My sister had a cat called Geordie who grew very old and started to howl in the middle of the night while standing in her bath. He wanted her to turn the cold tap on a little so that he could drink running water. She obliged of course.
I've had a few British shorthair cats over the years (both pedigree and moggy) and not one ever yowled, although they nearly all lived to a good age.
Siamese however...