WHY is my cat shouting for me at 4am?

[Cathryn]

For the past few weeks, my (formerly beloved) elderly baby Charlie has started sitting at the bottom of the stairs and YELLING for me as soon as it starts to get light. He will occasionally sit in the doorway of the en-suite and yell for me. I have to go down, pick him up and carry him upstairs. This can happen three times a night and I am shattered.

I don't think he's ill. There is food, water, his dirt box door is open, he has a cat flap.

Any advice?

 

[Mo1959]

For the past few weeks, my (formerly beloved) elderly baby Charlie has started sitting at the bottom of the stairs and YELLING for me as soon as it starts to get light. He will occasionally sit in the doorway of the en-suite and yell for me. I have to go down, pick him up and carry him upstairs. This can happen three times a night and I am shattered.

I don't think he's ill. There is food, water, his dirt box door is open, he has a cat flap.

Any advice?

When you say elderly, I often think older pets can start to show symptoms of dementia

 

[Cathryn]

When you say elderly, I often think older pets can start to show symptoms of dementia

I wondered that too!

 

[T4tomo]

Ignore him and he'll stop,
keep responding / rewarding by carrying him upstairs and he'll keep doing it.

Time for a bit of tough love.

Mine used to occasionally bat on the bedroom window (sun room roof was below) if I let it in, I then sent it straight out the bedroom and shut the door. Also vice versa, if it battered on the bedroom door in the night it would get told to go away, or occasionally I'd then pop it straight out the window, so it had the inconvenience of having to get itself back in via the cat flap.

 

[Kingfisher101]

A lot of cats do this at dawn and dusk, It's what they do.
I have 2, one does this and the other doesn't.
I open the curtains for him and give him his breakfast because I'm soft and they are both spoiled.

 

[cyberknight]

feed me !

 

[Ming the Merciless]

 

[cyberknight]

our mog did it yesterday morning, to be fair it heard me moving about

 

[biggs682]

It's telling you it's time to get up and get out of your bed so he can lay in it 🤣

 

[Slick]

I have 3, and mostly I disturb them in the morning, but this morning they decided it was time for the spare human to feed them at 5am. As per most other cat owners I speak to, I complied without drama. They really are spoiled rotten, but that's why I got them. 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛

 

[Pat "5mph"]

When you say elderly, I often think older pets can start to show symptoms of dementia

Very true.
@Cathryn had you not said it is an elderly cat, I would have said ignore.
Because he's elderly, it could be dementia - confused, doesn't know where he is, or it could be a health problem.
When my elderly cat started to attack me in the middle of the night, it turned out he had tyroid disease, common in older cats.
His heart was beating too fast, he was scared, needed reassurance the vet said.
Take the poor fur baby to the vet for a check up and blood works.

 

[fossyant]

What Pat the Cat lady says.

We've got four. Now they are 5 plus they are quite settled at night, but come 5am and a belly starts rumbling the two white raggies will usually start walking on us, jumping on and off the bed.

This possibly sounds like old age issues.

 

[Cathryn]

Very true.
@Cathryn had you not said it is an elderly cat, I would have said ignore.
Because he's elderly, it could be dementia - confused, doesn't know where he is, or it could be a health problem.
When my elderly cat started to attack me in the middle of the night, it turned out he had tyroid disease, common in older cats.
His heart was beating too fast, he was scared, needed reassurance the vet said.
Take the poor fur baby to the vet for a check up and blood works.

Someone else mentioned thyroid. Thanks x

 

[Reynard]

+1 for dementia or possible thyroid issues.

I would book a trip to the vet to cover all your bases.

 

[raleighnut]

My old (neutered) Ginger Tom had thyroid problems, became very vocal and lost a lot of weight.