Kitty with a Broken Meow

[knikoleellis]

I've had my rescue kitty for about 3 weeks now, and everytime she tries to meow she either opens her mouth and nothing comes out or a soft squeak comes out or a small sound and then a deep breathe like it hurts.

Any ideas what this could be? Her first vet visit is in the morning, but I thought I'd ask you guys for similar experiences.

She's 5 months old.

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• knikoleellis
• Aug 19, 2016

 

[raina21]

knikoleellis

Awww your kitten is so cute!

I wouldn't worry about it. Many cats have meows like the one you described (unless she's been coughing or visably sick. Then I'd be worried).

Cats can make hundreds of noises, many of which are not audible to humans, so, in her mind she may think she is meowing loudly, when in reality, the sound she is making is impossible for humans to hear.


I thought I'd also mention that one of my cats does the thing where he opens his mouth to meow and nothing comes out (but he can also meow pretty loud if he wants to). His meow is also very high pitched and squeaky, like a kitten's meow, even though he is nearly a year old.

This is my boy:

20160722_175554.jpg

• raina21
• Aug 19, 2016

 

[chrisjbee]

My rescue cat is one year old, and when we first got him virtually no sound came out of him at all! 

As he has got more confident around us and his new home he has got more vocal, maybe she will become more able to meow and express herself vocally as she gets older? All cats develop a different meow though, and some are just naturally quieter and squeekier than others!

I am sure if there is anything wrong the vet will pick up on it though.

Good luck!

 

[Norachan]

One of my cats is a whisper too. Some cats make a lot of noise, others don't. As long as the cat is happy and healthy there's no need to worry about it.

We actually have another thread about cats that don't meow. It's not that uncommon.

 [thread="110163"]My Cat Does Not Meow Has Almost No Voice​[/thread]  

 

[jcat]

My rescue cat is one year old, and when we first got him virtually no sound came out of him at all! 

As he has got more confident around us and his new home he has got more vocal, maybe she will become more able to meow and express herself vocally as she gets older? All cats develop a different meow though, and some are just naturally quieter and squeekier than others!

I am sure if there is anything wrong the vet will pick up on it though.

Good luck!

When we first got Mogli we thought he could barely meow, which was a huge contrast to our last cat. After a few weeks he began to find his voice and he's now very vocal when he wants his breakfast!

 

[DreamerRose]

Cats don't naturally meow to each other; they do it to communicate with humans. So it takes them a while to learn how to do it. When I first got Mingo, his voice was very hoarse, but over time it improved. He is now very chatty and conveys different emotions with his voice. I just got Lily, and she is still hoarse and very soft. She's a dainty little lady and I don't think she will ever have a loud, raucous voice.

 

[knikoleellis]

When I picked her up this morning to take her to the vet.... I heard her meow the whole way there... After at least a dozen scratches and an arm full of blood.

But at least I know her meow box isn't broken.

 

[knikoleellis]

He is so handsome!!!

knikoleellis

Awww your kitten is so cute!

I wouldn't worry about it. Many cats have meows like the one you described (unless she's been coughing or visably sick. Then I'd be worried).

Cats can make hundreds of noises, many of which are not audible to humans, so, in her mind she may think she is meowing loudly, when in reality, the sound she is making is impossible for humans to hear.


I thought I'd also mention that one of my cats does the thing where he opens his mouth to meow and nothing comes out (but he can also meow pretty loud if he wants to). His meow is also very high pitched and squeaky, like a kitten's meow, even though he is nearly a year old.

This is my boy:

20160722_175554.jpg

• raina21
• Aug 19, 2016

 

[knikoleellis]

Lol she had it this morning now she opens her mouth and nothing comes out again.