Feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome — the cat equivalent of Alzheimer's disease — affects over 50% of cats over 15, causing confusion and anxiety that owners often misattribute to normal aging.
Cats with cognitive dysfunction syndrome experience a frightening loss of familiar environmental orientation — waking in the night not knowing where they are, becoming confused in rooms they have known for years, losing the predictable routines that provided security. The nighttime vocalization that owners find disruptive is an expression of genuine distress. The welfare of cognitively impaired elderly cats depends on maintaining environmental familiarity, providing additional security through predictable routines, and managing anxiety medically when behavioral distress is severe.