My cat is 18-20 years of age, has gone completely deaf in the last two years (very gradually, but it's all gone now), and has become increasingly senile. This has led to some real problems, namely lots of nighttime yowling. Because she's deaf, it's basically at top volume...which for her is VERY, very loud. I don't live in an apartment, so that's not an issue, but she wakes me up approximately every two hours throughout the night. Her sessions of yowling generally last for about twenty minutes. Even if I let her in my room and on my bed, she wanders out to the living room/kitchen to have her old lady shouting time.
Food quiets her until she forgets she's eaten (or where her food is, despite me trying to maintain a routine of where it is every single time), which lasts about 45 minutes to an hour. I can't overfeed her, no matter how much she wants me to, as she's a very, very small cat. Actually, if she was younger, I'd say she's a little overweight, but it's so hard for her to maintain her weight at her age. Her vet okays her diet.
I've been to my vet, but she didn't really have any recommendations, other than the obvious. I don't feel like she's uncomfortable or unhappy enough to feel like putting her to sleep is a good option. She basically is just confused cat gramma, wandering around at night talking to herself. Other than the deafness and senility (forgetting where her food is, nighttime yowling, occassional lethargy), she's in very good health. Some hip problems that means she avoids jumping and asks to be picked up all the time, and a lack of teeth (from fighting when she was younger, not health related). No pain, no unhappiness. She's actually more friendly and content than she used to be, enjoys contact more.
Obviously the yowling is a sign of confusion, which makes me sad, but I don't know if anyone else has had any success curtailing the noise. I love her very much, but I can't exactly manage to live without getting much sleep at night- it's not like she's bringing home the bacon. Is there anything I should do to make it easier on her? I've installed more hidey-spaces for her, tried not to redecorate or move things around, keep the windows curtained, but it's not helping.
I know it's probably a long-shot, nothing else anyone's suggested has helped, and even my vet just sort of shrugged. If anyone has some experience with this sort of problem...I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks.
Food quiets her until she forgets she's eaten (or where her food is, despite me trying to maintain a routine of where it is every single time), which lasts about 45 minutes to an hour. I can't overfeed her, no matter how much she wants me to, as she's a very, very small cat. Actually, if she was younger, I'd say she's a little overweight, but it's so hard for her to maintain her weight at her age. Her vet okays her diet.
I've been to my vet, but she didn't really have any recommendations, other than the obvious. I don't feel like she's uncomfortable or unhappy enough to feel like putting her to sleep is a good option. She basically is just confused cat gramma, wandering around at night talking to herself. Other than the deafness and senility (forgetting where her food is, nighttime yowling, occassional lethargy), she's in very good health. Some hip problems that means she avoids jumping and asks to be picked up all the time, and a lack of teeth (from fighting when she was younger, not health related). No pain, no unhappiness. She's actually more friendly and content than she used to be, enjoys contact more.
Obviously the yowling is a sign of confusion, which makes me sad, but I don't know if anyone else has had any success curtailing the noise. I love her very much, but I can't exactly manage to live without getting much sleep at night- it's not like she's bringing home the bacon. Is there anything I should do to make it easier on her? I've installed more hidey-spaces for her, tried not to redecorate or move things around, keep the windows curtained, but it's not helping.
I know it's probably a long-shot, nothing else anyone's suggested has helped, and even my vet just sort of shrugged. If anyone has some experience with this sort of problem...I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks.