Cat 'shouting' overnight - anything else I can do?

[SpottyMare]

Brief(ish!) precis...

18 months ago my (at least) 15yr old cat was diagnosed with high blood pressure and a couple of months later with chronic kidney disease. He'd been shouting loudly (really piercing loud miaows) overnight (only) for a couple of months. He was put on 2 BP tablets a day plus semintra for his kidneys. Looking at some of the symptoms, the vet thought that he was also possibly going a bit senile, plus the shouting is also a symptom of the kidney disease and/or senility according to some research I've done. I spent up until Feb this year surviving on approx 2 to 4 hours sleep, as the noise kept waking me intermittently all night. I wasn't keen, but due to sleep deprivation I agreed to putting him on liquid fluoxetine - I couldn't get him to take it (and I can get tablets down him!). Then we tried clomicalm, but that gave him really bad diarrhoea and he seemed really distressed for the couple of days he was on it, so that was binned. Then a couple of months later, he suddenly stopped - so he's been quiet all night since May. Then a couple of weeks ago, the night shouting started up again - not as bad initially, and not every night, but starting to get worse.

I really don't want to sedate him in case it masks anything else, and in addition to what I've said above I have night lights through the upstairs so he doesn't get confused in the dark, and I have 2 felliway diffusers chugging away. Routine is consistent, as is his environment. I can't shut my bedroom door as he digs up the carpet and scratches, and as he's always slept by me that seems a bit unfair - I'd imagine I'd still hear him anyway. He can't go downstairs as I don't trust the dogs with him unsupervised.

He's well in himself - he's lost a little weight over the last year, but nothing significant. He still likes a fuss, and purrs away quite happily. He'll play if he's in the mood, but spends most of his time sleeping these days. There's nothing about him that says he's in pain or in any way distressed. He can still jump up onto my bed (slower and more carefully now), and he's looking a bit scruffier as he's not grooming as much, but he is still grooming himself. Still uses the litter tray fine. He's just getting on a bit.

Does anyone have any ideas for ANYTHING else I can try to settle him at night? He can nap during the day - I can't

Anyone who's got this far gets a G&T and some cake..

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

It seems that you've done everything you possibly can for your puss TBH.

Just a thought: would one of those hooded/closed-in cat beds help him? I think they're called Igloo or something. Would he go into one do you think? Or you can get "cat forts" which give them something to go underneath and are basically working on the same basic idea of giving the cat somewhere cosy to hide away if it needs to. Or (ever so much cheaper option!) would be to get a cardboard box and cut out a little shape in front big enough for him to go in, and put his blanket (or his bed) which will already have his scent, inside it, and see if that helps him?

Have you tried a few drops of Rescue Remedy in his water-bowl? That might help maybe, but you've already got your Feliway diffusers going.....

Has your vet got any suggestions about how you can manage the shouting problem?

 

[cobgoblin]

Oh dear, it does sound as though he's going a bit senile and getting confused in the night.

I hate to say this but I think you are going to have to make a difficult decision soon. You can't keep missing sleep.

 

[BeckyFlowers]

Has he been recently tested for hyperthyroidism? Yowling and acting a bit senile, as well as weight loss, are symptoms.

 

[SpottyMare]

Thank you all for replying

MiJods - my mum made him an enclosed cat bed, like an igloo but dome shaped. Being a typical cat, he was very ungrateful and ignored it! He does hide under the sofa bed in the spare room, which is quite cave like as you can't see under it, plus he has another couple of closed in hidey holes.
I'll give the Rescue Remedy a go - hadn't thought of that!

The vets suggestion was the anti depressants as a last resort, and if that didn't work then to consider pts.

cobgoblin - the vet did skirt around that earlier this year when he prescribed the fluoxetine as I was so resistant to sedating him, but it just doesn't feel like he's there yet

Becky - he's had his thyroid checked every 3 to 4 months over the last year as he gets regular check ups now he's started getting on a bit

 

[BeckyFlowers]

Sounds like an upsetting situation all round
Only other thing I would suggest is speaking to your vet about being referred to a feline behaviourist.

 

[MagicMelon]

Im sure it wont help but I bet you're willing to try anything! One of my Bengals (who does not have any illness - yours may well be totally due to that) starts to cry at night, I keep her down one end of the house at night so the kitchen door is closed, about 1 / 2am she will always start clawing at the door and crying loudly. I spent ages trying to work out why as she never used to do it - apparently its because I fitted a stairgate on the bottom of my staircase (young kids) and when closed she cant climb over it to go upstairs to sleep on the guest bed and scratch her claws on the carpet (no carpet in the bits she's in otherwise). All I have to do is open the stairgate before bed and she's silent. Sounds bizarre but have you changed or moved anything she might like sleeping or scratching on etc.?

I really hope you get it sorted OP, not good

 

[SEL]

This happened to both my Mum's cats as they got old. One was better when they put food and water by her favourite upstairs sleeping position and the other shut up when a human came and lifted him up onto the bed - he was too stiff to jump.

I've got a 9yo that's noisy at night and I think she's just announcing her presence ' at 3am - when she's come in from mousing. No idea how to stop her.

 

[SpottyMare]

MM - I'm definitely willing to try anything! Unfortunately I haven't changed anything in the last 3 years - he lives upstairs, everything (furniture, food, litter tray etc) is all in exactly the same place as it's always been. Funnily enough, I also have a gate at the bottom of the stairs, but that's been there around 3 years as well, so predates the shouting.

SEL - my other cat (no longer with me) used to do the 3am thing. He would also let me know if it had been raining by dripping on my face. He'd got caught outside in a storm once, so I took pity on him when he came in and wrapped him in a warm towel, and from then on he expected that even when only a little damp Shouty cat can still jump on the bed (even if he lands a little more heavily than he used to). He sometimes gets on the bed to shout, but not always - it's also a slightly different noise, so that one does feel like he's announcing his presence and demanding attention.

When he does the real ear piercing stuff he seems to be staring, fixated on one spot, and just repetitively miaowing. Sometimes it appears to be at one of his toys, other times at nothing. He seems to snap out of it if I say his name quite loudly (I think he might also be going deaf), or touch him - almost like you've hit 'reset', as it seems to jolt him out of something.

 

[Fransurrey]

I had an elderly cat with CKD and also hyperthyroidism. The yowling was helped considerably by feeding her last thing at night, before I went to bed (about 11 pm). Hers was particularly loud, as she was stone deaf!

 

[Milliechaz]

Im the same as Fransurrey, I have a 20 year old with hyperthyroidism and she is also going senile and is deaf as a post. Thing is she is happy and healthy in every other way so I have no reason to call it a day yet.

I put her out for a wee and feed her before I go to bed and its now only a couple of times a week that she wails in the night, usually when she's been out for a wee in the middle of the night and comes back in the cat flap

 

[SpottyMare]

Thanks both - I'll try giving him extra food before I go to bed. He went to the vet a few days ago and had lost some weight (now a 'high stage 2' kidney condition) so it may help that too (he's been having extra dreamies since as he loves them!).

I'm fairly sure about the deafness now as well, as he doesn't seem to hear/notice me until I'm practically stood on him

 

[dogatemysalad]

My elderly cat with dementia, went blind and partly deaf. She'd always been an independent who preferred being outdoors, but with her dementia, she became more needy of human reassurance and when she started shouting, I used to stop whatever I was doing and sit with her on my lap. It reduced her anxiety and she'd purr in gratitude. It was tiring and demanding at the time, but it was her final days and in hindsight, she was worth every moment.
All I can say, is that it's hard, but you're doing everything you can.

 

[Blackwijet]

Definite signs of dementia - I had this with my siamese. This will sound silly but something like an old fashioned ticking clock under a teddybear or other cuddly toy in his bed may help. Used to use this a a soothing method of my old girl (had her bed on my bed too) and it did seem to help a little bit. The ticking clock mimics a heartbeat so its a bit like being next to their mum when they are kittens. Works for stressed pups too when they first come home!

 

[Chianti]

Maybe wake ups and is hungry? You could try one of the battery operated feeders and time it to open when he first wakes you up. They have 2-4 sections so you could try little and often feed during the night. If it's at all stress related the Zlykene is very good and is easily mixed into feed.

 

[Valadictory]

My one cat has always done this, so we developed a habit of giving him wet food before we went to bed. He gets plenty of wet food, he grooms himself then settles back down to sleep. The other cat, we suspect is beginning to show signs of senility, she keeps nudging me awake in the middle of the night to fuss her.

Sometimes Natures Pet Remedy can help more than Feliway, although it does smell more. Also sometimes cat antidepressants can help if it's being caused by anxiety.

 

[PurBee]

My old cat of 20 died in his sleep recently. He would holler randomly. He did go a bit senile.
To calm him I found on utube 15 hour long ‘cat calming music’ videos, which amazingly worked, not just for him but the other cats too were dozing when I played it!
Lol....seems cats love music.