Cat wakes up startled and meowing

[vardnas]

Hi there. Title is pretty self-explanatory. I have a 16 year old cat who, with fair regularity, will wake up with a jump, startled and meowing. It can be dead quiet, too, so she’s not being woken up by a loud noise or anything. If I’m close enough to her, I’ll put my hand out and she’ll give it a good lick. If she’s on the other side of the room, she’ll usually run over to me and immediately plop down on my lap.

Does anyone else’s cat do this? Is she having nightmares or something? It’s almost like she’s confused or doesn’t know where she is when she wakes. Just wondering if others have experienced the same with their kitties.

 

[gitabooks]

My cat has done this. She may wake up and bite me, hiss, run away, puff out her tail; she even expressed her anal glands once, poor girl! I give her cuddles and talk to her and she calms down in a minute or two.
She hasn't done this as much recently, thankfully. In her case I think its a nightmare that gives her an adrenaline rush.
Older kitties can get confused though, which may also be the case. Does your kitty have any cognitive symptoms that could be "kitty dementia" signs?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Has she always done this, or is it a more recent event? How is she acting otherwise - eating/drinking/etc? Does she ever do anything similar when awake or just resting? Anything change in her environment before this started, that might have set her on edge? It can be anything and often takes some time to figure out because many changes that can impact cats are things we humans take for granted.

My cat twitches in her sleep quite often, but she has done this for years. So, for me, it is no longer considered out of the ordinary. But a cat the age of yours could be experiencing health issues. If she hasn't recently been seen by a vet for a geriatric exam, it might be a good idea. It is actually a good idea even if she weren't exhibiting this behavior, as older cats really should be going through at least an annual exam - many vets think twice a year is more appropriate at that age. It is just easier to identify potential problems when there are routine checkups being done.

 

[Alldara]

Hi there. Title is pretty self-explanatory. I have a 16 year old cat who, with fair regularity, will wake up with a jump, startled and meowing. It can be dead quiet, too, so she’s not being woken up by a loud noise or anything. If I’m close enough to her, I’ll put my hand out and she’ll give it a good lick. If she’s on the other side of the room, she’ll usually run over to me and immediately plop down on my lap.

Does anyone else’s cat do this? Is she having nightmares or something? It’s almost like she’s confused or doesn’t know where she is when she wakes. Just wondering if others have experienced the same with their kitties.

What's the background of your cat? How long have you had her?