I have an (nearly) 18 yo spayed female named Dottie. The last several weeks Dottie has started screaching and yowling about 2:00 a.m. She will screach so loud that it startles me out of bed. When I check on her she does not seem to be in any sort of distress. The screaching stops by the time I get out of bed and turn on the light, and it does not happen again until the next night. When I find her (she's usually in my closet,) she's sitting in the middle of the floor and looks up at me like she's just woken up and wondering what all the fuss is about. yesterday afternoon she was sunning herself on the deck and I heard the screaching. I ran to the back door to check on her and she was all stretched out looking as relaxed and content as a cat possibly could.
I don't know if she screaches during her sleep and wakes herself up, or if she screaches after she wakes up. She's always awake by the time I get to her. I was thinking that she might be waking up in the closet disoriented and feeling lost, but sometimes she's in the hallway, or laying in the doorway between my bedroom and the bathroom. Then this incident yesterday afternoon -- the first time it happened during the day. so now I'm not so sure she's "lost."
She is otherwise a healthy cat. She sleeps about 20 hours a day. I noticed that she does sleep more deeply then ever before. Her appetite is good. She comes out for affection several times a day. She enjoys n occassional romp with a toy. She does limp more after waking then she used to do, but nothing unusual considering her age.
Any ideas as to what this screaching is about?
I don't know if she screaches during her sleep and wakes herself up, or if she screaches after she wakes up. She's always awake by the time I get to her. I was thinking that she might be waking up in the closet disoriented and feeling lost, but sometimes she's in the hallway, or laying in the doorway between my bedroom and the bathroom. Then this incident yesterday afternoon -- the first time it happened during the day. so now I'm not so sure she's "lost."
She is otherwise a healthy cat. She sleeps about 20 hours a day. I noticed that she does sleep more deeply then ever before. Her appetite is good. She comes out for affection several times a day. She enjoys n occassional romp with a toy. She does limp more after waking then she used to do, but nothing unusual considering her age.
Any ideas as to what this screaching is about?