Hi. I'm new to this forum and have read some of the wailing info, but I was wondering if any senior cat owners specifically have noticed wailing more frequently at night as the cat ages? My cat is a wonderful solid black persian mix who has had kidney disease for about 3 years now and he seems to be doing wonderfully. I give him fluid injections 3x per week. He also has high blood pressure as well and is taking meds twice daily for that. To look at him, he looks very healthy and young and weighs about 8 lbs. 2 oz. on average. I have been told by many he doesn't look like a kidney cat and he looks fabulous! I love to hear that! I take him to the vet constantly. We are always going to have something checked, rechecked, or check up, blood work, etc. He used to wail for a while at 5 a.m. a few months back and he would wake me up all the time and then he stopped. The last few months have been great and now all of a sudden he is wailing again all hours of the night. He wails/meows loudly when I come home and I think he's telling me his day. 
All night he is quiet and sleeping or cuddling with me on the couch, but when I am just about asleep he starts his wailing. I call him to the bed and he is quiet when I cuddle him and keep him there, but then he jumps off and continues the loud wail. I don't think he's deaf, but he might have lost some of his hearing through the years. Is there anything I can do for this? I am going to have constant bags under my eyes if I have to keep getting up all night. when I yell to him to come over by me and be quiet, he will do it for a while and then back to the wailing. He usually picks the kitchen which echos the most! He must know that! haha! I love my boy and I'll put up with anything from him, but if someone could give me an idea how to get him to stop the wailing I'd be grateful! Also, if anyone knows what it means when the cats wail I'd love to know! Thanks!
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17 year old wailing cat
Replies (6)
First of all, this is something that is recent, right? Not something that he's done now and then since he was a kitten? Because I have one guy that just looooves the sound of his own voice in the quiet house at night. He just strolls around talking to himself, does it on and off. But he's done that for years, it's not recent.
If not, then I assume with all the frequent bloodwork that he's had a thyroid check done very recently? The thryroid tests are usually an add-on at the laboratories or they are often included in a 'geriatic' panel. Hyperthyroidism can cause restlessness and agitation in cats, and older cats are especially prone to developing hyperthyroidism. Even if he was checked six months ago, it's possible he has developed it since then. I would also check with his vet to see if any of his medication has restlessness or agitation as a possible side effect. Is he on Amlodipine for the blood pressure? I can't remember if that's an effect of that drug or not.
My cat does this every once in a while, but lately he's been very good until now. He is on new high blood pressure meds (Norvasc). Before that he took (Atenolol). I never thought perhaps that is the problem. I'll ask the vet, thanks! He has started being more vocal as he's gotten older, but he hasn't been bad at all until I'd say the last week or so. I wake up every few hours to tell him shhhhhhhh or call him up on the bed and he'll be quiet then until a few minutes later when he leaves me or decides to start again. He is always being tested at the vet and he is very current (last week or so) on all work ups, thyroid included, so I know it isn't that. He gets all the senior testing and sometimes I feel he's overtested, but I'm hoping they are doing the best for him. He needs to go back in 2 weeks for a recheck on the high blood pressure and red blood cells, so I'll mention the wailing too. Sometimes I think he just likes attention too. I travel some and I do weekend trips, etc., but my mom always watches him and spoils him like I do, so he's getting attention. I think he is losing some of his hearing (could that cause it)? Anything to help me get some shut eye is appreciated! Losing the cat is NOT an option! haha! No matter how much noise he makes, he's my boy and isn't going anywhere!
Thanks!
Since I have no experience with senior cats (my oldest just turned 10)I can't really say too much about the wailing except that I have friends who say their elder cats do this at night. It may have something to do with the loss of hearing, his kidney condition and just the fact that he is getting older and maybe a bit more senile. I know you will get some wonderful advice from the others on this forum though. And kudos to you for taking such great care of your guy!
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Dottie
Thank you for the kind words! I wouldn't have it any other way. Kenzo is part of my life and has been all these years. I am trying to give him the best quality of life he has left and I'm hoping he'll carry on longer than they would ever expect! He is very strong willed (like his mother) and I just hope he can hold his own, but he won't suffer. I won't let him. As long as he eats, sleeps, and is happy and as healthy as he can be, that's all that matters. I hope he breaks the Guiness Book for oldest cat. Does anyone know how old that is by the way? 25?? Just wondering.
Actually I think the oldest cat was 36! Quite elderly!
Anyhow, many experts believe cats wail when then begin to lose their hearing because they are using the echo as a sonar effect - which is why your cat may be wailing in the kitchen. It sort of helps him figure out where he is.
I've had two cats live to be quite elderly and both developed this problem in their later years. Both cats were also deaf, although it took me a while to figure out how far gone their hearing was. Both cats also seemed to be comforted when I came out and petted and reassured them.
If there is a way you can block off the kitchen and other echoey rooms, perhaps this will help you get some rest.
Since the others have already told you to speak to the vet, I'll just second that!
Good luck.
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Cat Fancy featured a cat ("Grandpa" or something like that) a couple years ago that was in his 30s. 34, 36... Something like that. Probably the same cat Madame Alto refers to. They had a feature about senior cats and many, many were in their 20s hedging on 30. My aunt's cat lived to 24.
My two turn 12 in a couple weeks. Pookey has always liked his own voice and meows a lot. I have noticed both cats over the last few months meow a bit more in the evenings. It is like they are lost in another room... I'll call them and they'll come running and be fine and stop meowing.
I started taking them to the vet for a check-up every 6 months (rather than once a year) starting with their 11th birthday last year. I had a complete bloodwork ran as a baseline and had thyroid levels checked...
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Tammy
