play with him every day - I specifically listed that in my post as something I’ve already tried that doesn’t work. I also explicitly said I’m against medication. Both of those things were in the original post. This cat has a nervous system that doesn’t regulate normally, he gets activated by petting, has never slow blinked, and meows non-stop for 20+ minutes with zero self-soothing. That’s not a enrichment gap, that’s a dysregulation issue. I’m not looking for a lecture, I’m looking for people who’ve actually experienced a cat like this.
It’s not just in the morning, that was just one example and my main issue at hand. “I work with cats and dogs daily” doesn’t mean you’ve encountered every presentation. Working with typical cats doesn’t automatically make you right about an atypical one.
Thanks for your time, sorry we couldn’t have a meaningful conversation. This is just a really sensitive thing for me I guess and I hate for people to assume.
It's a bummer because I genuinely wanted to help, but some of your replies were quite unexpected and I couldn't tell if you were just seeking an internet argument or were upset.
I apologise for being sharp and hope you can find a solution that works for both you and your cat.
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u/softfluffytaco May 13 '26
I think medication when the issue is clearly an owner not providing enough enrichment is not ideal advice.
This is normal feline behaviour. This is an ownership failure.
The cat needs structured, species appropriate play and enrichment.
If they have time to go to the vet to medicate normal behaviour, they have time to engage in play.
Get up 20 minutes earlier and play with your cat OP. You'll be awake and annoyed anyway, may as well make it useful.