Why Is My Spayed Female Cat Yowling? Is It A Concern?

Why Is My Spayed Female Cat Yowling? is a topic which you will see crop up often, a question that everyone seems to be asking. But what is the answer?

 

Some cats yowl to get your attention — they need to snuggle and feel loved. Other cats will yowl for food, especially if you forget to feed them on time. And then there are senior cats who are simply a bit lost and confused.

 

But by far the most frequent reason behind spayed cats yowling is ovarian remnant syndrome. It’s a health issue that you will need to address as quickly as possible; that way, your kitty will be safe from other, much more serious conditions. And on top of that, it will no longer be yowling and pestering you day after day. 

 

Why Is My Spayed Female Cat Yowling?

 

Cats might yowl from time to time; there are plenty of reasons for that, which I will cover a little later in this article. But more often than not, yowling is a sign of seeking a mating partner. So, naturally, cats should stop yowling after having their reproductive organs removed. So, why is my spayed female cat yowling, even after the procedure? What seems to be the problem.

 

I’ve been dealing with the why is my spayed female cat yowling dilemma for a long time. I’ve had dozens upon dozens of people ask me that very same question, in one form or another. And I fully understand why; incessant yowling can, indeed, be quite annoying. 

 

So, in order to give some peace of mind to the people who are sick of constant yowls by their female feline, I’ve decided to tackle the subject in some detail. But before we move on to answering the all-important question, we need to cover cat behavior in general.

 

Introduction to Why Is My Spayed Female Cat Yowling: Cats and Meowing

 

What I’m about to say might sound bizarre, but hear me out. When you spend a long time taking care of a cat, you will notice something odd, something that is almost counter-intuitive when you think of cats. Namely, your puss will actually NOT meow for roughly 85% of the time during the day.

 

More often than not, people associate their own behavioral patterns to those of animals. So, if a cat lets out a meowing sound, it’s only logical that it meows all the time, just like people talk all the time, right? Well, not exactly. Cats only meow at specific times during the day, and the same goes for hissing, growls, and yowls. 

 

Interestingly, the same goes for dogs. Your puppy will only really bark at specific times, e.g., when it’s hungry, irritated, or happy. Moreover, it will also growl, squeal, and howl quite sparingly.

 

Why Do Cats Meow?

 

Yowling is really just a specific form of meowing. Both male and female cats of all ages do it frequently. And considering the title of this article is Why Is My SPAYED Female Cat Yowling? you can easily connect the dots. Cats yowl whenever they’re in heat. By producing those yowling noises, they are trying to attract a suitable mate. It’s a common tactic that mammals and birds use frequently, and, normally, it stops when you have your kitty spayed.

 

However, a cat will meow regularly for a whole host of other reasons. Perhaps it’s simply boring, or there’s a shift in its behavior. On the other hand, it might be suffering from some health issues. Some felines also yowl when they’re hungry or want to be back in the house during the night. 

 

Now, I should point out that everything I’ve just listed is related to unspayed cats that can still breed. I stress this because most people think yowling is breeding-specific. While that is the most likely reason, I suggest that you don’t rule out any of the alternatives.

 

The Big Question: Why Is My Spayed Female Cat Yowling All The Time?

 

So, let’s say that you went to the vet and that your pet had gone through the spaying process. However, the cat doesn’t seem to stop yowling around the house a week or two later. What happened? 

 

Here’s a shortlist of all the possible reasons for spayed female cats yowling. I’ve decided to present them in order from most benign to most dangerous.

 

Your Kitty Is Seeking Attention

 

As I stated earlier, yowling is a form of meowing. So, it shouldn’t surprise you that your pet is using them both almost interchangeably in similar situations.

 

Now, cats might not be as ‘sociable’ as dogs when it comes to hanging out with humans. In fact, most people who tend to be introverted and who keep to themselves have cats for pets. But that doesn’t mean that cats outright reject human companionship. They are simply a little reserved about it.

 

So, when a cat wants your company (i.e., when it wants to play or snuggle), it will meow to get your attention. Sometimes, those meows will turn to yowls and, unless you tend to your kitty, they won’t stop.

 

Your Kitty Is Being Territorial

 

Pay close attention to your cat’s behavior. Does it only yowl when you’re giving attention to a different pet? How about when you’re hugging a loved one or a child? 

 

Cats, both male and female, are highly territorial. So, when they spot that someone else is taking up your attention, they will get jealous. Generally speaking, yowling out of jealousy is just a specific form of yowling for attention. However, you can usually recognize jealous behavior by other patterns. For example, your kitty might try to rub its head against you. On the one hand, it’s showing affection for you and wants you to pet it. But on the other hand, this is typical behavior associated with marking territory. Cats transfer their own scent by rubbing against objects and other animals, and even humans. So, in its own way, your pet is letting you know that it owns you and that nobody can stand in the way.

 

And speaking of standing in the way, the cat will often physically place itself between you and the other person or pet. When followed by yowling, this behavior is a clear indicator of the cat protecting its ‘property’ from getting close to others. 

 

Older Cats and Yowling

 

If you own an old cat, the chances are that it’s yowling because it’s entering the early stages of feline dementia. When felines get older, their cognitive functions slowly start to deteriorate. They will not only yowl during the night but also  display other behavior typical of dementia:

 

• They will lose balance more often than usual
• Their eyesight will deteriorate
• Their excretion will become irregular and unpredictable
• They will lose more hair than usual
• They will display irregular sleeping patterns

 

So, while yowling might be annoying to you, it’s a natural part of your kitty getting along in years. 

 

Stress

Any number of things can stress a cat out. For instance, did you move recently? Did you get a new pet, or maybe had a baby? Was there an earthquake or a powerful storm some days ago? Maybe the neighbor’s dog is constantly barking at your pet, which keeps causing it concern.

 

Whatever the reason behind the stress might be, it will cause your kitty to become a bit of a talker. Yowling is not uncommon at this stage, and if your spayed cat is making those sounds, you should pay close attention. Find out what stressed your cat out and try to calm the puss down. Give it some quiet time, and be there when it needs you. 

 

Ovarian Remnant Syndrome: the Most Dangerous Reason Behind the Yowl

 

 

What Are Ovarian Remnants?

 

As their name suggests, ovarian remnants are bits of ovarian tissue that remain inside of the body of your female cat after spaying. When a vet is spaying your cat, they have to surgically remove the entire reproductive tract, which includes the uterus and both ovaries. However, if even a small part of ovarian tissue remains behind, it will continue to produce estrogen. As a result, your female cat will show signs of estrus, i.e., being in heat. 

 

Alternatively, an accessory ovarian tissue can break off from the ovary while it’s still inside of your cat’s body. That piece of tissue only needs to establish a decent blood supply, and it will begin producing estrogen on its own, even after you had your cat spayed.

 

Diagnosing Ovarian Remnant Syndrome 

 

Typically, a vet will use one of these four methods of diagnosing ovarian remnant syndrome in spayed cats:

 

• Vaginal cytology
• Baseline hormone levels
• Hormone stimulation test
• Ultrasound

 

Vaginal cytology

Vaginal cytology involves taking a swab from a cat’s vagina when it starts to show signs of estrus. Once they’ve taken a swab, vets will place it under a microscope and look for a specific type of cells known as cornified cells.

 

I should stress that cornified cells will only indicate the presence of estrogen. That doesn’t necessarily mean that there is an ovarian remnant inside of your kitty. The estrogen could come from any number of sources, including topical hormonal creams and general hormonal imbalances. However, vaginal cytology is still a good preliminary test; I’d suggest that you apply one or two methods below as well, just to be sure. 

Baseline hormone levels

Some experts use baseline hormone testing to find out if there’s an ovarian remnant is a spayed female cat or not. However, as a test, it’s not completely reliable. For instance, if it shows an abnormal level of estrogen, your cat might have ovarian remnant syndrome. But a normal hormonal balance is not an indicator that there is no ovarian remnant present. 

Hormone stimulation test

This test is by far the most reliable way of finding out if your female cat has ovarian remnant syndrome. The process is as follows:

 

• The vet administers a synthetic hormone to your cat when it shows signs of estrus
• Roughly a week later, they take a blood sample from the cat
• When testing the blood, the vet will be looking for an increase in progesterone; if it occurs, the cat has some ovarian tissue remaining

Ultrasound

Ultrasound can also be used to detect ovarian remnants, but it comes with its own set of flaws. For example, if the remnant is too small, it won’t show on the ultrasound results. Moreover, the stage of the heat cycle and the skill level of the ultrasonographer also play a big role in the test’s overall accuracy.

 

Should My Cat Get Ovarian Remnant Syndrome Treatment? 

 

Yes, it absolutely should. If left untreated, ovarian remnants can cause serious health issues with female cats, including mammary gland tumors, pyometra, and ovarian tumors. Luckily, the treatment isn’t difficult; the vet will simply surgically remove the remaining ovarian tissue, and your cat should feel good as new in a few weeks. 

 

Why Is My Spayed Female Cat Yowling: the Conclusion

 

And there you have it — the why is my spayed female cat yowling problem, in a nutshell. If anything should be your main takeaway from this article, let it be the following:

 

• If your cat yowls too much, take note of its behavior and see if it’s stressed out
• Take the cat to your vet 
• Don’t yell at your cat when it starts to yowl frequently

 

But most importantly, always remember to be there for your furry little friend. She will need your support every step of the way.