Becomming more concerned about Dori's meowing

Dori has always been a very vocal kitty. I come home from work and say "Hi Dori" and she meows away. It's cute, like we are having little conversations.

A few months ago I noticed that Dori was meowing more often, and at times other than when we were "talking". For example, if I was in the kitchen making lunch, she would go into the living room and meow like crazy, as though she was calling me, until I went in to pick her up. Then she was extra cuddly. This has continued on, and I just dismissed it as her way of asking for attention when I was busy. I thought this little change may have had something to do with Brody as well. Before him, Dori would walk right up to me to ask to be picked up. Now though, Brody is always by my feet so she avoids him and no longer does this.

Over the past week or so, her behavior along with the meowing has concerned me. The other day she was sitting in the dining room, in the corner, meowing like crazy. She was literally standing there with her nose in the corner. I went in and picked her up and she seemed so happy, almost relieved, that I was holding her. The same thing happened this morning.... I started thinking that this was possibly some sort of senility but what makes me doubt that is that if I am in the office doing my homework, she meows and carries on like this in the hallway just outside of the office door. So she knows where I am. She has access to me at all times. When I am doing my homework she can just walk right in.... Last night when she was meowing like this I picked her up and cuddled with her for awhile and then laid her down on the bed and she went right to sleep.

My concern is with the way she acts when I go in to pick her up. I am really sensing that she is relieved, like maybe she becomes scared and calls for me and then I am saving her

She is eating, drinking, and using the bathroom normally. I was thinking of trying to set aside play sessions with her (without Brody) in the evenings. I used to do that, but it has sort of slacked off. I don't know if this is a call for attention, or if there could be more going on.

She is due to go in for her annual check up and rabies shot next month. I plan to talk to the vet about this. I just wanted to run it by you guys to see if anyone has any thoughts or ideas on what could be going on.

Also, could it be possible that she could be going senile? It seems she is too young for though that... She will be 4 years old on October 15th.

I have had something very similar going on with Laura. She has been vet checked and all is ok, so here's hoping Dori is just missing one on one time with you.

I have had to keep 2 of the boys separated from a fight. Since that time, doors are closed and Laura has to scratch on the door to come and go from certain areas. Shes always been vocal but has become much much more over the last couple of months. For her I think she just misses the way things used to be and is voicing it a lot. I hope thats what Dori is doing, too !!

This may scare you, but what you are describing sounds exactly like what my Damita does. Damita is my foster cat that is mostly blind. She knows where I am, but will stand staring at a wall or something meowing until I pick her up. She then gets her snuggles & lovin'.

From Dori's age, I doubt that she is loosing her eyesight, but the meowing seems really odd! Damita is 5 years old, but she was very very very ill causing her to loose her eyesight.

Tanya, you obviously have to rule out any physical cause, but I'd also check out the house. Is it possible that you've gotten mice, geckos, or squirrels in the walls?
She might hear them, and be trying to "alert" you. We've had that happen, and so has my sister. Is another cat marking outside, and can she smell it?
I really doubt that she's going senile, though pets definitely can, at an advanced age. Witness our tenants' Greyhound's insistence on sleeping in and on the kitchen sink, forgetting he's housebroken, and jumping out of open windows. We had an Airedale, Lannie, who forgot that she could back up, and got "stuck" in corners. I wouldn't expect such behavior in a pet <12 or more, though.
She may just have you "trained", meaning the competition with Brody for your attention has unsettled her, and she's learned that "odd" vocalizing gets her what she craves - your undivided attention. "Special time" with her alone might help.

Isabelle does the same thing and it's getting really annoying. She will meow for an hour on and off. She has also been vet checked and is in excellent health. I have wondered if she is seeking attention or even if she gets lost, or something else. I know sometimes she sees spiders and meows at them, but she does it even when no spider is in sight. I am wondering if she is training me, as Jcat suggested. It's just awful when she does this at 3am, 8am (and throughout the day when 3rd shift working DH is sleeping) and for how long she carries on for. She has also gotten extra loving. She reminds me of Annabelle when she went into heat- but she was spayed a year ago almost!

How is her vision? Have the vet check her eye sight. Maybe she's going blind and really can't find you.

Thank you all for the advice Dori's vision is fine. She pounces on the smallest of things, and was chasing a tiny little moth around the house this weekend. I don't think that is an issue, but that was a good call based on the symptoms I was describing.

After paying extra attention to her meows, I think Tricia hit the nail on the head in saying that she was training me. Last week, on Wednesday night, I had an orientation at school. I asked my fiancÃ[emoji]169[/emoji] to pay special attention listening for Dori to meow. She didn't do it once! When I came home and sat down to eat my dinner she started up meowing in the other room. I went and picked her up.. I can't just leave her in there crying Dori used to just run right in and climb on my lap. I wonder if the fact that Brody is always sitting by my feet has deterred her from doing that, and now she makes me come to her I have been paying extra attention to her these past few days and even bought her an extra special present this weekend... one of those kitty playhouse things at Target (seen here)
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...sin=B000EPE3YU
She spent all evening on it last night and I played interactively with her as well for some time. I set it up in the office, where I spend most of my time. Brody isn't allowed near it so I am hoping this gives her a place all her own to feel comfy in there with me