Question:
Our 15-year-old male cat was a fairly quiet cat with a soft meow. About five or six years ago, my daughter adopted a male cat from a litter born to one of our neighbor's cats. We took care to neuter the new cat just like the old one. Then, in November of 2004, the vet diagnosed the new cat with feline leukemia. His condition deteriorated slowly until about Christmastime, when he couldn't stand on his own. That is when we had him put down.Curiously, the older cat began to have a much louder cry about the time the younger cat started showing signs of being seriously sick. Now that the younger cat is gone, the older cat meows loudly around the house.Can you try to explain this change in behavior after 14-1/2 years of being a very quiet cat, and is there anything we could do about it? (He wakes us up at night.).
C.P., Adrian, MI Dec 04, 2005
Answer:
I receive many letters like yours from people with older cats who become restless, agitated and yowl much of the night.While your cat may be lonely and actually mourning the loss of his younger companion, he may also be suffering from senile dementia. Discuss this with your veterinarian. An anxiety-relieving psychotropic drug may help make life easier for all. In many cases there may be chronic pain, most often associated with arthritis, so treatment with an analgesic may also help your cat feel more comfortable through the night.The possibility of a hyperactive thyroid should not be ruled out, and also night hunger. Put some dry cat food out for him to snack on, but do not let him develop an addiction to dry food. All cats should have some moist, canned or prepared food, ideally in very small portions several times from morning to night.
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