Skip to Content

Why does my cat meow at night?

If your cat keeps meowing at night, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do about them.

So, why does my cat meow at night? Possible reasons why your cat meows at night are that it is hungry, has a problem with the room it sleeps in, has separation anxiety, or it has an injury.

There are actually a number of possible reasons why your cat has been doing it and it might be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are a number of things you can consider when figuring out the main reason and there are a number of things you can do about it.

Why does my cat meow at night?

Below are a number of possible reasons why your cat meows at night and what would make each of them more likely to be the main reason.

It’s hungry

A possible reason why it meows at night is that it is hungry. It might be the case that it has not been eating enough or it might be having to wait for too long between meals. If it currently is only getting fed in the mornings, it might help to feed it less in the mornings but to feed it in the evenings as well instead.

It wants to go into a different room

If your cat has to sleep in a certain room at night, the cause could also be that it wants to sleep in a different room. This would be more likely if it does not meow when it can sleep in certain places but it does meow when it has to sleep in other rooms.

Noises

It might be the case that it hears noises that it does not like at night. This would be more likely if it only meows on certain nights or if it only does it when it is in a certain room.

You might be interested in: Why does my cat act scared of me?

A problem with the room it sleeps in

The cause could also be that there is an issue with the room that it has to sleep in. It might be too hot, too loud, too bright, too noisy or there might not be enough space for it to lay down comfortably. It might also be the case that there is another pet in there that it does not like.

Related post: Why does my cat whine in the morning?

Separation anxiety

The reason why it has been doing it might be due to having some separation anxiety. This would be more likely if you do not let it sleep with you, if it has started meowing since you stopped letting it sleep with you or if it starts getting anxious when you are about to go to bed.

Pain

The cause might also be that something has been causing it to be in pain at night. This would be more likely if it has started meowing at night suddenly and if it has been showing signs of discomfort during the day. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

An issue with its diet

It might also be the case that there is an issue with the food that it has been eating. It might be eating things that it should not be or it might not be getting the right nutrients in its diet. This would be more likely if it tends to meow when it has eaten certain food or if it has started doing it since a change in its diet.

Things to consider about your cat meowing at night

Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your cat has been doing it.

What is different when your cat does not meow at night

If it did not always meow at night, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it.

If it started doing it suddenly, it would make it more likely to be due to things such as a change in its diet, a change in its sleeping environment, illness, or injury.

What else happened when your cat first started meowing at night

It would also help to consider if there are some nights when it does not meow and what is different on those nights.

For example, if it does not meow on nights when it does not eat a certain food, it could be the case that there is an issue with what it has been eating.

What to do about your cat meowing at night

Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.

Give it the right diet

As mentioned above, it could be the case that there is an issue with its diet. It would help to make sure that it has been getting the right diet, that no one has been feeding it without you knowing, that it has not got access to things it shouldn’t be eating and to feed it earlier in the evening.

Ensure it has access to the litter box

If it does not have access to the litter box, at night, it might be the case that it is meowing because it needs to pee or poo. In this case, it would help to make sure that it can sleep in a location where it does have access to the litter box.

Ensure its sleeping environment is ideal

It would also help to make sure that the room it sleeps in is not too hot, bright, loud and that it does not have to sleep with other pets that it does not like.

Get help

If your cat has been being very anxious at night, it could also help to take it to the vet for a check up. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular cat and to rule out the possibility of it being due to illness or injury.

Why does my cat meow at night when I go to bed?

If your cat meows when you are going to bed, it would make the cause more likely to be due to separation anxiety. This would be more likely if your do not let your cat sleep where you sleep.

Why does my cat meow with a toy at night?

If your cat meows with a toy at night, it would be more likely to be because something is causing it to be anxious. It might be anxious due to separation anxiety, another issue with the room it sleeps in, hearing noises or having to sleep in a room that it does not.

Why does my cat meow by my door at night?

If your cat meows outside your door at night, it would be more likely that your cat does it due to separation anxiety.