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If your elderly cat is waking you in the wee hours of the morning with his mournful yowling, the first thing you should do is take him to the vet. Illnesses such as hyperthyroidism can case excessive vocalization.
There are other possible causes for your feline’s midnight arias. Cats have changes in their vision, hearing, and other senses as they age. If your cat can’t see or hear well, he may get anxious and start crying out for reassurance. Geriatric cats can develop feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome — basically, they get senile. Signs of CDS include disorientation, forgetting to use the litterbox, and anxiety behaviors like tremors, yowling, and pacing. To help your older kitty rest easy, try allowing him to share the bedroom with you. If you don’t want him to share your bed, give him a warm, soft bed of his own. Close the door so your cat doesn’t get lost and provide him with a litterbox. Cat expert and animal communicator JaneA Kelley is the webmaster and chief cat slave for Paws and Effect, a weekly cat advice column by cats, for cats and their people. |
December 7th, 2009
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and doesn’t stop. She starts meowing and then cuts it off xD
My cat does’t howl but hits me in the head if I don’t get up at 4AM to give him his Fancy Feast
your tip on elderly cats was well received.
my female, “kato” will be 21 years old
in april of 2010…hopefully. although she
no longer has alot of energy, she continues
to eat well and maintains her routine. she no
longer has teeth but does eat tuna fish and
surprisingly, dry food. she also continues to groom
herself which is nice. she has never been given
table food.
Good info…many thanks !
Luci meoooooww’s in the night & has done since my hubby passed away 32 mos ago. As he’s only 3 1/2 yrs old & usually he wants treats or breakfast, therefore I’m not all that worried, as he is truly a joy for me… Now, Bro Merlyn, is far too lazy to meow often… usually only hear from him once or twice a week, if that !
Thanks again…
Thanks for the information. Boo is going on 13 – in March he will be. He isn’t howling at night, but he has been acting more insecure lately so I’ve given him lots of attention. He sleeps on our bed if he chooses,comes and goes during the night. He likes to sleep behind the couch, guess he feels safe and comfortable there-no one can see him. I’ll just keep giving him attn. He has acted jealous of Shadow lately too. Love and attention will help I’m sure.
My aunt’s cat started howling in the middle of the night as she aged. She always seemed to want reassurance my aunt was still there.