Cat can't meow.

Dr. Marie replied:

I can totally relate to Ally today as I have had laryngitis for 2 days! My staff gave me a reduced appointment schedule because I am having to whisper to all of my clients.

There are a number of possible reasons for a cat to lose their voice. Often it is hard for us to tell why this is happening.

I have seen cats get laryngitis because of an upper respiratory infection. This type of infection can cause discharge from the eyes as well. If this is what is happening then you may find over the next few days that she is starting to get stuffed up in her nose as well. I don't usually do too much for a cat with an upper respiratory tract infection as long as she is eating and acting relatively normal. But, if you are starting to see a green or yellow discharge from the eyes or nose or if she doesn't want to eat then she should be seen.

Another possibility is a condition called laryngeal paralysis. We don't know why this happens but the larynx can just suddenly stop working properly in some animals. This is much more common in dogs, especially labs. Although it can happen in cats, in 12 years of practice I have never seen it happen.

It's also possible that she has some sort of growth affecting her larynx. This growth could be a benign polyp, a cancerous tumor, or something called an eosinophilic granuloma complex. If there is a growth it's often difficult to diagnose because it is a hard area to visualize.

Cats can also just get laryngitis that can take a week or two to go away as well. We don't know the cause of this most of the time.

My gut instinct from what you have written is that she may have a mild upper respiratory virus and if this is the case she should have her voice back and be feeling better in a few days.

From what you have described I don't think you need to rush her in to emergency. But if any of the following happens then I would consider it:

-If she is really having trouble breathing.
-If you are seeing a green or yellow discharge.
-If your gut is just telling you that there is something serious going on.

I hope that helps. Feel free to respond if you have more questions for me. I am just leaving the office now and won't be home for another 45 minutes or so, but I can respond to you later if need be.

Dr. Marie.


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