Vocal Issues in Cats (Monthly Cat Care Article)

Disclaimer: the staff writers here are not vets nor are they qualified to give medical advice. This article’s purpose is strictly to share stories/information and should not be used for diagnostic purposes. Please take your cat to the vet if you suspect anything might be wrong with them. Your vet will know best what to do in your specific situation.

Many cats — and especially the early-rising Julius — are quite vocal. They are often especially talkative in the morning and in the evenings. Cats communicate through a variety of trills, purrs, cries, and other vocalizations, but the meow is something special, reserved for kittens talking to their mothers and grown cats talking to their humans.

Sometimes, though, cats lose their voices, just like humans do, and have to temporarily stop chatting. The cat’s voice might become hoarse or squeaky, or the cat might lose its voice altogether. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including:

• an infection, such as laryngitis or an upper respiratory infection
• nerve damage to the larynx
• polyps and/or other growths on the vocal chords
• excessive and/or prolonged meowing

Whatever might be the cause, it’s a good idea to take your cat to the vet to determine the underlying cause of their voice loss. It could be something incredibly simple, such as your cat yelling too much during a car ride, which is easily treated with vocal rest. It could also be something more serious, however, so it’s important to have the vet check on your kitty to make sure they receive appropriate treatment. If your cat has an infection, antibiotics might be on the menu. If it turns out to be polyps or other growths, your cat might require more invasive procedures such as surgery to treat the problem. Sometimes nerve damage to the larynx can cause laryngeal paralysis, preventing the cat from vocalizing. Surgery might also be needed if this is the cause of your cat’s voice issues.

Luckily, the most common causes of voice loss are not nearly so serious. Usually, cats lose their voices from overuse or from laryngitis, which are both relatively easy to treat. With proper care, your little one will be back to meowing soon and singing to you at 5am.