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Cat Won’t Stop Meowing? 7 Reasons For All That Cat Meowing

Cat won't stop meowing? There might be more to your cat meowing all the time than nonstop vocalization. Find out if all that cat meowing signals something serious like a medical condition.

JaneA Kelley  |  Jul 20th 2018

We all know that some cat breeds meow more than others (Siamese, anyone?), and some cats just enjoy making noises. But if your cat won’t stop meowing, a vet check might be in order. So, why do cats meow? Here are some reasons for that constant cat meowing:

1. All that cat meowing means your cat is in heat.

Cat with mouth open — trilling, meowing or making another kitty sound.

Your cat might be meowing if she’s in heat. Photography by annadarzy/Thinkstock.

Of course, this is reason for a cat meowing is true if your cat is not spayed. But if your five- or six-month-old un-spayed cat suddenly starts meowing and carrying on, your cat might be in heat. Cat in heat sounds are eerily loud and almost sound as if the cat is in pain, and they’re usually accompanied by super-affectionate behavior and an odd, sway-backed position when you pet near the rump.

2. Excessive cat meowing could signal hyperthyroidism.

Typically found in older cats, hyperthyroidism displays a number of symptoms, including weight loss despite ravenous hunger, excessive activity and excessive vocalization. If your cat is showing these symptoms, take her to the vet right away for a checkup and blood test.

3. Your cat might be meowing due to loss of vision and/or hearing.

If your older cat cries like a lost child once you’ve turned off the lights and gone to bed, she may really feel lost. A cat who’s partially blind or deaf won’t be able to make her way through the house and may not be able to hear you.

4. Senile cats meow a lot.

Yes, cats can become senile. This condition, known as feline cognitive dysfunction or cat dementia, can cause a number of problems that will leave your cat feeling scared and disoriented. Her response will be wails, yowls and excessive cat meowing. A cat with cognitive dysfunction may also become more irritable, sleep more or have altered sleep cycles, lose coordination, and even on occasion become incontinent.

5. Cat meowing might be a sign of feline hyperesthesia syndrome.

A cat with this condition will sometimes get wild-eyed and just go nuts, almost as if she’s hallucinating. She’ll cry and yowl loudly, may have bizarre mood swings, her skin may ripple as if even the air hurts her, and she might have sudden fits of grooming herself like crazy, even leading to hair loss.

6. Cat meowing might signal pain.

Cats rarely show their pain, but sometimes when they’re really hurting, they’ll call out. I saw this once when my cat had a urinary tract infection: she ran back and forth to the litterbox and tried to pee, but nothing came out and the effort was so painful she cried. (Of course, she went right to the vet after I saw this behavior!)

7. Your cat is meowing due to loneliness or boredom.

Single cats who are very closely bonded with their caretakers are particularly susceptible to loneliness or boredom. This kind of constant cat meowing or crying usually starts after you go to bed and continues until you respond or she gets tired of calling out for attention. If your cat meows because she’s lonely, these tips from the ASPCA may be helpful. Or, consider adopting a second cat.

Tell us: Is your cat meowing all the time? Have you found the cause yet? Tell us about it in the comments!

Thumbnail: Photography by Okssi68/Thinkstock. 

This piece was originally published in 2017.

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    Contributions

    60 comments on “Cat Won’t Stop Meowing? 7 Reasons For All That Cat Meowing”

    • Mary-Lou Mayfield says:

      I have 2 cats who “talk” to their toys. One has a toy mouse, the other talks to a neck pillow, which he plays with like a kick toy. They carry them around, meowing. One meows at the back door (they were both rescues). I think he hears some other animal (cat, squirrel, rabbit, chipmunk) on the back porch and wants to investigate.

      Reply
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    • Jeanne B. says:

      Any strays who show up and hang around my house during winter get a warm box and daily food and water. One year, a large tiger male showed up (Charles Todd aka Big Head Todd), and a few weeks later he was joined by a smaller orange and white companion. Given that oranges are usually male, kitty was named Oliver. Oliver was scrawny but fattened up from my food.

      Then Oliver began to expand sideways. That’s not from food! OlivETTE produced four lovely kittens in April 2016. Charles Todd disappeared, and Olivette & Co came inside, where they remain today.

      Olivette is not yet spayed. She’s not yet tame enough for me to get her into a carrier. I can’t pick her up. She comes to me to be petted, flops on the floor and lets me pet her belly while she makes air biscuits, but freaks if I try to pick her up. She’s skittish and freaks out when I stand up, and once she got so freaked because I yelled “no!” at one of the kittens who was about to wreak disastrous havoc that she hid for two days straight (and peed all over an afghan I’d been crocheting). In two years of living with me, this is as tame as she’s gotten, despite my trying very hard to connect.

      I’ve no idea how old she is–at least three, given that the kittens are two now. She has a cloudy spot on one eye and may not be able to see really well–and she is a MEOWER.

      I know why her previous people put her outside. She meows INCESSANTLY. And insistently. I call her the Cat Alarm that goes off every hour or so. I tune it out; I can live with it. But I can understand some people might not have been able to.

      I doubt she’s in heat all the time. She can’t be lonely with four other cats around. She isn’t lonely for me. She was maintaining weight nicely, but lately she’s gotten skinny again. She’s been treated (stealth) for fleas and twice for worms… I’ve no idea what it is, but hyperthyroidism makes sense. Cross your fingers that I can shove her into a carrier and that we can both survive the vet trip. And the aftermath (no 72-hour hiding, please).

      Reply
      • Colleen says:

        A vet visit would surely help. You could use a humane trap inside your home. Thanks for taking her in – that’s wonderful! Good luck ❤️

        Reply
    • suzanne Houfek says:

      Different breeds are so amazing. My Cornish Rex, who is 10 among my other kids knows he rules. They have a yell not like any other cat it is nowt a meow , and every morning at 4 am, he gets in bed and screams at me – which is “Feed Me” – now. However, i tell him to wait a bit until 5 a.m. and he knows that’s where we are at. They are an extremely vocal breed and i have noticed as he is getting a bit older – he has alot more to say. He must be loved every day and snuggled every night even more. They are quite the characters.

      Reply
    • Pat Schmidt says:

      Our 17 year old cat, George, lost his best buddy in May. We have two more female cats that don’t really care about snuggling/sleeping with George, so he’s been meowing alot lately when he’s not able to sit on our lap or getting attention. Brought him to the vet and he was diagnosed with high blood pressure, so he is on medication, but he still meows alot. Was thinking about getting a kitten for him, but not sure if the kitten would take to George. It’s always a dilemma with cats, since they are very complex critters and you never know how they’re going to get along. Any other suggestions?

      Reply
    • Caroline C Willis says:

      My cat Lila lets out a little meow when she preparing to jump on my shoulder – this could happen anywhere in the house!!

      Reply
    • Spookylady says:

      One of our cats meows REALLY loud when she’s about to bring you a present. The present is usually a toy but can sometimes be a twist tie, milk ring or other object she’s found laying around the house. She’ll drop it at our feet, leave it somewhere we’ll find it or jump up on the couch/chair and drop it in our lap. She also meows really loud after she’s used the litter box. That also includes zooming around the house in a state we call “Poop-phoria.” Hee hee.

      Reply
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    • Robin Blankenship says:

      I have two sibling kitties (boy and girl) and they are about 1.5 years old. I’ve had them since they were 11 mo. old. They are indoor only cats so I make sure I have a lot of toys, tunnels and a huge cat tree in front of a window with a bird feeder outside. I work all day so when I get home we do play. I cannot leave the room without them following me or crying outside a door. They sound like they are dying. My girl cat is mostly upset when I’m behind another door but my male kitty will wander around the house for a long time and just yowl his little head off. They are healthy, playful, eating and toileting just fine. I just wish I knew what was wrong. I don’t have a ton of money to be getting all kinds of tests done. I adopted siblings so they could keep each other company while I was at work but they just don’t seem satisfied. :-(

      Reply
    • Jennifer says:

      We just moved to a new apartment, my young cat has adjusted nicely. Older cat about 3 we think ( rescued from a family who said he was neutered and vaccinated but gave no papers) has begun meowing a lot… like a lot a lot. We thought he may be bored or lost so we were told to try different calming things at the pet store. Nothing works. Have been playing with him, cuddling , making sure he has food etc and he still moews. We were told catnip. Worked for one day. Don’t know what else to do but starting to think it may be serious

      Reply
    • Pam Lancaster says:

      I am a new foster Mom to a Mother Cat and her 3 healthy kittens. I’ve had her for almost 2 weeks and I think she is going crazy being locked up in the guest room. It’s a complete cat room that just happens to have a twin bed in it. They have everything they could possible need in there and I feed her every 4-6 hours because she is skinny and always acts like I haven’t fed her in days. She has been meowing A LOT ever since we got her, but today she is pacing and busted out of the room twice. She came back when I rattled the spoon (food). I am giving her the good milk supplement and good food (kitten food and grain free). ANY suggestions would be greatly appreciated as MY 2 cats are not happy with the situation. Thanks!!! PS. She is recently spayed and her kittens are about 6-7 weeks old.

      Reply
    • Juan Fernando says:

      I have 2 cats, they are 3 months old, females. One of them is very quiet and doesnt need much attention, she likes me but she wont complain or meow if i dont give her my 100% attention. The other one is super attatched to me, always comes to me and tríes to climb on my lap, follows me everywhere and in general she is constantly in need of affection. This is starting to be a problem because the cat meows non stop during a lot of time if im in my room studying alone (I cant study or work with the cat because its very distracting) the thing is the meowing drives me Crazy. Is this Just because she is a little kitten? Another curious fact is that the other cat(the one that its not so attatched to me) pisses on my bed, and I dont understand why. They always use their litter box(which i clean daily and is in a private Spot for the cats to do their business private) but from time to time the cat comes and literally pisses my bed right in front of me (this has happened 3 times over the last week), I had Another cat before and this never happened to me. My best guess is because they are 3 months old they are Just like Kids Trying to draw attention. Any thoughts, advices or tips would be most appreciated. Thank you.

      Reply
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    • ecb says:

      My 6-year-old cat, Kit Kat, has always been talkative, but over the past year she has gotten worse. She doesn’t seem to sleep as long as her companion, a 5-year-old cat, and is the more energetic of the two, so while she mostly meows for more food, sometimes it seems like she’s bored since the other cat doesn’t play as much as she wants. Basically, if Kit Kat isn’t playing or sleeping, she’s meowing.

      Each cat has a timed feeder that turns 3 times a day. The other cat eats and then goes on with her day till it turns again. But Kit Kat just keeps meowing and meowing. Even a half-hour after eating, she’ll immediately be begging again. The vets don’t think it’s hyperthyroidism because she isn’t losing weight – I actually had to put her on a diet, which stopped her from gaining additional weight but made the begging even worse.

      What should I do? She has an extremely loud, high-pitched meow (her only volume is SCREAMING), so she is giving me headaches and driving me crazy!

      Reply
    • Jewell Widugiris says:

      My cat is a 10 year old cat and he’s meowing non stop hiding out in the corner of our basement what should I do?

      Reply
      • Mary-Lou Mayfield says:

        My older cat was hiding and meowing, and quit eating, too. I scheduled a vet appointment, then the cat “laid” a huge stool! I took the cat in anyway, along with the stool sample. Most likely he ate something that caused a blockage. Since he tends to have hard, dry stools, I gave him more moist canned food and cut back on the dry food. Also a mild stool softener (recommended by the vet) every other day. No more blockages!

        Reply
    • Deb says:

      hello my cat is almost 2yrs old he meows cnstantly specially at night but i realized that is more meowing by the doors windows and if he sees something weird on the wall like paper i feel so bad and sad cuz i don’t know what i can do…do u have any suggestions? thanku Gbu

      Reply
    • Debby says:

      My 19 year old cat meows continuously and is throwing up a little bit of blood now and again. Only sleeps maybe a few hours at night…….. is my cat in pain?

      Reply
    • Wendy says:

      I have a 6 to 7 month old female cat an at night only will she start meowing really loud when I call her she comes to me but will only lay with me for like 10 min an then she’s right back at it. It’s been going on for 2wks now I’m tired an just want her to sleep at night any suggestions? Please help anyone

      Reply
    • Ahsan Ali says:

      My cat is meowing all time and eat food too much they meowing all the time and walk here and there even they cannot sit at any place any suggestion for this issue please help me out and if possible please suggest me a treatment for that or some medician

      Reply
    • Jenna says:

      My cat is 7 months old and he meows for hours in the mornings and won’t let me and my boyfriend sleep. He always has food available, he’s not in any pain or have any illnesses/health issues, and he doesn’t want any attention. Why is he meowing so much?

      Reply
    • Adam says:

      Why do you use the feminine pronoun “she” instead of the neuter “he”? “He” is masculine but also neuter. The neuter pronoun refers to male and female, while “she” refers only to females. If you think you are doing it only to counterbalance the masculine “he” and don’t acknowledge “he” as neuter, then using only “she” is just as bad as using only “he” all the time. Ridiculous.

      Reply
      • JaneA Kelley says:

        Actually, I switch back and forth between articles I write. In some cases, I refer to a cat as “she” and in other cases I refer to a cat as “he.” I also don’t believe that “he” is neuter. If I wanted to go with neuter, I’d say “they,” which is, in fact, grammatically correct these days. But this isn’t a forum for grammar discussions which can veer into political ones, so I’ll keep my comment at this.

        Reply
    • Katrina Milam says:

      My 5 year old cat, Bear, has been doing the constant meowing thing about 5 or 6 months now. He has been to the vet twice now. Nothing is physically wrong with him. He also is a bit more aggressive. By that I mean that if he is frightened or threatened even slightly, he is likely to bite or scratch or at least growl and lunge. Essentially, he has become high strung and jumpy. I take it as a good sign that he never does a whole lot of damage, so he must be trying to warn me without hurting me.
      He always was a bit more aggressive/feisty than any other cat I’ve had, but it is worse now. I enjoyed his “cattitude’ before but it’s out of hand now. I got him at 16 weeks and he was initially an only cat.
      I doubt if it’s any trauma from prior to me having him. Maybe he was a semi-feral kitten? I got him in the shelter with no history given to me except he came to the shelter alone no siblings, no Mama. He was about 1 1/2 yrs old when I introduced 2 year old Bella to the house. She’s much more mellow.
      I bought a house and we moved in 11 months ago. Maybe it’s that change but the crying and nervousness didn’t start right away. Maybe it’s the giant owl statue the neighbor has on the fence that I know Bear doesn’t like that keeps him so worked up. He hisses at it when he sees it. Possibly, it’s another predator outside. I haven’t seen a stray cat in my yard, since we first moved in, but there is something burying poop in my yard, could be a stray cat or a bobcat since only cats bury poop with cover up marks around it, not that I can do anything about that except maybe close the blinds at night so they can’t see it. Maybe Bear’s just bored and restless and I need to play with him more.
      Yesterday, at the vet , he was so freaked out he attacked me twice and also my other cat. The vet had to wrap him in a towel just to get him into the carrier. This is not a new vet but Bear was never like this at the vet before. He has been going there since he was a kitten. He’s usually curious and explores the room.
      The vet prescribed kitty prozac for him. I don’t think I’m going to get that filled, now that I think about it. He isn’t that unmanageable at home, if I stay away when he’s “in a mood”. The biting doesn’t happen that often and it doesn’t upset me too much. If you have cats, you get used to the occasional scratch or bite. They get their tails stepped and even the calmest cat will get ya.
      My house is generally calm with only me and my adult son ( who Bear thinks he belongs to). Bear usually gets along with my other cat just fine. They play together and lay and stand close to each other, so I know they are comfortable together. They have three or four litter pans for two cats and yet they use them all interchangeably, another sign they are ok with each other.
      My cats have a lot more space in the new house. They have 2 new cat trees in addition to the old one. I got those to give them some vertical space as Jackson Galaxy would suggest. They have two cat fountains, lots and lots of toys and are generally spoiled.
      They don’t go outside,except a roll on the patio once or twice a year. They do get to go in the garage, which they seem to think is “outside” to them. They have lots of interesting wildlife to watch in the windows like quail and lizards.
      I just can’t figure out why he is so much more crazy now. I’m out of ideas and ok the crying is the part that gets old after a while. I imagine he feels my tension when the crying starts to get old. Plus, I just want him to be happy and content…. and like me. :)

      Reply
    • suvarna says:

      Hello, recently i adopted one cat from someone, he just 1 years old, he eat too much and meowing whole day by very loud. Asking food again & again. But no any worm or diabetes problem. How to solve this? Please help me :-(

      Reply
    • Sharon says:

      My cat won’t let me do paperwork or sew at my machine. He gets right on top of it. He get right on top of my fabric, I’m afraid he will stick his paw under the needle so I stop seeing. Finally he gets bored and leaves .

      Reply
    • Boodie says:

      This rings very true for me, my senior kitty just suddenly started meowing in the hallway like she was lost, it was such a sad noise. We took her to the vet and she had hyperthyroidism, sadly also feline dementia, she was 19 and broke my heart when I had to put her to sleep. She went from being a happy healthy senior cat, to a mere shadow of her self, incontinent, scared, bewildered in the space of a few weeks. She was the furry love of my life, and I still feel like I didn’t do enough.

      Reply
      • Lynda Nesbitt says:

        Please don’t feel that you “didn’t do enough” for your kitty. You gave her a long and happy life filled with love, and no one could possibly do more.
        My sympathy on the loss of your dear friend. I have lost dear animal companions-from horses to cats-and understand how heartbreaking it is.
        Take comfort in knowing what you did for the animal for all those many years. While the pain never really goes “away” it does change over time, and becomes sweet and bearable.
        Best,
        Lynda

        Reply
      • Katrina Milam says:

        Boodie,
        No matter how much we do for our pet, I think we all feel like we didn’t do enough, after the fact. You did do enough, because you loved your pet. It’s just a part of grieving to feel that way. I feel like I didn’t do enough for every cat I ever had and, for that matter, I feel like I didn’t do enough for human relatives that I’ve lost. I try to just focus on how much I loved them, fur family and human family alike. I try to put that much more love into the fur babies and human family I have left because, in the end, it’s too late to change anything you feel you did less than perfectly and it will drive you crazy thinking about it. If you just love(d) them, then you did enough leave it at that. Hope that helps.

        Reply
    • Jane Elston Rivers says:

      My female rescue snowshoe will go into my bedroom and, after a few minutes, start meowing. I call it “yelling” for me because if I call out “I’m in here,” she comes running.

      Reply
      • Shaman says:

        renay, our rescue is the same way. Cinci only meows when she wants to be played with, and either has a shoe-string in her mouth that she is bringing to us to play with her with, or has the shoe-string in front of her, and is waiting for us to come and play with her. She doesn’t ever meow for any other reason, whether she is hungry, or anything.

        We don’t know if whoever left her in the rest area she was found in, attempted to do something with her first, and damaged her vocal chords, if it’s a genetic thing, if it’s just part of her personality, or some other reason. e have never had her neck x-rayed, as we don’t currently have the finances for that, as both I and my significant other are on disability, but she doesn’t have problems eating cat food, and she has a much better life now than she would have, had she not been rescued (my significant other’s vet said she would have died within 2-5 days, had she not been rescued), and all of the vets I have since taken her to have all said she’s one of the happiest cats they’ve ever seen.

        So if your vet doesn’t have any concerns, you probably should not be concerned, either. I hope this helps allay any fears you may have about your kitty’s “quietness”.

        Reply
    • Amanda says:

      Right on point with the hearing/vision loss and the cat dementia. My kitty Molly lost most of her hearing in the past year, and is starting to lose vision in one eye. She gets “lost” in the dark especially, and it’s really sad to hear her cry for help. I love her dearly, and she is otherwise very sweet and playful. The vet tells me she is extremely healthy for her age besides those symptoms. She eats great, eats people food, uses the box just fine, etc. It’s just that she is 21 years old.

      Reply
    • Steamed McQueen says:

      Lennie is a 4- year old mostly grey shorthair. She is such a chatterbox! She meows loudly while carrying her stuffed toys. Or looking out the window. Or just walking around the house. Her weight, appetite and litterbox droppings are normal. The vet said she’s a pefectly healthy young cat. Most interesting is how she will go from what sounds like crying to purring once she is petted. She will roll over on her back and let you rub her belly, which she loves. What she doesn’t like is to be held although she purrs like crazy when she is… I’ve had cats for years and have never experienced this behavior in any of them. Her sibling Bella is a quiet, happy lap cat. Her other housemate, Calli is fairly quiet also. Only Lennie is the spokescat of the group. I’m at a loss to explain this other than she just has a lot to say.

      Reply
    • Zikri says:

      Hi, I would like to know the reason why my cat is always crying in the middle of the night banging on the door and wanting to go out. Everynight I have to pick him and place him far away from the door but within an hour later, he came back to the door and start crying and banging.

      I am not sure if it cause of boredom because I had a a 2nd cat to keep him company. But he still wanting to go out from the house every single night.

      Please help me solve this . It has been disturbing my sleeps for a year.

      Reply
    • Jennifer Alarcon says:

      Hello, I have a question. My 1 1/2 year old cat that just recently, walks around my house,(very small 1 level floor) and does a long, loud meow, like he does it constantly, and it’s driving me crazy. All the cats I’ve had in my life, the only time I heard this type of meow, is when the cat is about to fight another cat, or ready to mate. Then other times he will just meow like crazy, especially right after we all gone to bed. Does anyone know why he might be doing this? TIA! :)

      Reply
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