How To Stop Cat From Meowing At The Door?

Yes, your cat’s meowing means “open the door!”; but what is the underlying issue? Is your cat hungry, bored, or curious?

If a cat is meowing and scratching the door, consider where the door leads and whether all your pet’s needs are fulfilled.

The only way to get rid of annoying meowing and acquire peace of mind is by disciplining your cat to communicate without vocalization and addressing its needs.

Understand Why Your Cat Meows At The Door

To pick an effective solution, you should first understand why cats meow at the door. A cat meowing at the front door most likely wants to be let outside. Where and why it wants to go depends on the cat’s personality and lifestyle.

Some cats want to go outside simply to explore the surroundings. Many cats that have never been outdoors are excited to see what the world has to offer. However, if your cat isn’t spayed or neutered, it may be led by sexual instincts.

Female felines go into heat approximately every two to three weeks, although the duration of heat cycles depends on a cat’s age, breed, and other factors. Heat cycles tend to be more intense from February to October.

Meanwhile, intact male cats are always interested in mating if they can sense female felines. If you have stray cats walking outside the house and your cat sees them, it may constantly be meowing at the door or window.

The opposite is also true – a cat that walks outdoors will meow when it wants to be let in. Cats may also meow to be let in or out of a specific room.

Cats often meow at the bedroom door when they want the owner’s attention, particularly at night. Some cats meow at the front door when the owner isn’t home because they miss their favorite human.

Meowing is a cat’s primary way of communicating with people, so your cat may be trying to express its needs, like “feed me, human!” or “play with me!”. Boredom is another likely cause of meowing at your bedroom or home office door.

Lastly, constant meowing at the door for no visible reason can be a sign of cognitive dysfunction disorder common in senior cats.

Don’t Scold Your Cat

Scolding a cat for discouraged behavior seems logical, but cats are different from humans. Scolding can help discipline a child, but felines can’t draw connections between their instinctive behavior and the owner’s negative response.

From the cat’s standpoint, it hasn’t done anything wrong but was simply trying to communicate with the owner. If the owner scolds the cat in response, the cat may develop a negative attitude towards them.

Scolding is only effective short-term. Remember that your cat cries at the door for a reason. Your goal should be to identify that reason and deal with the root of such behavior.

Worse than scolding can be only physical punishment. Firstly, slapping the cat isn’t adequate for such minor delinquency. Secondly, the cat may start resenting its owner and stop obeying it entirely.

Give Your Cat Attention

Assuming your cat isn’t meowing at your door because it’s searching for a mate or because it’s hungry, the most likely reason is the need for affection. Ensure that you give your pet enough attention throughout the day.

If your cat cries at the door at night, pet it before bed. By fulfilling its desire for affection before bed, you will ensure your pet has a calm night.

However, don’t react to your cat’s meowing at the door with cuddles instantly. If you do so, your cat will learn that meowing gets the owner’s affection and continue to use this method to draw your attention in the future.

Instead, wait for some time until your cat stops meowing and only then pet it to avoid drawing associations between affection and meowing.

Get Your Cat a Toy

If your cat is meowing at the door out of boredom, getting it a toy is the only solution. Some owners may argue – “But my cat has an array of toys!”. Unfortunately, not all cat toys are equally suitable for independent play.

Chew toys are excellent for kittens that need to relieve itchiness during teething, but they aren’t particularly amusing to adult cats. To encourage your cat to play alone, get it a ball track toy, a mouse on a spring, or an exercise wheel.

Furthermore, cats have unique preferences and may not be interested in particular toy types. Try different toys to find out which ones your furry friend prefers.

Getting the cat a companion is another way to fulfill its need for activity and affection, but only if the cat isn’t jealous.

Install a Cat Flap

If you don’t mind your cat walking outside but are annoyed by constant meowing at the front door and the need to open it a dozen times a day, install a cat flap.

This way, you provide your cat with a free passage from indoors to outdoors and back. A cat flap is an excellent solution even for indoor kitties that want to access frequently closed rooms.

When choosing a cat flap, ensure it accommodates your pet’s size. Choose flaps with a locking mechanism to prevent your cat from escaping at night and keep stray animals away from your home.

Don’t let an intact cat walk outdoors without supervision, though. If your cat has never been outdoors but is curious, consider getting it a harness and walking with it in your garden or a nearby park.

For many indoor cats, one walk is enough to realize they prefer the indoors and stop meowing at the front door. But if your cat genuinely enjoys walking, you can make it part of your routine.

Address Your Cat’s Needs

If your cat won’t stop meowing at the door at night, it may be desperately trying to communicate its essential needs. The most common reason cats meow at the bedroom door at night is hunger or thirst.

Feed your cat later in the day to keep it full until morning. Besides, cats love to sleep after a good meal, so feeding your kitty right before bedtime can prevent it from running around the house.

Don’t keep your cat’s food bowl always full, though, because it may lead to overeating and obesity. Get an automatic feeder if your cat needs to eat frequently, but you’re often away for lengthy periods.

An automatic feeder also helps cats meowing at the door in the morning. This way, breakfast is always served on time, and you can sleep as long as you wish.

Alternatively, get cat feeder balls filled with kibble. It’s simultaneously a solution to hungry meowing and running around at night.

Whenever your cat is hungry, it can roll around the ball and get some food. Since such balls are small, the extra serving won’t affect your cat’s weight.

If your cat seeks affection at night, provide it with a comfortable resting area. Buy your furry friend a soft, large pet bed, place its favorite toys inside, and pet it before going to sleep.

Spray The Door with Deterrents or Use Sticky Tape

If your cat meows at the door of a room it should not enter, make a DIY cat deterrent spray. Dilute some citronella, lemongrass, or orange oil in water and spray the solution generously on the door.

Alternatively, mix black pepper, garlic, and lemon juice with water. You can also find cat deterrent sprays in stores, but they typically aren’t as effective.

If your cat doesn’t mind the smell of citrus and garlic, apply sticky tape in front of the door. Felines hate the feeling of sticky tape on their paws, so it will keep your cat from getting close to the door and reduce meowing.

Have Your Cat Spayed or Neutered

The only way to stop an intact cat from meowing at the front door is to spay or neuter it. Fixing affects feline behavior, reducing mating instinct intensity and overall making a cat calmer.

Some cat owners are hesitant to spay or neuter their pets, thinking it would harm their health or prevent them from enjoying life to the fullest. However, mating with stray cats poses more health risks to housecats than fixing.

Ignore The Meowing

Regardless of why your cat meows at the door, don’t react to it right away. Ignore the meowing until your cat stops, then address its needs. If you respond to meowing instantly, your cat will learn that it’s an effective tactic.

Ignoring a meowing cat is easier said than done, but be patient and dedicated. After a few weeks, the mowing should stop. Most importantly, maintain consistent responses (or non-responses).

Tell other family members to ignore your cat’s meowing, too. If you don’t respond to meowing, but your spouse does, your training won’t show results.

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