1st May 2006

How can I stop my cat yowling in the night?

Read more: Cats Loss Behaviour | Comments (0)

Question:

Our cat Simon lost his sister 18 months ago with cancer. He is about 11 years old. He has suddenly in the last 2 weeks started 'yowling' in the middle of the night. How can we stop him doing this?

Answer:

Cats do grieve when they lose close companions, but the period of mourning is usually less than 18 months. 'Yowling' at night is usually designed to get the owner’s attention. You do not say where he sleeps and how you respond, so I can’t tell exactly why Simon may be doing this. If he is trying to get your attention, it is likely that either he is not getting enough attention or exercise during the day, or, more likely at his age, he is feeling insecure and needs to be with you. If he sleeps apart from you, you could try having him in your bedroom at night. You will need to find a small indoor cage for him so that he does not disturb you in the middle of the night. Or perhaps you have not been able to give him as much attention as usual. Alternatively, he may be an active cat that cannot go outside for exercise as much as he used to. If this is the case, playing games with him during the evening may help to tire him out so you all get a good night's sleep.