As the parents of cats, we can often hear sounds like yowling, purring, and hissing from our pets. Although vocalizing is in the nature of the cat, and we should not be too worried about that, some of the sounds can be troublesome. Another commonly made sound by cats is yowling, and there are many reasons behind why a cat does this.
In the guide below, we talk about why do cats Yowl, the reasons that are hidden behind owling, and what exactly triggers this kind of behavior in cats. We will also take a look at male cat yowling and, along with that elderly cat yowling, to consider whether there is something that we, as cat owners, need to be worrying about and what actions to take if we find ourselves in such a situation. Keeping every scenario in mind, we will also take a closer look at cat yowling after having a meal and at nighttime.
Why Do Cats Yowl, And What Is The Reason Behind It?
Yowling is similar to meowing but is more attention-grabbing and shrieking to ears. As the cat grows, the frequency at which it yowls also increases. This is the reason older cats yowl more than kittens. Although cat yowling is not to be very concerned about, you must take your cat to the vet for sure if there are other actions included with it. Have a look at the article below to find out more.
What is the reason behind Cat Yowling?
During the adult years in a cat’s life, they will not very often use yowling as a form of communication. Meowing is something they will use as a medium of communication with human beings, but cats can unquestionably yowl at human beings, too, for different reasons. Keeping this in mind, below is a list of reasons that can fit the questions of cat owners as to why their cat’s Yowl:
They want to grab your attention
This is a very common reason cats’ Yowl. When we think of cats, we often think that they don’t need us and are great on their own, but that is not always true. A cat too often is longing for your attention. Cats do fine on their own up to a certain point in time, but after that, they do need love and affection from their owners. To do so, they will begin making yowling sounds so that the owner starts showing affection or even starts playing with them by using some toys. On the other hand, it is always advised that if your cat starts yowling, do not give them attention as they will learn this behavior. The consequence will be that they will start yowling more often as they will relate it to grabbing attention every time they do it. No matter what you do, just don’t completely ignore your pet so that they don’t lose trust in you. Be there for them when they need you.
They’re feeling hungry
Cats will often make meowing or yowling sounds if cat are feeling hungry or simply want treats. While most of the owners think they should give them food immediately, this is not a good idea. They should only be fed when the meowing and yowling are stopped or go down. Once again, exactly like giving them attention when they yowl, if a cat owner gets them food when their cat starts yowling, this will become a learned behavior over time.
Often, your cat will not need feeding immediately when they start yowling. By giving them food only when they stop yowling, you are making them trained on how to behave and how to not if they want food. In addition to that, if you give food to them every time they yowl, your kitty is likely to gain some weight and become overweight.
As cats are extremely small in size, only a day or two of feeding them extra food can result in them gaining weight drastically. Keep this point in mind if you still see your cat yowling after eating a meal. Getting their weight back to normal can be a headache, especially if your cat is lazy and doesn’t like to move around a lot.
They’re feeling stressed out
Cats are without a doubt one of the anxious breeds. It is often advised to cat owners to give them food at the same time every day and not to move the furniture in the house if it is not that compulsory. Altering any setting around the house like that has been shown to cause a great deal of stress in a cat which can then show consequences like continuous yowling sounds.
If you think your cat is yowling as a result that he or she is feeling stressed out, recall in your mind any changes that you recently made around the house that can help you fix the issue as soon as possible. Cats tend to notice the slightest of the changes around them; therefore, think before doing anything major to their surroundings. Even small changes can be big enough for cats to be stressed about.
They’re in heat currently
If a cat is not sterilized or spayed, they will come into a phase when they are going to yowl a lot more than usual. This can be a huge reason why cats start yowling more at a point in time. If you do not want your cat to mate or breed and also can’t deal with the excessive yowling that she is repeatedly doing, then it may be a good idea to think about having your cat sterilized. Female cats start to Yowl when they are in heat. On the other hand, male cats start yowling if they smell a female cat nearby who is in heat currently. Getting your cat spayed is the best option available in this case.
They’re suffering from some underlying health issues
Cats will start to meow or Yowl more if they are feeling unwell or are suffering from some underlying health issue. This is when cat owners need to know the variance between any one of the causes of yowling that are mentioned above and take their cat to the vet for a check-up instead.
Therefore, if your cat’s excessive yowling is combined with any kind of diarrhea, vomiting, or an excessive thirst for water, then it is suggested that you don’t make vague guesses and take an appointment with the vet. In addition to that, if your cat is yowling and seems to be rambling with some sort of discomfort – either because they are hobbling or for any other reason – it is best to take them to the vet so that everything is looked into carefully.
When do Elderly Cats start to Yowl?
Elderly cat yowling is extremely common because they can so often agonize from many ailments that aging humans ache from in the form of cognitive dysfunction. The elderly cat yowling is a representative of the cat being confused and feeling lost. It is a sign of them being disinterested and having mental confusion in them. It is also common to see an elderly cat yowling at night as at this time when they can get even more unsettled owing to the deteriorating light.
It can be very upsetting to see your cat being in pain or discomfort. Thus, there are many things that a cat owner can do to overcome this issue. Try installing a night lamp around the area they sleep or maybe keep the main lights on at night as well. If this doesn’t work at all, then try consulting a vet, and you might come across something else that is up with your pet.
In very clear words, though, elderly cats making yowling sounds is just one of those things that occurs to a cat with aging in different degrees of severity.
Why Does My Cat Yowl? The Bottom Line of this issue is:
You sure do love your kitty, but if you look at cat yowling in general on a daily basis, it is quite normal and nothing to be stressed out about. However, there is no doubt that a cat owner can be unconcerned about the frequency and amount of their cat yowls or how loud does it sound to them. But in some of the cases, owners do need to be worried and take care of what their cat is going through.
Cat owners must start being more attentive and take into consideration all the changes in their cat’s behavior. The changes can be due to some underlying health issues. If you think that there is something serious going on with your cat, then consult a vet and get it resolved as soon as possible.
At last, there are some of the things that everyone must keep in mind that are related to the yowling of your cat. As mentioned in the above parts, never carelessly just go about ignoring your cat’s yowling. Try to find out the reason behind why the cat is yowling continuously before coming to a decision whether there is something serious behind it or not.
Your cat has inadequate ways of interacting with you, and it could be that they are stuck somewhere around the house and need your help or maybe are feeling hungry or thirsty. Check their water bowl if it needs refilling.
No matter what happens and how annoyed you are at your cat for yowling, do not hit them or scream at them. Punishing your cat will make them lose their sense of comfort around you. This will incorporate fear in their minds, and it will be eventually taken out on you. The consequence will be that your comfort zone with him or her is tumbledown for life, and they will not give or demand any affection or love from you, which is the best thing about owning a pet, that too a cat.
Another thing to consider is maybe you have a cat that wants to breed. If your cat isn’t spayed or sterilized, then be ready as you will be hearing more yowling noises over time. As we discussed above, females start to Yowl when they are in heat, and males start to Yowl when they smell a female in heat nearby. Both of these situations can be very difficult to deal with as they can get uncontrollable. Consult your vet and get your cats spayed or sterilized. If you do not wish for your cat to go through that level of pain, then you can consider breeding your cat.
Conclusion
Cats begin to Yowl just because mewing did not get them the result that they wished to get. If this is due to the reason that they want you to give them food or for any other reason that is not very significant, then you can go ahead and ignore them making sounds to teach them how to behave around the house. Sometimes it can be a tough thing to do and so easy.
Just offer them some cat treats, fill their feeding trays and give them water along with some gentle strokes on the back, but if you are thinking about the long run, you are just making them learn this behavior. Your cat will just start doing it more when they don’t get what they want and with more frequency in the future. It may seem annoying to you, and the short-term solution might be tempting, but remember this will worsen if you start giving them what they want.
