The cat's voice has disappeared - reasons and what to do, treatment options at home

Why does a cat meow?

A cat's vocal functions play a significant role in its life. With the help of sounds, an animal can tell its owner about desires, fear, grief, danger, and the appearance of pain in the body. The intonation of a cat, the strength of sounds, the movements accompanying its “speech” activity are understandable for a person who has lived with a pet for more than one year. The cat uses its voice to achieve goals :

asks for food, water;
invites the owner to let her out into the street or let her back in;
desires affection;
reports that something hurts her;
signals that she is ready for procreation;
warns that she is angry or scared.

Sometimes the usual communication between a person and an animal becomes impossible - the cat’s voice disappears. This phenomenon may indicate the development of dangerous diseases and emergency situations and requires seeking veterinary help.

Visit to a specialist

The veterinarian will determine exactly why the animal began to show anxiety, and for what reason problems with the speech apparatus arose. In most cases, the problem is solved in a clinical setting, where the necessary equipment and tools are available. The specialist is able to do everything possible to normalize the pet’s condition. The owner needs to listen carefully to all the recommendations, confirm the symptoms and be able to help the cat afterwards at home.

Help in hospital

Colds, infections, viruses

A cat, like a person, is susceptible to colds; it can be attacked by numerous infections and viruses. The main route of transmission of such ailments is airborne; often the disease occurs in an animal due to its long stay in unfavorable weather conditions, from hypothermia or exposure to a draft.

A cat will not be able to meow fully if he has signs of illness.:

Otitis or inflammation of the ear - the development of a pathological process in the animal’s ear is accompanied by severe pain, it can affect the larynx, where the animal’s speech apparatus is located, which makes it much more difficult for it to reproduce sounds;
Sore throat, when the disease occurs, characteristic signs arise - the animal’s voice begins to disappear; if you open its mouth and examine it, swelling and inflammation of the mucous membranes, the presence of a sufficient amount of mucus covering the vocal cords will be noticeable;
Rhinotracheitis, signs that can be suspected are discharge from the eyes and nose, first serous, then mucous, purulent; the cause of its development is infection with feline herpesvirus type 1;
Calicivirus is a viral pathology in which ulcers of a watery structure appear on the pet’s larynx and tongue, the process is accompanied by severe pain, the animal loses the ability to swallow food and make sounds.

The cat becomes lethargic, may open its mouth silently, refuse to eat for several days, its nose may become dry - such symptoms are a reason for an urgent visit to the veterinary clinic, examination of the animal, and prescription of medications.

Why did the cat lose his voice?

A cat, like a person, may lose its voice. There are a lot of reasons for this. There are harmless reasons that are eliminated on their own, and sometimes a serious illness becomes the explanation for the cat’s silence.

To help your cat regain its voice, you need to find out the reason for its absence.

However, any symptom that arises can lead to serious consequences, so it is important to find out in a timely manner what exactly led to the cat’s life changing. Only by finding out the reason for the lack of voice can you correct the situation and help your pet.

Infectious and viral diseases

The most common cause of muteness in cats is various infectious and viral diseases. The disease may appear as a result of a cold or hypothermia. This often happens if a cat spends a long time outside during the cold season. Viruses can be transmitted by airborne droplets, so the risk of getting sick is quite high. The most common diseases of cats and kittens include the following diseases:

otitis;
laryngitis, pharyngitis;
rhinitis;
rhinotracheitis;
calcivirosis;
panleukopenia (distemper).

Otitis is an inflammation of the inner or middle ear with complications. Otitis often occurs in cats that have been in a draft. And also similar inflammation occurs during infectious processes (purulent pharyngitis, rhinitis, etc.). Cats whose ears are not properly cared for (accumulation of wax, growth of hair inside the auricle, foreign objects entering the ear canal, etc.) are prone to ear inflammation. With proper care and treatment of predisposing diseases, otitis media will not occur.

To avoid the risk of ear inflammation, you need to regularly examine your pet's ears.

Rhinotracheitis is a viral disease that affects the respiratory system. Some call rhinotracheitis feline herpes. This disease is caused by the FHV-1 virus. Usually young cats or kittens suffer from herpes, but the virus can also be present in the body of adults. Rhinotracheitis can also be a harbinger of more serious diseases, such as feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia. These are deadly diseases, which is why it is so important to quickly respond to the loss of a cat’s voice.

The cat may also have a sore throat (laryngitis). This is a disease during which inflammation of the oral mucosa occurs. In this case, the larynx swells and mucus accumulates in the area of the vocal cords. This is how the animal loses the ability to make sounds. Sore throat in cats is usually a complication of a cold or flu (as in humans).

A dangerous viral disease in cats that leads to loss of voice is calicivirus (calicivirus, calicivirus). This disease affects the upper respiratory tract, oral mucosa, larynx and nose. The animal's larynx becomes covered with painful ulcers, which causes muteness. In severe cases, the viral illness leads to pneumonia or arthritis. Calcivirus usually affects unvaccinated cats that live in poorly ventilated areas or places where there are too many cats.

The virus kills healthy cells, forming defects (ulcers and erosions). Sometimes joints (mainly limbs) are also affected, but usually no one pays attention to this. Qualified veterinarians, when complaining of a loss of voice in a cat, first of all ask about vaccinations, since muteness is an inevitable phenomenon with calcivirosis and distemper.

The main symptom of calcivirosis is ulcers on the tongue, gums and nose.

Allergic laryngeal edema

The cause of swelling of the larynx and loss of voice may be an allergic reaction. With allergies, the lumen of the larynx decreases, making it difficult to breathe and reducing the cat’s vocal capabilities. In the most severe cases, swelling can completely block the air flow, which can lead to the death of the cat. But you need to sound the alarm even if the animal can breathe. Even with the slightest swelling, it will be painful for your pet to eat and drink. And, of course, this will make the cat nervous, and without a voice the animal will not even be able to complain to you. Your cat's breathing patterns can help differentiate swelling from other laryngeal problems. Usually in such cases the cat becomes ill and begins to breathe heavily. Moreover, the voice may disappear gradually (at first the cat will begin to hiss or wheeze).

The most dangerous type of allergic reaction is anaphylactic shock. In this case, the larynx swells so quickly that the owner may not even have time to take the pet to the veterinarian.

The problem can get worse even with the slightest swelling. The fact is that the swollen walls of the larynx will reduce the lumen of the esophagus. This is dangerous because the cat can injure its throat when trying to swallow food. The consequences of an injury to the throat (or even the root of the tongue) can affect even a few days after the cause of the swelling is eliminated. Purulent inflammation of the wound may begin, and this is very dangerous. The animal will not be able to eat or drink and will eventually become weak. I heard a story about how a cat's larynx became swollen due to a simple allergy. He injured his tongue with a fish bone and inflammation began. The allergy was quickly cured, but the swelling did not go away for a long time due to a purulent abscess on the tongue.

Allergic swelling of the larynx can be accompanied not only by loss of voice, but also by wheezing

Cat poisoning

Cats can be poisoned not only by low-quality food. The animal may pick up something from the floor or lick, for example, a table or its paws. There may be toxic substances on various surfaces in your home. For example, it could be a poison to eliminate insects (fleas, cockroaches, ticks, etc.). The cat can also be harmed by disinfectants (bleach, washing powder). Therefore, the cat owner needs to be careful when using chemicals. In addition, it is important to avoid walking in polluted areas. A cat can also find toxic substances on the street. The owner may not even pay attention to it. A cat can also be poisoned by volatile poisons (varnishes, paints, even simple hairspray).

In such cases, loss of voice will be accompanied by other symptoms. The animal may wheeze or cough. Typically, poisoning is accompanied by vomiting, foam at the mouth, and excessive salivation. With severe intoxication, the animal may die.

I know of several cases where cats died due to poisoning. In one of these cases, a Thai cat inhaled dichlorvos. There were no special means for removing fleas back then. In addition to traditional methods, people also used strong insecticides. The owners sprayed the cat with dichlorvos and wrapped it in a towel so that the cat could not lick itself. The poor thing began to choke, but could not get out of the terry captivity. When the owners heard wheezing, the cat was freed, but it was too late.

A cat can get poisoned at home or on the street

Foreign objects in the oral cavity

The most common cause of voice loss is mechanical damage to the walls of the pharynx by a foreign object. Usually this item is fish bones or toys, but a cat may try to swallow a needle (including a spruce needle) or a twig. In the most difficult cases, in addition to the larynx, the cat injures the esophagus or upper respiratory tract. If an animal injures its larynx, a wound is formed that can become inflamed. This is not only very painful, but also dangerous. In addition to loss of voice, irreversible processes may also begin.

It is important to monitor what your cat eats and what she plays with. There are cases when a cat is not particularly talkative, so the owner may not notice that his pet is sick. When the inflammatory process begins, the animal may develop a fever. A person may decide that the cat has a cold and will begin to treat it for a cold. Time will be lost, and in such cases this cannot be allowed. Suppuration of the wound can lead to the death of the pet.

It is precisely because of the high risk of damage to the larynx from the bones of cats that it is not recommended to feed river fish

animal rabies

Cat rabies is a viral disease that can cause death. Rabies affects the nervous system, which leads to loss of voice. Therefore, this disease is dangerous not only for the cat, but also for its owner, because the virus can be transmitted through saliva. Only vaccination can save your pet from rabies. But if the vaccination was not done on time, and the cat is already sick, you should be able to recognize the infection. Symptoms of rabies are the following:

loss of voice;
inappropriate behavior;
the cat becomes aggressive;
lethargy, lethargy;
refusal to eat, loss of appetite;
paralysis of the animal.

Symptoms may appear several days after contracting the virus. Sometimes a pet dies for no apparent reason, and only after its death is it possible to determine the presence of the virus in the animal’s blood.

The most recognizable symptoms of rabies are muteness and inappropriate behavior.

Poor air quality

Cats, like people, need fresh, high-quality air. Smoking in the room where a cat lives is dangerous to his health. Tobacco smoke has a negative effect on the vocal cords, the larynx dries out, and the voice disappears. In addition, cigarette smoke can lead to related problems: decreased immunity, the risk of developing cancer, infectious or viral diseases. Usually cat owners do not attach much importance to this, but in vain. This way, a pet can die, and the person won’t even know why it happened.

Dry air can also dry out the ligaments. This happens especially often in the winter when the heating is turned on. Few people think about air humidification. Moreover, many people try to prevent high humidity in their homes. In this case, other symptoms may appear: cough, difficulty breathing, dry or dull coat, dandruff, watery eyes.

Older cats are most susceptible to muteness due to bad air, because their bodies are weaker. I once read a story about how an old cat was a passive smoker all her life. By the age of 18, she lost her voice. The owners took her to the veterinarian, but he did not find the cause of the muteness.

The cause of a cat's muteness may be its owner's smoking.

Other reasons

Any veterinarian will confirm that a cat needs constant access to water. If the animal does not receive water in the quantities it needs, the larynx can still dry out. In addition, the cat should not be thirsty. A cat's body dehydrates much faster than a human's, since the cat loses a lot of water during licking. Dehydration will lead to loss of voice and weakness. This can be recognized by the cat’s muteness, weakness, and rare visits to the toilet.

Another reason for voice loss is the physical inability to voice due to weakness. For example, such weakness may occur after anesthesia. After sterilization or castration, cats recover from anesthesia in a day or two. On the first day after the operation, the animal is so weak that it not only cannot speak, it is difficult for him to even just raise his head.

A cat may also become silent due to emotional distress. This often happens after moving, and sometimes due to a new pet in the house. Many adult cats become silent when their owners bring a kitten into the house.

Loss of voice is not a rare occurrence for cats. If the animal is vaccinated and healthy, this is often associated with stress, and the arrival of a new pet could well provoke such trouble. In this case, you need to wait until your cat gets used to the new resident, feels that you love him less or pay less attention, and the voice should return on its own. Show more care and attention so that the cat does not feel abandoned and forgotten.
Dmitry Kuklachev, director of the Cat's House theater
https://m.penza.kp.ru/daily/25727.6/2718676/

If you have another pet, then silence is not a sign of protest, but a result of stress

Blocking of the pharynx with a foreign object

An object, a piece of food, or a sharp bone getting stuck in a cat's throat is a common reason why she loses her voice or develops severe hoarseness. The situation is complicated by the fact that the animal is not only unable to independently free itself from a foreign body, its fear, desperate, instinctive attempts to remove the object by coughing or vomiting lead to severe trauma to the tissues of the respiratory organs, larynx, and esophagus. The presence of such damage contributes to the development of inflammatory processes and can lead to prolonged absence of voice.

The owner himself can help the pet - after securely fixing the animal with tweezers, you can try to remove the object from the throat. The owner's movements should be as careful as possible. If you are not confident in the safety of independent manipulations, you need to consult a specialist. To prevent the development of a dangerous situation, it is necessary to check the cat’s diet, avoid the presence of bones or larger pieces in the food, and do not leave small household items in the animal’s free access.

Treatment Options

In order for a cat to stop coughing and its speech apparatus to recover, complex therapy will be required. It will depend on the cause of the pathology, because the pet may have a barely audible cough or a complete loss of voice in combination with other symptoms.

First of all, you need to make an accurate diagnosis; this can only be done by a specialist in a hospital setting. In severe cases, the pet is left in the hospital for a while if it needs professional care, for example, installation of IVs, constant injections, treatment of wounds and injuries.

In milder cases, the animal is immediately discharged home and therapy is prescribed under the supervision of the owner. These may include medications for each specific case, oral rinsing, mouth sanitation and other procedures. If there is a serious illness, the cat will need complete rest and good care, a change in diet and room. If the owner is able to cope with this on his own, he will not have to constantly resort to the help of a veterinarian.

Oral problems in cats are not uncommon, and their causes can be varied. You should not think that the animal will be able to recover on its own, because loss of voice is often a symptom of dangerous diseases. It is better to examine your pet as soon as possible and contact a specialist.

Lack of water

The cause of a condition where a cat has a hoarse voice may be an insufficient amount of water that the animal drinks every day. Dehydration of an animal's body can be expressed by symptoms :

severe weakness;
the ability to fully produce sounds is lost;
increased body temperature;
complete inability to move.

To prevent the cat from losing his voice for this reason, the owner must ensure that he always has fresh, clean water in his bowl. Many animals have an interesting feature - they refuse to drink from their own, cat's, dishes. Large buckets and pans are chosen by them as the best option. The development of events in this scenario obliges pet owners to regularly update the water in such containers and provide easy access to them.

Examination and treatment at home

If your pet begins to cough, his voice disappears and he begins to feel sick, you can try to help him at home. This is possible if the owner is able to independently eliminate the cause, for example, move the animal to a ventilated room or remove a foreign body from its throat. Examination of the larynx allows one to draw primary conclusions about the cause and condition of the animal. If your throat is red and swollen, it is most likely due to an allergy or infection.

You can give your pet an antihistamine, for example, Tavegil or Suprastin, they will help slightly eliminate the first symptoms before being examined by a doctor. A cold or infectious disease, for example, laryngitis, requires complex treatment, which must be carried out by a veterinarian.

For a while, it is worth excluding food and products that can cause allergies from your cat’s diet. It is necessary to ensure constant access to water, especially when it comes to dehydration.

Rabies

An extremely dangerous disease, rabies, which affects domestic animals, can be the main factor in which a cat loses its voice. assessment of the characteristics of the physical condition and behavior of a pet, which is characterized by :

the appearance of aggressiveness, inadequacy;
refusal to eat, drink;
movements become noticeably inhibited and sluggish;
cannot swallow food or water;
muscle cramps develop, then paralysis.

Even cats kept exclusively at home can get rabies, so all animals without exception need regular vaccination. At the first suspicion of illness, you must immediately report the symptoms to the veterinary service.

What to do if your cat has lost his voice

If you notice that your pet has suddenly lost his voice, observe him more closely. Sometimes a disease can be identified by symptoms. Once you understand what exactly caused the muteness, you will know how to help your pet. For example, if your cat has a runny nose, is sneezing, coughing, and has no voice, it most likely has a sore throat due to a cold. You need to examine the cat, take the temperature, palpate the throat, etc. Even if you go to the vet, he will ask about everything that may be related to the animal’s silence.

It is equally important to pay attention to the atmosphere of the home. The apartment may be too smoky. This could be, for example, smoke from burnt food. Remember if the cat found paint and varnish products. Or maybe you recently poisoned cockroaches, but haven’t washed the floor yet. Examine the animal's toys; it is quite possible that while playing, the cat chewed off a piece of its toy.

A cat may have a place where it drags everything that is forbidden. For example, in winter my cat chewed needles off the Christmas tree. I scolded her for this, so it occurred to her to hide the torn needles under the shoe rack. So I had to lay out tangerine peels under the tree. Find such a “hiding place” with your cat; perhaps there are fish bones or something else there that could injure her.

If the owner is confident that he knows the reason for the cat’s silence, he will try to help the pet. But self-medication is fraught with a deterioration in the cat’s condition, so you should try to consult a veterinarian as soon as possible. If it is not possible to go to the clinic right away (or it is night outside), then you can provide first aid to your pet and go to the veterinary clinic in the morning. But even in such cases, you need to know what kind of help you need to provide to the animal.

The owner can provide first aid to the cat

What can you do at home?

Emergency care for a cat depends on the cause that led to the loss of voice. First you need to try to eliminate this cause. If the problem is smoke or the smell of paint/varnish, then the irritant should be eliminated by opening, for example, a window. The pet can be moved to another room where it is warm, comfortable and safe. If the symptoms do not go away, you need to call a veterinarian.

If, when examining your throat, you find redness, this may be a sign of a sore throat. In such cases, you can give your cat antihistamines, for example, suprastin, tavigil or diazolin (they will relieve swelling and reduce pain). It is important to understand that a cat’s small body requires a small dose of the drug (children’s dosage).

If your cat has damaged its larynx with a foreign object, do not try to remove it yourself. You can try immobilizing the head and jaw until the vet arrives. If the cat tries to “cough up” the foreign body, things can get even worse. Some cats calm down when petted. There is no need to give your cat any food.

Some owners, if they understand that the loss of voice is caused by a cold, do not contact the veterinarian. In this case, you need to provide your cat with access to clean and fresh water. Eliminate from her diet any food that could cause her condition to worsen. In any case, you will have to look after the cat more closely. Only caring for your cat and a timely response to changes in its health can save your pet. When one day my beloved cat caught a cold, I took several days off from work. How could it be otherwise, because cats are almost like children. They cannot help themselves, they cannot even complain.

If a cat has lost its voice, then the owner must mobilize all his strength to help the animal

When you need veterinary help

If you realize that you cannot help your pet at home, you should immediately contact a veterinarian. An experienced veterinarian, after asking you a few questions, will immediately understand what exactly caused the muteness. The veterinarian can not only examine the cat, but also conduct the necessary research. This determines how accurate the diagnosis will be. This way you can determine the different stages of the disease or the degree of damage to the larynx. And this, in turn, is the key to the correct prescription of medications.

For example, a cat may have rhinotracheitis (herpes), and the owner will decide that the voice has disappeared due to a sore throat. While a loving person is trying to cure a sore throat, herpes can “make its way” further. And the veterinarian will determine exactly what kind of disease harmed the animal.

In addition, in some cases, a cat may require professional care (drips, injections, wound treatment, etc.), and not every owner can boast of such skills. If you have enough experience in such matters, then you can carry out some of the procedures for caring for a sick cat at home, but it’s still better to be on the safe side.

It cannot be said unequivocally that these diseases need to be treated at home, but those - in a veterinary clinic. Any veterinarian will tell you that if you have any problem in the slightest, you need to immediately run to the doctor. Therefore, the choice of actions always remains only with the owner of the animal.

In some cases, you cannot do without the help of a veterinarian

Features of kitten treatment

Kitten diseases are more dangerous than cat diseases. The fact is that the baby’s body is already more vulnerable, and it can react more strongly to any injury. So a kitten can harm itself more than an adult animal. Therefore, if a kitten has lost its voice, it is better not to try to cure it on your own, but to turn to a professional. It is also possible that the baby has not been vaccinated, and we are talking about distemper or calcivirosis. In this case, the veterinarian can vaccinate and prescribe treatment in accordance with the age of the animal.

There are people who do not want to trust the health of their little furry to veterinarians (or do not have the opportunity). Such owners need to know that treating a kitten with adult medications is dangerous. It is impossible to calculate the correct dosage without the help of a specialist. True, some even avoid pharmaceutical drugs altogether.

I once read a story about how a kitten stopped eating, meowing and playing. The owners decided that the baby had a cold, because all the vaccinations were done on time. So the owner treated the cat with butter and baking soda (this is how children are usually treated). Oil softens the throat, and soda disinfects. I also heard that a kitten’s throat can be treated with a mixture of honey and streptocide, but I would not risk using two such strong products. In addition, honey can cause allergies, and this will further aggravate the swelling. In any case, the best option is to contact a veterinarian.

A cat's voice can disappear for various reasons: various infections and viruses, poisoning, dehydration, stress, and even mechanical damage to the larynx. Some causes are so dangerous that they can lead to irreversible processes, including the death of the cat. What exactly led to the loss of voice depends on what kind of help should be provided to the animal. You can try to alleviate your pet’s suffering at home, but this does not mean that you don’t have to go to the veterinarian at all.

Diagnosis of the condition

The cat is breathing with its mouth open: what is the reason and what can be done

If the owner notices that the cat is breathing with difficulty, is very weak, apathetic and does not respond to anything, has severe injuries, has lost weight or has a serious illness (asthma, heart disease, etc.), it is necessary to urgently visit a veterinarian who has the necessary equipment and experience in providing assistance.

A weak, lethargic cat with trouble breathing should definitely be shown to a veterinary clinic.

During the trip, you need to check the cat’s breathing; if you can’t hear it, you can put a mirror against its nose or mouth. A foggy surface is evidence of breathing. You should also check the heartbeat in the chest and the pulse on the inside of the thigh. If breathing or heartbeat stops, you will have to start CPR yourself.

What do we have to do

If the cat stops meowing, watch him - sometimes the symptoms of diseases are obvious. The faster you identify a problem, the faster you can solve it. If necessary, ventilate the room and eliminate possible irritants. Provide the animal with comfort and warmth.

If it is not possible to go to the clinic immediately, provide first aid yourself if the symptoms are known. As soon as possible, rush to the vet! Loss of voice is often accompanied by coughing, runny nose, and sneezing. This means that your pet is most likely suffering from a sore throat. Examine the cat, measure the temperature.

It is not recommended to treat the animal yourself, because if you make a mistake, the problem will get worse.

Dangerous signs - cough and wheezing

However, changes in breathing are not always a harmless symptom. If the cat's health is poor, the frequency and depth of breathing is often impaired, and symptoms such as wheezing or coughing may appear. A young kitten is as susceptible to this as adults.

Wheezing is a noisy wheezing sound that occurs when a narrowing of the respiratory tract blocks the passage of air into the bronchi or lungs. This pathological condition is called obstruction. Also, wheezing appears due to pneumothorax, the accumulation of large quantities of air, or hydrothorax, when fluid accumulates.

With obstruction, narrowing of the respiratory lumen, wheezing is dry and whistling. They become moist, gurgling when fluid or mucus accumulates in the respiratory organs.

Coughing is a protective reaction of the body. It helps clear the respiratory system from mucus and pus. But its cause is not always a common cold. It occurs because the cough zones, which are located in the bronchi, react to irritants - mechanical or chemical. For example, when a cat coughs as if she's choking, it could be an object stuck in her airway.

As malignant formations near the respiratory tract grow, they begin to make breathing difficult, causing hoarseness and wheezing. It becomes difficult for the cat to swallow and may cough up blood.

Wheezing or coughing are always only symptoms of a particular health problem, and not an independent disease. For them to disappear, it is necessary to examine and treat the pet for the specific disease that causes them.