Cats vocalize all the times to show what they feel at the moment: angry, comfortable, frustrated, starving and so on. Hence, it's highly likely that you would hear your fluffy friend meowing every day. But one day, to your surprise, your chatter cat becomes silent out of the blue. Occasionally, the pet makes faint meows which are quite odd. At first, you probably think that similar to humans, cats may temporarily lose their voice while going through a cold. Well, voice changes in cats always signal serious underlying health issues, not a mere cold.
So you wish to know what is going on with your furball including possible causes, appropriate treatments, and recovery methods? Then it's strongly recommended that you take a close look at the following information.
Reason Behind The Voice Changes
Overall, cats get sick because of a lot of things but when it comes to voice changes in cats, there are a few common suspects.
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Trauma
Since pet owners usually raise cats as indoor pets these kinds of days, the risk of trauma is rather low. That being said, energetic felines could injure themselves by mistake while strolling through the house. Though cats have lighting fast reflexes as well as sharp senses, they still make mistakes. A severe injury to the neck after a traumatic incident may interfere with the normal function of the vocal cords. If trauma is indeed the one responsible for the silence of your fluffy friend then you should be able to see swelling around its neck.
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Myopathy
To put it plainly, myopathy is a disease that causes damages to the muscle fibers which disrupt the function of the muscle in the body. Because the vocal cords of cats happen to be muscles as well, myopathy shall lead to voice changes in cats. All sorts of issues would cause the disease to show up without warning: unbalanced diets, anesthesia, stress and so on. Affected pets tend to have a hard time walking but with timely intervention, the chance of total recovery is good.
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Abscess
It's common knowledge that cats like to put many things into their mouth without a care in the world. Normally, the felines lose interest if they notice unpleasant tastes. Nonetheless, in certain cases, cats could accidentally swallow objects that got lodged in the throat. Needless to say, it's only a matter of time before abscess emerges and causes a great deal of pain. Once cats conclude that pain often accompanies vocalization, they naturally refrain from meowing if possible. Abscess may also be the result of fights between pets.
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Tumors
Benign as well as malignant tumors that develop in the throat inevitably place pressure on the vocal cords of cats. In addition, tumors in the nerves would also lead to the loss of stimulation in specific spots including the throat. Since it's impossible for cat parents to recognize tumors all by themselves, a trip to the vets is necessary. For most of the time, veterinarians shall perform a biopsy to detect presences of the cancerous formations in the felines. Overall, the sooner cats receive treatments for their tumors, the higher the chance of recovery.
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Autoimmune
Similar to humans, the immune system of the felines may turn on themselves by mistake, a condition known as autoimmune. As the white blood cells accidentally attack healthy tissues in the body, many troubles occur. Generally speaking, autoimmune is often able to affect pretty much every part of the body. But if the cells damage the nerves, they could cause voice changes in cats because of the interferences of impulses. In layman's term, your fluffy friend still wants to meow but the vocal cords simply fail to respond to signals sent from the brain.
Check us out for further detailed cat's health guide!
Ideal Treatments For The Pets
It's widely advised that you have your fluffy friend examined at the local veterinary clinic as soon as possible. Ordinary cat parents tend to fall behind trained veterinarians regarding the ability to diagnose the health condition of the felines. Because of that, if you notice getting quiet all of a sudden, take it straight to the vets without delays. If you truly wish to help your cat, leave things in the hands of professionals. Contact the vets to brief them about the situation in advance so they could receive your furball once you arrive.
Note: people need to refrain from giving cats random medications without knowing the current issue. Doing that not only complicates the diagnosis but also puts the well being of the pets at risk so think everything through before you act.
Post-Treatment Recovery For Cats: Tips And Tricks From Experts
Overall, different issues require different treatments but the recovery process always plays a critical role. Here are a few suggestions that pet owners should implement.
- Put Together Well-Balanced Meals: Cats would have a hard time getting back into shape if they receive insufficient nutrients. Therefore, excluding foods that may exacerbate the disease, prepare a sound diet for your furball. Ask for recommendations from the vets in case you want to play it safe. In most of the cases, cats that eat healthily every day shall recover without fail. Keep the treats to a minimal though if you want to control the calorie intake.
- Maintain A Stress-Free Environment: Just like humans, cats don't exactly have a good mood while suffering from illness. Hence, it's of utmost importance that you give your fluffy friend enough space to keep its mind at peace. That being said, do check up on the pet every once in a while to see how it's doing. A few gentle strokes on the back still remain acceptable.
- Obey The Check-In Schedule: Normally, to make sure that the recovery is proceeding as expected, you have to take your cat back to vets. At the clinic, veterinarians would conduct a couple of tests in order to see if the pet is doing well. Considering the fact that health takes priority over everything else, you need to strictly follow the re-examination timetable.
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