Cat sitting on bed at night while owner sleeps.

If your cat cries at night, you’re not alone. Cats get noisy for different reasons at different stages in their lives.

Kittens often like to play at night. Though adopting two kittens together is an excellent idea (and recommended for health and general welfare), their wee-hour play-fights can keep you from a good night’s rest.

As your cat matures, he might want to hunt. Some cats get especially vocal when they’re on the prowl. Often cats feel the urge to hunt in the evening, and a midnight hunt of an insect, reptile, or rodent (depending on your geographic location) can mean a rude awakening for you when your cat screams out in frustration or elation.

With an older cat, vocalization throughout the night can be a sign of a serious problem. Advancing age sometimes brings sleep-wake cycle aberrations and dementia. These conditions are common in geriatric cats and may be related to anxiety or plain old disorientation. If you have a senior cat who gets very vocal at night, tell your veterinarian. There are therapies that can improve the quality of life of afflicted cats — and their humans.

This article was written by a Veterinarian.