Noisy cat waking us up -help!

[NorbertDentressangle]

Our cat is a Tortie (in fact maybe I should just stop there as I think that might explain a lot, as Torties are notoriously as mad as a box of frogs) and about 14 years old.

She has phases of yowling and meowing during the night.

Last night it was at 3.30am and then just after 6am.

As our children are now at the stage of being reliably good sleepers we're a bit miffed, to say the least, that the bloody cat is now 'crying' during the night.

Any idea why? Or how to stop her ? Please.

I'm hoping Bella is around as she knows what Torties are like! Or someone who has dealt with this before with their cat.

On a practical side its not possible to shut her on one floor or in one part of the house away from the bedrooms due to the layout.

I've got to shoot off now but will be back later.

Thanks

Hallo Norbert

I haven't got a magic answer, I'm afraid, but I would get her checked out by your vet. That's standard for any sudden change in behaviour, but at her age she may also be going senile, which could explain what she's doing.

Do let us know how you get on.

Nice to see you again

Bella! Right back at 'ya

Its not really a sudden change as shes always been prone to crazy things like that. She still scoots around playing with a scrunched up crisp packet every now and again and she frequently has a "mad half hour" in the middle of the night, running up and down the stairs and generally hurtling around noisily. In fact she used to do the yowling thing as a young cat when it was usually combined with carrying around socks in her mouth .

She is due for a check-up soon anyway (before repeat prescription of her thyroid meds)so I'll mention it.

It might be a silly question but what sort of things do cats do when they're going senile?

norbert i have a tortie too and she is mental - and very very vocal. It is like she 'talks' to you. weird thing that she is, none of my other cats ever meowed the way she does.

Anyway, she has always woken us up at stupid o clock and it is usually to go to the loo, so now we put her out at night and let her back in first thing in the morning and she is much happier with that set up.

would that be something you could do?

inlaws cat did this - she is very old as well. They have started giving her two small evening meals because they think she forgot she'd had her tea. Also they settle her in her cat bed in the kitchen and leave her shut in there (with litter tray of course)

I couldn't put her out at night as a) I'd feel too bad about it as she gets picked on by some local bully cats. She is a bit of a wuss b) she would meow loudly enough to wake up the entire neighbourhood until we let her in.

She generally has 3 meals a day (morning/teatime/bedtime) so I don't think its food shes after.

Maybe its just company she wants -not that I'd let her into the bedroom at night though as she has (another) annoying habit of standing on your chest and patting your eyelids with her paws until you open them.

Thanks for your ideas though

Cats....don't you just love 'em

Senility in cats

Knew you'd appreciate the piccie too

There was someone with the same problem in the Telegraph's pets column a while back. They listed loads of possible reasons, can't remember them now (helpful, eh?) but senility was just one of them. There could be another reason, and the person was told to get Tiddles to the vet & have her checked over.

Interesting article.

After reading it I think its probably senility , although they do also mention these behaviours being caused by thyroid problems (which she is currently on meds for).

TBH I didn't even consider cats suffering from dementia/senility.

Thanks all, will mention it to the vet.

Our cat did this, and we ended up shutting him in the utility room (where the cat flap was) because not only did he caterwaul incredibly loudly, but he also would come into the bedroom and poo under the bed at night. Being woken up by the smell of fresh cat poo was really not good.

He did actually seem much happier in a smaller space. Has your cat's daytime behaviour changed too? Our cat used to come into the room, wander around a bit and then start caterwauling, until we called him over. It was as if he really didn't notice that we were there, or just completely lost his bearings.

do get her checked by the vet as she may well need her thyroid meds adjusted or possibly thyroidectomy - i assume she is hyperthyroid?

While you are there, ask about a product called feiiway, it is a cat pheremone that is used to help calm cats, its very good for anxiety related weeing in the house etc, could definately be worth a try

best of luck

One of our cats had thyroid roblems and ended up having them taken out, before it was diagonised he used to 'yowl' round the house at night .

So worth mentioning to the vet when you go next. Ours was 16 when he had them out and made a really good recovery . Lived for another 2.5 yrs .

I am actually a bit puzzled as to why vets don't just remove the bloody thyroids straight away. I know that sometimes hyperthyroidism makes the heart rate dangerously fast and this needs to be under control before any anaesthesia, but ime as a vet nurse, they mostly end up having them removed. Saying that, there does seem to be a shift towards medication of late.

Three of my mums cats had hyperthyroidism, how unlucky was that, all three had bilateral thyroidectomies and all three lived healthy lives post op. My MIL cat had it, they only removed one thyroid - six months later the cat was back having the other removed - two lots of anaesthesia in an old cat, two lots of vets bills

I have one of those too!long haired silver teddy bear but comes to our door a few times a night and says hello!(I know i sound mad but he can say it!)Dp won't let him in otherwise he wants in every night and he loves me and wants to sleep right next to me.Its a pita he had dp up at 1 last night and he had to be up for work at 5

noddy -I had to lol at your cat actually saying 'hello' as the only bit of light relief at 3.30am the other morning was that our cat did actually say/yowl 'hello', I swear she did.

DP and I were both mumbling about her being a PITA and wishing she'd just shut up when, all of a sudden, as clear as anything...'HELLO'. Very freaky!

re: thyroid. One of the options was/is surgery but due to her age tablets were suggested as they can often control it adequately. In fact shes on the human version (NeoMercazole IIRC -can't be bothered to get up and go and have a look!) as she didn't take to the usual type they prescibe for cats. The vet has been pleased with her progress on them.

Shes generally as right as rain during the day and the same as ever (ie. always getting under my feet, trying to get on DPs lap, moving into your seat the very second your backside leaves the sofa, appearing in the kitchen when food is being prepared etc) but I will make an appointment at the vets and get her checked.

My dp has recoeded it on his mp3 and played it to his mates at work and they were totally freaked out!I can't help thinking its sweet but saying 'oh he's so clever' at 3 in the morning didn't go down well!

Glad I'm not the only one with freaky talking cats

One of our cats sounds like she's saying "mamma" when she's pestering for a cuddle, and when she's shouting for food it sounds like she's saying "now". The other one chirps like a pigeon instead of meowing, and will sit on your chest in the middle of the night with her face an inch from your nose, so you wake up with her staring right into your eyes. And if you don't wake up fast enough, she'll lick your face and purr like a jackhammer. Got to love them!

I really love my two esp talking Silver!

Sorry for my late entry but could your Tortie be going a bit deaf Norbert? I had a tortie (also with thyroid problems) who yowled REALLY LOUDLY and it took us ages to realise that she had gone deaf and couldn't hear herself ... or us awww bless her. She was a feisty lady though and lived to the rather impressive age of 23