Gizmo howling at the wall

Gizmo is a 4-year-old Maine Coon and he has started this new habit of howling at the solid wall in the hallway. It’s not a meow, it’s a full-on wail. I’ve checked for bugs, drafts, and anything weird on the other side (it’s just the neighbor’s closed door), but there’s nothing. 🐱

I know he’s a food aggressive guy, so I’m wondering if he’s trying to claim the space near his food bowl which is right next to that wall. I documented the whole vet visit and history in Gizmo's vet visit and history so you don't have to read through my rambling there. The vet said he’s healthy, but this is driving me crazy. Has anyone else had a cat fixate on a wall?

Oh no, I feel for you. My Siamese, Sparrow, is a vocal machine, but she usually picks a person to annoy, not a wall. 😂

I remember reading in Cats hearing things in the walls that cats can hear frequencies we can’t, like pipes settling or tiny mice in the insulation. Even if you can’t hear it, he might be reacting to a sound source. Did you try playing some white noise near that wall to see if it drowns out whatever he’s hearing?

It is interesting how they perceive their world. Maybe he is not howling at the wall itself, but at the space beyond it. In Cats communicating through walls, people discussed how cats in apartments can sense the presence of neighbors. If there is a cat on the other side of that door, even if you can’t see them, Gizmo might be trying to interact or assert his territory.

It feels like a bridge between two worlds. Have you asked your neighbors if they have pets?

Since Gizmo is food aggressive, look at Managing food aggression. If the wall is near his resource, he might be guarding the perimeter rather than reacting to a sound. Cats often vocalize when they feel their resource is threatened or when they are stressed about access.

Also, check Environmental stressors in apartments. If the hallway is a choke point where he can’t escape from a perceived threat (like the neighbor's door opening), the wall might just be the nearest safe anchor point. Have you tried blocking his line of sight to the door with a screen or furniture?