Is she lonely???????

so today, at like 9:30, my family and I were watching the Olympics on the television and all of a sudden we hear this AWFUL wail. we race downstairs and we see that our cat, zala, is meowing and clawing at our glass door at a male cat outside. (zalas a girl ) is she lonely? because she looked like she REALLY wanted that boy cat. we couldn't let her outside because she's an indoor cat, and she was just stuck yowling at the door. she's been yowling for 20-30 minutes now at the same boy cat, who seems to not be yowling back at her. zalas spayed, but is this hormones acting up? is she starved for more attention with other cats? is she really lonely here and does she need a companion? thank you for reading this post and please tell me what you think of all this!

additional info: she's spayed, she's 2, and this isn't the first time we've caught her yowling to a male cat outside

More than likely she is telling him to go away, this is her territory.  Cats, by nature, are loners and very territorial.  If YOU want a new kitty companion, this is something YOU want, not her.  If you do this, you need to be aware that it will most likely cause her stress and some behavior issues.  Things don't always go smoothly.  Please read our many threads on how to properly introduce new cats into a home already occupied by one. 

thank you SO MUCH for replying. the cat wasn't going away exactly- so it makes sense, i was just wondering if SHE wanted a companion- we don't have plans getting her a new cat anytime soon. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!

Cats are territorial toward strange cats but cats are not loners, this is a myth. Cats are extremely social animals.

I agree she was communicating with the outside cat, but it doesn't necessarily mean she wanted him to be in her house. That kind of wailing usually means this is MY territory, keep away. That isn't really an indication of how she would react if you decided to adopt another.

If you are concerned about her being lonely be sure to spend a lot of time with her every day. Cats not only are social, they thrive on routine so play interactive games with her a couple of times a day at the same times every day, have grooming and cuddling times, and make meal times social times too.

Hi there, .

She could have been either saying "This is my territory, and you shouldn't be here", or she could have been simply communicating with him. Honestly, I find my kitties communicating with ferals through the screen door all the time, and I don't really think it means anything. I have two indoor cats, so they certainly aren't lonely. I think it's just my cats protecting their territory. :lol3:

otto said:

Cats are territorial toward strange cats but cats are not loners, this is a myth. Cats are extremely social animals.
 

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I hate to disagree, but I have known quite a few cats in my life that were very much loners or solitary if you prefer that term and would not tolerate any other animal, especially another cat no matter what.  It is known that cats, feral, are often solitary animals except when mating or with babies.  There are feral colonies, true, but for the most part, cats are solitary animals in nature. 

Mine are all very social animals, but it needs to be known that you are responsible for making them social animals.  It is best to start young and just have them used to meeting new animals and other cats.  I've always rescued and found homes for others... I had Piper and I would notice that she would grieve whenever I would rehome another kitty I rescued... So I got Phoebe and so on.  It is best to start young.  2 yrs is still a young enough age to become social.  But past 4 or 5, I would really consider an only cat to be a loner and solitary animal. 

I think cats are by nature social. I don't know of any feral cats who avoid contact with other cats--they almost always gravitate to places other cats hang out. They do have tiffs over territory, but even the most territorial toms have friends they associate with. They aren't pack/herd animals, definitely, but IMO/IME, they are social.

I think when cats have lived alone for a long time, the natural social-ness is forgotten, and they get cranky about any newcomers. I'm sure the same would apply to a human who hasn't seen another human for a long time, too. If someone dropped a roommate in your house after 5 years of not seeing another human, you would probably be pretty irritated!

P3 and The King said:

I hate to disagree, but I have known quite a few cats in my life that were very much loners or solitary if you prefer that term and would not tolerate any other animal, especially another cat no matter what.  It is known that cats, feral, are often solitary animals except when mating or with babies.  There are feral colonies, true, but for the most part, cats are solitary animals in nature. 

Mine are all very social animals, but it needs to be known that you are responsible for making them social animals.  It is best to start young and just have them used to meeting new animals and other cats.  I've always rescued and found homes for others... I had Piper and I would notice that she would grieve whenever I would rehome another kitty I rescued... So I got Phoebe and so on.  It is best to start young.  2 yrs is still a young enough age to become social.  But past 4 or 5, I would really consider an only cat to be a loner and solitary animal. 

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I would really like to see this unfounded myth that "cats are loners" eliminated rather than perpetuated.

So many cats get dumped because people want a pet that is "low maintenance" or "independent" or "unsocial" or "loner" and because cats have this false reputation, people who don't want deal with a pet get a cat. These people get a cat, because they think they want a pet, but they don't want to do any work. Then when the behavior problems start, because the cat is ignored and/or left alone too much, the cat is blamed and dumped or abused.

Yes of course there are cats who prefer to be only cats, there are a limitless number of variations on a cat's personality. But this does not mean they are loners. They still need the interaction from the humans or other pets in the household every day.

Cats require just as much attention and company and socializing as any other living thinking feeling being, be it from other cats, humans or other animals, or all of those.