Why is My Cat Meowing at Night and What Should I Do?

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Cats have a way of communicating to us with the use of their vocal chords. They are all capable of meowing to talk to us, and sometimes, they get down right vocal. They may try to let you know things like they are wanting their litterbox cleaned out, or they are hurt, hungry, or perhaps they want your attention. During the day, cat caterwauling is typically due to certain situations, such as feedings, attention, or wanting to go outside. But once the day turns to night, some cats really come alive and the caterwauling can get to be too much for some owners. Just when you get to sleep, your cat starts in and the meowing goes on auto-pilot it seems – loud and continuous, and you want to know why, and what to do about it. Here is why a cat is meowing at night and what to do about it.

Some cats suffer with CDS, or cognitive dysfunction syndrome. This is a type of security issue where they do not feel safe or secure in your home during the night. They may be little and newly separated from their siblings and mother, or they may just have never adjusted to your home and not comfortable yet. Comforting the for a while and reassuring them that they are ok, can help acclimate them to their environment.

If you have more than one cat in the home, one cat may go on the prowl for its mate in the night and try to find them. If he is having trouble locating him, you may hear a lot of meowing in an effort for the one cat to try to find his mate and is waiting for his mate to follow-up his meow with another to give his location.

Elderly cats are known to increase their nighttime meowing when they start having problems with sight and hearing. When older cats begin to lose their hearing, they often meow loudly at night in order to hear themselves, similarly to when an elderly person starts to lose their hearing, they begin talking louder. You may need keep your cat in a room separate from the rest of the house at night to give them added security in the big home that is dark, and one that looks and sounds different to them as they lose their senses.

If your cat wants out at night and you aren’t listening to his demands, he may walk around continuously meowing to get your attention and tell you to let him out. Nighttime is when many cats like to get out and prowl around, if they are an indoor/outdoor cat. If you have forgotten to let your cat out for the night, you may be hearing about it, all night, if you don’t answer his caterwauls.

If your cat is meowing a lot at night and you aren’t sure why, try to figure out what might be bothering him. First, check for injuries to make sure he is safe. If he is hovering over his bowl meowing, try to remember if he got fed. Is he standing by the front door and wanting out? Or is the door to his litterbox closed and he can’t get to it? Investigate the situation and see if you can figure out why he is meowing and then address the issue for him so he is comfortable through the night and not so restless.

You can also read:

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• Top Tips for Grooming a Senior Cat
• Why Do Cats Rub Their Faces on People?
• 20 Items You Need Before Bringing a New Cat Home
• 10 Things You Didn’t Know about the Somali Cat