Loving My Animals

Many pet owners think that it's amusing or annoying if their cat is meowing or yowling all night long. Unfortunately, there's rarely anything amusing about this problem in reality. If your cat is crying all night long, your cat may be trying to get your attention. Read on to discover why cats cry at night and what you can do to put a stop to it.

Loneliness

For many cats, loneliness or anxiety is the reason behind their crying. If your cat is closed out of your bedroom at night or doesn't know where to find you, they may cry. Believe it or not, most cats are fairly social creatures. Being separated from you may genuinely be creating some fear in your cat that's causing them to cry. In essence, they're trying to let you know that something is wrong and that they need you.

Hormones

Another potential cause for this condition is that your cat may be responding to its own or another cat's hormones.

If you've ever heard a stray cat yowling, you probably know it has something to do with territory and mating. Male cats often yowl in search of a mate, and female cats may call out to attract mates. Unfortunately, if your cat isn't spayed or neutered, they may be exhibiting this behavior indoors.

Alternatively, your cat may be reacting to local ferals that are emitting pheromones. Even fixed cats will sometimes be riled up by these pheromones. If your cat is male, it may be crying because it wants to protect its territory. If a cat is female, it may be responding to the cries or pheromones of local unfixed male cats. While there's no risk of your cat getting pregnant or impregnating another cat, your kitty may still be somewhat receptive to the hormones that come with mating season.

Management

There are a few potential ways to reduce the amount of times your cat cries in the night.

If you think your cat is lonely, the first thing you can do is provide more time for the two of you to socialize. Your cat doesn't necessarily have to be let into your bedroom at night, but you should make an effort to be social while you're still awake. Spend a little time playing or cuddling with your cat before bedtime, so they don't feel as lonely.

For hormone problems, there are a few potential fixes. First off, get your cat fixed if they aren't already. This may nip the behavior in the bud entirely. If your cat is already fixed, consider working with a trap and release program that catches, fixes, and releases feral cats back into the wild. If they stop emitting pheromones, your cat may stop reacting badly.

Lastly, one potential solution for both of these problems is pheromone collars. Unlike the pheromones mating cats release, these collars emit a pheromone that nursing mothers do. It helps to calm cats of all ages, so it's good for social anxiety and for combatting the response to other cats' pheromones.

Your cat isn't crying at night simply to be a nuisance. Chances are if they're showing this kind of behavior, they need your help or your presence. If the situation continues, talk to your preferred animal hospital to make sure that your cat isn't experiencing a health issue that makes them more prone to crying.