8 Causes Cats Cry in the Middle of the Night
Many of us think that a cat that sheds tears or has watery eyes is a cat that is crying because it is sad and grieving. Cats do have emotions such as happy, sad and sometimes watery eyes. But that doesn't mean the cat is sad.
When we look carefully and find out the source of the reason why cats cry, we may feel that it is just a mere coincidence. If we are a cat owner who often spends time interacting with cats, of course we will understand how cats convey various emotions to us or those around them.
This is supported by scientific research that proves that cats do have emotions. Cats have emotions and and are able to convey their emotions to the people around them. For example, when a cat is sad he will sleep more and lose his appetite and like to daydream.
When he is afraid the cat will meow, hiss, spread his tail and run to hide. Not infrequently also a frightened cat will hit the thing it fears while hissing and meowing in anger.
What Does A Crying Cat Mean ?
Cats do appear to be crying but this has nothing to do with sad emotions. Experienced veterinarian Dr Sherri Moriss Oregon in an article in the Parade magazine said that a cat crying means an injury or disease related to the cat's eye.
What Are The Signs Of A Midnight Crying Cat ?
Cats that seem to cry in the middle of the night usually show signs or characteristics of a crying cat in the form of :
Watery eyes
Eyes look shiny
Looks like there's dirt in the eye
Reddish cat eyes
The cat's eyes are a little swollen
There are traces of water running down the cat's nose or cheeks
The sign above is a sign of a cat crying. Some of the signs above could be because the cat's eyes have entered certain objects, irritation, allergies, conjunctiva and can also be due to certain diseases.
Why Do Cats Cry In The Middle Of The Night ?
There may be times where we suddenly find our cat's eyes watering and looking as if he is crying in the middle of the night. When a cat cries in the middle of the night we must be wondering why the cat is like that ?
There are several things that can be the main cause. Some of these include :
1. Irritated Cat's Eyes
Cats are crepuscular animals, which are animals that are active at dusk and dawn. Therefore, it is not uncommon for cats to be active in the middle of the night. When a cat wakes up in the middle of the night, it could be that the cat's eyes are irritated due to the entry of certain small objects.
Such as ash, sand, sawdust, cigarette ash and other similar objects. As a result, the cat's eyes are disturbed and release water to relieve the disturbance. This is why at midnight we find our cats looking sad and crying.
2. Accidentally Playing Onion
At night especially in the middle of the night, the cat will be separated from our monitoring. Cat eyes that are watery and look like crying are also caused by cats playing with onions. When an onion is accidentally crushed by a cat, the compounds from the onion will be exposed to the cat's eyes.
An irritated cat's eye will release tears as a counter response aimed at removing or fighting substances that irritate the eye. So don't be surprised if your cat's eyes look like they're crying in the middle of the night. It could be because the cat accidentally played with the onion.
3. Accidentally Exposed To Chili And Similar Hot Objects
In addition to onions, chilies and similar hot objects are triggers for watery eyes that make cats look like they are crying. Cats that play in the middle of the night may play chilies and other things that when exposed to the eyes can make the cat's eyes water.
Therefore, when going to bed, make sure you store chilies, ground pepper and the like in a jar and place it in a place that cannot be reached by our beloved cat.
4. Eye Allergies
Eye allergies are also one of the reasons why cats seem to cry in the middle of the night. Eye allergies in cats are often caused by :
Dust
Certain chemicals
Household cleaner
Drugs
Pollen
Perfume
Mold
Dust
5. Conjunctivitis
Inflammation of the pink layer around the eye (conjunctiva) is called conjunctivitis. It is usually triggered by bacteria, viruses or environmental irritants. Conjunctivitis can not only make the cat's eyes water and excrete feces, it can also make the eyes red, swollen and sensitive to light.
6. Injury Or Trauma
Watery eyes that make the cat look like a crying cat can also be caused by eye injury or trauma. These injuries and trauma may result from minor injuries from contact with soil or sand in the eye.
While severe injuries can be caused by humans who hit him right on the head and hit the eyes or wounds in the eyes due to fights between cats and cats and cats with other animals.
Whatever the reason, when we believe that the cat's current eye condition is the result of an injury, we should immediately take the cat to the vet. So that the cat gets the right treatment, especially if the injury is a serious injury.
7. Epiphora
Epiphora is an event in which a cat tears excessively from its eyes. This is not a condition but a sign that the cat is suffering from serious illnesses and health problems.
A healthy cat will usually only shed tears when the eyes feel dry, the eyes are tired, remove dust and other particles that enter the eyes and to fight substances that are considered irritating to the eyes such as substances in onions.
Excess fluid released from the eye will be drained in the nasolacrimal canal. When this channel is blocked then the fluid is not absorbed properly and will be a source of excessive tears that come out ( epiphora ).
Epiphora will irritate the skin around the eyes, the eyelashes and hair around the eyes are wet and make the cat uncomfortable. But don't worry, veterinarians can treat this by using certain fluids, if it feels severe surgery may be needed as a further step in treatment.
8. Diseases Like Upper Respiratory Tract Infections
Diseases such as respiratory tract infections such as herpes, calici bordetella, bronchiseptica and chlamydophila felis can be found in kittens and adult cats. This disease can be overcome with proper care and medication, but in cats it will cause sneezing, watery eyes, sore throat, fever and several other symptoms.
Of course, these symptoms will make the cat feel uncomfortable. When this happens, it is not uncommon for veterinarians to prescribe eye drops, anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamins or antibiotics to treat this respiratory infection and relieve other symptoms.
Not only that, the veterinarian will also provide special instructions on how to properly care for animals suffering from this disease. For healthy cats, vaccination is needed as a preventive measure.
What Does A Midnight Crying Cat Mean ?
What is the sign of a cat crying ? Cats cry in society are often associated with certain signs such as :
Bad luck
Calamity
Dead
Certain sustenance
Disease
Birth
Accident
Etc
But all of this is just a myth or a hoax. As Angora explained above that the cat's cry has nothing to do with certain emotions or signs. This is a pure thing that happens when a cat's eyes experience problems and health problems.
So that you can be sure again that a cat crying in the middle of the night is not a sign of anything and means anything other than a cat's eye problem, I will share my experience about this. So far, when my cat seems to cry in the middle of the night nothing special has happened.
Misfortune, accident, death, misfortune or whatever it was nothing happened a few days after the cat's eyes cried. All that happened was that I noticed the condition of the cat's eyes. When a cat's eye has problems, we will try to treat it with a special cat eye medication or you can also take it to the vet.
Apart from that nothing strange or extraordinary happened. As religious people, of course, we also shouldn't believe in rumors from nowhere unless they are proven to be true.
Maybe that's all I can say about 8 reasons why cats cry in the middle of the night and how to deal with them. If you find this article useful, please share it with relatives, other cat lovers or your social media accounts.
