Why Is My Senior Cat Crying at Night?

A senior cat crying at night, especially a cat who never used to, is almost always telling you something. The common medical reasons in older cats are an overactive thyroid, high blood pressure, and the feline version of dementia, and sometimes it is something plainer, like hunger, fading hearing, or simply wanting company. Because a few of these are very treatable and one or two can be urgent, a new habit of yowling in the small hours is worth a vet visit rather than a pair of earplugs.

This runs through what the night-crying can mean and how urgent each cause tends to be. What is actually going on with your own cat is a question for your vet, since telling these apart takes an exam and some bloodwork.

How urgent is a senior cat crying at night?

Most night-crying is not an emergency, but a couple of the causes are, so it helps to know roughly where yours sits.

• Worth noting, not urgent. A cat who has always been talkative, or who cries near dinner time or when she is left alone, and is otherwise bright and well. Note the pattern and raise it at her next check-up.
• Book a visit soon. A new or worsening habit of crying at night in a cat of about ten or older, particularly alongside weight loss, more thirst, or a sense that she seems lost or confused. This calls for bloodwork and a blood pressure check.
• Same day, or an emergency clinic. Signs that she has suddenly gone blind (bumping into furniture, wide pupils that do not shrink in light), a collapse, a seizure, or crying that comes with obvious pain. Sudden blindness in particular is a red flag for dangerously high blood pressure.

Why do older cats cry at night?

Night is quiet, so a cat who is uncomfortable, disoriented, or looking for something is simply more noticeable then. On top of that, several diseases of old age disrupt the night specifically, by speeding the body up, by confusing the brain, or by taking a cat's sight. Your vet will think of these first.

An overactive thyroid

Hyperthyroidism pushes an older cat's whole metabolism into overdrive, and restlessness with increased vocalizing, particularly at night, is one of its classic signs. It usually travels with weight loss despite a hearty appetite, and more drinking, the same pattern I cover in a senior cat drinking more and losing weight. It is also very treatable, which is a good reason to have it ruled in or out early. There is a full guide to hyperthyroidism in cats.

High blood pressure

High blood pressure is easy to overlook because it usually rides on the back of another disease. In cats it usually sits on top of another disease, most often kidney disease: Cornell reports that at least 60% of cats diagnosed with hypertension also have signs of CKD, with hyperthyroidism behind a good share of the rest.

It matters here for two reasons. First, it reaches the brain: Cornell notes that neurologic changes can be seen in between 15-40% of cats with hypertension, which can look like a cat wandering and calling out at night. Second, and more urgently, its most common damage is to the eyes, ranging from retinal detachment causing blindness to more subtle signs such as bleeding at the back of the eye. A cat who has lost her sight suddenly is frightened and lost, and she cries. This is why a cat who is bumping into things and yowling needs to be seen the same day. Because hypertension so often sits on top of kidney disease, it is worth reading about chronic kidney disease in cats too.

Feline dementia

If the treatable causes are ruled out, what is left is often the feline version of dementia, called cognitive dysfunction. PetMD describes it as an age-related degeneration of the brain, and one of its most recognizable signs is being awake and active in the middle of the night and vocalizing, often at night, alongside disorientation, changed interactions with the family, and accidents outside the litter box.

It is common, and it climbs with age: PetMD notes that more than a quarter of cats aged 11 to 14 show at least one sign of dementia, rising to half of cats over the age of 15. It is also a diagnosis of exclusion, and that matters for a worried owner. Vets rely on ruling out other conditions first, the thyroid, the blood pressure, the kidneys, so a diagnosis of dementia usually means the more fixable causes have already been checked and treated.

Simpler explanations

Not every 3am cry is a disease. An older cat may be hungry, especially if she is on a diet or eats early. A cat losing her hearing tends to vocalize more loudly, partly because she cannot hear herself. Some cats simply want company and have learned that crying brings it. These are worth considering, but usually after a vet has ruled out the medical causes, because those are genuinely common at this age.

What you can do at home

Once your vet has checked her over and treated anything treatable, a few things help with night restlessness and dementia. Keep her days and evenings on a steady routine. Leave a night light on, and a warm bed somewhere she can find you. A small late meal can settle a cat who wakes hungry. Keep her gently active and engaged during the day so she sleeps at night, and ask your vet about calming pheromone diffusers and other aids. One thing that does not help is scolding her: she is not crying to be difficult, she is crying because something is wrong or frightening, and it is worth finding out what.

When to call the vet

Book a visit for any new habit of crying at night in an older cat, sooner if it comes with weight loss, more thirst, or confusion. Make it a same-day call if she seems suddenly blind, collapses, or has a seizure. And if you are exhausted and at the end of your patience at 4am, know that this is one of the most common and most solvable problems of an old cat's life, and that asking your vet is the kindest next step for both of you. A senior cat crying at night is asking for help, not being difficult, and finding the reason is how you both rest again.

Sources

• VCA Animal Hospitals, Hyperthyroidism in Cats
• Cornell Feline Health Center, Hypertension
• PetMD, Dementia in Cats