Outdoor Cats Feel Trapped
Does your cat meow at the door at night? Outdoor cats may do this when you go to bed as they feel trapped inside your house. They are most active at dusk and dawn and want to be out exploring. So, they meow at the door as their way of asking you to let them outside.
I never suggest obeying your cats wishes to let them out at night. This is when catfights with other neighborhood cats are more likely. The chances of road traffic accidents also increase at night. Besides, if the weather turns your kitty may be locked outside without anywhere to shelter from the bad weather. This could make them stressed and sick.
If you think your outdoor cat feels trapped, you may wish to install a catflap so they can let themselves in and out while you are asleep. However, you might purposely be keeping them inside for the safety reasons I have just mentioned.
If this is the case, you can help stop your cat from meowing to go outside by making your home an exciting place for them to be. Provide plenty of toys for them to play with while you sleep, scratching posts for them to dig their claws into, and a cat tree to climb. Be sure to let your cat out in the day as well so that they are more likely to settle inside when it gets dark.
Was Your Pet Food Recalled
Central Nervous System Problem
There may be clues in a neurological exam that the cats excessive vocalization is caused by a central nervous system problem such as a brain tumor. These cats may be circling, having seizures, or acting depressed or dull.
A definitive diagnosis needs more advanced imaging, such as a CT or MRI, and these cats can do very well with surgery.
Often, we tentatively diagnose a meningioma based on the symptoms. Medical treatment can be of some help.
Cognitive Dysfunction
If most of the testing on your geriatric cat is normal up to this point, your cat may be suffering from cognitive dysfunction.
Because of an aging brain, your pet may have a syndrome not unlike Alzheimers in humans. There is no definitive test. I prescribe a number of medications and supplements to see if we can stop or decrease the yowling.
In this quick video, Dr. Wendy McClelland, DVM, explains more about why an old cat meows all the time:
For many people, giving medicine to a cat is hard work.
Some cats are resistant to getting a single pill, let alone up to 4 or 5 pills a day.
If my patient is a hyperthyroid, hypertensive cat with cognitive dysfunction, I may need to prioritize which meds I prescribe first.
This cats pill container could look something like this:
- Hyperthyroid: methimazole
- Pain: gabapentin and/or many others
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories
- Regular exercise and sensory stimulation
- A nightlight
A Way Of Communication
In principle, cats wish to communicate something to us by meowing. They do not do so because they simply like meowing or intend to disturb our sleep. For cats, meowing is a proven way of communicating with us humans. Whilst adult cats primarily communicate with each other via body language, meowing is reserved for dialogue between humans and cats. Cats soon learn that their owner is often rather slow when picking up physical signals and therefore choose sound to draw attention to themselves similar to us humans with speech.
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Crying As A Result Of Boredom
If you were wondering why do stray cats cry at night, boredom could not be the answer. However, if wondering why indoor cats do the same, boredom is definitely one of the options. Indoor cats often lack the necessary mental and physical stimulation, leading to boredom. So, the next time you are thinking why does my cat cry like a baby at night, consider spending more time with her and providing suitable physical and mental stimulation. To find useful tips on how to entertain your cat, click here.
Why Does My Cat Meow At Night When I Go To Bed
October 30, 2021 By MrBossCat Team
Cats use their meows exclusively to communicate with humans.
Perhaps they are telling us they want more food, are wishing you paid them more attention, or are letting you know they arent feeling 100% themselves. In most cases, meowing is harmless. In fact, it is arguably useful as it lets you know your cat needs something from you.
However, there is nothing more annoying than a cat that meows through the night while you and your family are trying to sleep. It can disrupt your slumber and make it impossible to sleep until morning without being disturbed. Besides, what is so urgent that your cat cant wait to tell you in the morning?
If youre asking yourself Why does my cat meow at night when I go to bed?, youre in the right place. In this article, I share all the possible answers to this question and some handy tips on how you can get your kitty to stop making such a racket at night.
Keep reading and youll both be sleeping through the night in no time!
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Exercise And Mental Stimulation
Previously, we made it clear that felines can take snooze all day long, especially when left home alone. If your kitty has already slept throughout the day, the odds are high that your sleep will be interrupted.
If your cat cries at night as a habit, provide them enough physical and mental stimulation before bedtime. Feel free to experiment with toys that encourage your cat to stay physically active, like laser pointers. This way, your cat will spend more energy and will likely enjoy nighttime sleep as much as you do.
We all know that spending an entire day entertaining our cats is not always possible because of work and other routines. Luckily, pet parents can interact with their four-legged friends remotely via pet cameras.
With a treat-dispensing camera, you can not only watch your cat, but also toss them their favorite treats while being away. Some cameras also allow you to entertain your cat remotely with a laser pointer.
Lack Of Food And Water
You know that a hungry man is the most dangerous man. The same thing can be related to cats. If your cat is starving, it can manifest its hunger by crying at your window or outside your room. Thats what innocent cats can do. You wont get enough sleep if your cat is feeling hungry, so if you want to enjoy an undisturbed good night rest, ensure whether your cat is full or not before going to bed. Also, confirm that your cat always has availability of clean water to avoid nighttime crying at 3 a.m.
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I Trained The Cat To Meow Louder
When we tell you to ignore the cat, we mean ignore the cat completely and perfectly. This means no peeking, no talking, no sighing, no petting. Dont do anything that could be perceived as attention. Yelling, spraying the cat or punishing it are forms of attention and can encourage the cat to keep it up.
Ignoring the cat properly after previously giving in for a while will likely cause the cat to amplify the behaviour before stopping it completely. It may meow louder or find new ways of waking you, such as tripping things off the shelves, walking across your face this is called extinction. It means its working! Reacting then would be a big mistake, because the cat would understand that whatever it did worked, and will start with that going forward. Ignoring the cat through the extinction burst is of the utmost importance in order to stop the cat meowing at night, or to avoid worse behaviours.
My Cat Keeps Me Up At Night
Some of the most common complaints are:
- I cant sleep at night my cat just wont stop yowling!
- I think my cat is in pain it cries all the time, even at night.
- My cat suddenly started yowling out of nowhere. This has continued for weeks whats wrong?
Its important to mention the complaints because this article is not about cats excessively meowing or yowling in general. Its about geriatric cats that are literally screaming and vocally showing they are distressed or in pain.
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Why Does My 18 Year Old Cat Shake All The Time
Thomas: The shaking limbs could be a symptom of arthritic pain. If your cat seems to move more slowly or carefully when she first wakes up, this may be another sign of discomfort. Dahlia: One of Mamas friends has an 18-year-old cat that was crying a lot. He is hyperthyroid, but his condition is well controlled with medication.
The idea of a cat yowling at all hours of the night and waking up the house may sound funny, but senior cats who begin to yowl like this may be suffering from something serious and treatable. Excessive vocalization in cats is more common at night although some old cats vocalize at any time.
Why Is Your Cat Whining
At three oclock in the morning, when youre meant to be benefitting from the deepest part of your nights sleep, there are few more annoying sounds than hearing your cat whining. And whining and whining. But beyond the inconvenience of getting woken up by a bout of cat whining, what exactly causes your feline to express herself with this strange cat sound? And when is cat whining a cause for concern?
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Why Cats Yowl At Night
Excessive vocalizing might be due to any of a variety of factors. If your cat is yowling at night, it might not be cause for immediate concern, but you shouldnt ignore this behavior either. Here are some of the most likely reasons behind yowling.
- Old Age: Yowling in older cats might be due to Feline Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, otherwise known as feline dementia.
- Boredom: An indoor cat that doesnt get much opportunity for exercise or play might yowl excessively because theyre bored.
- Stress: Sudden changes in a cats routine like the addition of a new baby or a recent move can stress out a cat and cause them to vocalize.
- Medical Problems: If you can rule out the other causes of your cats yowling, then its time for a trip to the vet. Your vet will need to perform an exam and check your cat’s blood pressure and possibly collect blood and urine for testing to look for underlying medical conditions, such as:
- High blood pressure
Solutions To Help Break The Habit
Establish a Better Routine
Routines help cats to feel relaxed and secure. So by establishing a general routine for feeding, attention and play times you can avoid situations that might upset and stress the cat. Such a routine could also include for example, having a little play session with her just before bed time, to use up some of the energy built up through the day . This could then be followed with some food perhaps half of her dinner kept back from her mealtime. If she is tired and full she should sleep more soundly, and be less likely to get up early and begin meowing.
Because cats are creatures of habit and routine, if you are going to break one of their established routines then you will need to establish another for them. So instead of going to the cupboard to feed the demanding cat immediately on getting out of bed, do something else first, and wait for at least 10 minutes before attending to the cat’s need. This way the cat will not make the direct association of her human getting up with feeding her or letting her outside. As a result the cat will stop bothering her human to get up.
Relieve Boredom
It is also important that the cat has things to do when she wakes up. For example, if she has toys to play with, or some hidden toys for her to find. Perhaps leave some paper bags or cardboard boxes for her to entertain herself, so she doesn’t feel bored and start meowing to get attention.
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How To Teach A Cat To Be Quiet
After making sure that this cat whining isnt a result of a serious health issue or a need that hasnt been addressed yet, do not respond right away to the cat whining as if you respond and come to the demand behind it that quickly, the cat might associate whining with realizing its wish.
Stay in the food, affection and play actions, wait until the kitty is calmed down then address her early wish. Also if you reward the quiet behavior, you can start having a calmer and manageable relationship for both of you.
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The Most Common Causes Of Nocturnal Cat Woes
Unfortunately us humans don’t always understand meowing and simply don’t know exactly what our cat wants to communicate to us. Sometimes it requires a lot of empathy, patience and a good amount of detective work to find out the reasons behind the meowing, since every cat is different. Despite individual tendencies, habits, experiences and needs, one of the following causes are often behind meowing at night:
- Boredom
- Hormonal fluctuations
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Tips If Cats Meow Due To Loneliness
Some cats feel terribly lonely at night in particular when their caregiver is sleeping and they may not be allowed outside. Especially kittens, which are full of energy and extremely playful, don’t like being alone at night whatsoever.
A second cat could be helpful in this respect, because unlike you, it is also active at night and therefore makes an excellent playmate. Whilst the two little cats race around your sofa or conquer the scratching tree together, you can sleep away peacefully in the room next door.
Even with older cats, the company of a second cat can be a good solution for nocturnal meowing. However, the requirement is that you plan well in advance how to bring the two cats together and proceed cautiously. Otherwise, a second cat entering your home could trigger a turf war, which would probably rob you of sleep one way or another.
Outdoor Cats May Feel Trapped
If your cat is an outdoor cat during the day, and you keep them indoors at night, there is a good chance that they may be meowing at night because they are feeling trapped. If it is safe, consider installing a cat flap and letting them go out at night so that they are free to expend their energy outside.
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Is Your Cat In Heat
If your cat isnt spayed or neutered, then youre going to hear a lot more noise. Females yowl when in heat and males yowl when they smell a female in heat. Both can be maddening to live with. Getting your pet spayed or neutered will prevent this.
Indoor cats can come into heat year-round. Spaying your cat is the best way to reduce her excessive meowing during her cycle. Spaying also helps to reduce her risk of illnesses like uterine infections and certain types of cancer.
Meowing Can Become A Habit
Cats are intelligent creatures, and they can learn pretty quickly what works for them and what doesn’t. So as the cat owner will go to check on the cat because she/he worries that the cat is in some form of distress, this will soon become a habit. The cat has now learned that this form of behaviour works and it will get her the attention she wants. By getting up and checking on the cat we ourselves are unintentionally reinforcing this kind of behaviour
If cats become used to being fed at 6 in the morning, they will demand to be fed at that time everyday . They have made a direct association of their human getting out of bed with being fed, and will meow to their human every morning to get up and feed them when they feel hungry.
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Yowling Could Be The Sound Of Mating
As many of us know through experience, extremely loud screeching and cats yowling at night can be the sound of mating.
This is a natural process, but we strongly suggest that you get your cat neutered both male and females as it significantly reduces the amount of unwanted kittens. Not to mention, itll also stop the loud yowling sound!
Tips If Cats Meow Due To Boredom
Whilst your cat doses snugly on your sofa throughout the day, does it suddenly get into top form in the evening and at night and demand a schedule?
This isn’t anything unusual in principle, since cats are by nature at their most active at this time. The good thing is that if you give your cat sufficient activity throughout the day, play together, let it roam around outside or keep it on the go with little hunting games, it will be ready to rest for a few hours at night. Simply try things out to see what game your cat can’t get enough of. Be it a ball of wool, feather, ball, laser pointer, flat water bowl or another cat toy, there are hardly any limits to creativity when it comes to entertaining your cat. Just make sure that your cat is really worn out in the evening before going to sleep and enjoys your full attention.
If it still doesn’t sleep despite this evening action, you can give it toys and possible activities for the night, such as drag boards or other intelligence toys it can entertain itself with alone whilst you continue to sleep away calmly.
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