As a cat owner, you may have experienced this – you are in your deep sleep at night, and suddenly, you hear that your cat is yowling. It becomes a nightmare, and it’s earsplitting. You may be clueless.
Cats make different types of noises. Some sounds are very familiar, and some are extremely weird. There is nothing surprising about purrs, meows, and trills. But when they yowl suddenly, you may be wondering if something is wrong with them. Down the line, they are more alarming, and at the same time, more annoying than usual. Why does your cat yowl? Are they trying to tell you something important? Is there any way that you can make them stop yowling? In this article, you can learn them in detail.
When does your cat yowl?
When the cats make any sound, you must know that they are trying to talk to you. As humans, you cannot understand the technical language of cats. But it is easy to figure out what they are trying to convey. Most of the time, all that a cat wants is attention from you. However, yowling is too overwhelming to avoid.
Cats are not too feisty about their work during the daytime. If you are a pet owner, you must know by now that they are also active all the time. Technically, they are known as crepuscular creatures. Meaning they are engaged in both dusk and dawn. For them, the day and night are the same, and hence, they start to make noises without any specific time. They yowl for various reasons. But the only difference is that cat yowling has a stronger emotion than other sounds like purring and meowing. It is a threat or warning for anything that troubles or bothers them.
Cats yowl because they are hungry
Cats are yowling heavily at your face because they are hungry. Until their food bowl gets refilled, they yowl a lot. If this is the reason, you can quickly rule it out by keeping some extra food. However, from the initial stages, make a habit for your cat to eat sufficiently. Please don’t overfeed your cat as it may lead to many other problems like pet obesity. Always keep a cup extra than usual just in case to feed them while they are hungry.
Seek more attention
Although the cats are known for surviving alone, sometimes they need company too. Many cat owners think that they are aloof loners, but seeking attention is natural to them. Consider you were out the whole day or coming back from a business trip or vacation, they start yowling continuously. They wanted to show their affection by making these sounds and continually trying to be around you.
When they are extremely bored
Just like humans, even cats tend to get bored quickly. Thus, many cat enthusiasts suggest making them practice for the outside environment along with the inside play fun. After a point of time, they become frustrated being inside. Hence, they yowl continuously and have some little outdoor time. Introduce them to any interactive fun, which will make the cats feel less bored. Toys like EHH Interactive are very useful and act as an exercise for them.
They have a hormone issue
When you say the “Hormone” issue, people often misjudge. But if the cats are between two to four years of age, it is time for their breeding. If they yowl during this period, their heat is high because of the hormones. This yowling is different from other sounds, which are very terrible. It disturbs not only owners but also everyone in the neighborhood. The only way to stop this is to help them get spayed. Take them to the vet and check the process for them to get spayed.
They may experience pain
Most cats instinctively hide their pain. They start yowling if the pain becomes intolerant. It may be due to arthritis, any injury or illness, or any health issue. The sound is continuous, and you can see the rhythmic crying. Slowly pat them and check underneath their fur if they have been hurt. If the injury is physical and there is any blood wound, then give them first aid to help them get cured. But in case you cannot find anything, then you need to rush to the vet for help.
These are some of the important reasons why cats are yowling. However, there are similarly more reasons which may look strange. But the table given below will help you understand them.
Reason for Cat yowling |
Cat’s yowling types |
What can be done? |
Behavioral changes |
Continuous yowling accompanied by scratching of the furniture |
Distract them by giving them scratch toys.Ensure that they get along with the other kittens by taking them outside |
Cognitive dysfunction |
Yowling like crying, mild but continuous – Mostly at the night |
Proper nourishing food and milk during the night meal will help them sleep well without making noise. |
Indigestion |
The yowling sound is low, and they do not carry any other physical activities |
Give them digestive meals at night. Also, wet foods like Purina Fancy fest can help them to get easily digested. |
Aggressive |
An aggressive yowling with creepy noises. They also push or run around the place while making the sounds |
Spend time with the cat and relieve them from anxiety.Offer them a good time to play outside and interact with them quite often. |
New place |
Slow and steady yowling. Accompanied by purring sometimes |
Don’t give the cats a dark place to sleep. Give them comfort by providing the same sleeping mat, food bowl, and litter so that they feel they belong in the place. |
Wrap Up
Even though the yowling of cats seems to be normal, it can affect the quality of life for both cats and yours as well. You may feel triggered by the sound if not figured out the reason. Many vets can easily find out the reason and provide remedies. You can also consult a cat behaviorist who will be able to provide you with the root cause of the yowling sounds and tell you how you can help the cats in resolving them.
