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Published in the Ithaca Journal on Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Cat's nocturnal soliloquy could have many causes
Spotlight on Pet Behavior
By MICHELLE BAMBERGER
Special to the Journal
Question: I have a 12-year-old orange tabby named Gracie. She has always been a big talker but lately has been talking a lot more, especially at night. What is she trying to tell me? Is this a normal behavior for a cat her age and what can I do to end her nighttime overtures and get some sleep?Answer: I assume by “talking” you mean meowing, the most common cat-to-human vocalization. Cats meow for a variety of reasons and in different contexts, including hunger, fear, friendship and distress. A recent study at Cornell University by Nicholas Nicastro and Michael Owren asked the question of whether people familiar with cats could classify meow sounds based on different contexts. The results indicate that people can differentiate calls in different contexts, but only slightly better than by chance, and not surprisingly, those people who had the most experience living with and interacting with cats performed the best.
As to what Gracie is trying to tell you, it is best to rule out physical reasons before proceeding with behavioral causes. If you haven’t done so already, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian and be sure Gracie has a complete physical examination. Medical reasons for such behavior, especially in cats of Gracie’s age, include pain (due to internal organ failure, tumors, musculoskeletal changes) and hyperthyroidism. If Gracie is normal on physical examination, she may be suffering from feline cognitive dysfunction. Besides excess vocalization, cats with this syndrome may also appear to become disoriented, for example Gracie would forget where her food dish is located or become stuck behind a half-closed door. She may also forget her litterbox training and begin to have accidents. Some cats with cognitive dysfunction will also display changes in how they interact with their owners. For example, Gracie may start to become either more affectionate, more aggressive or begin to interact less, by hiding. If you have noticed any of these signs, be sure to mention them to your veterinarian. Treatment for cognitive dysfunction includes an assortment of behavioral and environmental modifications, in addition to medication.
If the only change in Gracie’s personality is her increased talkativeness and she is otherwise physically and behaviorally normal, you should think about what you do when Gracie solicits your attention, especially at night. If you get up and offer her food or affection, her behavior has “paid off” and she will most likely continue to meow. To tell whether her behavior is truly attention-seeking, try withdrawing attention whenever she demands it, for a period of two weeks. Initially, you will notice that her behavior will worsen, but if it is based in attention-seeking, eventually she will stop. During this time, be sure to give her attention (by throwing her a treat or giving her a pet) when she is not demanding it! In this way, she will learn acceptable behavior. How to survive the nighttime overtures during this time? One suggestion is to keep your bedroom door shut and encourage Gracie to stay in a part of the house that is not close to your bedroom. A good set of earplugs during this trial may also help to preserve your sanity.
Some cats become highly aroused by the presence of outside animals. If this is a possibility, check to be sure that there isn’t a strange critter (cat, dog or wild animal) roaming around outside your house when Gracie begins her midnight soliloquy. If you find that there is an animal setting her off, be sure that all curtains and views to the outside are blocked. You may also want to consider the use of outside aversive devices (motion detector activated) to deter the outside visitors, and the use of a pheromone such as Feliway to calm Gracie.
Michelle Bamberger is a veterinarian and owner of Vet Behavior Consults (www.vetbehaviorconsults.com), a practice based in Ithaca and devoted exclusively to solving behavioral problems in small, large and exotic animals. Send questions for her column to mjb57@cornell.edu, mail them Care of Jessica Keltz to The Ithaca Journal, 123 West State St., Ithaca, NY, 14850, or fax them to 277-6845.