Why older cats YOWL (cry) at night
By Gary Bogue
Thursday, June 8th, 2006 at 1:49 pm in Cats, Pets.
Dot Wedemeyer’s June 7 letter to my Times’ column about her yowling tabby generated many more letters in response than I have room to print in a daily newspaper column. Fortunately this blog has space for me to print them here. It’s an important subject, affecting a lot more humans and their companion cats than I realized. Has your aging cat suddenly started to "yowl" (cry loudly) in the middle of the night or during the day? Maybe this is why:
** Our 17-year old cat yowls when he "loses" us. It is a strong Y-O-W-L that can be heard throughout the house. He can’t hear well, can’t see well, sleeps a lot. When he feels alone, he lets us know. One time he walked past us, sat down with his back to us and began to yowl. We called to him and he turned, startled, to discover us.
He gave us a soft, happy "Mrrrp" and came over to claim a lap. (Margaret, Cosby’s mom, Alamo, CA)
** We have friends whose elderly cat has taken to yowling like that. In his case we think it is because he is either lost in the house, i.e., can’t remember the basics about his house, or has "discovered" he is now alone and wants to be with people. If they yell loudly, most of the time he comes running and looks very glad to have found them. Other times the yelling must not be loud enough or he has decided, "Enough is enough, let them come to ME for a change." When they find him, he again looks happy to have his people around.
We also think his hearing may be shot because when he is sleeping, he doesn’t react to noises like he used to. Of course this could all be because he has figured out those noises don’t represent a danger, so why expend the energy to be alert?
Cats, go figure. (Dodie, Pleasanton, CA)
** Re: the howling cat, we have had a similar experience. Our 19 year old Himalayan, Beezie was diagnosed with lymphoma on 8/16/04. She has been on prednisone ever since, and is still alive and well with a good quality of life. However, several months ago she began to howl at night, normally either in the kitchen or in the hall on the way to our bedroom. I would get up, pick her up, (she would immediately start purring), and bring her into our bedroom and put her on the bed.
In the winter, our cats usually sleep with us, in warm weather they make other arrangements. The howling increased, and started happening during the day as well. When I would go to pick her up, she appeared disoriented but immediately started purring. Our vet could find nothing to cause this, her hearing seems OK, though her eyesight may be getting poor. Anyway, it started happening numerous times at night and was seriously disturbing our sleep, so finally in desperation, I began to close two doors that locked off the hall and our bedroom, but left her access to her food, litter boxes, and an upstairs family room.
She began going upstairs at night, sleeping in her favorite chair. And after a couple nights of this, I no longer had to close the doors. Now every night after we give her the prednisone pill, she goes upstairs and gets comfortable in "her" chair, and no longer howls at all, day or night.
I don’t pretend to know why going upstairs has stopped her howling, but my feeling is that she got "lost" and disoriented on her way to our bedroom, and now she just goes directly to where she feels safe and knows where she is. Maybe the kitty needs to be placed in a safe sleeping spot where he (or she) would be content to stay during the night. (Sandy Rollins, Livermore, CA)
** In response to Dot Wedemeyer’s letter about her yowling cat, we too had a cat that would yowl at different times of the day, but mostly in the middle of the night all by herself. And, it sounds really pitiful, like she’s lost. Turned out our cat, who was 14 at the time, had an overactive thyroid, which is really quite common in older cats. Our vet said she has seen other cats with overactive thyroid do the same yowling, and she doesn’t quite know why except that they feel so hyper, that sometimes they have to let it out, and sometimes get kind of disoriented. If she has not had her cat checked for that, I would suggest it. It took some time, but after medication, she stopped the yowling entirely. (Sharon, cyberspace)
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June 8th, 2006 at 8:28 pm
My Samantha yowled quite a bit during her last few years. (She was 18 when she died.)
She also had an overactive thyroid and was on medication for it, but that IS an interesting concept. I always thought she was just having a senior moment when that happened. She did it mainly at night. I’d usually find her looking confused so I always thought that she was “lost”. I’d point her in the direction I thought she might have been heading (litterbox or food dish as examples) & most times she’d follow through & then I’d take her off to bed with me. I know just how she felt…sometimes I wish I had someone to point ME in the right direction!! (”Now WHY did I come into this room??
October 11th, 2006 at 11:36 am
My cat tabi does this lil crying in the night and day when no one is around. Shes Not old but had done it since we got her at 10 months of age. Now 6 she still does it. It just goes on and on and on until you have to go get her. You can even close your door at night or she’ll start with the high pictched meowing….lol But when she see’s you she’s goes “Mrrrp” =^..^=
October 23rd, 2006 at 6:35 pm
Our 14 year old cat yowls very loudly mostly in the evening or that is when we are home.
He has had all blood tests within the last 3 months and the vet says that there is no medical reason for the yowling. We do shut him up at night but he yowls all evening and
drives us crazy. If picked up he stops but when put down he starts again. he also wants to go in and out but stays out for 2 minutes and then wants in again. Any suggestions.
April 5th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Our 17 year old cat has begun howling loudly mostly at night, usually at the same times every night…around 3 and then 5 in the morning. She seems disoriented and quiets down if we put in bed with us. She also seems to be pretty deaf now, so we thought some of the loud howling may be due to her not being able to hear herself, along with being disoriented and not being able to find us. She’s a real sweetheart and I’m cherishing our last days together.
August 31st, 2008 at 9:04 am
My 18 year old cat yowls at the same time every morning at 4:00am. I’ve taken her to the vet and everything checks out so I don’t think overactive thyroid is the issue. Like other bloggers, my husband and I guess that she is unaware of what she is doing since her hearing is so impaired. Aside from the crying, she is a really sweet cat. Can anyone explain why the 4:00am time is the only part of the day that she yowls….if I could only add about two more hours onto that time she would make a great alarm clock!
September 25th, 2008 at 11:07 am
I feel less alone, reading about other cat “owners” whose cats yowl. I had an 18-year-old cat that yowled loudly and pitifully day and night. And also would want to be let out and immediately started yowling to come in. (She died eventually of renal failure.) Now, I have a 16-year-old cat who has just started yowling a few months ago. It happens during the day and at night. If I go to her, she stops and starts to purr. Sometimes, it seems to me, even if she hears me walking towards the room she’s in, she stops yowling. I haven’t had her checked medically. She appears healthy. And since the yowling stops when I go to her, I have been assuming it has to do with feeling alone—and maybe being confused and not realizing that I am nearby. I just want her last years with me to be happy ! Thank you for all your sharings.
September 26th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Tina: Please take your yowling kitty to see your veterinarian for a medical check. Yowling in older cats is often caused by an overactive thyroid … even though the cat may appear to be healthy. This problem can be corrected by medication.
November 2nd, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I am so happy I found this website.
My 16 1/2 yr old Katey has thyroid and takes med for that. She also is renal impaired..but that is slowing progressing from her recent labs.
She has started this yowling and ‘moaning’ sound at nite..2:30 am on and I find her standing in the middle of the living room OR she is on her favorite couch on the enclosed lanai..just vocalizing away. It is very annoying and I thought she was in pain. The vet said she could be dehydrated..her sodium level was up. We got a water dish fountain for her. The yowling isn’t as bad but she still does it..in the day too.
I liked the idea from one of the gals to give the cat a specific little place to feel secure. That could help. I plan to close her on the lanai at nite with her blankies, water, little box, some food and see if this helps. She is very frail. 6 lbs and is a little calico. I think she gets disoriented too like others have mentioned with their cats.But I love her and want to help her as much as I can.
December 7th, 2008 at 2:47 am
My cat will soon be 21 and he yowls, too. If he’s awake, he yowls. The only break we get is when he is asleep. He particularly howls directly into the water bowl (where it echoes). We call it talking to the water gods.
Yes, he does have hyperthyroidism. We hoped that was our answer, but the medication has not reduced the yowling (despite frequent blood tests to check his levels). I have been told that by the vet that my cat has feline dementia and that it is fairly common in cats older than about 15 or 16. Smudge also has a heart murmur and threw a clot that caused a small stroke about four years ago. He’s on meds for those problems as well.
It isn’t easy to endure the yowling (it has been about five years). I worry about whether he is in pain, though the vets say he’s not. He still eats, drinks, and eliminates well. He still loves to cuddle. He has some pills made into flavoured chews and he takes others in special foods: chicken, steak, ham, fish, anything that will make him swallow them!
I’ve had him since he was just a few weeks old and thrown from a car window. He’s been with me half my life. As long as he is pain free and doing everything he needs to, I’ll put up with the noise. It does get better in the warmer months, but the winters sure feel long.
Good luck to everyone,
January 5th, 2009 at 5:02 am
Ahh thank god there are others going through this, we have a 12 year old ginger, she does have an overactive thyroid and is on tablets for this, but during the last month her crying has got so bad. Last night I was up every hour between 10am and 4pm, up for work at 6 I dont know what to do, ive had her in my arms at the end of the bed crying as well I feel helpless, people think im silly when I compare her to a baby crying at night. We live ina ground floor flat so she can go outside to the gardens when she wants, but I fear our neighbours hear its been a year and no-one has said anything yet, but its so bad.
January 9th, 2009 at 10:54 am
I feel much better! Peep is 17 and had a huge tumore removed a few months ago, which has totally grown back. She does exactly the same - yowls, LOUD, as though she’s suddenly lost or alone or in pain. But quickly purrs when gets a bit of loving attention. After reading this blog, I’m more OK with it- don’t think she’s in pain.
And our other 15 year old is getting vocal even though her voice doesn’t carry so much.
Strangley, this behavior makes them even more loveable…like they need us more than when they were such confident kitties.
Long live our old yowling furballs!!
January 17th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
My 16 1/2 year old tortoise shell calico is very vocal all the time! She yowls at any given time, except for when she is laying with me. She has an UNDERactive thyroid and is on meds for it. She yowls very loudly especially when she is near her water bowl, or first thing in the morning. She is also quiet when she is with her housemate who is only 6. She will only be quiet with me….nobody else will do!!!! Any suggestions?
January 25th, 2009 at 9:43 am
hi there r cats outside my house that cry like babies
i dont know why they cry but they never leave from my stairs they kind of freak me out becouse they r black wild cat
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:02 am
My two-cents-our 17-year old cat, Blackjack, cries after using the litter box and after meals. We surmise that he wants to let us know we’ve used the cat box so we can clean it out; haven’t been able to figure out why he yowls after meals-it goes on for about a minute, then he settles in for a cat nap…
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:24 am
Tom:
He may also cry because he hurts after eating and after using the litter box. Might be worth it to have your vet check Blackjack over to make sure there’s not a medical problem. /Gary
May 26th, 2009 at 5:37 am
My cat is 13 years old and does not like anyone in the family - except me. Since having the cat, we’ve lost her buddies - our dog and another cat, have had 2 children (which he will hiss at) There has been a lot of changes in Bear’s life. He has been howling in the middle of the night since our other cat passed away. This week, he has been coming into our bedroom and purring at the side of my bed. Bear will only come out of the basement when I am the only one around. He does come out of the basement to yowl at 4am every morning. I am concerned about the purring all of a sudden. He normally is aloof and has never been a very affectionate cat.
June 2nd, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I’m glad I read this website. I have a brother & sister who are 15 and the female is doing this yowling. Now I know why. I know she is having problems with her eyes (very dilated but vet said she can still see) but I never thought about the hearing. I think, though, she can still hear..will have to test this. I will also find out about the thyroid. She does have some increased liver panels but is on low-proteing diet (advised by vet). Thanks everyone for your input; it made me feel a little better.
June 3rd, 2009 at 5:37 am
Bea: Glad we could help. That’s the main reason this blog is here … to help people (and animals!). /Gary
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:09 am
I have a 16+ year old Siamese kitty who has experienced a lot of changes in the last few years: a divorce resulted in four household members leaving, a move from a house to an apartment and then another move into a new house (with two new kitties and a dog), and she took to urinating and defecating in several places in the new house. She then began yowling loudly which triggered a trip to the Vet. The vet said that she was in the beginning stages of renal failure and placed her on a special diet (k/d).
She now has her own litter box and we keep her separated from the other animals in a separate room. We have provided her with scratching boxes with catnip, a structure she can climb on, a bed of her own, and plenty of sunlight and airflow. She is still yowling though at various times during the day and night.
My partner suggested that her quality of life is such that we ought to consider euthanizing her. She has lived a full life and it really isn’t fair keeping her cooped up in one room in the house all the time. We have taken her outside a few times so she can get some fresh air and direct sun, but the yowling continues.
Is it time for me to let her go?
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:52 am
Bob: You need to answer that question yourself. Ask your vet if she’s suffering. If yes, then it’s time. Ask yourself, “Am I keeping her alive for me, or for her?” You will know when it’s time.
July 1st, 2009 at 5:04 pm
I have a year and a half old kitten. He’s adorable in every way EXCEPT the yowling. We are being driven crazy by him!!! I’ve even looked into the laryngotomy route. (I’m that desperate).
I will try the thyroid testing as well as kidney function tests first.
This kitten was left to die at the side of river embankment. Do you think the cat has some sort of anxiety due to that?
July 2nd, 2009 at 5:01 am
Karen: You might also have them check the kitty’s hearing. Loss of hearing will sometimes cause the yowling reaction. Better to track down the cause rather than cut out the poor cat’s vocal cords so that it can continue to yowl in silence. That may solve your problem but it sure doesn’t do anything for the cat except add to its frustration. /Gary
July 7th, 2009 at 7:41 am
I have a 17 yr old Persian who was diagnosed with kidney failure a yr ago. Her kidneys are now at 25% funtionality. She cries in the night and wanders. During the day, She goes into the bathrooms (all 3 of them) crying and then goes to her water dishes (one bottled water, one tap) and cries. Her litter box is in the laundry room with a spare in our master bath. I keep them clean and change them out regularly. She eats some day and not others. She urinates quite a bit and drinks water when she’s not crying at the dish. Is there pain associated with kidney failure?
July 7th, 2009 at 8:08 am
Lin:
Is there pain associated with kidney failure? I don’t know. I suspect it varies from case to case. You need to discuss this with your veterinarian. /Gary
July 12th, 2009 at 11:06 am
I am so happy that I found this site. My old (19 years) has been gone awhile now. She started to yowl at times, no rhyme nor reason. The Vet had her on a kidney diet and pills for her renal failure, all else was normal. It seemed to me she was lonely or lost when she yowled. As soon as she was “found” the yowling stopped. I am just pleased to know it happens to others and we are not mistreating our old friends. I had her at home longer than either of my kids, in some ways she was my best friend and I will never forget her. Love you Merribelle.
July 16th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
I am so happy that there are others who are going through this. I have a calico who I named Gabryal. She is 14 now and I have had her since the day she was born. She is my first baby. I have had other family members and friends tell me that she is getting old and this howling is what they do when they are about to die! This has sent me into a panic and I have not had her checked out yet because I am scared of what the answer would be. I am afraid to hear that their opinions were right. If it just an over active thyroid I would be fine. SHe seems to be really healthy other than this. She eats and eliminates the same as always. Since she has grown older she plays a little less and loves to cuddle. However, as I said before she was my first baby. I now have a husband, two young children, and two dogs that she has to share my attention with. She used to sleep in our room but has stopped doing that since our 2 year old Yorkie moved in. When I hear her cry I just want to pick her up and bring her to bed with me but she freaks out as soon as she sees the dog. My poor baby Gaby.
Well, thanks again for all your messages. They really helped out with my anxiety over this issue. I too cherish every day I have left with her no matter how long that may be.
July 17th, 2009 at 4:53 am
Trissy: OK, now that you’re over being frightened at what the veterinarian might tell you … it’s time to take Gabryal to the vet for a checkup so her problem can be dealt with. /Gary
August 20th, 2009 at 10:55 am
My elderly cat (he’s somewhere between 18-20) started doing this about a year or so ago. He will go into an unoccupied room and howl. Sometimes he will stop on his own, sometimes I have to ask him to. It is a horrible noise I was recently on vacation and he apparently howled more than he usually does, causing my neighbors who were watching him great distress. They started putting Rescue Remedy in his water. It seems to have helped a little. He seem relatively healthy for his advanced age although he does seem to have some skeletal problems and he vomit’s on a fairly regular basis but he’s done that for most of his life.
I had an almost 20 year old cat who died a few years ago and she did the same thing for a year or so before she died.
I’m taking him to the vet but judging from everything I’ve read so far, I’m afraid they won’t be able to do anything. I suppose I could ignore it if I didn’t live in an apartment, I just don’t want the neighbors to have to hear it. Especially late at night.
August 29th, 2009 at 9:03 am
I’m so happy to read I’m not the only one going through this. My 19-year old tortoise-shell, Virginia, yowls day and night. She’s on thyroid medication, an antacid (to soothe her tummy) and an antihistamine (to keep up her appetite -she only weighs 5 lbs). I’ve had her since she was a year old stray.
Her yowling is driving me CRAZY. The daytime I can manage but the 3 AM (last night it was 12:30 AM, 1 AM and 2:30 AM) are almost too much to take. Last night I seriously thought about the vocal cord thing. I live in a condo and worry about my neighbors, since I know I’M not getting any sleep.
Unlike the other posters, Virginia will stand and look at me and yowl, so it’s not that she’s feeling alone or lost. She also yowls after eating and using her litter box. I love her dearly but I’m ready for her to go to that great litter box in the sky.
October 6th, 2009 at 9:04 am
I too am glad I found this board. I have had cats all my life (7 in total) and Bob aged 15 is the only one that does this. He has been doing it for a c ouple of years now. At first it was just when he came home from the cattery after we had been on holiday - he would run upstairs and then yowl and yowl, after a few days it would stop. However more recently, perhaps 6 months or so,he does it for no reason day and night. Common with other people’s comments he does not do this if we are in the room with him, but when he finds himself in the house in a room alone. It now seems probable, based on everyone else’s comments, that he is disorientated and will only stop yowling when close to us. I have been getting cross when it happens in the early hours and have been putting him outside but he simply yowls to come back in. Eventually settling on our bed to sleep again. I will now be more patient and reassure him when he is acting strange. Poor old soul is just suffering from dementia.
October 7th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
my usual quiet indoors cat is only 8 years old and recently lost his friend & companion. He yowls day and night and hates to be alone. I let him out and now just wants to be let out. We have racoons in the backyard and I am fearful we will lose him as well. I’m at a total lost of what to do.
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:16 am
I have a 14-year old tabby who had been yowling loudly, repeatedly at night for over six months. I took him to the vet, he seemed OK. The yowling continued, disturbing our sleep nightly. I looked in his mouth, saw his gums were enflamed, but he has gingivitis so this is nothing new. I pressed on his teeth. No apparent pain. However when I took him to the vet again, it turns out he had a huge abcess that was causing him so much pain, I can’t believe it went undetected. The vet was amazed. He removed the tooth, and now my cat is a happy camper. I have read much about midnight “yowling,” much of which gets blamed on old age and hyperthyroidism, both categories of which my cat is included, but none mention possible pain. Have your cat checked out thoroughly if this continues–my cat suffered for months unnecessarly.
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:19 am
Martina–the choice is obvious. Get your cat a companion! I have three, and we lost one recently to cancer. They have each other, but I know they miss him. When the next one goes (a beloved favorite of all who is 15 so the day is coming) I will definitely get another cat to distract the others and keep them company. They need friends and companionship, too.
October 24th, 2009 at 11:21 am
My 14 yr old tom cat was yowling nightly from tooth decay that was not readily visible.
October 29th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Well, well, I see that I have plenty of company. I really thought that I was the only one listening to my cat yowl at night and during the day time too. She is soon to be sixteen years old and I still don’t see her as getting old. Interesting ideas though about hyperthyroidism, if the vet can give her a pill and the yowling disappears, I would be so greatful. I am truely loosing sleep. Maybe I am not doomed after all. I will have my cat checked out by the vet.
November 1st, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I cannot believe that there are people out there going through what my husband and I have been experiencing. We had two cats and our one cat (male) “Mr. Meowghie” had to be put down in March. Our remaining cat (a calico) has been “yowling” any time between 2 and 6 am every day (night?)while we sleep (at times up to two hours straight). She is the sweetest most affectionate cat. She never made a peep in her 13 years — Mr. Meowhgi was the vocal one and ran the house. She is perfectly fine (although more affectionate) all day and evening long. But like clock work she sounds off. I call her to our bed (she’s usually next to my side of the bed) and coax her to let me pet her. Unbelievealbly what she “yowls” clearly is “HELL..0″ We originally thought a family member came into our house! It definitely would make America’s Funniest Home videos. Our attempt at filming her makes her stop (until we go back to sleep). Now we are just pulling our hair out. It is still clearly “Hello” but at this point we just want sleep!!! I can get up and feed her — it throws her off but eventually she’s back with ” HELLOW” You would have to hear it to believe it. WE JUST WANT TO SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! Again, she is the sweetest pussycat (even my huband tolerates it because of love). PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP!!
November 5th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Yeah - I am not alone!
My 18 year old Burmese yowls at 4am and deliberately goes into the bathroom where it sounds loudest. Six screaming yowls then she stops. She has early stage renal problems and is getting deaf as well but is otherwise very happy and as a burmese just loves being with people.
Like othere the yowling is often after eating or using the litter tray but if you pick her up the yowling stops.
it’s weird but starting to drive me crazy!