cat still can't meow

Our almost 1 year old cat, Elsa, had a raspy voice about 3 weeks ago, so about 5 days after we noticed we took her to the vet to get looked at, but at that time she had already regained most of her meow by then. They said everything seemed normal and it was most likely an upper respiratory infection. So about a day or two after the visit it was back to normal. Well also in those 2 days we adopted a new 4 month old kitten. The kitten soon after developed a cold and started sneezing. Maybe 5 or 6 days after having a normal meow finally, Elsa then lost her voice all together completely and became really tired. I called the vet up and they said she probably got a cold from the new one and to wait a few days and see if it clears. Were now on day 6 of no meow. She has slowly perked up and finally seems to be feeling ok and not so lethargic. She was chasing the new cat around all night and morning. But she still cant meow. Shes also been coughing like once a day, but this morning she coughed a little more than usual. Is something serious going on or does she just have a bad cold?

One thing that concerns me...is we used to buy her a toy that she would love to chew up. It was a mouse connected to a ball by a string. Well the string kept going missing, and i thought maybe she was tearing it off and knocking it under something. Come to find out she was actually eating the string. She probably went thru 10 of these before i saw her eat one in front of me. After that i stopped buying them. So I stopped giving thise too her a couple weeks before her voice started going. Idk if she could have anything stuck like that in her?

Bump

Ingesting the string would have consequences on the other end with her not being able to poop, so it's not that, I would think.  She may just not feel the need to meow.  It's probably going to be a wait and see what happens kind of thing.

Many cats have a thing for string, which can lead to a very $$$ intestinal blockage, so I'd be careful to place anything on a string out of reach in the future. I have a tote bag kept way up high on a hook that houses all string toys. They either go there or in the closet until playtime. 

If she had a blockage, you'd know, btw. She'd stop eating and laze about looking unwell. She might vomit or strain in the litter box. Or she'd hide, which is a classic sick cat behavior. 

The coughing concerns me. That's lower respiratory and could mean she's developing a secondary infection and needs antibiotics. I would get in touch with the vet asap and don't hesitate to take her to an emergency clinic if the coughing worsens. 

You could always have them tested for common bacterial/viral infections if the symptoms persist, but my first guess would be Feline Herpes Virus (aka Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis).  It spreads like wildfire in colonies, shelters, etc. L-Lysine is the standard treatment and can be purchased at a health food/vitamin store. 250 mg. for kittens and small cats, 500 mg. during a flare-up. 250-500 mg. for an average sized cat, with up to 1,000 mg. for a flare-up. And I would divide anything over 250 mg. into two doses. 

If you try the L-Lysine, look for a brand with few fillers and no maltodextrin. I like Jarrow Formulas or Carlson (pure l-lysine). 

Best wishes and keep us updated!

Thanks for the reply. Were gonna take her into the vet again today here soon. I woke up this morning and she was hiding under the couch, which she was doing that yesterday too. She never does that. She also didnt eat this morning so thats enough of a sign for me to take her in