"Nikky is curled up sleeping next to me. That is a big change, he usually paces all night. During the day he is in his bed next to the heat but any suggestions are welcome. "because that's where he wants to be les,
to be close, safe and warm.
nikky has lost a sensory function and a cognitive function; he is deaf and has dementia. what a scary world that must be for him!
if i was deaf and had dementia?
(ps my father is almost deaf and has dementia.)
think of this in terms of humans. my great grandmother became deaf in her senior years, as did my mother. (gee what do i have to look forward to?)
my granny developed this BIG VOICE,
because she couldn't hear herself. when my mothers hearing aid batteries quit on her, BIG VOICE, she can't hear herself. nikky can't hear himself. if i was out of my granny's sight, the BIG VOICE became BIGGER until she found me, or i appeared because of the BIG VOICE. she still had her sight and could sense/feel vibration. nikky has his sight and can also probably sense/feel vibration.
when daytime winds down and all go to sleep, there is no motion, no activity, no vibrations, and nikky can't 'see' you, there is confusion with dementia. it is quiet and silent. he is not being stimulated or feeling safe as he does in the daytime environment with activity going on. you pet him, feed him, care for him. at night what a 'dark' world this must be for him. his health issues are causing the yowling, and maybe in part, nikky's saying "where are you?".
my granny always turned in very early. i didn't and she didn't like it. she would wander her small rustic cabin looking for me or calling out to me during the night in that LOUD VOICE. i finally wound up sleeping in the same room with her when i stayed with her just to get some sleep.....
even then, she sometimes woke me during the night just to make sure i was there. safety. she was safe i was safe. it's comforting to know someone is there. she took care of me and i took care of her.
it's an analogy les, but critters are no different. their needs are no different than ours, just that their attention getting behavior and vocal chords work differently........
also, critters love warmth and heat, especially as they age and/or suffer health/joint issues. this is what i would try and have done myself. i purchased a couple pet heating pads, and i would slip these under wherever they slept. a pillow/blanket on the couch/bed etc...., or under their favorite 'bucket'. (cat bed), and had extra of these. (don't use regular heating pads even on low, these run too hot for animals). at night the heated bucket or an extra followed and was right next to me on the floor. i tried at the foot of the bed.........well that doesn't work too well if the cat winds up on the floor.
i had one kitty, so sick with cancer, we let him sleep between us. he slept, we slept. better than me wandering around at night (worried)trying to find him and quiet him down or figure out why he's not vocalizing.
it's just a thought les. it's what i have done, and like you, then some. you are a good soul les for caring for him.
