Cat with mournful moan

alm70 · Jan 18, 2010

My family just adopted a 2 year old female cat a few days ago. All is well except that the cat at times wanders around moaning that is similar to a cat in heat. It wanders around almost like she is looking for something. This happens more so at night when everyone is bed, but definitely happens during the day as well. We don't have too much information on the cat, but do know she has been spayed, and has given birth to kittens. Not sure how long ago. Some information I have found online has suggested that when cats are calling to their kittens they have the same moan as when they are in heat? Does anyone have any insight?

Thanks in advance.

white cat lover · Jan 18, 2010

Welcome to TCS!

I have one cat who walks around the house at night, after we've all gone to bed, moaning/crowing/yowling/meowing - we determined she is either:
1) Looking for the people
2) Looking for the other cats
3) Talking to her toys as she plays

IMO, your new kitty is just settling in, calling around to see if there are other cats there, & becoming more familiar with her new house.

fifi1puss · Jan 20, 2010

Rocko does this when he has a toy mouse in his mouth.

It can be annoying. He never makes any meows so when I first heard him i thought something was VERY wrong. But then he came into the room with a toy in his mouth. the minute he put it down he stopped making noise and just walked away.....cats can be very funny sometimes.

lovemahkitties · Jan 20, 2010

lola does the very same thing that fifi's rocko does. in the middle of the night, we'll hear her downstairs making these long low 'wa-wa' sounds (among other sounds..she's quite verbal). then we'll hear her coming up the stairs, still making noise. this goes on until she comes in the bedroom, toy in mouth, and drops it ('it' being a VERY old (and once mechanized) furry hamster toy that has long since lost it's ears, tail and face..it's now just a big brown and white matted fur egg-shaped thing) on the bed. then she leaves and is quiet.

we always laugh when we hear it now, as we know it's just lola sweet-talkin' her egg.

dusty's mom · Jan 20, 2010

Originally Posted by white cat lover

Welcome to TCS!

I have one cat who walks around the house at night, after we've all gone to bed, moaning/crowing/yowling/meowing - we determined she is either:
1) Looking for the people
2) Looking for the other cats
3) Talking to her toys as she plays

IMO, your new kitty is just settling in, calling around to see if there are other cats there, & becoming more familiar with her new house.

We recently moved and for the first week I wouldn't let Dusty outside for fear she would try to go "home." During that week she did yowl during the night (even though she was never outside at night), and peed outside the box. It's now 4 weeks later and she is doing fine. I finally let her out without a problem. I am still watching her inside. I saw her pee in the bathtub. She actually squatted over the drain! (Guess it could be worse.)

I bought some "Attract Litter" and that seems to be working.

otto · Jan 20, 2010

Ootay (rb 5/09) had the most mournful horrific moan you'd ever want to hear, but she was only playing when she did it. She would drag her string in her mouth, or carry one of her old crumpled cigarette packs (I quit over 10 years ago, but those things are still in good shape) and make that sound....

I used to call it her dying goose sound.

It may be the cat's normal speaking voice. Tolly sings at night, almost every night, after I go to bed, in a very loud high voice. Some cats just like to sing. They don't care if they can't carry a tune or harmonize!

Welcome to TCS, and congratulations on your new family member. What's her name?

otto · Jan 20, 2010

Originally Posted by Dusty's Mom

We recently moved and for the first week I wouldn't let Dusty outside for fear she would try to go "home." During that week she did yowl during the night (even though she was never outside at night), and peed outside the box. It's now 4 weeks later and she is doing fine. I finally let her out without a problem. I am still watching her inside. I saw her pee in the bathtub. She actually squatted over the drain! (Guess it could be worse.)

I bought some "Attract Litter" and that seems to be working.

Has Dusty been to the vet to rule out UTI?

dusty's mom · Jan 20, 2010

No. We've been so busy with the move, that I honestly just thought it was the stress of being somewhere unfamiliar. I think I'll make a vet appt.

spitzygirl · Jun 1, 2012

OMG, my cat does the same thing. She has a ratty toy and when she carries it around she makes a very loud mournful moan. Nothing wrong with her it is just what she does.

iris · Jun 1, 2012

My female ragdoll does the same thing..she carries a sock around in her mouth..We always joke and say "Peanut is having a baby". Then we find the discarded damp sock..purple, white, black or whatever somewhere in the house..and we say "The baby died, poor Peanut". Just sillyness.

stephanietx · Jun 1, 2012

Tumbles does this when he's looking for us, usually when he thinks he's alone during the day or about 10 mins after all the lights go out for the night. He is usually carrying around his little woobie toy. I find that thing all over the house and out in the sunroom! We call out to him and he either comes to our bedroom or wherever we are, or he settles down. He started doing this after Callie passed away in Dec, 2010.

loveblair · Jun 6, 2012

Blair is actually deaf, and calls out like this very often. We have actually had friends come and think there was a baby wailing upstairs; nope, just Blair.

We generally go and get her if she wails too much, as we know she can't hear us and she's in a new house.

She's tricky though - sometimes she'll be halfway on the stairs and know exactly where we are, but howl with the hopes that we'll come get her to cuddle - she doesn't have mobility issues, she just loves attention more than most! She actually will try to lead us up the stairs so we can be with her, stopping every few feet making sure we're behind her.

mrsh · Jun 6, 2012

When we first adopted Zach he used to wander around the house at night yowling. We called it his "midnight serenade." We assumed he was just singing and having a good time, but we were actually way off. Turns out..

1. He was bored and anxious. Once we got him a cat condo he quieted down.

2. He had urinary tract troubles. The first time it was a UTI, but when he started yowling during the day, we knew something was wrong. He's currently being treated for struvite crystals in his urine. Yikes!

So yes, sometimes cats just like talking, but sometimes something's not quite right. With any new adoptee, a trip to the vet is probably in order, just to make sure there's nothing biologically wrong. Some vets will do a "free first patient" exam. Hopefully it's just your cat getting used to things, though. Good luck!

loveblair · Jun 7, 2012

MrsH said:
When we first adopted Zach he used to wander around the house at night yowling. We called it his "midnight serenade." We assumed he was just singing and having a good time, but we were actually way off. Turns out..

1. He was bored and anxious. Once we got him a cat condo he quieted down.

2. He had urinary tract troubles. The first time it was a UTI, but when he started yowling during the day, we knew something was wrong. He's currently being treated for struvite crystals in his urine. Yikes!

So yes, sometimes cats just like talking, but sometimes something's not quite right. With any new adoptee, a trip to the vet is probably in order, just to make sure there's nothing biologically wrong. Some vets will do a "free first patient" exam. Hopefully it's just your cat getting used to things, though. Good luck!

That's a great point - my parents' cat Max got more vocal when he developed UT issues as well. If any behaviour seems abnormal or over the top it's definitely worth looking in to.

Cat with mournful moan

alm70

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white cat lover

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fifi1puss

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lovemahkitties

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dusty's mom

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otto

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otto

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dusty's mom

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spitzygirl

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iris

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