Why does my cat meow so much, even at night?

The thyroid makes too much hormone, almost always because of a harmless growth. The cat is restless, hungry and thirsty, loses weight and is often louder, especially at night. It is a disease of older cats: on average it starts at about 12 to 13 and it is rare under 8. A blood test finds it, and it is treatable with tablets, a special diet, surgery or radioactive iodine.

Almost every old cat has some pain, most often in the joints, and pain is one of the first things a vet rules out. A cat in pain may cry when it moves, struggle with jumping or the litter tray, and change its night routine. Some cats in pain go quiet and withdrawn instead, so the sound is not the only clue.

High blood pressure is mostly seen in older cats with kidney disease or an overactive thyroid. It can damage the brain, making a cat confused and crying, and it can damage the eyes, even causing sudden blindness. When medicine brings the pressure down, the calling often goes down with it.

Kidney disease, bladder problems and diabetes make a cat drink and pee more. That can wake it at night, and it can feel unwell enough to cry out. A cat that meows loudly in or near the litter tray, or strains, may be in pain from a blocked bladder. See also why a cat pees outside the box.

A cat that cannot hear well cannot hear its own voice, so it meows louder and more often. Failing hearing or sight also makes the dark house more frightening, which adds calling at night. A deaf cat does not hear you answer either.

In older cats the brain can age. Typical signs are confusion, less contact with the family, a changed sleep rhythm (asleep by day, awake and crying at night) and toilet accidents. Some cats stand and cry in an empty room, as if they do not know where they are. It is seen from about 10 to 11 years. There is no test and no cure: the vet diagnoses it only after other causes are ruled out, and the signs can be eased.

The most common reason. If a meow gets attention, talk, play, food or an open door, the cat learns to meow again. Even a cross word counts as attention. An adopted adult may also have learned it from a previous owner who talked back and forth with it.

Cats like small, frequent meals. A cat that is hungry at 5 in the morning, or has learned that meowing at the cupboard brings food, will ask. A new diet that does not fill it can do the same. Hunger meows are insistent but usually not yowling, and often stop once the meal is served.

A cat used to the outdoors, or one that has just become indoor-only, will call at doors and windows, usually for weeks or months. A cat that feels shut in one room at night can do the same. Other cats or animals seen through the window can set it off too.

A move, a new pet, a baby, a companion that has died, visitors, new noises or moved furniture can make a cat more vocal. The meow often sounds stretched, like whining. A cat that misses a companion may walk around calling as if searching. After a move an adult cat is often unsure and disoriented, and this usually settles within a few weeks.

An unspayed female in heat calls loudly and for a long time, often like a yowl. She is restless, rolls on the floor, is extra affectionate and tries to slip outside. Heat usually starts at five to six months and lasts about four to ten days. It can come back every two to three weeks, and indoor cats can cycle all year round. Spaying stops it.

An intact male paces and calls when he hears or smells a female in heat, often at windows and doors at night, and he may also spray and fight. Castration reduces this in most males.

An indoor cat with too little to do may meow for company or play, and a cat that was alone and asleep all day is wide awake at night. Young, high-energy cats and cats used to having people home all day are the most likely. A quiet house in the evening makes it worse.

Cats differ a lot in how much they talk, partly by nature and partly by what they have learned, and some breeds are known for it, such as the Siamese. A healthy cat that has always meowed a lot is usually just chatty. The word to watch is "always": a change from your cat's own normal is what matters.