Meowing for no reason

Hey gang!

Now, I"m not sure if there is any cure or aid for this, but it happened to my first kitty too as she got to an older stage in life.

That 'meowing bloody murder for no reason'. As I sit here typing this, my beautiful female kitty is sleeping on my bed, in view of me, and she keeps waking up and making meowing as if she doesn't know where I am. I will tell her 'I'm right here sweetie' and she then sees me and goes back to sleep.

This began at around 3 yrs ago---maybe 2. She's 17 this December. I have a feeling she has gone deaf or is partially deaf. That also happened to my first female kitty.

Is there anything that can be done to help comfort her? I worry that she gets worried when I'm gone to work. Her brother is here, but hiding under the bed--ugh! Though one night they were both under the bed sort of butt to butt and looked very happy to have each other, which made me smile.

I know with my first kitty, my then vet said that cats can develop a sort of 'senility' as they age. Again, my focus is to make sure she is comforted if she IS scared and wanting to know where I am and if I am not here, I worry that she might be afraid. Of course, this could also be just a fun game to get mommy to jump up and run every 5 minutes because when I did do that in the beginning, she would be on her back and show me her adorable tummy!!!

Thanks!

It could be a combination of all things.  A game of "where's mommy", and some deafness/senility.    Often this meowing will occur in the middle of the night as older cats may wake up and not quite know where they are and call out.  Just a voice in the dark helps them situate themselves and they will be okay for awhile. 

Older cats sometimes develop cataracts too, so they cannot see as well either.  They are just like us humans as we age .  Their eye sight can go, their hearing can go, they get aches and pains,the whole gamet. 

Ugh, I lived through this stage with both my previous (litter sister) cats as they got older.   I swear their meowls could be heard at the top of the steet - and could definitely be heard IN the steet because I heard them my self (and that is bad enough as this is a first floor apartment set back from the pavement      ). 

I share your thoughts on hearing loss, and also wonder about mrsgreenjeens' comment about eyesight.    I also wondered about some degree of dementia with my pair though they were both pretty good at reorientating themselves when I moved furniture about, moved where their litter or food was, and even took them off to live in someone elses house for a couple of months when I had my apartment refurbished when they were 16 and one of them had already started doing that calling behaviour thing at night by then....  

Like you I would talk back and touch and reassure her.  If she was calling from another room I sometimes had to go get her, then she would follow me through to the bedroom and settle on the bed.   Turned out the cat who had started to call and make a racket at night had lost her sight gradually so it was probably when she wasn't sure where she was and where her sister and I had gone to.  As for when I was out - I reckon cats sleep most of the time when they are on their own, esp older cats, and she never seemed distressed when I came back from work or anything, just at night or at other times when she 'got lost' and wanted to know where everyone else was.  

Her sister started to do the same about a year in to being an only cat: when she went for her next annual vet check they found she had developed high blood pressure and it had affected her sight so probably similar to her sister and just looking for reassurance.  When she knew I was home but couldn't figure out where she'd meowl in a really terrible, harsh, loud voice that must have scared all my neighbours.  I'm amazed no one ever called cat protection out.       I think she was hard of hearing as well as losing her sight and from being a cat that didn't like being held or stroked much she became the biggest cuddle-bug I could have imagined.   She was very cute as a pensioner,    used to love me carrying her about everywhere when I was in, and from the fur deposits and round dents in soft furnishings she slept the entire time I was out.   

To reassure your self, look for any tell-tale signs of activity, or where your cat has been snoozing when you come back in to your home after your cats have been in alone - round patches of fur (often still warm) can tell you a lot about what fur family have been up to.  Also, look for other changes in behaviour like litter tray issues starting up, and try moving things about a little (not so much as might upset your cat) and see if she can figure out the changes and remember them: if she does then more likely the calling is more for reassurance and reducing vision and / or hearing.   Above all, keep doing what you already are, loving her, watching and listening for any changes, and giving her as much attention and cuddle time as she wants.

I know my girl is limited in her hearing--she used to run when I plugged in the vacuum cleaner--now, she won't even move until she sees it. But her eye sight is very good.

The odd thing is, it comes in waves. Sometimes she won't do it for weeks, then out of no where--lord help me--when she first started the night one, she screeched so loud it was more effective than any alarm clock! I had to warn my poor mum who had to recover from 5 surgeries in 2 yrs with me. My mom is deaf in one ear, and my cat on her second night back from the hospital decided to do this RIGHT next to her bed. My poor Mum just about had a heart attack thinking my kitty was being murdered. I'd warned her it was a very throaty screech, but she didn't understand until she heard it. And it was hysterical because when we looked at her and said 'hi Skye' she just plopped onto her back and exposed her very cute kissable tummy. Hahahhaah.

I also wonder if she's wondering where her brother is because sometimes if she gets very screechy, he will come to her. I think it's so sweet.  

ROFL, that is too funny about your mom.  It is hard to imagine how loud and screechy a cat meow can be until you hear it. 

Sounds sensible that she will call on her brother same as she calls on her humans - nice that he goes to her. My 'girls' did the same when they were both still around, though were less inclined to look for each other as by that stage they didn't spend a lot of time together intentionally, and the fitter one that lost her sight first was terrible for bullying her sister.        

Hahaha--the funny thing is, her brother is the active one who always attacks her! So it's very sweet when she calls for him (and he her), and they go to each other. When she was near death, 3 weeks ago, he slept right with us and kept sniffing her and snuggled near her. It was SO heart warming!!! Considering he was also battling pancreatitis (he was on steroids though so likely not as uncomfortable and his sister has only been sick 2 other times with this so she's hard to know how she handles pain).

She's been hit and miss and I think she does it more when I've been busy or stressed. So, I make a fuss of her when I know I'm going to be busier and she seems to be doing well.

Oh lord--my poor mom. Like you said, how can you prepare someone for that volume of screeching? I mean, it's like she's saying 'MOM! I"M GOING TO BED!!" at the top of her lungs. HAHAHAAHAH. She did do the meowing when mom was here after that, but not to the volume of that first time. My mom would call to her as well, but she did sucker her to go to her at first---and since mom was recovering from surgeries every time she had to stay with me, I told her Skye was fine and just use her voice would suffice. Skye didn't like that Hahahhaha. I think she enjoyed seeing how fast we'd run

Cute - it sounds like your pair still get on with each other pretty well.        I hope you see them back in better health again soon.   As for your mom, I guess being screached in the ear at full volume by a cat is one good dis-incentive to getting sick and having to come stay over with you too often, so hopefully your mom will stay well too.    

Thanks! My poor mom--since she is deaf in one ear, and my girl screeched on the floor next to her bed and she heard it just scared mom to death. She thought she was dying. And I said 'nope just look at her' and she was rolling around on the ground. HAHAAHAH. I mean, it's too funny to get mad at.

My mom is doing well, thank you. It's been a very busy 2 yrs of hospitals, ER etc, but that condition has finally been worked out and a few new ones cropped up, with more midnight runs to her house and ambulances waiting, but thankfully, all manageable. My mom is being watched well by her 15 month old british short hair kitten after she heartbreakingly lost her doll faced persian a month before one of her major surgeries. Her kitty had a gr 4 heart murmer that became an issue and we had no way to get her to a specialist. The regular vet said all blood work was normal, but she began having odd seizure like symptoms---but not full seizures. She went into congestive heart failure so fast, it was devastating. Mom was comforted here by my kitties and then found her kitty online(breeder) She has been the best thing for mom's recovery and returning home We still miss her other kitty, who was 14 when she passed away (on her 15th yr). Oddly enough, mom's current kitty was born 2 days after we lost her first kitty.

Sounds like your mom's current kitten was sent especially for her.      It is amazing how having an animal to care for and share life with can make life so much more meaningful, and give purpose where it has been limited.  I hate to think of my life should I ever be too frail to care for a cat myself.  

One thing I would like to explore more with Mouse as he calms down is whether he could be a therapy cat, perhaps at some local care homes or isolated older person who loves cats.  Mouse is still quite bouncy but much calmer than he was, and seems to be very tolerant of being handled and sharing affection with people he has never met before:  it always seems so much easier and available to have therapy dogs but I am sure there are many cat lovers who would respond to a fun feline should one be happy to go visiting.   I plan to take him round to my mother's apartment in the next few weeks to see how he copes with spending time visiting in someone elses home.  She isn't really a cat person but is very keen for him to visit for some reason.       (Maybe she has some plants she doesn't like and thinks he will chew them and kill them off).   

I hear you Mservant! I kills me when I see my kitties getting older and knowing what will come , but I don't think about that. I just love them and having them in my life. Mom was absolutely shattered when her kitty had to be put down, especially at how sudden it happened and how terrible her kitty looked. I can only thank god the vet was open so we rushed her in (I live about five minutes from my mom and 1 minute from my vet clinic. Well, 10 mins if I get the red light  ) This little hyper British blue shorthaired kitty also is very special--she's got some neurological issue in that she walks wobbly--she drifts to one side. Noticed it the day we brought her home, but it doesn't slow her down AT ALL! This kitten is bonkers! And yes, she falls down and we're not sure if her leg is weaker on that side or it's a pelvic thing---the vets said Xraying kittens is very challenging to see their bones (even in adult cats) and it wouldn't be worth it if it wasn't hurting her(it's not!). So, I like to think Mom's first kitty who passed so suddenly knew Mia was going to be born and needed an extra special home  She's actually gotten better as she's gotten older and the vet ruled out cerabeller hypoplasia. But, some day I will get a video of her here and maybe people can see what it is and see if they've seen it before  

  She sounds super-special.  Not only blue but needing a home happy to support her as she takes her time building up her strength and learning how to do things her own special way.      I hope she grows up and gets lovely and strong, overcoming the challenges she is having as a kitten:  not so much that she completely takes over your mother's home though.    Mouse was a 24 / 7 live wire as a youngster and never planned ahead so constantly got in to trouble - I am sure your mom doesn't need that.      (If you do get any pic's of her it would be great to see her over in the Blue Cat thread - link in my signature, a thread full of very mischievous kitties).  

Long may your two cats get along together and keep each other company.  It is lovely to see cats grooming and snuggling together - I do miss that now I only have one.

Mom's cat is hysterical---she is just the funniest kitten I've ever known. She was from a breeder too, and costly but worth the cost. She's not too bad with her movement--she's adapted well and yes, she stumbles or falls, but gosh, even as a kitten, she refused to give up! If anything, she's inspired my mom and I to watch this little thing not give up. The vet did testing with her the day we got her from the breeder (or the next day) and neuro tests went well---she did say a friend of hers (the vet) had a kitten with a similar condition and grew out of it, and Mia (mom's kitty) has improved, but even tonight, she was bombing around the basement as I visited mom and did laundry, and she just drifts forwards and sideways, but she's strong! Can jump anywhere and doesn't slow down.

We have bought her some toys and these are catnip weighted mice and my lord! She's nuts with them...and bathes them. I have NEVER known a cat to flip her toys INTO their water dish....my boy Bandit loved playing with water, but not in his water dish. But Mia? She'll flip her dish over (mom got a weighted one) and she's fascinated with water glasses(I've been using bottles since I got my two in 2000 for that same reason). 

I will post a photo of her on that other post