Cat lost his voice

sarah ann

TCS Member
Thread starter
Alpha Cat
Joined
Mar 6, 2013
Messages
404
Purraise
69
I live in Florida and we just got in our first real cold front of the year. And yes it does freeze here. Expecting a low of 28 tonight.

One of my cats has lost his voice. Or should I say he sounds hoarse. He can still meow, but he can't scream at you like he usually does.. even his meows sound much quieter than normal.

He's eating well. No coughing runny nose or sneezing. No temperature. He's not depressed and scampers around like usual. His eyes are clear.


Has anyone ever had a cat lose their voice with a change in weather?
 

jahzara

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Messages
247
Purraise
92
Could be an infection of the larynx and might need antibiotics. She should probably be seen by your vet, or at least give them a call to see if she needs to be seen immediately or if you can hold off till signs of new symptoms.
 

stephanietx

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
14,772
Purraise
3,491
Location
Texas
Is he better today?  I'd watch it and if it gets worse, get him to the vet.  Otherwise, it's probably something like allergies.
 

blur

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jan 16, 2016
Messages
27
Purraise
2
Is he normally talkative? Can you get a conversation out of him?

Just curious if you got him to meow a few times in a row (I can do that with my cat just by talking to him, and he'll talk back every time I stop talking), and see whether the meow is the same every time, or whether there is any sort of difference, eg: quiet one time, normal the next, etc.

Suffice to say, my cat Graham can go from a "silent meow" to a full blown HELLO, and everything in between, in the space of a minute.
 
Last edited:

LoveJoy

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Nov 6, 2017
Messages
3
Purraise
0
I live in Florida and we just got in our first real cold front of the year. And yes it does freeze here. Expecting a low of 28 tonight.

One of my cats has lost his voice. Or should I say he sounds hoarse. He can still meow, but he can't scream at you like he usually does.. even his meows sound much quieter than normal.

He's eating well. No coughing runny nose or sneezing. No temperature. He's not depressed and scampers around like usual. His eyes are clear.


Has anyone ever had a cat lose their voice with a change in weather?
(I realize this is an older post, but I hope this helps others who happen upon this post.)

TAPEWORMS!

Well, any significant infestation of parasitic worms can do this. But I have had multiple experiences, specifically because of tapeworms, in two of my cats. After giving them tapeworm medicine, their voices returned in three days, and on a couple of occasions I was lucky enough to find the expelled worm, which was rather long, proving my suspicion.

The most frustrating part is that good info about the relationship between parasites and mucus production in cats just isn't out there - vet websites don't seem to know about it or don't discuss it. However, I can attest first-hand that it is true based on experience. Science has already proven that intestinal parasites cause increased histamine production, resulting in excess mucus, in humans. A few people are studying the relationship among parasites, histamines, and food allergies (foods whose proteins mimic parasitic proteins, like peanuts and tree pollens). That mucus can sometimes surround the larynx or cause laryngitis in cats, much like PND or mucus does to us humans, from allergens or colds. Many times cats spit out the mucus, but when they don't or can't, this overactive histamine production can cause hoarseness, swelling of the larynx, and loss of voice.

If it is worms causing loss of meow, the good news is that they are relatively easy to get rid of. Deworming the cat can't hurt anyway, if you haven't dewormed in the last several weeks, so I recommend to go ahead and deworm and see if this is your cat's issue. Be sure to cover all the bases for all kinds of worms - usually tapeworm meds are separate from the roundworm/hookworm/heartworm meds, but the behind-the-neck drops do cover all of the above (called Profender from Bayer, but there could be other brands).

I use Bayer praziquantel tablets, crushed with a bit of water and syringe into their mouths - putting it on their food is a waste, and results in uneaten food. Since they are all on Advantage Multi anyway, the only one-offs are the tapeworms. There are also shots available from the vet (expensive!). Tapeworms are SO easy to contract, indoors and out, since the tiny eggs can be picked up on shoes and left on a carpet, or easily ingested from dead fleas, or passed along from a rodent kill, or just nosing around in the garden.

I hope this info proves helpful to all the cat humans who are living with this issue - good luck!
 
Top