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Living in an apartment with cats can be extremely difficult since your neighbors are closely connected to you as they hear almost every sound that echoes through. Luckily I’m about to share with you all that I’ve learned to help you ease the noise of your feline.
Cats can be a handful, fidgeting and snooping around, but I guess the worst time is during the day. When kitty is alone and bored they become restless and meow or even fiddle with the things around to keep busy, making more noise. Nights can also be troubling when your feline doesn’t want to sleep.
If you live with two cats, I can only imagine the torture your cats and your neighbors are putting you through since some neighbors are just rude and have no understanding even though certain things are beyond one’s control.
Cats, like any other living being, make noise as a means of communication. When they are hungry, thirsty, sick, scared, or even uncomfortable. While some cats are very vocal others are more reserved and timid as they may have other means of communication.
The Reasons Why Cats Make Noise or Meow.
1. Most of the time your cat may be hungry or thirsty and they communicate using vocalizations. It’s a good idea to always keep a little treat and some water but try not to overfeed. A great idea is to get an automatic feeder which will help ensure food is always provided.
2. Your cat could be bored and lonely, especially if you are working and the cat is alone in the apartment during the day. Cats are very affectionate and they love their owner’s attention, during the day when they are alone they crave your attention since they are bored and have nothing to do.
Normal toys will not keep them occupied for more than an hour. You need to get some great interactive toys that will feed off their curiosity and instinctive nature. Toys like the PETFUSION ROTATING FEATHER are great at keeping them engaged for hours.
The AUTOMATIC PORTABLE LASER LIGHT point is also a great winner when it comes to keeping cats entertained, as it stimulates their predatory instincts. Check the latest prices on Amazon.
3. Nights are also concerning times for cat owners as some cats sleep during the day and operate at night. They will want to eat, play and interact in the late hours of the night, which can cause a disturbance to you as well as your neighbors.
4. In apartments with more than one cat, it will also become very noisy as both cats will keep each other busy as they play and fiddle around creating more noise.
5. A word of advice never let your cat sleep next to the window or door as on a windy night, an abrupt rattle of the window may be enough to spook out little kitty, even the sound of the wind. Remember a frightened or stressed cat is a noisy cat.
6. In a new apartment, your cat may feel uncomfortable. This is tricky but be patient and let your cat adjust accordingly. To help the cat get the FELIWAY Classic calming spray which helps relieve stress as well as assist with adjusting. Get this product conveniently from Amazon.
7. Your feline may be too attached to you and would want to share the room with you. Where your cat sleeps depends on what you prefer but think wisely as your choice will become a routine. To correct old sleeping habits the Feliway classic calming spray helps greatly with separation anxiety.
8. If your cat is sick probably will be grumpy. Sick cats are very nauseous and moody so this results in them being vocal as they seek some sort of assurance.
9. Your cat may be too energetic. This usually happens when your cat is inactive throughout the day so at night it’s hard for them to fall asleep. The main reason for this is the cat’s lack of interest. Toys are a great way to re-ignite their instincts and predatory character.
10. Your cat may be used to getting what they want from meowing. They will meow more and louder just to get you to give them what they want. The only way to stop this behavior is to ignore the vocalizations and reward them when they are quiet.
Ways To Help Keep Your Cat Quiet.
1. Cats are normally active at dusk and dawn. Even though they are programmed to be active mostly while you’re asleep, however, you can reset their internal clocks. This will ensure they sleep at night eliminating the chances of them making noise.
2. Leave the litter box in a familiar place and make sure it’s clean. Cats can be fussy and might prefer a fresh litter box. A great way to always ensure the litterbox is clean is to get the PetSafe ScoopFree Automatic Self-Cleaning Cat Litter Box. A fantastic product that’s filled with features and is hassle-free.
3. Provide enough essentials such as food and water in case your cat may be in need. A great idea is to get an automatic feeder like the PETLIBRO Timed Cat Feeder. This feeder comes with Desiccant Bag for Dry Food, Programmable Portion Control, and a voice recorder. This will really help keep your cat nourished and quiet. Check out the latest prices on Amazon.
You must also get a water dispenser like the JUNSPOW Pet Water Dispenser that’s perfect for keeping them hydrated at all times. Check out the latest prices on Amazon.
4. You can provide your cat with toys like the interactive toys I’ve mentioned above along with some sort of adventure during the day. This will ensure that your cat stays active and entertained using up their energy so that at night they will be exhausted and go off to sleep. Repetition of this process will become a routine for your cat.
5. Learn to comfort your cat and spend enough time showing affection. Cats get attached to their owners and once the owner separates like during the night or when you have to leave for work, the cat may become vocal as it yearns for your attention.
6. If your cat is just noisy in general, the only option is to teach your cat to be quiet. A simple trick is to ignore the meows and yowl but reward silence with a treat.
7. Try a natural relaxer. Melatonin works well to bring about rest as it promotes sleep. Check with your vet before you decide to use this specific supplement.
Ways to Soundproof Your Apartment.
Trying to keep your cat silent is impossible, while you can help to ease the meowing and yowls you cannot completely get rid of it. It’s like trying to stop a human from speaking.
The next best thing is to soundproof your home so that your neighbors won’t hear any loud or sharp sounds that your cat makes.
1. Get a soundproof door stopper like the MAXTID Under Door Draft Stopper door which insulates well.
2. Soundproof Rug pads are a lifesaver when living in apartments with pets. You can place these pads under rugs where ever your cat plays, especially if you have wooden floors or tiles. The Mohawk dual Latex Non-Slip Rug Pads help a lot in absorbing any sharp noises which will prevent your downstairs neighbors from complaining about each move your cat makes. Check out the latest prices on Amazon.
3. Get a good pair of soft boots for your cat that will prevent the sound of their paws clashing on the floor.
4. Buy some soundproof curtains to block any excessive noise from passing through. A great number of sound waves can be absorbed using this simple triple-layered curtain.
5. Fill up the rooms with bookshelves and frames, things that can absorb sound waves.
6. Include an acoustic panel that is made up of polypropylene which is a great material to dampen sound waves. These panels are normally installed on walls to contain sounds and prevent sound vibrations from passing.
Is my cat really loud in my apartment?
Sometimes you may not realize the loudness of your cat since you are used to it, however, it may be frustrating to your neighbors because they have to deal with it on a daily basis.
Living in an apartment with any pet is tricky, more so with a noisy cat. Sounds in apartments do appear at a higher frequency since each home is closely attached and sounds may echo through.
Also, there might be a free flow of sound vibrations since sound waves may travel freely from one apartment to the other. Simply put, you are able to hear what happens in your neighbor’s apartment and vice versa.
Therefore it’s best to check with your close neighbors and see what they think. Get their opinion so that you can be more considerate and help your cat ease up on the noise.
You can also go for a quick visit to your neighbor’s home to get a feel of what your cat sounds like on a daily basis.
Apartments are relatively close together so there is little privacy in terms of sound. Apartments normally have walls that are thin and are directly attached to one another so the best way is to be understanding.
Can my downstairs neighbor hear my cat running?
Living in an apartment, especially on the upper floors can be really difficult since you have to consider the neighbors below. Any sharp sound or heavy walking noise can travel through. However, apartment floors are really thick concrete so it’s difficult for sound waves to travel.
Ultimately it depends on the type of floors, sound, and the quality of the building.
Type of floors
1. Concrete floors are among the best materials for sound absorption. It’s even better if the concrete below you is thicker and denser. There is practically no way that your neighbors below will ever hear the steps of your feline unless they are running wildly and repeatedly.
2. Wooden floors are the worst since these types of floors make more sound and noise even if you walk gently. In apartments, wooden floors will generally echo, and guaranteed your downstairs neighbor will hear every sound of your cat running.
3. Tiled floors by themselves are pretty decent in absorbing sound, however, if your cat is running around playing it’s probably not a good idea. There is a high possibility that your neighbor will hear the sounds directly and get pissed off.
4. Carpet floors are one of the best since they absorb a lot of the noise and sounds on impact. So each time your kitty’s claws clash against the floor it’s likely that your neighbor won’t even hear it.
Types of sounds
Typical sounds and human interaction travel fast and can very easily penetrate through the floor and into the ceilings of your downstairs neighbors. These sounds include footsteps, voices, barking, meows, yowling, music, and impact sounds.
However, the worst kind of sounds are impacting sounds like footsteps and things falling.
Type and quality of the apartment
Although noises and vibrations can travel through floors and walls pretty easily its generally not the case in those few upmarket apartments, yes! the expensive ones.
These apartments are generally made up of good quality materials with soundproofing and insulation. Also, these types of apartments are attached but don’t necessarily share the same walls.
Therefore, if you live in an upmarket and stylish apartment chances are that your downstairs neighbor may hear very little to no sounds of your cat running.
On the flip side, the more averagely-made apartments generally don’t have such features and are most probably not so good at deflecting and absorbing sound
Therefore your cat’s footsteps and running sounds could be traveling directly through to your downstairs neighbor. I suggest you cover the floors with rugs and carpets to help absorb kitties running.
Thus said, building quality does affect the ability of how sound travel. So depending on the type of apartment you live in, the sound is typical of what we spoke about above.
What to do if my neighbors complain about my cat?
After you have put all of the above knowledge into place and soundproofed your home there is a possibility that your neighbors will hear your cat but not as loudly as before
Apartments are very close and it’s impossible to keep a cat completely silent.
In this case, it’s probably best to go and have a word with the complaining neighbors and explain to them the situation. After all, it’s an apartment and if they require peace and silence it’s probably not the best place.
When living in an apartment it’s important that everyone improvises and be considerate as you all live together in one unit.
Provided your apartment allows pets, cats in particular. I’m sure you will be able to come to a mutual understanding. If not take it up with management.
