A question concerning Soni!

**Sevaede** · 04-08-2006, 10:58 PM

Soni can't meow. This has how we have always seen him and known him to be. When he opens his mouth it sounds like someone is whispering "meh!". He can't purr either. It sounds like some awful gurgling/straw sucking sound. Any thoughts on this? We were told by a vet, while ours was off duty, that he was probably just a soft meowing cat but we don't really buy that.

**Maya & Inka's mommy** · 04-09-2006, 03:43 AM

Don't worry! Our Snoopy is also a very soft meowing cat! Sometimes there is NO sound at all!

**smokey the elder** · 04-09-2006, 08:23 AM

Smokey the Elder meowed at most 10 times in the 6 years she was with me! She made up for it with her purr motor, though. Once I was on the phone, and Smokey was on my chest purring. The person on the other end of the line asked if I had a generator running!

**kuhio98** · 04-09-2006, 09:44 AM

We call it the "silent meow" in our house. Some kitties are like that. We once had a cat that hissed air instead of meowing. Cammie has never meowed -- she squeaks. Probably nothing wrong. Not sure about the purring though. When Halo first adopted us, she had the softest purr I'd ever heard. You couldn't tell she was purring unless you were touching her. Now that she's more confident, she purrs very loudly. But, it took about 3 years.

**catmandu** · 04-09-2006, 09:50 AM

I have heard that if a Cats not around other Cats,that they wont learn to meeow or purr.
Precious hardly MEEOWS or Purrs either.
Neither does Miquelito.
But Scrappy 2 does enough for both.

**Sevaede** · 04-09-2006, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by catmandu

I have heard that if a Cats not around other Cats,that they wont learn to meeow or purr.
Precious hardly MEEOWS or Purrs either.
Neither does Miquelito.
But Scrappy 2 does enough for both.

That was my moms idea too! She figured that since he was so young (4-6 weeks, the vet estimated the very next day after we got him) that he probably never even learned. My husband thinks he got damage to the throat since he was already roughed up when we found him.

**Sevaede** · 04-09-2006, 11:29 PM

Originally Posted by kuhio98

We call it the "silent meow" in our house. Some kitties are like that. We once had a cat that hissed air instead of meowing. Cammie has never meowed -- she squeaks. Probably nothing wrong. Not sure about the purring though. When Halo first adopted us, she had the softest purr I'd ever heard. You couldn't tell she was purring unless you were touching her. Now that she's more confident, she purrs very loudly. But, it took about 3 years.

Yes! That's the perfect description! Hissing air! Our other kitty, Isis, only purrs with me. I have to lay down and she will just sit there and knead on me forever and purr.

**Sevaede** · 04-09-2006, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by smokey the elder

Smokey the Elder meowed at most 10 times in the 6 years she was with me! She made up for it with her purr motor, though. Once I was on the phone, and Smokey was on my chest purring. The person on the other end of the line asked if I had a generator running!

Heh! That's pretty neat. I bet they were surprised when you told them.

"Yep, it's the Cat-erator 5000. Newest model."

**Sevaede** · 04-09-2006, 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by Maya & Inka's mommy

Don't worry! Our Snoopy is also a very soft meowing cat! Sometimes there is NO sound at all!

Ah, okay. Thanks! =)

***JTM*Coco*pi*Caramel*** · 04-10-2006, 12:43 AM

My old cat Fluffy who died severaly years ago use to open his mouth to meow, but no sound came out. Maybe is was just so faint that I couldnt hear it. He also hissed but made no sound! He opened his mouth and made all the actions just no hiss! We use to say he was, 'smiling'! He was around his mom and dad, brothers and sisters when we got him so he learned but he just couldnt make the sound. Maybe there was somehting wrong with his vocal cords! He didnt mind though he kept up 'smiling' and pretend meowing till he died

Ohhh I miss my Fluffy boy.

**kilbarchancats** · 04-10-2006, 02:49 AM

I've never heard our Tom meow properly either! This boy instead squeals like a little piglet, its just the funniest thing.

To quote the nursery rhyme:

"this little piggy went whheeeee whhheeeee whhheeeee all the way home"

That's Tom. piglet puss!

He purrs like a train though

**Lori Jordan** · 04-10-2006, 02:02 PM

My cat is like that also,she has a very faint meow,At first it kinda scared me it almost sounded like she was short of breath,or chocking almost but she has had a meow like that for 4 years just something different!