Not Maggie. She’ll be 15 in July, but I swear, she’s gotten even friskier in the last two years. Racing up and down the stairs late at night, and when she’s all wound up, she likes to howl at the top of her lungs for some reason.
Then in the early morning, she’ll come in my room and start playing with her toys. Her noisiest toys. (Why don’t I put them downstairs? Because Piper Grace is freaked out by the noisy ones)
Tell me I’m not alone.
I doubt you are. Cats are strange critters. Do you have a Siamese perchance? Nothing is like a Siamese in full voice.
Yep, well, only part-Meezer, athough Maggie isn’t one of them. The two that are Annie and Luci, can indeed be loud. Luci does this thing where she carries her toys around and cries. It’s adorable and I keep trying to film her but when she sees me with the camera she stops, almost like she’s embarassed.
My cat, who turns 18 in a few days, has gotten much more vocal in her old age—the voice is louder, harsher, and used more often. My parents had a cat who was much the same way.
In other ways, she’s more mellow in some ways, less mellow in others. (Not as energetic as in her prime, though she still gets around fine; can be pretty demanding of attention.)
Our old boy, Rocky, does this. He’s almost 13, also part Siamese. He parks himself in front of one of his toys and sings to it. Loudly. If we didn’t know better, we’d think he’s in serious distress. And he’ll only do it if no one is watching, too.
The late Miss Austen and the present Emily did/do this too. It seems to be something between a surrogate kitten and substitute prey to be laid before me or placed on my pillow while I sleep. At least, they both seem(ed) to see their favorite object is an important part of their relationship with me. Miss Austen’s object was a tiny crocheted bag (a gift from a friend that originally contained a Cadbury Creme Egg). Emily’s is one of a pair of green fingerless gloves that were also a gift from another friend. When I hear Emily yowl, I know she’s bringing that glove to me.
Pixel does that with her loopies (ponytail holders.) She has a collection of them she carries around the house and leaves in interesting patterns everywhere. Looks like she’s been hunting angels.
My male Siamese likes hair scrunchies, too. A particular silvery one that sorta crunches is his favorite. I find it in strange places. My female doesn’t seem to be interested in them. She likes bells in those plastic balls. Those worry me a bit. I watch them, I don’t want the dogs to get them.
Guin. I was gonna say my sisters cat was hollering and roaming around like she was looking for something. My woo-woo believing sister thought she was seeing spirits or ghosts. I told her to take that cat to the vet. The cat had a kidney infection. Make sure your cat doesn’t have a medical issue.
Luci’s been doing it since she was a kitten, so I’m not too worried*. Her favorites seem to be stuffed animals. She has a little crocheted cat, and then two stuffed monkeys that my sister named “Bob”. Annie generally whines at meal time, or when she’s lonely and wants attention.
Maggie does it when she’s racing up and down the steps, when she wants me to come and pet her, or when she’s hungry.
The only time I’ve ever seen a cat howl like she was in pain was my old cat, Fluffy, who’d do it right before she had a hairball.
*I’d LIKE to take her to the vet because she’s fucking overweight, because my dad won’t stop giving her extra snacks. No matter what my mother and I say, he just won’t listen. My mother’s being stubborn about it, and I just don’t know how to convince her. At least she’s getting plenty of exercise .
**I thought cats were supposed to mellow out as they got older
**
whoever told you that? a lot of cats get more peevish.
Our older cat Hestia has gotten more vocal. She used to be very quiet, but now, if she’s dissatisfied, she’ll let you know with a “MOW!” (there’s no “e” in her “Meow”) And she’ll give you that if you don’t come to bed on time (she’ll stay in the bedroom, crying over and over), or if you stay asleep too long (She sat on the sofa arm, looking down at Pepper Mill while she slept during the day, scolding her with a series of "MOW"s). Or if she’s bored (she’ll frequently climb atop the papers in my den and cry at me, challenging me to figure out what she wants). Or if the water bowl on my bedside table is low or empty.
“MOW” means “I want what I want, and I want it NOW!”
I have a tiny teddy bear that’s actually a xmas tree ornament. No matter how high I hang it, my 12yo female cat, Vienna, jumps up and brings it down, without damaging anything else. Then she carries it around the house like it’s her little kitten. Sometimes she “sings” to it.
Anything is “normal” for a cat, even this.