Hi all! We have an 11 year old cat named Petey. He's a feisty fellow and my first car love. Anyway, the past couple of days his voice has been almost gone. He is mostly vocal when he wants to eat and my parents noticed his mouth is open but little to no sound is coming out. He has been coughing more today as if he is trying to clear his throat. He is eating and drinking and using his potty just fine. All other behaviors are normal. The only thing he isn't fond of right now is eating his dry food. He won't as if maybe it hurts his throat. Will this go away? A visit to the vet is almost impossible but if we really had to we could maybe find a vet who does house calls. Anyway, any advice would be appreciated!
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Possible laryngitis?
- Thread starter boosmomma
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Given Petey's age, you should probably call the vet. I have transportation problems myself and have used mobile vets before so if this is an option for you, I would recommend it. The silent meowing isn't necessarily cause for concern but since Petey is showing other symptoms as well (coughing and avoiding his kibble) it's better to have it checked out. It sounds like he might have something in his throat and you definitely want to have any obstruction removed. Please let us know what you find out.
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may i ask -- has your Petey been (very) vocal lately? has there been any kind of airborne type irritant he's been exposed to? when your boy coughs, do you notice any clear thick kind of 'liquid' coming up (from his throat) -- that he may then swallow?
i'm asking these questions because my boy, jaspurr (almost 4 years old now) went through what sounds like some similar symptoms relatively recently (january/february of this year). jaspurr had two vet appointments and various tests run. our vet ruled out quite a few things, and the diagnosis was gastric reflux. jaspurr's gastric reflux is being managed well at this point.
i do suggest you try to have your Petey seen by a vet. so many symptoms can be due to more than one/many illnesses, and only a vet is going to be able to diagnose the illness.
i'm asking these questions because my boy, jaspurr (almost 4 years old now) went through what sounds like some similar symptoms relatively recently (january/february of this year). jaspurr had two vet appointments and various tests run. our vet ruled out quite a few things, and the diagnosis was gastric reflux. jaspurr's gastric reflux is being managed well at this point.
i do suggest you try to have your Petey seen by a vet. so many symptoms can be due to more than one/many illnesses, and only a vet is going to be able to diagnose the illness.
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He is usually vocal only when it's feeding time. As far as airborne irritants... the pollens and molds are super ridiculous here and we have been having some rainy days and some not and the humidity is a beast. He usually gets a hoarse meow depending on the weather and has lost his voice once in the past. He is coughing and it sounds wet as if he has mucus that he's trying to clear. I don't live with him anymore but my mom said she noticed a few random wet clear spots on the floor the other day. She did say that a couple of days ago he threw up what looked like mucus but that was it. He has had allergy related issues in the past.
Now, as far as getting him to a vet, it's pretty much almost impossible. He is very mean and violent when we try to put him in his carrier. Suggestions???
How is Petey? Were you ever able to get him to the vet? I just saw your post so know it's been a few days since you asked for advice about getting him into the carrier. If you're still wondering how to get him in the carrier, you might invest in some Feliway spray. This is a pheromone based spray that helps calm cats down. Spray some in the carrier and in the room around him a few minutes before it's time to get him in there. You can also try some Composure treats which are good for reducing anxiety. If neither of these work, you might try calling the vet and asking about an anti-anxiety medication to give him before hand. Good luck with this - I hope he's doing okay.
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Update: we were able to find a really awesome vet who has a traveling clinic. Turns out my Petey has Feline Asthma and he was given allergy shot with steroid to help him feel better. He had no voice and then had a gurgle sounding cough then wheezing so the doctor was able to hear the couch and all that jazz. I'm just so glad he is going to start feeling better soon and back to his normal 15 lb self again. 
That's good news. I'm glad you got a diagnosis. Hopefully his asthma won't be too serious but if it does act up, a lot of people here have experience with it. Thanks for the update!
