It is completely natural for a cat to stay awake at night. Like all predators, it has the ability to see perfectly in the dark. Therefore, when in the dark she tries to attack your legs, she does this not out of harm, but following her hunting instincts. But, if these actions can still be explained, then finding the reason why the cat yells at night does not seem to be such a simple matter.
Moreover, if during the day this seemingly sweetest pet strives to rub against your legs, purrs and caresses. And the positive influence of cats on the nervous system of their owners has long been proven - they calm and heal with just their appearance. But to what extent they are able to drive these same owners with their heart-rending screaming at night! Even the thick walls of the apartment cannot save you and even the strongest nerves cannot withstand. Some people claim that castration solves the problem, but this is not true. Even when castrated and properly fattened after that, a cat can howl in a bad voice in the middle of the night.
But, in fact, there is a logical explanation for this cat behavior. Moreover, it can manifest itself not only at night, but also during the day.
Reasons why a cat screams at night
It’s not difficult to cope with your pet’s nightly “concerts”. You just need to find out the reason for such strange behavior. Some animals are “talkative” by nature and can yell, commenting on any event, be it a flying fly or an overfilled tray. Others - convinced silent people - yell only in emergency cases, when it is truly vital. Let's try to understand the reasons for the behavior of both.
- Hormonal surges
If your cat was not sterilized on time, the heartbreaking screams that initially made you jump on your bed in a pre-heart attack state will soon become firmly part of your daily routine. The neighboring uncastrated cats, who regularly gather under the windows of your house and delight you with nightly serenades, answer her no less loudly. Only urgent sterilization can change the situation. If you are going to start breeding cats, all you have to do is find a suitable spouse for your pet, then for some time you will be able to sleep completely peacefully.
- Pet disease
Your elderly cat was spayed a long time ago, but suddenly resumed her nightly concerts? Be sure to show her to your veterinarian. Such cries may indicate some kind of disease or nervous disorder, which is sometimes found in old animals. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to cure a cat, however, with the help of properly selected medications, you can maintain the animal in adequate condition for a long time.
Sometimes animals scream loudly when experiencing severe pain - for example, in the stomach. If your cat is healthy, he completely calmly allows you to feel his stomach, without showing the slightest resistance.
Neutered older cats may cry due to urolithiasis, in which the process of emptying the bladder causes severe pain.
It often happens that a sterilized cat suddenly starts screaming, demanding a cat. Sometimes this happens - for example, if part of the ovary was not removed. In this case, you must definitely consult a veterinarian.
- Parasites
Has the always balanced, not too active cat become restless and scream loudly? It is possible that it is time to worm it. Just in case, take him to the vet.
- To attract attention
Does your pet scream at night for no reason? He may be trying his best to get your attention. "For what?" - you ask. Let's say the day before you took him into your bed and now he protests against his modest couch, resolutely preferring the vast expanses of the master's bed to such spartan conditions. Or maybe you treated him to something forbidden, and therefore especially tasty, and the little sly one wants to continue the banquet. Some owners take the path of least resistance, giving the cat a coveted piece of sausage at an inopportune hour or allowing the cat to spend the night snoring blissfully in a duvet cover. But it's better not to do this. Cats are notorious manipulators. Once the owner shows weakness, the next time it will no longer be a request, but a demand.
- Sense of anxiety
Sometimes cats start screaming, anticipating a natural disaster or some tragic event in the life of their owners. There are widely known cases where pets used shrill screams to warn their owners about a fire, a gas leak, or an approaching earthquake.
House cats often scream, signaling that a severe cold snap is approaching. If your cat either jumps onto your lap, meowing anxiously and looking into your face, or dives under the blanket, and does this repeatedly, do not waste time - take care of insulating your home. Intuition never fails our pets.
Many cat owners pay attention to the fact that their pets begin to scream heart-rendingly when uninvited guests approach, with whom their owners are at odds.
- Battle for territory
Cats, laying claim to their territory, place pungently smelling marks everywhere. But not only that. The cat, which nature has endowed with powerful lungs, screams in a guttural voice, warning the cats living nearby that they do not dare cross the border of the territory generously sprayed by him. Cats do this especially often when they change their place of residence.
- Yearning
Little kittens, left too early without their mother and not having time to get used to their new home, often cry at night, asking for attention and affection. Please be a little patient! Try to calm the baby down, stroke him gently, talk to him. If it's convenient for you, place your kitten's bed next to your bed to make him feel safe. Cover your kitten with a wool blanket to keep him warm and calm, and be sure to pet him from time to time to let him know you're nearby. Very soon your little pet will get used to it and stop crying at night.
Duration, frequency and manifestations of estrus in cats
The period of sexual activity is associated not only with age, but also with the time of year. Hence the term “March cat”. It is especially difficult for owners whose six-month-old pet coincides with the spring period. At this time, females are most active. A pet in this state is capable of the following unpleasant actions:
- attack the owner;
- howl during the day and at night;
- jump out the window.
The animal does everything it can to get out of the house. The pet’s brain at this moment is geared only to performing the reproductive function. An animal may not show signs of sexual desire for a year. The most aggressive period lasts about two weeks after the onset of estrus.
First symptoms:
- The animal refuses food;
- Goes to the toilet frequently;
- The female develops discharge from the genitals, and organ enlargement occurs.
Cats are less aggressive than cats during the acute breeding season, but still their behavior can infuriate the most patient person. For a month they can disturb with loud screams, scratch and even bite the owner. A cat without a cat begins to rub against the furniture. Plus, during the day the animal wriggles and gives no rest to its owners.
How to deal with a cat screaming at night - instructions
When a cat, who until recently behaved completely calmly, begins to scream at night, the first thing to do is show him to an experienced veterinarian. Only a specialist can help you understand the reasons for your pet’s restless behavior.
If your unneutered cat screams at night, what to do in this case is dictated by simple logic: let the poor guy go free. True, there are products on sale that help cope with sexual desire. However, they can only be used as an exception, since they can cause serious damage to your pet’s health. In the future, it is advisable to neuter the cat in order to once and for all protect yourself from sleepless nights, and protect your pet from injury and even death.
And if a castrated cat screams at night, what should you do then? Perhaps not much time has passed since the operation and the hormonal changes in the body have not yet completed. Only patience can help here. Soon the nightly shouting should stop.
But it also happens that in the middle of the night a sterilized cat, who has forgotten even to think about breeding, suddenly starts screaming. Most likely, she just got bored. If you have other pets, they will quickly call the night owl to order. All you have to do is arm yourself with a ball or string and play a little with your pet. Of course, you won’t do this every night; you also need to rest. The best way out is to play properly before bed, then your furry fidget will sleep very soundly.
If a castrated cat yells
More often than not, young, uncastrated/unsterilized animals cause concern to owners. The problem is resolved after a scheduled visit to the veterinarian. The best age for an animal to be sterilized is 1 year. If you do this later, the behavior may develop and the cat will continue to scream out of habit. But don't expect the screaming to stop right away. The animal may continue to scream for a week or two, as the hormonal levels need time to change.
If enough time has passed after castration or sterilization, and the cat still continues to give nightly concerts, the veterinarian may have performed the operation poorly. Sometimes part of the gonads remains, and they produce hormones that awaken the sexual instinct. If you suspect this state of affairs, you should contact a veterinary clinic.
Castration or sterilization is the optimal solution to the problem of a pet’s night cries
How not to behave
Of course, the patience of any person is by no means unlimited. Your cat has been treated kindly, fed, watered, neutered - and still continues to scream? Do not rush to grab a broom or, even worse, raise your voice at your pet. Violent measures will not help here. The cat may become frightened or offended, and in this case he may begin to take revenge. It is almost impossible to predict exactly how. Animals are subtle psychologists. They know your most vulnerable spots very well. Rest assured, this will not end peacefully. New wallpaper torn to shreds, puddles in the bed and unattractive piles in shoes are just a small part of what an angry cat is capable of.
Therefore, we kindly request you! – don’t make your life more difficult by punishing him. Try to understand the reason for his behavior and do everything possible to eliminate it.
Melancholy and anxiety
Unless your cat is neutered, and you are sure that his health is in order, but he still yells and becomes agitated, you need to reconsider. Pets often anticipate some kind of trouble or natural phenomena. It is known that cats often have premonitions of bad things. This is confirmed by a large number of real stories about how a pet saved a whole dog from death seven times. For example, they reported an upcoming earthquake. But this is sometimes extremely rare.
A more common option is ordinary grief. An animal may simply feel sad if one of its owners has moved far away or died.
Often a shabolda screams after her cubs are taken away from her. They are especially worried about urine if the kittens were very small. After all, animals are also capable of experiencing emotions and suffering not only physically, but also mentally. In this case, their cries can only stir up sympathy. If you understand that this is the reason, the illiterate should scold the pet. It’s better to feel sorry for him and caress him.
Veterinarian advice
You can calm a cat that regularly yells at night with the help of medications or folk remedies, but veterinarians advise not to abuse either one. It may well be that the reason for your pet’s yelling lies in adaptation to the new home, fear of strangers (if you have guests), aggression towards other four-legged residents. The best remedy against yelling in this case is affection and attention.
If you nevertheless decide to resort to a sedative, veterinarians advise:
- do not abuse such drugs, as they are quickly addictive, and in the worst case, lead to serious health problems;
- closely monitor your pet’s well-being - the slightest signs of illness in the form of excessive drowsiness, nausea or vomiting may indicate an atypical reaction of the body to any component;
- Don’t buy a drug just because it helps your neighbor’s dog—the same dose will have different effects on animals of different species, sizes, and genders.
Before purchasing any sedative for your cat, be sure to consult with your veterinarian.
What can't you do?
If the owner takes all the necessary measures - pays attention to the cat, plays and walks with it, feeds and waters it, but the animal continues to howl at night, such behavior can drive anyone out. In such a situation, the main thing is to control yourself and remember that a cat will never yell for no reason. If your pet screams, it means something is bothering him.
It is strictly forbidden to hit, throw or pour water on a cat, since in any case it will not understand what it did to deserve such treatment.
Folk remedies for fighting orom
The nightly concerts of pets get on the nerves so much that their owners, despairing of finding a radical remedy, are finding their own ways to calm the “singers”:
- Spray bottle with water . It has been noticed that if you specifically spray water on a cat’s tail, its owner will have no time for songs. For some time he will be busy licking his main decoration and will calm down for a while. If after this he starts yelling again, threaten him with a spray gun. Most likely, the cat will hide in a secluded shelter and soon fall asleep.
- A game. If your pet is not in nature and is forced to spend all his time within four walls, he has no way to relieve excess energy. Outdoor games can help with this - only, of course, not at night, but shortly before you go to bed. Having had a good run and relieved the accumulated tension, your pet will sleep without its hind legs. If you have neither the energy nor the time to play, hang two or three toys near you on strong laces - the cat, rejoicing that you are watching him, will happily catch them, and having had enough fun, he will fall sound asleep.
- Nutrition adjustments . Save the largest portion of cat food for evening feeding. Having properly refreshed himself, the cat will sleep soundly until the morning, completely forgetting about vocal lessons.
Veterinary methods
Modern science suggests not to injure the mustache and not rack your brains with the question of where to give the kittens. There are several ways to calm a cat that is asking for a cat. These are drugs that reduce hormone levels and have a calming effect on the animal. More radical measures are resorted to when such methods to calm the animal do not have the desired effect.
Medications for solving the problem of estrus in pets include:
- Herbal infusions (“Cat Bayun”);
- Drops (“Anti Stress”);
- Suspensions;
- Pills;
- Various injections (“Covinan”).
Before you decide on the choice of product, you should consider that they all have side effects on the animal’s body. Making decisions on this issue on your own is dangerous for the health of your pet.
Medicines to calm you down
In order to calm an angry cat, there are many medications:
- calming tablets;
- drops;
- solutions for injections.
The most popular of them:
- Fitex - soothing drops with motherwort, valerian and hops, help relieve stress and normalize heart function;
- Stop-stress – quite strong tablets and drops that reduce the activity of the animal’s brain, but are not addictive;
- Cat Bayun is a powerful sedative in the form of a solution and tablets, intended to relieve aggression (especially in cases where the cat is marking the apartment and is overly nervous), as well as to relieve estrus in cats.
All other drugs pose a danger to the health of cats, so it is better not to use them.
Sterilization
Sterilization is considered a cardinal method of solving the problem, which has its opponents and supporters. However, despite all the disadvantages, sterilization is the only long-term and guaranteed way to rid an animal of sexual desire and fertilization. There are two types of sterilization:
- surgical;
- chemical
In the first case, the procedure is irreversible and involves removal of the uterus or ovaries. Chemical sterilization of cats gives a temporary effect and is based on the administration of hormonal drugs that suppress the functionality of the genital organs responsible for reproduction.
Hormones often provoke the occurrence and development of cancer and diabetes, which must be taken into account when choosing one method or another. The chemical method of solving the problem also includes radiation exposure, which is considered one of the safest for animal health, but, of course, irreversible.
After operation
Injections for cats instead of sterilization in excellent health allow them to restore sexual function in the future, while drastic measures are aimed at the absolute cessation of sexual activity in animals.
A pet is a living creature
The situation in our home is always under our control, so it seems to us. If you wanted to have a pet - once you eat, you have to go to bed - everyone should shut up. But cats don’t adapt to their owner’s wishes; they also have their own desires, needs, and even their own mood.
The surrounding residents are unhappy, the cat’s behavior is strange, and the screams at night are unreasonable. What to do in such a situation, after all, do not throw it out into the street?
The main thing is, if this happened and the cat started yelling, find out the reasons based on the symptoms. Indeed, you need to understand what is behind these symptoms.
A hormonal surge is the first and main reason for such behavior in a pet.
The beginning of March, a famous time in the world of cats, who hasn’t heard of it? Modern windows save residents of the first floors of apartment buildings; close the window - no problem, silence. In private houses they also install such windows, but when a cat is yelling in the next room, what should you do? They just scream like that, cats have the same rules.
The greatest likelihood of such a cry is sexual hunting. In a situation where the cat is not sterilized, such a “concert” will be repeated regularly. He is not shouting out of arrogance or harmfulness, his time has come.
He shows the world around him his strength and readiness to reproduce. This is all in the hope that his other half will hear him and respond to his songs. This is one of the most powerful instincts in animals and attempts to suppress it will lead nowhere. All you have to do is wait it out.
We’ll touch on what to do and what to do, but now let’s remind you about what not to do.
Needs feeding or attention
If from childhood he is accustomed to being the center of attention, it is time and honor for him to demand it in adulthood. If you are distracted by some activity, the cat may scream to attract attention. This is a kind of blackmail. The pet seems to make it clear that if he is not petted, he will continue to make such sounds in short.
If a cat has been accustomed to this since childhood, it is quite difficult to wean him off. The pet learns the manner of manipulation very well.
Sometimes cats, which suddenly begin to check their hunger at night, also make very loud sounds. They will harass the owners until they feed it. To avoid such manipulations on the part of your pet, there is no escape from stopping them from an early age. To do this, you need to unpretentiously ignore your pet’s blackmail, and he will understand why it doesn’t work. Having suffered several times, your sister will not have problems with this in the future.
Why do adult animals meow for no reason?
If, against the background of complete well-being, cats follow their owner around the house and meow without stopping, then there is a reason for this.
When a cat's kittens are taken away, maternal instinct haunts her. She finds no place for herself, looking for the missing kids. At this time, the animal needs to pay special attention. If your cat continues to constantly meow and yell for several days, she should be taken to the veterinarian to rule out the development of mastitis.
Often the pet insistently asks to clean the tray. The reasons why a cat yells before going to the toilet or during defecation may be:
- presence of helminthic infestation;
- inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract;
- intestinal obstruction;
- inflammation of the genitourinary system.
Often a cat or cat screams for the following reasons:
- home renovation;
- change of feed;
- warns of danger;
- hears a mouse under the floor.
This is interesting! There are many cases where a screaming cat warned sleeping owners about a gas leak or a fire. In seismic zones, cats loudly meow to announce an impending earthquake.
It happens that a cat is “talkative” by nature. He needs to communicate with his owner, and by meowing he expresses his boundless love. Petting and talking with your pet will help calm your temperament.
A pet is a living creature
The situation in our home is always under our control, so it seems to us. If you wanted to have a pet - once you eat, you have to go to bed - everyone should shut up. But cats don’t adapt to their owner’s wishes; they also have their own desires, needs, and even their own mood.
The surrounding residents are unhappy, the cat’s behavior is strange, and the screams at night are unreasonable. What to do in such a situation, after all, do not throw it out into the street?
The main thing is, if this happened and the cat started yelling, find out the reasons based on the symptoms. Indeed, you need to understand what is behind these symptoms.
A hormonal surge is the first and main reason for such behavior in a pet.
The beginning of March, a famous time in the world of cats, who hasn’t heard of it? Modern windows save residents of the first floors of apartment buildings; close the window - no problem, silence. In private houses they also install such windows, but when a cat is yelling in the next room, what should you do? They just scream like that, cats have the same rules.
The greatest likelihood of such a cry is sexual hunting. In a situation where the cat is not sterilized, such a “concert” will be repeated regularly. He is not shouting out of arrogance or harmfulness, his time has come.
He shows the world around him his strength and readiness to reproduce. This is all in the hope that his other half will hear him and respond to his songs. This is one of the most powerful instincts in animals and attempts to suppress it will lead nowhere. All you have to do is wait it out.
We’ll touch on what to do and what to do, but now let’s remind you about what not to do.
