We have a 10 year old female pet tortoise who has started making a strange noise. She sounds like a cat wailing. While she is making this noise she lifts her head up , it is like she is calling out. Why is this

It is very hard to say without actually seeing your tort, but it would suggest that they are having difficulty in breathing. You really need to get her to a tortoise specialist to see what is causing this. There are links of tortoise vets on the left hand side.
Please let us know how you get on

Jane