behavior problems in elderly cat

[JLiz]

Please, dis experts, we need your animal training advice. My husband and I have the most wonderful, loving, adorable cat ever! She is our "baby" and is an important and valued member of our family.

However, our "baby" is now 15 years old and is starting to develop some behavior problems that we do not know how to fix.

She is crying excessively at night (and most other times also but we notice it the most when we are trying to sleep). It is that wailing, despondent cry.

My husband and I like to think we are well-educated and smarter than a house cat, but apparently we are wrong! We have tried the following to no avail:

1. Verifying she has a clean litterbox, plenty of food, and fresh drinking water
2. She has not exhibited any other symptoms that would lead us to believe she is in pain or discomfort
3. She has plenty of toys but only wants to play with a catnip filled sock
4. At 4:30 in the morning, when this crying normally starts, I get out of bed, pick her, and carry her back to bed with me. She purrs and sits on or next to me for a minute or so, then jumps down and starts wailing again.
5. We have tried spraying her with a water bottle, all she does is run away and start crying in a room out of reach of the water spray
6. Our last idea is to put her in "time out. We put her in the second bedroom with the door closed and our bedroom door closed. It doesn't stop the crying but we can't hear her anymore.

If you have any insight as to why this behavior is occurring or what we can do to curtail it, my husband and I would be so appreciative.

 

[Disney Ella]

At her age, it could be a sign of dementia. If that's the case, I don't know that you can really do much about it, except what you are doing - confining her to a room at night so that she doesn't disturb your sleep.

http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/diseasesconditionscat/tp/feline-dementia.htm

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Has she had a complete medical examination and what was the vet's opinion?

 

[nhrenee]

Please call your vet.

 

[tiggersbombed2]

Honey, my guy started doing that, I took him to the vet and he's got early kidney disease. The vet said that this is what most elderly cats get and what usually causes their death. She said once diagnosed they can have anywhere from 3 months to 3+ years, but that early intervention was important.

Nothing they do can cure it, but diet change and extra fluids can make them MUCH more comfortable and like their old selves. She could be suffering from dehydration, as it's hard for them to get enough water into their bodies with this.

Of course...she could just be wanting an extra treat . Please take her to a vet and get a check up including blood work. It'll set your mind at ease and let you know what's really up.

 

[TwinsinCA]

Our cat is 18 and does the same thing. Not usually quite that early, but early enough that we are all still sleeping.

At first I thought it was because she couldn't find us/forgets where we are. But like your cat does, she will come up on the bed for a while if we call to her and then leave and start right back up again. I know her hearing is not what it used to be. So I can understand why she might be louder than she was. But I don't get why that time of day.

We took her to the vet and they did a complete blood work up. Considering her age, she's doing well.

If she was younger we would probably try harder to break her of the habit, but she's so old we cut her a lot of slack. But I know how annoying it is.

 

[klmall]

Our furbaby, Moxie, a 17 year-old female started this excessive wailing too, about six months ago. Thank goodness she only does it in the daytime. She'll just be walking around and suddenly lets out these horrible wails. She is really attached to our son who is home most of the time so he just calls out to her and she calms down. If he isn't around, one of us just calls out her name and she usually stops.

We get her checked out every six months at the vet and other than a heart problem that she has had since birth she seems fine. She has a very hearty appetite but does sleep a good portion of most days. The cries are extremely piercing and unusual though. We keep forgetting to tell the vet when we take her in.

I think these weird cries are a sign of dementia myself; I tell my family that 'her neurons aren't connecting properly anymore' but they refuse to believe she has any problems. We lost her "buddy cat" a couple years ago due to a sudden stroke in the night so they won't give in to accepting losing this one easily.

I too, would take your cat in for a checkup. Good luck!

 

[MomofKatie]

Our Woody kitty did the same thing (though not as excessive) the last 3 years of his life. He died when he was almost 17. He only cried at bedtime, and usually when he was downstairs and we were already in bed. When he would start up, I'd get out of bed and stand at the top of the stairs, then tell him, "We are up here! Bedtime!" He would run up the stairs to me- then I would carry him to bed and he would be OK for the night.

We used to say that he had a touch of kitty Alzheimer's- if he couldn't see us, he thought we were gone when we went to bed. The vet said there was nothing physically wrong with him, other than the usual old age issues.

 

[samshane]

My 13yr old cat does that as well some nights... recently she has been to the vet for a lot of issues and has been diagoned with ideopathic cystitis. But that has nothing to do with the meowing - she just does that. What's worse is the my 4yr old cat does it even louder than the 13yr old cat. So between the 2 of them some nights - it's crazy.

 

[Gigi22]

Could be your kitty has become deaf, and is wailing because she can no longer hear anything. Please take your cat to a vet for diagnosis.

 

[bellebud]

Let us know what the vet says... I do hope you start there.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I don't think the Alzheimer's and the kidney disease connection is far fetched. When kidneys aren't working right, toxins stay in the blood and create changes in the brain that, in effect, can cause confusion and other organic changes in behavior that essentially amount to the same effect either way.

Not a cat expert by any means but my friend had a cat last year who had this nighttime wailing issue as well and it was in fact kidney failure related.

If not kidney failure, I would think it would be some kind of discomfort, whether it's emotional or physical. Especially in a cat that's never done it before. I think the timing is probably relevant as well. (? a certain amount of time after eating, for instance.)

 

[JLiz]

Thank you all so much for the replies. I'm glad we're not the only ones with this issue; there is comfort in knowing we aren't alone.

She has arthritis and asthma so she goes to the vet fairly frequently. She had blood work done within 6 months, this wailing started before that, but has increased in frequency in the last month.

Our vet has closed for the afternoon already but I will take her tomorrow.

I know she isn't deaf, she responds to her name and the rustling of her treat and food bags. Her appetite has decreased a little. I would say it is on par with the decrease in appetite I see in elderly people, though. She drinks a lot of water (always has) and goes to the bathroom with the same frequency as always.

 

[FergieTCat]

Fergie does the same thing! We need a support group!!!

The thing is, sadly, she didn't start until after Diana passed away. She and Diana were littermates, and were never apart in 18 years. They shared their bed, so I think it's because she gets lonely at night. At first she was carrying on, now she just meows incessantly until I wake up. I live in a one bedroom apartment, so there's no where to put her. I sleep with earplugs. Sometimes I'll go to living room and sit on the recliner so she can sleep on my lap. I know, I know, she has me trained, but that's the only way I can get any sleep.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

Honey, my guy started doing that, I took him to the vet and he's got early kidney disease. The vet said that this is what most elderly cats get and what usually causes their death. She said once diagnosed they can have anywhere from 3 months to 3+ years, but that early intervention was important.

Nothing they do can cure it, but diet change and extra fluids can make them MUCH more comfortable and like their old selves. She could be suffering from dehydration, as it's hard for them to get enough water into their bodies with this.

Of course...she could just be wanting an extra treat . Please take her to a vet and get a check up including blood work. It'll set your mind at ease and let you know what's really up.

OMG I could've written this! My mom's cat started doing this within the past few months. The vet said she had a urinary tract infection along with the early stages of kidney disease. She is a 16 year old cat.

 

[Ember]

My cat does it occasionally, but she's only 2. I'm pretty sure she does it just to drive me batty. (She's been all checked out by the vet, and she's perfectly healthy.)

My old fur baby started to cry when she was getting sick, with renal failure. Like a PP said, it's so great we caught it early. She went on a special diet and lived another 2 1/2 years, to the old age of 18 and was quite healthy right until the very end.

 

[MichelleVW]

Fergie does the same thing! We need a support group!!!

The thing is, sadly, she didn't start until after Diana passed away. She and Diana were littermates, and were never apart in 18 years. They shared their bed, so I think it's because she gets lonely at night. At first she was carrying on, now she just meows incessantly until I wake up. I live in a one bedroom apartment, so there's no where to put her. I sleep with earplugs. Sometimes I'll go to living room and sit on the recliner so she can sleep on my lap. I know, I know, she has me trained, but that's the only way I can get any sleep.

I have 4 cats, but my two boys are inseparable litter mates and I dread the day when one of them goes before the other. They cry and wail if they can't find each other now.

 

[LaurenLC]

This was our 18 (yes, 18) year old cat Misty last year. The last time we took her to our vet for her annual visit we were told that Misty had kidney failure, most likely dementia, and a slew of other problems. Our vet gave us options, but told us that honestly it was probably time to put Misty to sleep. It was one of the HARDEST things we had ever done, but she was in so much pain! Sadly our pets don't last as long as we do.

 

[SaraJayne]

We also have a "wailer, in our 19 year old kitty. She's perfectly healthy (as far as liver/kidneys, etc go).

Vet says she probably has a touch of dementia. Nothing we do makes a difference and it's very frustrating, being woken up numerous times a night for months in a row.

She's slowed down a lot and her appetite has decreased greatly, but is otherwise healthy. She's on limited time (which we've known the last couple years).

 

[Squirrel!!!]

Increased vocalization is super common, and often has to be chocked up to confusion, "oldtimers", kitty dementia, but common diseases in our oldsters that contribute to caterwauling are: renal disease and it's hand in hand hypertension,( so hopefully your veterinarian has a BP system for cats), and hyperthyroidism. A blood panel will be looking for those. Big changes can occur in 6 months, as you know.

I wish you luck with your cat, howling you awake, no matter the kitty love gets tiresome!!!!