Cat howling at night.

Dr. Marie replied:

Usually if a an older cat howls at night, there is a medical reason for it.

When I have a patient doing this, I usually recommend some tests. The first thing I would do is a blood pressure reading. If cats have high blood pressure they can howl at night. (We think the high blood pressure may cause headaches at night time). I have had several cats who have done extremely well after we put them on blood pressure medicine.

I also recommend senior bloodwork. Hyperthyroidism and kidney disease can contribute to howling at night.

If there is no answer on these tests then I sometimes try an anti anxiety medication such as Reconcile, Clomicalm or Amitriptyline.

I will sometimes also try a trial of anti-inflammatory medication in case there is some arthritis pain present.

Another thing that often helps is to seclude the cat to a small room like a bathroom overnight.

I hope that helps and I hope things are better soon!

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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