A cat's miserable meowing at night may be caused by the cat being in estrus or the cat's living habits. It may also be caused by the cat being poisoned or injured. Generally, female cats will meow to attract male cats when they are in estrus, especially stray cats, which are more likely to scream at night. If the female cat at home is in estrus, you can choose to find a male cat to mate with or give the cat sex directly. Sterilization.