, meows all the time.  Sometimes it is due his wanting attention or just a way to release energy.  Feline senility is another reason our cats meow all the time.  There have been studies done that have proven that older cats generally develop some older-age behavioral issues and excessive meowing is a common one.

Some breeds are more vocal than others.

Some cat breeds are more vocal than others and seem to ‘meow’ at everything.  Siamese tend to be the most vocal of the breeds with Burmese and Tokinese coming in a close second.

Our cats meow to tell us that they want something

More often than not, our cats meow if they are trying to communicate something. Maybe they want some food or water and you aren’t paying attention.  The meowing will usually get us to cooperate.  But, that can lead to why our vocal cats meow so much as we react to them.  I know that I am definitely guilty of relenting to Sammy’s meows.

How you can stop your cat from meowing excessively.

If you have ruled out medical or age-related causes for your cat’s excessive meowing, below are some tips that might help.

Don’t respond every time they meow

As hard as it is, try not to respond every time your cat meows to get his or her way.  Every time you respond to your cat’s meow, he or she will know that his meowing will illicit a response from you and will keep up with this behavior.  I am guilty of this to a ridiculous degree!

If your cat is a nocturnal meower and wakes you up at midnight to get you to feed him or her, try to ignore it.  Again, they are smart and if we reward this behavior, our cats will continue to meow through the night.

Make sure your cats are on a consistent feeding schedule

Sometimes our cats meow to get us to feed them or simply because they are hungry.  If you keep your felines on a regular feeding schedule, they will know when to expect food and not always beg or meow to get it.

Don’t ever punish your cat for meowing

As with most behaviors, don’t ever punish or yell at your cat for meowing.  Even if the meowing is annoying, your cat will only change the behavior if you praise and reward him for being quiet.  It takes time and patience, but you can train your cat to quiet down (unless of course it is age-related).

Does your pet have a profile?

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I know that many cat owners, including me, will sometimes feed their cats’ human food. Some cats are more finicky than others and don’t like any of our food.  I know that Sammy, my cat, is not finicky at all and likes to eat some meat, eggs and even vegetables.  I wanted to make sure that it was OK for Sammy and my friend’s cats to eat human food.

Apparently, there are five different kinds of food that are deemed safe and even good for your cats.  As always, moderation is the key and none of the below items should make up more than ten percent of your cat’s diet.

1.  Meat

As we know, cats are carnivores and therefore animal meat is one of the best and safest human foods for them.  Cooked chicken is usually the best choice as it is easier for their digestion and you don’t have to worry about salmonella.  Some people and vets do think it is OK to feed their cats’ raw meat.  Just as in any food, start with a small amount and see how your cat tolerates it.

2.  Vegetables

It is bad for our kitties to eat plants or grass (unless they have a hairball and you want them to throw it up) but there are some vegetables that are actually good and safe for your cat.  I know that Sammy loves cooked broccoli.  Some other vegetables that are OK are steamed asparagus or broccoli, green beans, winter squash, or baked carrots.  I would stay away from raw vegetables as they are harder for your cats to digest.

3. Fish

Most cats love fish and it generally provides some much needed nutrients for them. After all, you'll find it in a lot of commercial cat foods. So, if you're making a tuna salad, it is OK to give your feline friend a few bites.  As with humans, you don’t want to give them too much tuna because they have higher levels of mercury than other fish.  This is also true of cod, halibut and flounder.  Again, anything in moderation should not hurt your kitty and can provide a nice alternative for your cat.

4.  Cheese

Many cats love cheese and it's a good alternate source of protein for them. And although some cats are able to eat it without any problem, as some cats become adults, they become lactose intolerant. For these adult cats, any cheese, milk or other dairy will cause an upset stomach and diarrhea.

If you want to try some dairy, give your kitty a very small amount to see how he or she digests it.  Your cat should be able to safely handle small portions of cottage cheese, or even yogurt and sour cream. You can even go as far as giving your cat lactose free dairy or cheese if you want to go that route or you are lactose intolerant and have that handy.

5.  Cooked eggs

Eggs are great for humans and cats because they're rich in protein. I know that Sammy loves hard boiled egg yolks and they digest easily for him.  Make sure that the eggs are cooked as they can provide an excellent and nutritious treat for a cat.   Raw eggs should be avoided as they are harder to digest.

As in humans, some can tolerate dairy and different types of protein better than others.  Just sample small amounts of the above to your kitty to see if he or she likes it and how it digests.  These human foods can provide a nice alternative if your kitty is bored of the same food.

Does your pet have a profile?

Orange Tabby Cat Behaviors

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Dog Fancy,  February 2013

With all the love in the air this time of year, I thought it might be fun to think about Dog Love on Valentine's Day. I ran across a very good article by Nikki Moustaki in the February 2013 issue of Dog Fancy which attempts to answer the question: Do Dogs Love?

While I'm a firm believer that dogs do love, it appears to be a bit more complicated, according to four "experts" Moustaki mentions.

The first of these, Sonia Charry, a large-dog expert at PawPosse.com in Scottsdale, Arizona, has this to say: "A dogs' sense of love is not as nuanced or complex as that of a human adult's, but neither is a 2-year-old child's. That doesn't mean the love a 2-year-old child feels isn't actual love. It's just that they haven't had the experience or knowledge to understand love as a complex emotion. The same goes for dogs."

While Charry seems to contend that dog love may not be as sophisticated as human love, Terri Jay, a pet psychic from Reno, Nevada, contends that dog love may be superior to human love, because unlike human love, which is most often conditional, dogs love unconditionally. Jay states: "They (dogs) don't care how we treat them, how we look or smell, or how rich or poor we are. I think THAT love is love."

Bonnie Beaver, a veterinarian in College Station, Texas, and executive director of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists, has a very interesting twist in her answer to the question.  She thinks that what we may be looking at as love may have more to do with respect for the leader and the pack order - both necessary for the survival of the pack. Beaver states: "There is nothing wrong in believing that your dog loves you as you love her, but the behaviors of 'love' within a pack of dogs or wolves is more behavior that we would call 'respect.' Respect for each other, especially by social rank, would help in the survival of the pack as a whole."

And yet another very interesting take on dog love is from Pia Salk, a spokeswoman for Adopt-a-pet.com in Sleepy Hollow, New York.  Salk states: "Nonhuman animals behave in ways that show compassion and concern, and yes, love for members of other species ... Dogs seem to naturally possess the propensity to be present in the moment and are intrinsically honest in their displays of emotion. How we interpret these displays is often clouded by our own needs and experiences, but dogs are unencumbered by concerns about self-image, previous notions of failure, or any attachment to perceived shortcomings. In this way, they demonstrate a much healthier notion of love and acceptance than do most humans." Moustaki sums up that reasoning this way: "So, dogs may in fact love better than we do by virtue of being free of a clunky value system. They are open to love whom they want, when they want - even if the object of their love is an elephant."

Still, the question remains: Are the behaviors that look and feel like love really love? Or do those behaviors mean something else to the dog? Are they done for the sole purpose of survival, out of respect for the pack and the pack order, as Beaver suggests? We may never know. All I do know is that I LOVE being around dogs. Their energy is pure, they engage in loving behaviors, they want to please, they want to connect, they're loyal, they live in the moment, and they are joyful. Who wouldn't want to be around that kind of being?

Moustaki's concludes, "Whether they (dogs) can love us or not isn't the point - it's that we get to love them, and that's the real privilege." I couldn't agree more!

Happy Valentine's Day to you and your Best Friend!

Make sure to take a look at Barbara Lampert’s wonderful book, “Charlie, a Love Story” and her love for her dog, Charlie.

Buy Charlie: A Love Story on Amazon!