Sign of Senility?

I have an (nearly) 18 yo spayed female named Dottie. The last several weeks Dottie has started screaching and yowling about 2:00 a.m. She will screach so loud that it startles me out of bed. When I check on her she does not seem to be in any sort of distress. The screaching stops by the time I get out of bed and turn on the light, and it does not happen again until the next night. When I find her (she's usually in my closet,) she's sitting in the middle of the floor and looks up at me like she's just woken up and wondering what all the fuss is about. yesterday afternoon she was sunning herself on the deck and I heard the screaching. I ran to the back door to check on her and she was all stretched out looking as relaxed and content as a cat possibly could.

I don't know if she screaches during her sleep and wakes herself up, or if she screaches after she wakes up. She's always awake by the time I get to her. I was thinking that she might be waking up in the closet disoriented and feeling lost, but sometimes she's in the hallway, or laying in the doorway between my bedroom and the bathroom. Then this incident yesterday afternoon -- the first time it happened during the day. so now I'm not so sure she's "lost."

She is otherwise a healthy cat. She sleeps about 20 hours a day. I noticed that she does sleep more deeply then ever before. Her appetite is good. She comes out for affection several times a day. She enjoys n occassional romp with a toy. She does limp more after waking then she used to do, but nothing unusual considering her age.

Any ideas as to what this screaching is about?

If she was howling a lot, eating a lot, and losing weight, a vet visit would be in order - hyperthyroidism is common in elderly cats, and those are some of the symptoms; but this doesn't sound like that.

I don't think it's senility. Puss, who's almost 20, does the same sorts of things. She sleeps much deeper, too, and occasionally cries out in her sleep - sometimes in the early hours of the morning, but not consistently.

The reason I don't think it's senility is that Puss still seems pretty darn sharp. I taught her how to use a cat flap at age 17, and she's retained that even tho she doesn't get the opportunity to use it often.

Originally posted by jlitt
If she was howling a lot, eating a lot, and losing weight, a vet visit would be in order - hyperthyroidism is common in elderly cats, and those are some of the symptoms; but this doesn't sound like that.

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She isn't eating any more or less than usual. a fork full of wet food 2x a day, with kibble in between. She isn't loosing or gaining weight either. Her coat is unchanged -- soft and shiny. She doesn't groom herself like she used to but I chalk that up to age -- hard to get those old bones in the right position.

She is due for her next physical in May ... I suppose it won't hurt to get her in a couple of months early.

I dont think that it is actually senility. My 18 year old does this and it used to get me pretty peturbed as it tended to be in the middle of the night too. I think that she does get a little confused sometimes and if i call her to let her know where i am or fetch her onto the bed and give her a cuddle she gets back to normal. Nothing wrong with her physically or anything and she is as sharp as a pin on other stuff.
I would just keep you eye on her.

Do you suppose she might be having nightmares? I have awoken one of my cats a few times from what I believe was a nightmare, after he had been squirming around and making noises in his sleep. It wasn't screaming, but then not every human screams in their sleep, either. I do, and my other cat has awoken me from my nightmares after my screams.

I would start burning a night light for her and see if that helps. But I would also take her to the vets, and have the vet do an eye exam and general routine exam plus blood work, at her advanced age, this would be the wise thing to do. If her eyes are starting to go, cataracts, or ? the night light will soothe her and allow her to find you easier.

Originally posted by hissy
I would start burning a night light for her and see if that helps. But I would also take her to the vets, and have the vet do an eye exam and general routine exam plus blood work, at her advanced age, this would be the wise thing to do.

If her eyes are starting to go, cataracts, or ? the night light will soothe her and allow her to find you easier.

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Thanks Hissy. I do keep a night light in the hallway. She often sleeps there and I don't want her getting stepped on in the night. I will put one in the closet where she sleeps and see if that helps. It's frightening to be woken by that kind of screeching ... it's blood-curdling!

I will take her to the vet. She's due in May any way. Her vet concluded her last exam by exclaiming, "This cat will probably out live us all."

I would just keep my eye on her and see if it increases and/or other things start happening such as behavior changing, eating habits, litter box habits, etc then take her to the vet. Which cat is Dottie in your pics? DEFINITELY NOT the kitten one!

I work from my home, so I know that Puss will do this during the day, as well. She'll be quietly sleeping (in broad daylight) and suddenly cry. It's not blood-curdling, but just unexpected from a sleeping cat!

We have a night light on in the room where she sleeps.

It really sounds to me like it's just an old-age thing, not senility, and most likely nothing to worry about. But a vet visit can never hurt. Things can really happen fast when they're elderly.

Our 20 year old cat Aja (who crossed the rainbow bridge a couple of years ago) used to do this, and the vet told us that it's forgetfulness (sp??) basically an older cat may get up to go do something and then forget where he/she is for a moment and start crying. it's not really senility, just the brain getting older and more forgetful. it's something you have to deal with when you have older cats, i guess