Pestering cat

[Google [bot]]

I brought Bruce up well. I understand cats don't verbally communicate and that they learn to speak from humans. So on that basis I simply do not respond to his verbal demands or requests. My housemate does the same. He has learnt since being young that I get up when I am ready, and then he gets breakfast. He might push this by jumping on the bed or something, and that's fine, but he's generally just patient.

A couple of months back I was helping a friend out by giving him the spare room. This bloke didn't work so was at the house pretty much all day and Bruce has got used to this. Despite my protests, this bloke would talk to Bruce by miaowing in response to every miaow. Quite apart from pissing me off, the legacy of this is the furry bd just pesters. Every morning, 6am miaow fking miaow, scratching carpet, bolting around etc.

Any idea how I can undo this legacy? I'm in Australia and it's the middle of winter, when he's always a bit more of a dhead just because he is bored and doesn't want to go out in the cold. The problem is I can't not feed him, and the fact he's relentlessly miaowing means as I am getting his food he is still miaowing and I'm thinking this might be reinforcing the behaviour.

Anyone any ideas how to shut the prick up?

Here he is ruining a game of Trivia (we invoked a new rule that areas of the board occupied by cats are unavailable):

[trickywoo]

http://www.simonscat.com/Films/Cat-Man-Do/

You are Simon HTH

[sleep envy]

be thankful you get a 6am wake up meow

so far this week the latest has been 5am, the furry fker

[otolith]

TADTS

[Jasandjules]

He's a cat. He will do what he wants, when he wants.

[rxtx]

Jasandjules said:

He's a cat. He will do what he wants, when he wants.

Indeed. And you will like it.

[ali_kat]

Bruce is a fabulous name!

Google [bot] said:

I brought Bruce up well. I understand cats don't verbally communicate and that they learn to speak from humans.

Really? I wish someone had told my Siamese that, and my current two Serengetti's

Some cats are naturally, by their breed, talkative

Google [bot] said:

So on that basis I simply do not respond to his verbal demands or requests. My housemate does the same. He has learnt since being young that I get up when I am ready, and then he gets breakfast. He might push this by jumping on the bed or something, and that's fine, but he's generally just patient.

A couple of months back I was helping a friend out by giving him the spare room. This bloke didn't work so was at the house pretty much all day and Bruce has got used to this. Despite my protests, this bloke would talk to Bruce by miaowing in response to every miaow. Quite apart from pissing me off, the legacy of this is the furry bd just pesters. Every morning, 6am miaow fking miaow, scratching carpet, bolting around etc.

Any idea how I can undo this legacy? I'm in Australia and it's the middle of winter, when he's always a bit more of a dhead just because he is bored and doesn't want to go out in the cold. The problem is I can't not feed him, and the fact he's relentlessly miaowing means as I am getting his food he is still miaowing and I'm thinking this might be reinforcing the behaviour.

Anyone any ideas how to shut the prick up?

Here he is ruining a game of Trivia (we invoked a new rule that areas of the board occupied by cats are unavailable):

Sorry, cats can learn to do things, not so easy to make them unlearn them

As JasandJules says - live with it, and learn to relish having a cat that likes to talk to you

As for the games of Trivia, Bast says to let him join in by asking him the questions, he may get some right! (you need to read the answers as a 1,2,3,4 - the number of meows back is the answer)

[mrmaggit]

Just be grateful,

Ours start at 4am.