Dear Sinéad and Siouxsie,
Our cat, Paula, is a yowler. She just seems to like to hear the sound of her own voice in a big, empty room. Used to be Ginger would beat on her for it, but now that we don't have our little Enforcer anymore (she passed away a few weeks ago), it's getting hard to get to sleep some nights. Do you have any suggestions on how we could get her to stop?

Thanks,
Doe

Sinéad: You don't say how old Paula is, Doe, but we do know that as cats get older, they do tend to start yelling and calling in the middle of the night. Some cat experts say it's because they need reassurance; others say it's because they can't see and hear as well so they think they're alone.

Siouxsie: That's just the same as saying they need reassurance, isn't it?

Sinéad: I suppose it is. And then some cats just yowl because they like it. Siouxsie cries like she's being tortured whenever she's carrying her silly plaid mousie around the house!

Siouxsie: I'm not yowling; I'm saying, "Honey, I brought dinner!"

Sinéad: Sounds like yowling to me.

Siouxsie: And what do you call that caterwauling you were doing when you went way up to the top of that metal staircase outside last year?

Sinéad: I was singing an aria! It's not my fault that a passing stranger thought I was stuck and called the fire department to bring me down.

JaneA: Darling, you don't have to exaggerate. You know nobody called the fire department. I called your name and you walked down, just as pretty as you please.

Sinéad: You took all the fun out of the story!

JaneA: I'm sorry.

Siouxsie: The point is, some cats are yowlers and others aren't. When I talked to Paula, she said she was lonely. She misses her friend, and that's part of the reason she's crying.

Sinéad: Oh, that's so sad! I don't know what I'd do if I lost Siouxsie. Even though she's a pain in the flank sometimes, she's still my sister and I love her.

Siouxsie: Awwww, I think you're all right, too. Can I give you a love bat now?

Sinéad: Maybe later. We've got work to do right now. I don't know if there's anything in particular that you can do about Paula's yelling, but there are two major options. First, you can let her sleep in your bedroom with you. That way you don't have to get out of bed when she yells; you can just quietly say, "It's all right, Paula." If you don't want her in your bed, you can try putting a cage in the bedroom or letting her sleep in her carrier.

Siouxsie: The other option is to ignore her and hope she eventually gives up her yowling ways. This takes a lot more patience than most people have, as you can probably imagine, because we cats can be quite persistent when it suits our fancy.

Sinéad: Mama lets us sleep in her bed. We like that!

Siouxsie: Mama likes it, too.

Sinéad: She says someday she won't be single and we'll be kicked out of the bed, but I don't believe her . . .

JaneA: Anyway . . . I guess that wraps up this week's column. We hope that helps you resolve Paula's yowling problem. You might also try putting a couple of drops of Bach Rescue Remedy in her water to help her get over the emotional shock of losing Ginger. That might quiet the yelling a little bit, too. Good luck, Doe.

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail Sinéad and Siouxsie at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the advice in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.