Help! My Kitty Yowls At Night…

[nala and snow]

My cat Snow is 1.5 years. She’s playful with us and with her big sister, loves to cuddle and is ADORABLE during the day… At night however, she has this routine I can’t get rid of… She yowls like the world is going to end for 15 to 20 minutes after we switch off the lights, every single night! She has plenty of food and water, her litter is clean, the bedroom door is open and she has her own bed next to us too which she goes to after she’s finished singing, and yes she has a clean bill of health and is nutured.

I have tried everything I could think of: giving her food just before bed instead of an unlimited amount, playing with her right before bed, taking her to bed with me, leaving the lights on.... I have given her the silent treatment for months... Nothing breaks her routine. Even Nala my other cat sometimes tries to shut her up without much success either.

I believe it could be stressed related as 6 months ago we moved to a new and bigger place with stairs. However, it was 6 months ago, she’s comfortable now and loves running up and down the stairs chasing (or being chased by) Nala.

So, any ideas on what I can do to break her singing habits? My new neighbours would appreciate it….

 

[danteshuman]

How To Stop My Cat From Waking Me Up At Night?
Cats And Night Crazies!
Cat Sounds - Feline Vocal Communication

I think it comes to consistency and sometimes pure will power. If I was sleep deprived and cranky from said lack of sleep, I would set up a room or bathroom with all the cat needs for the night. The first yowl gets the cat booted into the other room for the ENTIRE night, no exceptions. Then close your bedroom door, turn on a fan or play music, anything to drown at the fit your cat is sure to throw. Repeat the process every night for a week to 3 months depending on how stubborn your cat is. Whatever you do, do not acknowledge or let your cat in your bedroom until your morning alarm goes off.

 

[danteshuman]

I think a snowshoe is Siamese? If so expect a VERY stubborn cat and for it to take a long time. Hopefully I'm wrong.

 

[susanm9006]

Some cats yowl. Some cats do it starting as kittens and others develop it as older cats. Mine have always done it in the middle of the basement in the middle of the night. I honestly don't know why, exercising their vocal cords, relieving stress or calling to missing relatives maybe. But it is short lived, I don't think it means the cat is stressed, and except for the noise, it's harmless. So I would let it go and not worry about it

 

[Ceracera]

I dont think this is the same as a cat that wakes people up in the middle of the night? This is more like some kind of ritual?

Does she sing in the same spot every night? Maybe put something there (like a scratching post) and see what she does. Or figure out what the trigger is and desensitize her.

Ive been told some insecure cats meow before sleeping to let everyone know the place belongs to them- duno if thats true or not. If stress is the cause, maybe feliway can help.

 

[danteshuman]

Maybe she is singing to another cat? I'm just in favor of training a cat to let you sleep ... so you know don't start thinking about giving it cold baths or shaving it sleep deprivation is evil As long as you are not rewarding her loud cries she should learn fairly quickly which cries you respond to. My guys hardly meow because well I pay attention. Since I'm prone to migraines I did teach them not to meow loudly but I do respond to normal meows immediately. I also respond to their body language. Yep they have me well trained

 

[artiemom]

I had a cat who yowled every time she felt she was alone. She even had a small stuffed animal for her "baby'. I think she was too young, and too sick , when she was taken from her mom. We had to nurse her back to health with a baby bottle and eyedrops. I think she missed her mom.

This went on everyday.. There was nothing we could do to change it. We tried everything, and just learned to live with it.. sometimes, calling her to our bed would help.. but not always..

Good luck..

Try a little beanie baby for a stuffed toy for you kitty.. or perhaps a companion animal..either feline or dog...

 

[nala and snow]

I think a snowshoe is Siamese? If so expect a VERY stubborn cat and for it to take a long time. Hopefully I'm wrong.

Thank you for your answer. I don't really know where she's from (I got her from a shelter in Malaysia) but for sure she has Siamese traits and is mixed with a tabby so she's quite vocal but at night it's a different type of meow. I don't have strong will power haha but I'm trying closing the bedroom door the second she starts howling now! We'll see, last night she meowed at my door instead...

 

[nala and snow]

Some cats yowl. Some cats do it starting as kittens and others develop it as older cats. Mine have always done it in the middle of the basement in the middle of the night. I honestly don't know why, exercising their vocal cords, relieving stress or calling to missing relatives maybe. But it is short lived, I don't think it means the cat is stressed, and except for the noise, it's harmless. So I would let it go and not worry about it

Thanks for sharing. I can't let it go as I live in a country where pets have no right. If neighbors complain, the management office could get in and take the cats out... :/

 

[nala and snow]

I dont think this is the same as a cat that wakes people up in the middle of the night? This is more like some kind of ritual?

Does she sing in the same spot every night? Maybe put something there (like a scratching post) and see what she does. Or figure out what the trigger is and desensitize her.

Ive been told some insecure cats meow before sleeping to let everyone know the place belongs to them- duno if thats true or not. If stress is the cause, maybe feliway can help.

It's a ritual... the minute I switch off the light, she goes downstairs and starts... she has all of her toys and scratch posts there. The thing is, when she's done, she comes up and sleeps for the rest of the night except if for some reasons I get up again. Then she starts from scratch

 

[nala and snow]

I had a cat who yowled every time she felt she was alone. She even had a small stuffed animal for her "baby'. I think she was too young, and too sick , when she was taken from her mom. We had to nurse her back to health with a baby bottle and eyedrops. I think she missed her mom.

This went on everyday.. There was nothing we could do to change it. We tried everything, and just learned to live with it.. sometimes, calling her to our bed would help.. but not always..

Good luck..

Try a little beanie baby for a stuffed toy for you kitty.. or perhaps a companion animal..either feline or dog...

She has a companion already, her big sister Nala. When we took Snow in, she was 3 months I think, a bit young but already in the shelter. After 2 days home she saw Nala as a mother and Nala was more than happy to provide for her, letting her nurse on her. At first when she started this behavior, I called her and she would stop. But it's not working anymore...

 

[Ceracera]

What does she do if you turn off the lights and turn them back on again? Or if you turn off the lights but dont go to bed.

What about if you shut the door and stop her from going downstairs... does she meow in the bedroom instead then?

 

[nala and snow]

If I turn off the lights but stay downstairs with my partner upstairs she wouldn't meow. What she doesn't seem to appreciate is when I go upstairs to bed. If I turn the lights back on, she would come and check what's going on, but then switching them off and she's back downstairs meowing. She doesn't do it the second we switch the lights off however, she waits 5 minutes (maybe making sure we're staying upstairs).
She likes to go upstairs during the day to have her me time and sometimes she would start meowing there, but would come straight away when I call her. This behavior is a bit of an enigma to me...

 

[NewYork1303]

Can she see in the dark? One of our cats has limited vision in the dark and will meow loudly when lights are first switched off until he settles down someplace for the night.

 

[Ceracera]

Does she do it if the room is already dark when you go to bed?

Id probably turn off the lights and stay in bed for a minute a few times a day, and see if that desensitizes her. Like... turn off the lights and get into bed, then get out before she has a chance to start. Then gradually increase the time spent in bed.

What shes doing seems quite harmless though.

 

[danteshuman]

What if you give her night lights?

 

[nala and snow]

Can she see in the dark? One of our cats has limited vision in the dark and will meow loudly when lights are first switched off until he settles down someplace for the night.

I don't think she has any issues seeing in the dark

 

[nala and snow]

What if you give her night lights?

So I've tried your advice last weekend, however instead of putting her in the bathroom I closed the bedroom door when she started singing. As soon as I closed it, she came upstairs and meowed at the door to come in but I remained strong and did not open.
For 2 nights now she hasn't been doing it!!!!! I'm hoping it will last, that would be amazing!

Thanks all ++