15 yr old male cat does not stop meowing/crying?!?

Question

My boyfriend's cat, Forest, is 15 yrs old. He meows constantly with maybe a 5-10 minute break in between and when he sleeps is the only real break we get. I've only lived with him for a year and a half now but it seems out of the ordinary to me. I don't think he's always been a loud cat.

For 13 years he was always an indoor/outdoor cat. Always an only cat until last year, I got a Bengal cross who will be 2 this year. They get along fine pretty much. In the last year or so he has developed a tumor in his eye called Iris Melanoma. Maybe he is trying to tell us that it's getting worse, I really don't know.

His meows are really long and whiny, but sometimes they sound like crying. Sometimes they sound like a gurgle. Other times there is an R roll at the end of it and I have read that means he's "beckoning us to him". But most of the time he sounds like he's saying "harrrrrrrrrrrrrowwwwwwwwww" as in "HELLO?!" It is getting to be too much, and I know you're not supposed to give any sort of attention to it but it's really hard! And sometimes we do it out of habit. And even when we shush him he stops &/or runs away and then starts up again 10 seconds later.

We feed a raw diet 3 times a day, we know what time it is yet Forest will meow/cry an hour before every meal time until its time to finally feed them. He even meows after we feed him. He meows/cries at the door at night while we sleep, every night. I'm not working at the moment and he does it even when I'm sleeping later in the day. So when I finally wake up I let them in and they jump on the bed, instant purr from both and NO meowing from Forest whatsoever. I would let them in at night but they always move around and Gizzy (my Bengal cross) would use that as more room to run around. So keeping the door closed is an absolute must at this point. We live in a 1 bedroom condo so we don't have much room.

So does he just want to be near us? Trip to the vet? Iris Melanoma getting worse? He's driving us insane! Please Help!

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

l am sure you are aware just how old your cat really is and if not a siamese  or burmese than this constant crying is being done for a reason as he was not doing it before.
One of the reasons is obvious he wants to be with you his family who he loves and you are his carer and owner.
Secondly,he is trying to tell you he is sick,he cannot talk but they way he is meowing sounds like he is stressed out and part of the reason is your bengal cross but he haas got used to that and has come to terms with it so the only other alternative is he is in pain whether it is the melanoma which is irritating him  which l am sure it is you will also find he may be partially deaf and losing h is sight so add all these up you have a stressed out cat used to being inside and outside for 13 years,used to being an active little man and now he is old and tired and most likely needs some Vet treatment for his eyes as well as a check by the Vet of feeling his body to see if all is OK with the organs especially the kidneys.
The choice is yours entirely,either you take your elderly cat to the Vet and have him assess him and see if there is an organic reason besides his eye or do nothing and have him die earlier than necessary.
It is not my place to tell you what to do,l know what l would do and being a Vet nurse of course it is a little easier plus a Breeder l instinctively know when any of mine are ill as they are always vocal all the time, we live with that and the dogs that is our choice of lifestyle but than we live on a large farm so it is much easier than your situation  however l can assure you our cats do not go outside we have a huge cat house built especially for the cats which IS attached to the house and the cats can come in the house or out when they feel like it and l can close this off if l want some peace and quiet but they cannot get out into the fields and be mated all the time.
l wish you good luck and hope that the Vet can find it is only a little stress plus the eye issue and nothing else.By the way l have had cats live till 20 yrs of age but in the main the usual age is around 16 if it has led a good happy life and you certainly have been feeding your cats the correct diet and not just opening a can so congrats on that as you sound like a good cat owner and you are concerned which is great to see,wish all people were like that.

Anonymous · Answer

hmmm I would say...if it's a sudden change in behavior... then there may be something wrong. That, or he's getting senile in his old age. I had a cat that would yowl nonstop in the corner of the hallway. His meowing before meals- he's reminding you that food time is near- and every night I bet he thinks he wins because you end up feeding him. kind of funny actually! lol. But I totally feel your pain.

He could be restless... you said for 13 years he was indoor/outdoor does he not get that priviledge anymore? I could see that driving my cat berserk! And being the one and only for so long, only to have a new, younger cat come into the scene, (in a very small living space) maybe he's jealous. I know my 3 yr old ragdoll was VERY put out that we brought home a new little kitten last year. She started becoming very destructive by knocking things off shelves, tipping glasses over etc etc... we found by making sure that she got just as much, if not more attention from us than the new kitty, she calmed down. Every once in a while she acts up but a quick game of chase the string usually sorts her out.

My only concern is that your cat is older and he has a medical condition. For peace of mind I would at the very least talk to the vet over the phone and express your concerns. A lot of the time ppl don't realize that they can call up their vets and talk to the staff, who usually have seen a lot of behavioral problems in pets and can offer you solutions. And then, If your vet does think it's a concern, schedule a consult. Then you can rule out a growing tumor and focus on his behavior correction. 

Either way, he sounds unhappy and he's trying to let you know. At least you noticed...

anne m · Answer

I don't want to alarm you, but I was just reading earlier a question about a blind cat that was miaowing a lot, and my mum's cat turned blind in her old age and used to do the same. 
Forest might not be totally blind, but he's probably lost all his bearings without or with little sight in the sore eye... and the calls you are describing are like my cat when he's calling to me outside, like a lost kitten :) (he's young and healthy but he did loose one eye when tiny, and although he's fine for hunting and everything, I think sometimes he "remembers" the first weeks after he lost it).
So maybe Forest is just calling, to make sure someone is around, or just to be reassured that he is safe, and that you or your boyfriend are nearby ? just a thought...
Even if he has lost the sight in this one eye, he probably will get used to it, but I suppose he might need more hugs and "hellos" than normal :) 
As I said, my cat is a one eyed cat, he never bumps into things, and brings back mice and rabbits on a regular basis. Tough little creatures, cats :)

momtomanykitties · Answer

Because of his age you may want to take Forrest to the vet.  I have had many Kittens and Cats over the years and from what you are discribing i would take him to the vet.  Alot of times cats will meow/cry like that because they dont feel well and dont let the purring of Forrest fool you because cats will purr when they are sick or hurting.  So I think it is in the best interest of Forrest to go to a vet.

brutusmom · Answer

If he were MY CAT, I'd pay attention to what he's saying.  He's apparently in pain, or he wouldn't be meowing CONSTANTLY!

I'd take him to the vet for a checkup.  If his eye is worse, there may be something the vet can give him to alleviate the pain.  He might even suggest removal of the eye......

Since they seem to relax when you let them in your room, you should consider letting the two of them in to "sleep with" you during the day..( and close the door, if you don't want Gizzy running around loose ), 

Since you aren't working at this time, why not stay awake during the day and give them both some of your time.......like PLAY WITH THEM !!!

Leaving out some dry food for him to nibble on during the day wouldn't hurt.  He apparently needs more than what you're feeding him......and the fact that he's trying to tell you he's hungry BEFORE time to eat, shows this.  Raw food is okay, but they also need some of the carbs in the dry......and the dry has the taurine that they need, too.  Unless you're mixing some taurine into their food, they aren't getting ALL of what they need.

Taking Forest to the vet would be my suggestion. Maybe, there's something the vet can do for him, to make his life more comfortable.

Hope this helps.........Good luck to ALL of you.........

? · Answer

Trip to the vet to have the eye reevaluated & a good geriatric exam including bloodwork.
When my one senior cat started constantly caterwauling he had some thyroid issues. Getting him on the proper medication has made a huge difference.

? · Answer

1

Anonymous · Answer

Poor baby :( Though he can get a bit annoying, really spoil him and fuss over him! He's probably hurting and wants some attention...

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15 yr old male cat does not stop meowing/crying?!?

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