Cat Cries, Not Sure Why

[g2u3c4c5i]

Hello!
Most of my cats things are kept in the basement. Litter box, food station, catnip, etc. It’s a finished basement so I’m down there with her frequently.

I will usually do some school work down there before going up for dinner. She is very social and always stays with me - she sits on my lap while I write, by the table when we eat, she sleeps on my legs at night. She’s pretty much always with me.

Though often times she will go downstairs by herself. When she does, she starts wailing. She keeps doing this until I come downstairs, then she just meows softly and brushes against my legs.

If I leave after that, she cries again. She usually won’t stop unless I stay down there or carry her upstairs with me. Even if I call her, she’ll just keep crying until I come downstairs.

Any idea why she does this? I don’t know if she’s anxious by herself (but why doesn’t she just come upstairs?) or if she wants something?

Anything I can do to stop the crying?

Thanks!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! I think she feels that area is a wonderful place that should have the both of you in it

Can you try a nightlight, some low volume cat music and maybe a purr toy or heartbeat toy for her for when you can't be downstairs?

 

[cataholic07]

How old is she?

 

[g2u3c4c5i]

Hi! I could try and leave a light on.

The weird thing is that she only does it during the day... never at night. Usually it is when I go upstairs and she is still downstairs, or in the morning when she goes down to use the litter box. I usually have to go down and get her.

She’s somewhere around 6 years old; she found us as a stray.

 

[ArtNJ]

Oh thats cute. Adult cats cry for attention from their humans quite often, I've got a one year old that does that now, but piteous "I can't find you, where are you, come to me" crying is something I myself have only seen in kittens. Not sure which of those it is, or maybe its somewhere in between, but either way, the cat loves you and wants you to be around.

As cute as it is, be careful with how you deal with it. If you respond, and she figures out she can summon you by crying, you might get quite a bit more of it.

 

[g2u3c4c5i]

Thank you!

I try to call her to come up to me more than I go down to get her, but everyone be sitting at the table eating and she starts caterwauling - I just feel so bad to leave her alone down there

She is always at my side, it sometimes seems that she has some separation anxiety (it seems likely that she was abandoned by her previous owner), so I get worried when she cries like that.

It’s not a big deal, it’s an easy enough fix for me, but I am glad to know why she might be doing it. So thank you!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I am not sure I understand all the 'particulars', but if at all possible, I would set up an alternate 'home base' in the room you sleep in at night. Additional food/water dish there, as well as another litter box, and at least a few toys she likes that you could split between downstairs and your room. She might be going down in the basement to use the litter box and expects you to join her, rather than come back up on her own.