My girlfriend’s cat, Chongo, is pretty anxious to begin with, and very vocal about her needs. She has been an indoor cat for about five years now at our current apt because we live by a busy intersection; and within the year that I have lived here, hasn’t tried to escape at all and fairly happy.

Every evening, for the last few months, a neighbor down the hall has been leaving food out for a presumably feral cat. He’s a big orange guy and quacks loud so when we hear him, we will shut our front door because Chongo will sit by the screen door and get riled up, meowing crazy and trying to bat the screen, as she HATES orange cats.

Within the past few weeks, she has seemed to mellow out and just sits by the screen while the orange cat passes by throughout the evening. Until a few nights ago they seemed to be having a little conversation through the screen. I was taking out trash after he left for the night and she bolted, running around the courtyard sniffing every door. It took multiple people to try and corral her safely back in the house.

Every day since has been worse, she meows loud and for hours at the door and windows, whether or not the orange guy is there. Trying to bolt out of the apartment at any opportunity. Today she has been meowing non stop. We thought she hated orange cats but now she seems obsessed with him.

We have no clue how to placate her. She’s so small but so loud and everyone in the house is losing sleep. Any advice will help!