Help! Strange problem!

I can usually understand what's going on with my kitties, but this problem baffles me. My eldest cat of three, Loxy, has always been quite a talkative cat, and the least affectionate out of the other two (but never refused affection). As of lately, however, she has been restlessly running around the house, meowing (not low pitched...actually in the normal/high range) sometimes at us, but mostly out the window. The weird thing that I noticed is that she only does this at night, and when we try to calm her down by petting her, she runs away. We've thought about getting something to take her outside with (we live in an apartment complex), but decided that might not be a good idea because with the way she is, she'd only want to be outside more often and it would make things worse. We also thought she might be feeling a little anxious or crowded with the other two cats around. We don't have a really big place, but are moving into a bigger place soon. When she gets this way, she avoids contact with the other two cats, but during the day, she is completely normal. I love my cat and I hate to see her this way, and she's also doing it while we sleep, and it keeps us up! If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions, please let me know! Thank you so much!

Any time a cat acts off their usual behavior they are trying to tell us "something." The trick is to find out what it is and go from there. If kitty is acting normally during the day and eating, drinking and using the litter pan as normal and only exhibits this behavior at night. My thoughts are that something is visiting outside-more than likely a feral. He is probably spraying an invitation for her to join him and she is responding with this behavior. If she is not spayed, I would get her spayed soon. Should she escape somehow and get outside he could get to know her quickly.

thank you so much for that. Loxy is spayed, but she does sometimes wait by the front door and meow, and even sometimes tries to escape, but not desperately. She has escaped three times, but that was before this started. It is interesting, though, we live right across the street from a valley where feral cats have been known to wander around. We never have seen any or heard any, though. So if that is the case, then what should I do?

My thoughts exactly hissy.

Your cat probably see's, hears or smells something outside.
If this really concerns you. Have you tried keeping the shades drawn at night, and keeping her off the window sill?
Before you consider letting your cat outside, is she spayed, and up to date on her shots, and is she declawed? These would all be real factors for me.

IF you chose to let her outside, yes it could make it worse, with an increasing demand to go outside, aka she could start talking even more, scratching at the door/floor and ruining it. Some cats will be too frightened to go outside, or venture very far.
I say you should keep her INDOORS, and work from there.
But if you still want to let her out, then train her how to walk on a harness and leash with you, IF there are feral's in your neighborhood then you don't want her mingling with them, it could result in many things, including death.

At least while she is on the leash with you, you can see what she's doing and you are in a fair bit of control of her. Mind you some cats are even sneaky enough to slip out of harness's, so you have to kinda learn now to walk with them, it's not like walking with an ordinary dog.

But I beg you PLEASE do not just let her roam outside.
If she only peeks out of one window, keep her away from that window, keep her in another part of the house for the night. Hopefully once you move, this behavior will end.

The reason she probably runs when you try to pet her is either because you spooked her, or you ruined her concentration on something she is obviously VERY interested in, and you basically bothered her.

well there is no way I would just let her roam around outside, and we probably will not let her outside at all. It is almost impossible to keep her from the windows, since we have 3 sliding glass doors in the living room, and if we keep the bedroom door closed (a regular window is in there), all of them feel confined. So, I guess we will just let her be and try to do what we can...in the meantime until we move! Hopefully whatever is outside will get bored and leave. Thanks guys.

One thing you can do- is first check and see if it is feral. That is easy to do, but it requires you to buy a blacklight flashlight. Petsmart carries them. Wait until it is as dark as can be outside then go outside and shine the light around. The urine will illuminate under the blacklight and you will probably see it on the walls outside and on the posts.

Ferals are everywhere and very adept at hiding. If it were me and ferals were across the way, I would be leaving food and water out for them in that valley somewhere. (But that is me) If you want to keep a feral away from your windows- then you need to make a trip to a local beauty shop and ask them if you can have some hair trimmings. I am sure they would be happy to give you all they have. Take the hair and lay it around the outside of your windows and doors. I know it will look like the devil, but the smell will drive the ferals off. It is either that or do the humane thing and trap the ferals and get them spayed and neutered if you have that type of help available near you. I am lucky the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon has a mobile spay unit that works on donations only. Good luck, and I can't help but feel sorry for the feral cats who are lurking about.

thanks so much, but i have one more question...why aren't my other two cats affected by this (or at least my other female cat)?

Some cats are just more alert than others. I had one cat in Alaska that would alert me everytime a moose came on our property. She would run from window to window, back arched hissing and spitting and swatting at the monster- even if the moose was down on the bottom half of our line. My other three cats were not even bothered by the intrusion, until the moose would stick their nose on the window- then that got their attention! LOL

hissy: lol that's so funny about that moose cat

I also feed ferals when I can. Though I haven't seen any at my new place. Just a bunch of irresponcible owners who let their so called pets outside.

Some cats are definetly more interested in other putty tats, or new ones I should say. Just like there's some dogs who don't care about other dogs that are around, and some go nuts at the prospect of one walking by with their owner on the street.