If your cat cries at night, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible reasons why your cat cries at night and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat cry at night? Possible reasons why your cat cries 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 cries at night and it could 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 cry at night?
Below are a number of possible causes of your cat crying at night and what would make each of them more likely to be the main reason.
It’s hungry
A possible reason why your cat cries 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 morning, 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 reason could also be that it wants to sleep in a different room. This would be more likely if it does not cry when it can sleep in certain places but it does cry when it has to sleep in other rooms.
Noises
It might be the case that your cat hears noises that it does not like at night. This would be more likely if your cat only cries on certain nights or if it only does it when it is in a certain room.
A problem with the room it sleeps in
Another possible cause is that there is an issue with the room that it has to sleep in. The room 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.
Separation anxiety
The reason why your cat has been doing it might also be due to having some separation anxiety. This would be more likely if you do not let your cat sleep with you, if it has started crying 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 crying 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
Another possible cause is that there is an issue with the foods 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 cry when it has eaten certain foods or if it has started doing it since a change in its diet.
Things to consider about your cat crying 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 cry at night
If your cat did not always cry 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 crying at night
It would also help to consider if there are some nights when your cat does not do it and what is different on those nights.
For example, if your cat does not cry 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 crying at night
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Give it the right diet
As mentioned above, it might be the case that there is an issue with your cat’s 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 crying 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 cry at night when I go to bed?
If your cat cries 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 and if your cat starts to become anxious when you are going to bed.
Why does my cat cry with a toy at night?
If your cat cries 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 cry by my door at night?
If your cat cries outside your door at night, it would be more likely that your cat does it due to separation anxiety and if it does not have any issues when it can sleep in your room.
Why has my cat suddenly started to cry at night?
If your cat has started to cry at night suddenly, it would be more likely to be due to things such as a change in the room that it has to sleep in, injury, a change in its diet, or something in the room causing it to be anxious.