Mary Allen
When a cat screams, it can go through marrow and bone. Why the house tiger sometimes suddenly screeches loudly or constantly howls loudly can have various causes. Here you can find out what can be behind cat behavior and when you should go to the vet.
Some cats are more talkative than others and will meow a lot to communicate with their favorite humans. This is normal and nothing to worry about.
Cat Screams Out Loud: Fright, Anger, or Pain?
Is your cat doing well overall, looking healthy and content, but suddenly crying out loud? Then this can usually have the following reasons:
- fright
- anger
- pain
Maybe something suddenly fell over near your cat with a loud clatter, startling it. Or outside in the garden, it was unexpectedly confronted by a new dog or a strange cat from the neighborhood.
Anger can arise when you try to force your cat to do something against its will. For example, if you want to put her in its carrier or hold it, for example, to remove a tick or give it medication.
Pain can sometimes be the obvious reason for sudden screams, for example when someone steps on your cat’s tail. It is also possible that your cat has injured itself and is yelping in pain – even if you cannot see the cause at first glance.
Pay attention to when your cat cries and what it does. For example, if it howls heartrendingly while running, it may have injured her paw and is in great pain when it steps on it. In this case, you should go to the vet as a precaution to have any injury treated.
Cat Screams During Turf Fights
A cat will also yell a lot when engaged in territorial fights — out of anger at an invader wanting to claim its territory, out of shock, or out of pain when it gets a clawed paw swipe from its rival.
When Cats Scream in the Toilet
If your cat screams while going to the litter box, urinary tract diseases – for example, urinary crystals – can be behind it. Constipation or other painful digestive problems can also be caused. This is also a case for the vet.
Cat Screams While Eating
If your cat always screams when it is eating, you should check its teeth. It is quite possible that she has a toothache or inflamed gums and that eating hurts her. At the vet, you can clean the cat’s teeth and have them show you how dental care works at home.
Old Cat Screams at Night: Is It Sick?
Old cats sometimes cry at night when they are alone. In such a case, it is better to take your pet to the vet. Otherwise, it cannot be ruled out that old cats are suffering from an unnoticed chronic illness, for example:
- renal insufficiency
- heart disease
- high blood pressure
- overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism)
- cancer
The earlier such diseases are discovered, the better they can be treated.
However, it is also conceivable that your cat will become mentally impaired as it gets older and develop dementia. She is then often deeply unsettled, confused, and frightened and screams, meows, and cries because of it.
Senior cats also often struggle with declining sensory organs, which also frustrates and worries them. When your old cat cries, she may become deaf or blind.
However, it is also possible that the reason for the yelling is harmless – for example, your cat has developed this behavior because it has noticed that it is getting attention or food. Nevertheless: play it safe and have your cat checked by the doctor.
Why Do Cats Scream When in Heat or During Intercourse?
If your cat cries regularly every few weeks and rears up, it’s probably in heat. This is an instinctive behavior that signals mating readiness to mature, unneutered tomcats nearby.
Conversely, tomcats who are mad for love tend to sing loudly, some of which can sound like screaming, in order to charm female cats who are ready to mate.
When it finally comes to mating, the cat lady also screams loudly. This is because the cat’s penis has barbs that cause pain when pulled out after the cat has had sex.
Tip: If you want to avoid unwanted offspring, excessive stress for your animals and screaming during the mating season, you should have your cat or tomcat neutered.
Cat Keeps Screaming: What Can It Be?
Does your cat always scream, regardless of the situation? Most of the time it is more of a loud meowing or yelping. Reasons for this can be
- frustration
- boredom
- Uncertainty and confusion in a new situation or environment
Does your furry friend live alone with you? Maybe she is missing a conspecific or she is missing sufficient playing and climbing opportunities. In this case, it can help to provide her with an animal friend and to redecorate your apartment with a climbing wall, scratching post, hiding places, and elevated places into a cat paradise and to play with her more often.
Is your cat spinning in circles and screaming? A balance disorder, for example, due to an ear infection, can then be the cause. If the excessive vocalization – as constant meowing, yelping, crying, and screaming is called in technical jargon – does not stop, general health problems can be considered as a trigger. In this case, see a veterinarian as soon as possible.