Howling cat -

[Dar]

Hoping for help from all your experience -

My 16 year old cat, Smokey, has been howling for the last 3 or 4 years. She does it during the day and at night also, she sounds like an 80 lb. dog when she does it. Sometimes it almost sounds like a yodel.

We just had her annual checkup and after bloodwork etc., the only problem she has is slight kidney problems. We are going to "flush" her kidneys once a week to try to help her out with Sub Q fluids. Otherwise, she is in perfect health. She walks on a leash and demands her daily walk. She would walk a mile if her owner could do so. She eats better now than ever in her life, KD mixed half and half with Science Diet Senior and some Fancy Feast as a little treat. Her teeth are in great shape although she only has about half of them left. She has been spayed for 15 years, she sits on the patio on her leash for a couple of hours sometimes and has two other cats to keep her company, although she wishes they lived elsewhere.

There is nothing that she needs or wants, just wandered if anyone had any idea why she does this howling routine. I have watched her from upstairs and she'll sometimes just sit in the middle of the house and howl while she is looking around.

Anyone have any idea why she does this? We are not concerned because we take care of her, just curious as to why she has developed this habit.

Thanks for any help.

[jdf]

I'm wondering if she has lost her hearing.. a simple test is to snap your fingers behind her head (without her knowledge) to see if there's a response to the sound.

[jdf]

The following paragraph is from the linked article:

>>>>>>>>

Where hearing loss is gradual, it can be ages before you realize that Puss is deaf because the cat compensates for its lack of hearing. Where hearing loss is sudden, the cat may appear confused, irritable, over-attached to the owner, insecure or exhibit other 'unusual' behaviors in response to the sudden loss of this sense. Some deaf cats call out more often and more loudly (they cannot regulate their own volume) while others may become mute.<<<<<<<


http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/Care/Cats/004/06d.htm

[Dar]

Thank you for your response, I think her hearing is fine but now that you've mentioned it, I will test different things tomorrow.

Thanks again.