Silent / Whispering Meow

I had posted this right before the Great Crash of '04...

Comere can be quite vocal at times. Meows when he's hungry... when he wants to go out... when he wants water.

Sometimes though, his meows are like he's whispering, or almost completely silent! It's bizarre. It's almost like you're looking at him through a glass window. His lips are moving as if he's meowing, but you don't hear a sound! He's done this his whole life, the almost 17 years I've had him.

It's not linked to anything specific. It's not like he does it only when he's thirsty and giving you a different meow to signify it. It occurs randomly.

Anyone elses kitty do this? What's up with that?

Mine doesn't meow at all! He just jumps on you.

I was reading your other post about it My mother's cat used to never make a sound -- she only started doing it in the last few years (her kitty is 15). Supposedly, cats don't meow on their own -- they do it in response to us humans who vocalize with them (apparently, in the "wild" they don't make this kind of noise). Maybe you're kitty has just found a better way to communicate with you (though you might disagree about that since claws in the leg are never fun!)

hi! there is a really wonderful book titled "the silent meow - a manual for kittens, strays and homeless cats, by Gallico and Szasz. it has wonderful pictures and the stories are charming. one chapter is devoted to this type of meowing your kitty does. if you have the chance to read it, i'm sure you'll enjoy it, plus it will tell you, from a cat's view, why they do it.

Burmeseluver...

Thanks! I'll have to check it out... and I'm sure my daughter will get a kick out of it too. She sometimes reads to Comere (she swears that his favorite book is "if you give a mouse a cookie" - hehehe)

My Kitty Gabby meows silently all the time. She is six years old and has always done this. The interesting thing is, she will just stare at me for a while and then start her "silent" meows. I love it!

I've always wondered why she has done this as well.

Gabby -- what a cute name for a silent meower

My guy does the same thing. He'll stare at me and then suddenly start with the silent meows. Maybe they're saving up their real meoooooooows for something oober important

MIne does silent meows only when he's tired (believe me he is rarely silent) But he does do it, it's very cute.

My mabby is a mute....she just squeeks and when she hisses or meows she just opens her mouth but no sound comes out.....Her squeeks can get loud, and she coos like a pigeon too.....but other then that she doesnt make a sound...I guess its common in cats

Felicity just doesn't MEOW - at all!! She chirrups and purrs constantly, she'll even do this funny belly growl if you pick her up when she wants to go out, but she can't meow.


If she's sitting at the back door and wants to come in she either shakes her head so her collar bell rings (too funny!!!) or (and this is really unbelievable) occasionally throws herself against the living room window. The window is about three feet off the ground and suddenly this little white body goes thud against the window and lands back down on the patio thankfully, she doesn't do that one very often.

It is just too funny how they find ways to communicate with us stupid humans -- I swear Comere is sometimes looking at me like "WHY don't you know what I'm saying to you here???!"

Fliss-- Comere has never gone to such drastic measures (hehe) but when he wants to come in he doesn't meow. He "knocks" on the backdoor. He gets up on his hind legs and bats the screen or glass (sliding so in the winter there's just glass) with his front paws. And I don't mean a light tap -- he pounds until you let him in!

Originally Posted by burmeseluver

hi! there is a really wonderful book titled "the silent meow - a manual for kittens, strays and homeless cats, by Gallico and Szasz. it has wonderful pictures and the stories are charming. one chapter is devoted to this type of meowing your kitty does. if you have the chance to read it, i'm sure you'll enjoy it, plus it will tell you, from a cat's view, why they do it.

Click to expand...

That's one of my favourite books - really puts things across from the cat's point of view, and it's very funny too.

Sue

Originally Posted by ComeresMom

It is just too funny how they find ways to communicate with us stupid humans

-- I swear Comere is sometimes looking at me like "WHY don't you know what I'm saying to you here???!"

Click to expand...

Oh I know that feeling... Baylee has this new thing where she'll just look at me and meow, with this look on her face like, "you know what I'm saying?" So weird...

Oh and she also does that silent meow... I haven't figured it out yet though.

mine does it too and looks at me thinking you know what im saying??
i usually give him those cat treaty things but who knows what he wants..

Annabelle does the same thing. She opens her mouth and nothing comes it. It's pretty cute. She used to not be able to meow very well. I think she learned from the other cat.