Mr. Tedford and the Yodeling Cat

Mr. Tedford writes:

"What makes a cat howl like a banshee or tropical bird? My almost 19-year-old cat is basically healthy, but periodically (mostly at night) she starts howling like a deranged toucan. I run into the room to see what is agitating her, she stops and then meows normally. Sometimes she starts the howling in her sleep.

Do cats get dementia? Could she just have the age-related koo-koos?"




Mr. Tedford:


There are many reasons why a cat will yodel or vocalize like Stanzi.


Hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperthyroidism, loss of vision, and other primary medical conditions have to be ruled out as possibilities before considering feline dementia or “senility.”


Your veterinarian will recommend a complete physical examination including what is called a fundic exam (looking at the back of the eye with an ophthalmoscope), a thorough neurological exam, a blood pressure check, complete blood test (blood chemistry including thyroid evaluation by RIA, and complete blood count), and urine analysis.


Unfortunately, I worry about some of the more difficult to diagnose conditions in older patients who are vocalizing excessively. Meningiomas are tumors that can occur in older cats. You cannot identify them definitively without advanced imaging such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or CT (computed tomography) scans. If it is appropriate, referral to a veterinary neurologist can be offered.


Since MRI and CT tests are expensive, many people with older cats elect not to pursue them. “What are we going to do with the information we get from this test?” is an excellent question to keep in mind when discussing advanced diagnostics. If you have a very geriatric cat and you would not pursue surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy for something like a tumor, then don’t do the advanced imaging. Cats need to be completely anesthetized for these tests, and in very fragile older cats, this is sometimes not appropriate.


Some simple things to consider now for Stanzi are night lights, bringing her to sleep with you at night, offering her her own bed on the floor by yours, and in general being the devoted cat lovers that you are.


As a last resort, if her yodeling is becoming especially problematic and you’ve worked with your vet to make sure she is as healthy as possible, an anti-anxiety medication might help.


Talk to your veterinarian about your options and good luck with Stanzi!
Please keep me posted.


Jennifer