Why Do Cats Cry Like a Baby at Night?

Cats will sometimes cry like a baby at night because they’re in heat, defending territory, seeking attention, feeling stressed, or suffering from illness or age-related cognitive decline.

But while occasional yowling is normal, sudden or persistent crying, especially when accompanied by other symptoms, should prompt you to get your cat checked by a veterinarian. 

Cats use a range of vocalizations to tell their owners and other cats that they want or need something.  We’re all familiar with meowing, but what about when the noise is more desperate or persistent?

Some owners call it a cry, but we’d call it more of a caterwaul or yowl: a drawn-out meow-sound that can quickly rise in pitch and volume. All breeds are capable of making this odd noise, but why?

Looking for a Mate

Female cats will often cry at night when they’re looking for a mate. She’s signalling to male cats in the area that she wants to hook up. Cats don’t have apps. They don’t have thumbs to swipe right or slide into DMs.

Getting your cat spayed will stop this. Your cat should stop crying within several weeks of the operation.

We’d always recommend getting your cats spayed or neutered. Unspayed females can go into heat from 4 months old and during the breeding season, once every 3 weeks.

Regularly going into heat is not only uncomfortable for the cat, but it’s also pretty unpleasant to listen to. Living with a sexually frustrated female will mean regular crying and could lead to multiple pregnancies. As cats are more active at dawn and dusk, a female in heat is also likely to disrupt sleeping patterns inside your house.

Our rescue cat couldn’t be spayed straight away as she’d had a litter of kittens in foster care, and she was underweight and unwell when she came home with us. Within weeks of arriving, she was yowling like a banshee and rubbing against everything in the house. Once she was spayed, it stopped completely and also reduced her chance of developing several serious health issues in the future, including several types of cancer.

Male cats will make a similar noise. They do it when they can smell a female in heat. The sound is equally jarring.

Your Cat Wants Something

Some cats cry to make demands on their owners: let me in, let me out, more food, play with me, or don’t do that. Your cat may also vocalize their hatred of their carrier, wailing as a form of protest.

Bored cats will cry, too. You might notice this more in outdoor cats who are temporarily being kept inside following a house move or when they’re recuperating from an illness or injury.

Make sure there are plenty of toys to stimulate their mind and hunting instincts. We’ve
found that window perches can be useful, especially if you have a lot of
native birdlife in your garden. 

There are outdoor enclosures you can buy to give indoor or recuperating cats some outside time. You can also take indoor cats outside in a stroller to give them something else to do. Cats recovering from illness or injury might benefit from wearing a leash or harness around the garden for fresh air.

Cats work to a different schedule than humans. They’re most active around dawn and dusk which is why you’re more likely to hear yowling during the early hours.

Territorial Disputes

If you hear your cat crying at night, then you might have stumbled into a turf war between rival cats. Cats will cry out and screech at one another. You might also hear hissing and growling as the cats size each other up. This can sometimes turn into a physical fight.

If you’ve just moved house, you might find this more common. Your cat will have to get used to the new environment. It may also have to work out sharing territory with other cats. This behavior should stop once the cat is settled, but it may reappear as new cats appear.

Inside the house, you can use plug-in diffusers that use synthetic pheromones to help reduce anxiety.

Indoor cats might also make noise if they see another cat outside but can’t get to them. There are several ways to discourage cats from coming into your garden, and this may help reduce the anxiety of your indoor cat.

Illness or Pain

Pain can also cause cats to cry or yowl for no obvious reason. If crying is sudden or unexplained, then it’s wise to make a veterinarian appointment to rule out physical causes. Record the time and place of the crying, as a veterinarian may find this useful.

Pain, hyperthyroidism, high blood pressure, dementia, cognitive dysfunction, hearing loss, and vision problems can all make cats more vocal, particularly at night.

Older Cats and Cognitive Decline

Cats suffering from mental decline may start crying, too.  This may be because they’re disoriented or distressed. Unfortunately, cats can get dementia, too.

Cats can also become disoriented and anxious if they start losing their hearing or eyesight. Crying at night is more common in older cats who may not recognize their surroundings as easily in the dark.

Cats Crying at Night Superstition

We adopted a gorgeous black cat, so we’re used to hearing about superstitions. Some cultures believe that a crying cat outside a house means that someone inside is going to die. There’s no scientific evidence for these beliefs, and most nighttime yowling has ordinary behavioral or medical explanations. 

How Do I Stop My Cat From Crying at Night? 

🐈 Have your cat spayed and then neutered if they aren’t already. 

🐈 Rule out illness with a veterinary examination

🐈 Play with them before bedtime to burn excess energy.

🐈 Feed their evening meal just before you go to bed.

🐈 Keep a consistent routine. 

🐈 Give indoor cat enrichment such as puzzle feeders, climbing trees and window perches

🐈 Consider a pheromone diffuser if anxiety is a contributing factor. 

🐈 Don’t reward attention-seeking yowling by immediately getting up every time. 

When should I worry?

Contact your veterinarian if:

🐈 The crying starts suddenly

🐈 Your cat seems distressed

🐈 They’re eating less

🐈 They’re hiding

🐈 They’re limping

🐈 They’re drinking much more 

🐈 The behavior continues for several days