My old cat is up all night, vocal, hungry, and throwing up. Why?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
My 18 year old cat, who we believe is deaf, sleeps all day and is up all night. He eats both dry and wet food but during the night he "screams" at me every hour on the hour to get up and feed him another TBS of wet food. He has also started throwing up more.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on October 22nd, 2019
Sounds like he probably has an overactive thyroid - very common in older cats. I suggest you have him to your vet for an exam. This is not something you can correct at home. ( https://www.petcoach.co/article/hyperthyroidism-in-cats/ )
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on October 15th, 2017
These signs are quite commonly found in hyperthyroid cats. If levels are elevated (with mild elevation) they could be falsely decreased by an extra- thyroidal disease. This is a quite common finding and ideally free T4 (T4 is the fraction of thyroid hormone that usually is evaluated) levels together with total T4 should be measured. If you have any chance to do it, I would recommend to upload blood results as a picture on this platform so we can give you more specific answer; otherwise discuss with your veterinarian possibility to measure free T4. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
My cat is around 14 years old in human years and the last time we went to the vet they said he was healthy for his age but lately he has been throwing up a lot and wont stop meowing, he also seems to eat when we eat he was found off the side of the r
Older cats commonly develop hyperthyroidism. This causes them to be hungrier but they usually are losing weight. Often they are more vocal and sometimes have vomiting and/or diarrhea. I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by a veterinarian soon. Blood work will likely be recommended to help diagnose the problem. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Sadie is a senior cat. She has recently started begging for food constantly. We took her to the vet and they said her blood results were normal, thyroid above average but in range. At night she yells at her toys. Chews on them. Chews at the carpet. I
These signs are quite commonly found in hyperthyroid cats. If levels are elevated (with mild elevation) they could be falsely decreased by an extra- thyroidal disease. This is a quite common finding and ideally free T4 (T4 is the fraction of thyroid hormone that usually is evaluated) levels together with total T4 should be measured. If you have any chance to do it, I would recommend to upload blood results as a picture on this platform so we can give you more specific answer; otherwise discuss with your veterinarian possibility to measure free T4. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My 11yr old tortoiseshell female cat has become very vocal in the last couple of months. She also has started drinking lots? What should I do ? She still plays, but I don’t think she’s right.
Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cat. She will need to see her veterinarian for laboratory work. Increased vocalizations and increased thirst are common signs of hyperthyroidism. This is a disease where the body makes too much thyroid hormone thereby increasing metabolism. Other signs can include weight loss, hyperactivity, increased urination as well as vomiting and/or diarrhea. If this is her diagnosis, the disease is typically managed with medication. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My orange tabby is 13 years old he is neauterd he's starting to scream loud for no reason and won't eat his dry food anymore .He only wants wet food now and he lost a lot of weight he is an indoor cat and eats like he's starving I don't know what hap
The main suspicion would be hyperthyroidism, he is showing all the symptoms, you need to take him to the vet ASAP in order to have a blood test done that should confirm this, then your vet can start him on a treatment for this condition (fully treatable).
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat is 14 years old is overweight but seems pretty healthy. Sometimes he seems ill and I can not tell what it is. Today was really bad, He moaned then walked hardly moving and even hissed which he never does. I am very concerned what could b
Vague behavior changes like you are describing can be the first sign of illness in an older cat, so if you feel something is wrong I would encourage you to see your veterinarian again. Blood work might be recommended to rule out kidney or liver disease. The vomiting could be a sign of inflammatory bowel disease or even an intestinal mass and if the blood work is normal an abdominal ultrasound might be recommended. Finally, the vocalizing and hissing could be a sign of pain from something like arthritis and there are some supplements and now pain medications that can be used in cats.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
16 year old male cat is vomiting weekly. Increased hunger but no weight loss. Had thyroid surgery 14 months ago
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Vomiting can be observed with gastroenteritis, inflammatory bowel disease, dietary indiscretion, food sensitivity, foreign body ingestion and obstruction or other conditions such as pancreatitis or kidney disease. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include abdominal imaging and general bloodwork. Treatment would depend on findings. Good luck and have a great day!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
I got Reggie a couple months ago and he eat constantly he steals from the other cats he breaks into the garbage the other day he must have eaten so much he actually vomited I don't know how to control his behavior no matter how much of his own food h
Depending on his age these signs could be compatible with hyperthyroidism. This disease increase the metabolism and often appetite becomes ravenous and can lead to aggressive behaviour. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm this clinical suspicion and treat appropriately. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat Charlie used to bring me, small animals that he has killed but has stopped doing that and he is always meowing at night time when everyone is a sleep. Should I be worried about this? He is also sleeping a lot and doesn't want to play either.
hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Poor Charlie! There are a lot of things that can change metabolically as cats age. One thing that can cause increased night time vocalization in cats is an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). I think due to Charlie sleeping more and his other changes in behavior having him checked by your Vet and getting senior blood work done would be a good idea. Sometimes cats vocalize more if they lose their hearing. I would also suggest getting him dewormed due to his hunting. I hope this helps and good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi! I have a male DSH cat, 16yrs old, steady 9lbs weight who is VORACIOUS when eating! Last nite he vomited up the quickly-eaten food on two different occasions. He's also been picking fights w/ our other male DSH cat (10-11 yrs old) and will also ha
That is definitely a top thought with what you are describing. A simple blood test can confirm this. Other options do include gastroenteritis or an inflammatory bowel disease also so an ultrasound would be another useful test. Each have different treatments and they can be managed
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat is 10years has been sick at least once a day for the last week..not digested food...seems to be always hungry..also seems to drinking more water than usual...she always drank water from a kitten. .thankyou
I am very sorry to hear that Your cat is experiencing these troubling clinical signs. Unfortunately in elderly cats vomiting, weight loss and changes in appetite and drinking habits could be the first signs of potentially serious medical Conditions, which require bloodwork and a physical exam by your vet to diagnose. Because these symptoms have been noticed over a week period, I would suggest scheduling a visit in the next few days. If Your cat becaomes depressed, has difficulty breathing, or collapses I would take him in immediately. The vet will test for common metabolic diseases of elderly cats such as kidney disease, hyperthyroidism and diabetes, and may want to perf advanced imaging of the chest and abdomen using an X-ray or ultrasound to check for masses, intestinal blockages, and foreign bodies. I hope that this was a helpful answer, but more Importantly I hope Your cat starts to feel better soon. Warmest regards to you both.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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