Why is my 19-year-old cat howling and acting strange? Kidney issues?

HI and thank you for reaching out at Pet Coach. Howling like this can be related to senility in older cats (which, unfortunately there is nothing you can do about that). It sometimes can also be related to high blood pressure. Kidney disease is one of the diseases in older cats that can cause hypertension. I would recommend to have your cat's blood pressure evaluated. Thank you.

The acute change in behavior may be a symptom of an overactive thyroid, elevated blood pressure which can occur secondary to hyperthyroidism, cardiac disease or primary neurologic disease. I would advise you to have Booboo evaluated by your veterinarian and discuss bloodwork including T4 levels, blood pressure, ECG, and urinalysis as a baseline.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry to hear Mojo has been having some health issues recently. Kidney disease can often cause nausea and vomiting. Breathing trouble could be caused by a virus, bacterial infection or something more serous such as pneumonia, fluid in the chest, or lung cancers. Yowling at night or in the early morning could be a sign of dementia which typically happens in older pets. A veterinary check up would be recommended just to check his blood work and do a chest x-ray to see what is going on with his lungs. Anti-nausea medications can be prescribed to help control his vomiting. Sometimes certain medications can be prescribed for dementia as well, however, calming chews or Feliway plug ins/spray you can find over the counter at your pet store may help with night time disturbances as well.

Thank you for asking the question about Rosie. A common cause of increased vocalizing in older cats is Hyperthyroidism. A benign tumor on the thyroid gland tends to cause weight loss, increased appetite, increased Vocalization, and sometimes vomiting and or diarrhea. I would highly encourage you to have her evaluated by your veterinarian soon. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A few main concerns are coming to mind for Bubbles. 1) Hyperthyroid disease- the vocalizing fits with this but usually an increase in appetite is noted. We also usually see weight loss. This can be diagnosed with a blood test that may or may not be a part of the "regular" bloodwork done. 2) Pain - a severe arthritis flare up can cause vocalizing and reluctance to move. If bloodwork comes back normal, x-rays and or a pain medication trial would be my next steps. 3) Cognitive dysfunction (senility) or other neurological problem - Though it is not as well documented in cats as in dogs, we do definitely see cats that have dementia. This usually manifests as: wakefulness/vocalizing at night, loss of litterbox training, seeming to be lost, sudden anxiety, and other signs. I have seen cats act like this with sudden blindness (a few underlying causes) because they are anxious to leave the places they know best (bed, food, litter box). Finally, brain tumors, clots in the brain (underlying heart disease) and other neurological problems may manifest similarly to this. Long story short, get a good eye exam and some bloodwork done. Then consider x-rays and/or a pain medication trial. If none of these help, discuss possible next steps with your vet. Best wishes to you and Bubbles!

There are three very common things that cats get as they age: 1. diabetes, 2. kidney disease and 3. hyperthyroidism (high thyroid levels). All of these can be easily ruled in/out with simple blood/urine testing. I suggest you have Monty to the vet to discuss this.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That is so hard to predict! If she is otherwise fine I don't see why that would be happening soon. Increased vocalization can be a sign of being deaf or decreased vision both of which do not indicate the time is near. Another cause is an over active thyroid. I would recommend a Vet exam, blood pressure and senior blood work. Obviously no one lives forever and sadly our pets have shorter lives but the signs you are describing don't necessarily mean that time is near. I wish you all the best!