7 reasons why a cat yells at night and doesn’t let you sleep and what to do about it

Hormonal changes

They occur at different points in the life of pussies:

• During mating, they can use a cry to signal their partner about their passionate desires.
• Cats that have not been spayed may scream during heat. In this way they show their difficult moral state on the eve of the birth of offspring.
• The same situation can be observed with non-neutered cats.

In the case of changes in the pet's hormonal levels, the owners can only survive this difficult period in his life, calming emotional outbursts.

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.

Possible diseases

Depending on age, possible diseases can vary greatly.

If your pet is already old and constantly yells, then he may have nervous system disorders or even Alzheimer's disease. This may occur due to age-related changes in the body, which have an irreversible effect. In this situation, a number of medications with a calming effect can help, which must be prescribed by a veterinarian. A good doctor will prescribe the correct course of treatment and write down personal recommendations

A young cat may scream heart-rendingly when injured and painful (most often acute pain in the abdominal area). It is quite easy for the owner to determine this at home: by palpating the belly, you can feel its condition - if the abdominal part is hard, swollen and the cat is trying in every possible way to avoid contact by scratching, then you need to take urgent measures and take your pet to the veterinarian. (normally the stomach should be soft and the animal should react calmly).

The main parasites that cause screaming in cats at any age are helminth infections. These worms are very common in fauna and operate mainly in the intestines of animals, which causes pain or can even lead to intestinal obstruction. The fault of the owners in such a situation will be the lack of regular prevention of worms in their pets. Usually it needs to be carried out from the first weeks of a cat’s life.

Urolithiasis is also a serious cause of pain, this is especially noticeable every time a cat visits the toilet, accompanied by plaintive cries. In this case, contact a specialist immediately.

Why does a cat constantly meow for no apparent reason?

“Meows for no apparent reason” is a more correct formulation. You may not actually be able to see the real source of the problem, so try to find it first. Associated symptoms, including behavioral changes, will help you with this.

Physiological desires

Non-dangerous explanations include physiological desires. This includes:

1. Hunger and thirst. Cats use the loudest and most demanding “meow” when asking for food. It is with its help that they wake up their owners early in the morning and beg for treats or supplements. They may also not like the freshness of the water, which means it’s time to update it.
2. Instinct of reproduction. Features of manifestation depend on gender. Cats actively mark their territory, and cats roll around on the floor and freeze in a characteristic pose. They have only one thing in common: during sexual hunting, both of them cry heart-rendingly, inviting a partner for mating.
3. Desire to defecate. If the screams are accompanied by jumping, then the pet is simply preparing to go to the toilet. Your help will only be needed when the “meow” is a request to change the filler.

In all of these situations, only anxiety and increased activity are acceptable. The general condition of the animal must remain satisfactory.

To attract attention

A request to change the filler and water is also attracting attention, but this section is about something a little different. Sometimes a pet is completely satisfied from a physiological point of view, but still continues to scream, pursuing the following goals:

1. Request for help. Kittens often call for help if they cannot get off a high surface or get stuck behind a cabinet. Also, mustachioed pets love to be hysterical so that the door will be opened for them. And it doesn’t matter that in a minute they will have to go through it again.
2. Communication. A small amount of games, petting and talking is unacceptable for contact animals. With their voice they ask to be held or called to play.

Separately, it is worth noting the manipulations. With a plaintive “meow,” a cunning pet can beg for a piece of your dinner or the right to sleep on the kitchen table.

Pain, discomfort

If a meowing cat looks painful, examine it. Check your stomach first. Most often, meowing is associated with stomach pain, but in addition to it, there are other causes of discomfort:

1. Diseases of the urinary system. KSD and cystitis increase the vulnerability of the mucous membrane. In severe cases, blood appears in the urine.
2. Gastrointestinal diseases. In addition to the stomach, pain syndrome can also affect the intestines. In both cases, symptoms include bowel movements and vomiting.
3. Helminthiases. The activity of helminths causes severe intoxication, therefore, as with gastrointestinal diseases, diarrhea and nausea are noted. With severe damage, it is possible to detect eggs and the parasites themselves in the feces or in the anus area.
4. Tumors. Cause pain due to pressure on nerve endings. May be accompanied by weight loss, severe apathy and sleep disturbances.
5. Injuries. Not all damage is visible to the naked eye. Some injuries can only be detected with an x-ray.
6. Flea or tick infestation. Accompanied by severe itching and hair loss. Some types of parasites are also dangerous to humans.
7. Viral and bacterial infections. Most infectious lesions are characterized by high fever, loss of appetite, severe lethargy and hoarseness of the voice.
8. Consequences of sterilization or castration. The only non-dangerous situation caused by unpleasant recovery from anesthesia. Complications are possible here, but with proper care of the operated patient they occur very rarely.

Cats are very patient. They are able to suppress any unpleasant sensations for quite a long time. If your pet is screaming in pain, do not hesitate to diagnose, as the discomfort he is experiencing has reached its limit.

Irritation, stress, fear

Another reason is an unpleasant situation. The animal may react to it in the following ways:

1. Irritation. Cats get annoyed when they are petted against their will. In response to unsolicited affection, they may meow aggressively, slash with their claws, or cling to your hand.
2. Stress. Moving, having a new family member, traveling on public transport and other situations that differ from the usual way of life require getting used to. The animal will worry and scream until it feels safe.
3. Fright. Many mustachioed pets do not like thunderstorms, fireworks, loud screams and the noise of a vacuum cleaner. When the source of anxiety disappears, they calm down and become silent.

Prolonged and too frequent stay in a tense state is fraught with a nervous breakdown. To avoid mental problems, the animal needs to demonstrate the safety of the threat or try to eliminate it.

Psychological diseases

Old pets, like their owners, are not protected from Alzheimer's disease. A plaintive “meow” at night may be associated with disorientation in space due to memory problems.

Imminent birth or false pregnancy

During a close birth, the animal feels vulnerable and uncomfortable. Young mothers awaiting the birth of their first kittens feel especially nervous. Similar feelings arise during false pregnancy.

Territory defense

An angry meow in a raised voice, reminiscent of a scream, is a sign of aggression. With its help, the animal protects its territory from invaders. Similar behavior is observed when keeping several mustachioed pets at the same time or when moving to a new place where there are no cat odors yet.

Communication with man and fellow humans

The most talkative breeds are Orientals. They constantly communicate with their owners, coming up with more and more new “meow” sounds for different occasions.

Animals also talk to each other, but meowing is most often used by mother cats communicating with kittens, as well as those who defend their territory. Adult and friendly pets are more prone to purring.

Unreasonable shouting to attract attention

Particularly cunning adult individuals understand that they can attract their owners only by making loud sounds, so they can do this for absolutely no apparent reason. However, even this has its own problem, which is a lack of attention, affection (especially if the pet is often alone at home) or a lack of any nutrients.

Try to treat the pussy with your favorite treat, perhaps review its diet, caress it more often, but do not succumb to such tricks very often, because the animal will quickly understand what is what and will continue to show such unpleasant signals to attract attention to itself.

Meowing in small kittens

Kittens up to 2.5-3 months are highly dependent on their mother. With their meowing, they inform her about hunger, fear and lack of attention, that is, they do the same thing as adult animals. The only difference is that all the kids run to the cat for help, and not to the person. Because of this, immediately after moving, they experience extreme stress and do not immediately trust their new owner.

Conclusion

If a cat meows loudly, do not rush to draw conclusions and carefully study the situation. Do not forget that a number of symptoms require immediate contact with a veterinarian. Ignoring in the case of pathology is not only useless, but also dangerous, so always show a reaction. The only exception is manipulation. If they are the problem, your attention will only make the unwanted behavior worse.

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What not to do?

A cat regularly yelling and meowing at night can infuriate even a calm, balanced and patient owner, but no matter how much you want to pick up a broom and teach your pet a lesson, stop - violent measures will only aggravate the existing problem, the animal will be offended and begin to take revenge . An angry cat is capable of a lot - the following can join the night concerts:

• wet slippers;
• torn wallpaper;
• furniture torn by claws, etc.

If a completely healthy animal continues to wake up your family at night with its meows, use sedatives that can be bought at a veterinary pharmacy, but do not abuse them.

It can be quite difficult for a person and a cat to get along in the same territory, but if you decide to adopt a furry pet into your family, then be prepared for the fact that it will bring you a lot of trouble. Night concerts are extremely rarely organized by healthy and happy animals. Find out the reason for the cat's unusual behavior at night!

See also: the cat continues to scream after mating

Disease

Why does a one-month-old kitten meow constantly? The reasons, as you can see, can be different. But among them one cannot fail to highlight another extremely important factor. If your pet is in pain, he will try to show it. And the only thing he can do is meow.

This is exactly how a cat will behave if something hurts. A common phenomenon that owners rarely pay attention to. However, it is also wrong to blame the owners for this, because identifying the cause can be very difficult. After all, as practice shows, there are many reasons for a cat’s crying. It's easy to get confused.

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.

Territory and its defense

Some cats try to announce their presence to surrounding animals by screaming. Most often this happens when you change your place of residence. A cat, finding itself in an unfamiliar place, begins to “take up space”, marking its territory and telling everyone around about its formidable character.

Over time, this behavior gives way to stable calm, however, the owners still need to endure the period of rapid personality development.

Stressful state

The constant meowing of a kitten when it has just arrived in a new home is associated not only and not so much with longing for its mother, but with stress from the new space and smells, and the need to master an unusual environment. In the first days, a kitten may be simply scared in a new apartment; he experiences loneliness and feels helpless.

If other animals arrive at the same time, this is a source of additional stress. After all, you need not only to master the space, but also to seek contact with new animals.

The owner needs to calm the animal down, talk to it affectionately more often, pick it up, and stroke it. Over time it will get used to it. To make this happen faster, experts recommend that when picking up a cat from a breeder or cattery, ask for something with a familiar smell to the animal. This could be the bedding on which the kitten is laid when it begins to meow pitifully. The native smell, reminiscent of his mother, will calm him down.

What to do if the cat does not sleep at night, walks and meows

Once the cause has been identified, you can begin to eliminate it.

If cat concerts are driven by the reproductive instinct, owners have the following options for their own behavior:

1. Be patient: sooner or later the rut will end and the pet will calm down.
2. Use hormonal contraceptives: Sex control, Stop-intim or analogues. The use of drugs allows you to disrupt estrus, prevent fertilization when an accidental mating has taken place, and weaken the cat’s sexual arousal. The disadvantage of this method is the side effects of the drugs. Excessive use of contraceptives leads to the development of breast tumors, pyometra, and other diseases of the reproductive organs.
3. Castrate: In most cases, the operation results in calming the animals. They practically do not develop diseases of the reproductive organs. The disadvantage of this method is the tendency to obesity and urolithiasis. Therefore, you will have to forget about natural food, as well as treats with human food products. Pets are transferred to ready-made food for sterilized cats, which satisfy the body's changing nutritional needs. If urolithiasis occurs, veterinary feed is used, which is selected by the doctor.

If the problem is the pet’s adaptation to new living conditions, then feed additives are used: Stop-Stress, Vetspokoin, Fitex, Kot Bayun. An alternative is the drug Feliway, which contains pheromones. The device with the bottle is inserted into an outlet like a mosquito repellent. Pheromones calm animals.

If a cat begs, his efforts should be ignored. If there is no understanding on the part of the pet, he is put into another room and the door is closed. The cat will understand and stop begging. In return, the animal should be provided with adequate nutrition.

In order for the cat to sleep at night, like its owners, it is reoriented to a daily routine that is convenient for the person. A cat needs to sleep at least 11 hours a day, and even better - 13-14. Therefore, you should keep your pet busy, especially during the day and evening hours. Do not let them sleep, play or organize leisure time, purchase interactive toys, provide houses, ladders, scratching posts. Most of the daily portion should be fed in the evening. If the cat is tired and full, he will be drawn to a sound and long sleep.

If there is a small child, a bird, fish, or a hamster in the room, these areas should be excluded from places accessible to the cat.

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.

Adviсe

The main thing is to try to make sure that the cat spends as much energy as possible in a day. Even if she waited all day for her owner to get home from work, bored at home. Usually in such cases the pet sleeps all day, and when the person returns, the animal begins to frolic. This means that while no one is at home, the cat should be provided with activity in the form of various toys, scratching posts, stairs and houses that it can climb.

It’s also a good idea to use videos from the Internet made specifically for animals - a fly or mouse moves across the screen in them, and the cat enthusiastically catches them.

It is advisable to set up a place for your pet on the windowsill so that he can observe everything that is happening on the street. Well, pay attention to it in the morning and evening - talk to the cat, whenever possible, allow it to participate in household chores, do not forget about caring for the pet. In general, demonstrate an emotional connection with him in every possible way so as not to wonder why the cat meows at night.

You shouldn’t lock your cat in the bathroom or kitchen at night if she could freely walk around these rooms during the day. It will logically strive to regain control over the territory that has become inaccessible.

When nothing helps, and medical causes are excluded, it is better to consult a zoopsychologist. He will determine whether the cat's behavior is the result of severe stress, illness, excess or lack of nutrition.