The cat yells at night - instructions on what to do if it doesn’t let you sleep

It is completely natural for a cat to stay awake at night. Like all predators, it has the ability to see perfectly in the dark. Therefore, when in the dark she tries to attack your legs, she does this not out of harm, but following her hunting instincts. But, if these actions can still be explained, then finding the reason why the cat yells at night does not seem to be such a simple matter.

Moreover, if during the day this seemingly sweetest pet strives to rub against your legs, purrs and caresses. And the positive influence of cats on the nervous system of their owners has long been proven - they calm and heal with just their appearance. But to what extent they are able to drive these same owners with their heart-rending screaming at night! Even the thick walls of the apartment cannot save you and even the strongest nerves cannot withstand. Some people claim that castration solves the problem, but this is not true. Even when castrated and properly fattened after that, a cat can howl in a bad voice in the middle of the night.

But, in fact, there is a logical explanation for this cat behavior. Moreover, it can manifest itself not only at night, but also during the day.

Reasons why a cat screams at night

It’s not difficult to cope with your pet’s nightly “concerts”. You just need to find out the reason for such strange behavior. Some animals are “talkative” by nature and can yell, commenting on any event, be it a flying fly or an overfilled tray. Others - convinced silent people - yell only in emergency cases, when it is truly vital. Let's try to understand the reasons for the behavior of both.

Hormonal surges

If your cat was not sterilized on time, the heartbreaking screams that initially made you jump on your bed in a pre-heart attack state will soon become firmly part of your daily routine. The neighboring uncastrated cats, who regularly gather under the windows of your house and delight you with nightly serenades, answer her no less loudly. Only urgent sterilization can change the situation. If you are going to start breeding cats, all you have to do is find a suitable spouse for your pet, then for some time you will be able to sleep completely peacefully.

Pet disease

Your elderly cat was spayed a long time ago, but suddenly resumed her nightly concerts? Be sure to show her to your veterinarian. Such cries may indicate some kind of disease or nervous disorder, which is sometimes found in old animals. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to cure a cat, however, with the help of properly selected medications, you can maintain the animal in adequate condition for a long time.

Sometimes animals scream loudly when experiencing severe pain - for example, in the stomach. If your cat is healthy, he completely calmly allows you to feel his stomach, without showing the slightest resistance.

Neutered older cats may cry due to urolithiasis, in which the process of emptying the bladder causes severe pain.

It often happens that a sterilized cat suddenly starts screaming, demanding a cat. Sometimes this happens - for example, if part of the ovary was not removed. In this case, you must definitely consult a veterinarian.

Parasites

Has the always balanced, not too active cat become restless and scream loudly? It is possible that it is time to worm it. Just in case, take him to the vet.

To attract attention

Does your pet scream at night for no reason? He may be trying his best to get your attention. "For what?" - you ask. Let's say the day before you took him into your bed and now he protests against his modest couch, resolutely preferring the vast expanses of the master's bed to such spartan conditions. Or maybe you treated him to something forbidden, and therefore especially tasty, and the little sly one wants to continue the banquet. Some owners take the path of least resistance, giving the cat a coveted piece of sausage at an inopportune hour or allowing the cat to spend the night snoring blissfully in a duvet cover. But it's better not to do this. Cats are notorious manipulators. Once the owner shows weakness, the next time it will no longer be a request, but a demand.

Sense of anxiety

Sometimes cats start screaming, anticipating a natural disaster or some tragic event in the life of their owners. There are widely known cases where pets used shrill screams to warn their owners about a fire, a gas leak, or an approaching earthquake.

House cats often scream, signaling that a severe cold snap is approaching. If your cat either jumps onto your lap, meowing anxiously and looking into your face, or dives under the blanket, and does this repeatedly, do not waste time - take care of insulating your home. Intuition never fails our pets.

Many cat owners pay attention to the fact that their pets begin to scream heart-rendingly when uninvited guests approach, with whom their owners are at odds.

Battle for territory

Cats, laying claim to their territory, place pungently smelling marks everywhere. But not only that. The cat, which nature has endowed with powerful lungs, screams in a guttural voice, warning the cats living nearby that they do not dare cross the border of the territory generously sprayed by him. Cats do this especially often when they change their place of residence.

Yearning

Little kittens, left too early without their mother and not having time to get used to their new home, often cry at night, asking for attention and affection. Please be a little patient! Try to calm the baby down, stroke him gently, talk to him. If it's convenient for you, place your kitten's bed next to your bed to make him feel safe. Cover your kitten with a wool blanket to keep him warm and calm, and be sure to pet him from time to time to let him know you're nearby. Very soon your little pet will get used to it and stop crying at night.

Lack of attention or boredom

Very often, owners allow a young cat to sleep in their feet, where he gets used to their smell and warmth. However, having acquired a child or deciding that the pet is already too old, they evict it to the litter. Of course he won't like it. The most flexible individuals can tolerate injustice, others will scream at night for a very long time, demanding to be let back in. The calculation is usually justified: the owner, tired of the “singing,” will definitely come out to calm his pet down. While you are sitting next to you, the cat is calmly purring on the rug, but as soon as you go into the bedroom, everything repeats itself. Therefore, it would be better to show strength of character for a few days.

In addition, if this has not happened before, but today your furry pet screams incessantly, you should pay attention to the surrounding situation. Cats amazingly anticipate earthquakes and react sharply to minor smoke.

Perhaps he is simply warning you of danger.

How to deal with a cat screaming at night - instructions

When a cat, who until recently behaved completely calmly, begins to scream at night, the first thing to do is show him to an experienced veterinarian. Only a specialist can help you understand the reasons for your pet’s restless behavior.

If your unneutered cat screams at night, what to do in this case is dictated by simple logic: let the poor guy go free. True, there are products on sale that help cope with sexual desire. However, they can only be used as an exception, since they can cause serious damage to your pet’s health. In the future, it is advisable to neuter the cat in order to once and for all protect yourself from sleepless nights, and protect your pet from injury and even death.

And if a castrated cat screams at night, what should you do then? Perhaps not much time has passed since the operation and the hormonal changes in the body have not yet completed. Only patience can help here. Soon the nightly shouting should stop.

But it also happens that in the middle of the night a sterilized cat, who has forgotten even to think about breeding, suddenly starts screaming. Most likely, she just got bored. If you have other pets, they will quickly call the night owl to order. All you have to do is arm yourself with a ball or string and play a little with your pet. Of course, you won’t do this every night; you also need to rest. The best way out is to play properly before bed, then your furry fidget will sleep very soundly.

If a castrated cat yells

More often than not, young, uncastrated/unsterilized animals cause concern to owners. The problem is resolved after a scheduled visit to the veterinarian. The best age for an animal to be sterilized is 1 year. If you do this later, the behavior may develop and the cat will continue to scream out of habit. But don't expect the screaming to stop right away. The animal may continue to scream for a week or two, as the hormonal levels need time to change.

If enough time has passed after castration or sterilization, and the cat still continues to give nightly concerts, the veterinarian may have performed the operation poorly. Sometimes part of the gonads remains, and they produce hormones that awaken the sexual instinct. If you suspect this state of affairs, you should contact a veterinary clinic.

Castration or sterilization is the optimal solution to the problem of a pet’s night cries

How not to behave

Of course, the patience of any person is by no means unlimited. Your cat has been treated kindly, fed, watered, neutered - and still continues to scream? Do not rush to grab a broom or, even worse, raise your voice at your pet. Violent measures will not help here. The cat may become frightened or offended, and in this case he may begin to take revenge. It is almost impossible to predict exactly how. Animals are subtle psychologists. They know your most vulnerable spots very well. Rest assured, this will not end peacefully. New wallpaper torn to shreds, puddles in the bed and unattractive piles in shoes are just a small part of what an angry cat is capable of.

Therefore, we kindly request you! – don’t make your life more difficult by punishing him. Try to understand the reason for his behavior and do everything possible to eliminate it.

A pet is a living creature

The situation in our home is always under our control, so it seems to us. If you wanted to have a pet - once you eat, you have to go to bed - everyone should shut up. But cats don’t adapt to their owner’s wishes; they also have their own desires, needs, and even their own mood.

The surrounding residents are unhappy, the cat’s behavior is strange, and the screams at night are unreasonable. What to do in such a situation, after all, do not throw it out into the street?

The main thing is, if this happened and the cat started yelling, find out the reasons based on the symptoms. Indeed, you need to understand what is behind these symptoms.

A hormonal surge is the first and main reason for such behavior in a pet.

The beginning of March, a famous time in the world of cats, who hasn’t heard of it? Modern windows save residents of the first floors of apartment buildings; close the window - no problem, silence. In private houses they also install such windows, but when a cat is yelling in the next room, what should you do? They just scream like that, cats have the same rules.

The greatest likelihood of such a cry is sexual hunting. In a situation where the cat is not sterilized, such a “concert” will be repeated regularly. He is not shouting out of arrogance or harmfulness, his time has come.

He shows the world around him his strength and readiness to reproduce. This is all in the hope that his other half will hear him and respond to his songs. This is one of the most powerful instincts in animals and attempts to suppress it will lead nowhere. All you have to do is wait it out.

We’ll touch on what to do and what to do, but now let’s remind you about what not to do.

Veterinarian advice

You can calm a cat that regularly yells at night with the help of medications or folk remedies, but veterinarians advise not to abuse either one. It may well be that the reason for your pet’s yelling lies in adaptation to the new home, fear of strangers (if you have guests), aggression towards other four-legged residents. The best remedy against yelling in this case is affection and attention.

If you nevertheless decide to resort to a sedative, veterinarians advise:

do not abuse such drugs, as they are quickly addictive, and in the worst case, lead to serious health problems;
closely monitor your pet’s well-being - the slightest signs of illness in the form of excessive drowsiness, nausea or vomiting may indicate an atypical reaction of the body to any component;
Don’t buy a drug just because it helps your neighbor’s dog—the same dose will have different effects on animals of different species, sizes, and genders.

Before purchasing any sedative for your cat, be sure to consult with your veterinarian.

A pet is a living creature

The surrounding residents are unhappy, the cat’s behavior is strange, and the screams at night are unreasonable. What to do in such a situation, after all, do not throw it out into the street?

The main thing is, if this happened and the cat started yelling, find out the reasons based on the symptoms. Indeed, you need to understand what is behind these symptoms.

A hormonal surge is the first and main reason for such behavior in a pet.

We’ll touch on what to do and what to do, but now let’s remind you about what not to do.

Folk remedies for fighting orom

The nightly concerts of pets get on the nerves so much that their owners, despairing of finding a radical remedy, are finding their own ways to calm the “singers”:

Spray bottle with water . It has been noticed that if you specifically spray water on a cat’s tail, its owner will have no time for songs. For some time he will be busy licking his main decoration and will calm down for a while. If after this he starts yelling again, threaten him with a spray gun. Most likely, the cat will hide in a secluded shelter and soon fall asleep.
A game. If your pet is not in nature and is forced to spend all his time within four walls, he has no way to relieve excess energy. Outdoor games can help with this - only, of course, not at night, but shortly before you go to bed. Having had a good run and relieved the accumulated tension, your pet will sleep without its hind legs. If you have neither the energy nor the time to play, hang two or three toys near you on strong laces - the cat, rejoicing that you are watching him, will happily catch them, and having had enough fun, he will fall sound asleep.
Nutrition adjustments . Save the largest portion of cat food for evening feeding. Having properly refreshed himself, the cat will sleep soundly until the morning, completely forgetting about vocal lessons.

Diseases, pain

So, a baby cat will not meow without a reason. There is always a reason for this, but it can be difficult to recognize it, identify it accurately and eliminate it alone. So, if a young furry has become a member of your family, then you should always have a good veterinarian who can help.

A small kitten is primarily a growing organism that may encounter some problems

If the baby shows concern, you, as the owner, should immediately pay attention to this. Often breeders are faced with the question, why does a kitten constantly meow? In this article you will find the answer to it

There may be several reasons for this behavior; as soon as you figure out which one applies to your pet, you will be able to quickly find a solution.

1. Difficult adaptation Moving to a new home is stressful for a kitten. If you have just taken him away from his mother and other kittens, then he may meow for this very reason. Very young kittens, which are not yet two months old, are especially susceptible to this stress. The solution to the problem is not difficult - you need to create conditions for him similar to those in which he lived with his mother cat. Prepare a warm heating pad for him, wrapped in a soft cloth, preferably fluffy. This way he will feel warmth similar to his mother’s and will be able to quickly fall asleep. Give him as much attention as possible, and then he will understand that instead of his mother, she has a new breadwinner and protector - a person. As a rule, it takes several days to a week to adapt, then the kitten will be able to completely relax and understand that he is at home.

2. Lack of attention If the kitten has been living with you for more than a week, but still shows signs of anxiety and constantly meows, this is a reason to think about whether you are paying enough attention to it. Domestic cats are mostly social creatures; they constantly need to feel that they are not alone. Play with the kitten more, talk to it, make contact, even if it is a little afraid of you. In the latter situation, you should not be zealous and communicate with the kitten only when he himself shows interest in you. Buy or make toys for him so that he can have fun when you are not at home. Cats need very little to be happy!

3.Health problems As sad as it may be, such restless behavior may indicate health problems. The kitten feels bad and wants to somehow show it to the owner to the best of his ability. You need to observe your pet, first of all, paying attention to how regularly he eats and goes to the toilet. If the kitten is active, eats with appetite, and goes to the toilet regularly, then most likely health problems are not your case, carefully re-read the first two points again. Most often, kittens “complain” about problems with digestion, because in the new home he has switched to new food, and the body needs to somehow get used to it. Stroke the kitten's tummy often, just as the mother cat did when she licked him. This massage perfectly stimulates the digestive system.

When a long-awaited mewing creature appears in the house, in addition to joy, many worries emerge. One of which is why does the kitten constantly meow? Most owners become concerned when the timbre of the voice changes or if the pet begins to meow at night. Zoologists say that a change in timbre may indicate that the animal is hungry or is bothered by something, or wants to go to the toilet. In our article we will talk about what to do if a cat constantly meows, and how the owner should react to this.

The reasons why kittens meow are different from why adult cats meow:

Sometimes he says that he is stressed, especially if he has just been taken into the house. In this case, you need to let the animal get used to it and leave it alone. A common reason if a kitten has just been taken into the home is that it is feeling hungry.

The fact is that the animal does not know where the bowl or toilet is; the baby is not yet accustomed to the location. When a kitten meows, it means that you need to play with it, as if in this way it attracts attention. If kittens meow outside the door at night, then you shouldn’t indulge them in this. Otherwise, it may become a habit, he will understand that he is being played with

Then the cat will react in a similar way. Most of all, it is an expression of love.

Medicines to calm you down

In order to calm an angry cat, there are many medications:

calming tablets;
drops;
solutions for injections.

The most popular of them:

Fitex - soothing drops with motherwort, valerian and hops, help relieve stress and normalize heart function;
Stop-stress – quite strong tablets and drops that reduce the activity of the animal’s brain, but are not addictive;
Cat Bayun is a powerful sedative in the form of a solution and tablets, intended to relieve aggression (especially in cases where the cat is marking the apartment and is overly nervous), as well as to relieve estrus in cats.

All other drugs pose a danger to the health of cats, so it is better not to use them.

Pros of surgery

If a cat marks an apartment, then owners are often inclined to treat it with castration. In fact, this will only help if the cause is sexual hunting. But territorial claims, worries about lack of attention and pain, any stress - all this can also lead to the fact that the cat begins to mark everything around. But castration is not a panacea.

What more needs to be said? The operation to remove the testicles does not lead to excess weight gain, and the animal does not become infantile and lethargic, contrary to popular belief. On the contrary, his character improves, the pet becomes more sociable, affectionate and playful. I should add that it is best to castrate young cats. If your pet has been living with you for many years, and every time during sexual heat it screams at night, tears wallpaper and furniture, then such habits will not go away immediately after castration.

Sterilization

Sterilization is considered a cardinal method of solving the problem, which has its opponents and supporters. However, despite all the disadvantages, sterilization is the only long-term and guaranteed way to rid an animal of sexual desire and fertilization. There are two types of sterilization:

surgical;
chemical

In the first case, the procedure is irreversible and involves removal of the uterus or ovaries. Chemical sterilization of cats gives a temporary effect and is based on the administration of hormonal drugs that suppress the functionality of the genital organs responsible for reproduction.

Hormones often provoke the occurrence and development of cancer and diabetes, which must be taken into account when choosing one method or another. The chemical method of solving the problem also includes radiation exposure, which is considered one of the safest for animal health, but, of course, irreversible.

After operation

Injections for cats instead of sterilization in excellent health allow them to restore sexual function in the future, while drastic measures are aimed at the absolute cessation of sexual activity in animals.

Duration, frequency and manifestations of estrus in cats

The period of sexual activity is associated not only with age, but also with the time of year. Hence the term “March cat”. It is especially difficult for owners whose six-month-old pet coincides with the spring period. At this time, females are most active. A pet in this state is capable of the following unpleasant actions:

attack the owner;
howl during the day and at night;
jump out the window.

The animal does everything it can to get out of the house. The pet’s brain at this moment is geared only to performing the reproductive function. An animal may not show signs of sexual desire for a year. The most aggressive period lasts about two weeks after the onset of estrus.

First symptoms:

The animal refuses food;
Goes to the toilet frequently;
The female develops discharge from the genitals, and organ enlargement occurs.

Cats are less aggressive than cats during the acute breeding season, but still their behavior can infuriate the most patient person. For a month they can disturb with loud screams, scratch and even bite the owner. A cat without a cat begins to rub against the furniture. Plus, during the day the animal wriggles and gives no rest to its owners.

What should the owner not do?

Many problems have their origins in early childhood, and in cats too. Kittens should not be pampered and allowed to sleep anywhere. Immediately accustom the little cat to the bed, otherwise he will meow hysterically all night, asking to go to the owner’s bedroom.

If you have taken all possible measures, including sterilization (castration), care, attention and proper diet, and the cat is still yelling, do not hit it under any circumstances. Cats are very vindictive, and no one knows what surprises to expect from a pet in the near future. And in general, any violence against animals is blasphemy, which should be excluded from the options for measures. The animal will still not tolerate such treatment and is unlikely to follow your lead.

Only patience and care can work wonders in the fragile and unique world of animals. If you haven't figured out what your cat is asking for with his cries, you should keep trying. In the end, you will find an approach to your pet and begin to get enough sleep at night.