My cats recently had 4 kittens. theyre are all very healthy in general, but one of them can't meow. its more like a hissing sound?? should i be worried?? the rest are fine??
2007-10-07 10:57:49 · 12 answers · asked by ~"*Make Me A Mammy*"~ 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
thanks but it is not 12 weeks ols and i dont think its in defence..it SOUNDs like defence, but isnt if you know what i mean... when i go to feed them they all run round me meowing and he tries to meow aswell but just croaks....?? lol confusing i know! lol
2007-10-07 11:05:37 · update #1
he is desperately trying to meow for food when he hovers around his bowl but cant.. he's been like this since he ws born and in the past 12 weeks he has never been able to meow :S could it be anything serious??
2007-10-07 11:08:25 · update #2
Thank you for all of your advice, i feel very reassured now. i'll give him extra love and care :)
2007-10-07 11:13:08 · update #3
It is perfectly normal for kittens to communicate in this way. Some cats don't have the meowing instinct that most do. Hissing is more instinctual to a cat than meowing, because hissing is a defense mechanism, while meowing is not. He/she might pick up meowing when he/she is a little older and hears other cats doing it for a while.
I had a cat that I never once heard meow. She would try, but only this weird, goofy sound came out. It just became one of those things that made her unique and I'd give anything to hear that strange "non-meow" just one more time.
2007-10-07 11:10:01 · answer #1 · answered by Aseleener 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the kitten is otherwise healthy and active, I wouldn't worry too much. Some may take a little longer to find their voice.
A kitty showed up under my shed, the vet thought it was about 6-8wks old. For the longest time, the kitty would look at us, open it's mouth as if it was going to meow, and nothing came out. I thought this was very odd, but I finally found a reference to a 'silent meow' so I wasn't so concerned. Gradually the kitty began making more noises, especially chirping when it's time for food or she wants something. She still doesn't meow very often.
2007-10-07 19:30:05 · answer #2 · answered by jck 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've had several cats that were like this, not all cats make the classic meow sound to vocalise. I wish sometimes the 2 I have now didn't! Both have 'loud' and 'high' meows. lol.
Please don't worry, You say he makes some noise so there's nothing physically wrong and as long as he is behaving as the others and is healthy looking to, he'll be fine! He'll find his own version of a meow or another way to communicate his wishes. I had one that made a growling sound for attention and a grumbling noise when petted, he never meowed or purred in 17 years!
Enjoy his unigueness! That's why we love them!
2007-10-07 19:10:07 · answer #3 · answered by willowGSD 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When I got my Rosie at 8 weeks old she didn't meow for several months. She would move her mouth like she was trying to but no sound came out. I asked the vet about it and he said that if she didn't start then he would test her vocal chords but then suddenly one day there was a fly in the my flat and she was running around chasing it making a weird "yap yap" noise - not even a meow!
Now it sometimes feels like she never shuts up!! But she still does this weird thing where she looks like she's saying "meow" but no sounds comes out. It's actually really cute though :-)
2007-10-08 06:34:48 · answer #4 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some cats cant-especially feral types-its a thing from nature that stops the kitten drawing attention to itself-i have a cat thats 14 and still only makes a wah kind of noise-croaky!
dont worry about it hun !!xx
2007-10-07 18:31:38 · answer #5 · answered by SUZANNE R 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe it's just a quiet kitten? We have a dog that never barks and it's just her. When you take the kittens to the vet for their shots or check-ups then ask the vet while you're there and he'll be able to answer you.
2007-10-07 18:07:42 · answer #6 · answered by floppity 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some are just quiet. Hissing sounds more like defense than vocalizing. This one may not be bonding to humans and your smell. Just give it some extra time and attention to get used to you and it will talk when it's ready
2007-10-07 18:03:22 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think since the kitten is still pretty young, I would not worry about it. And yes, he/she may not be a cat that cries. I once had a cat that barely cried and he lived to be 20!!
Have fun w/them!
2007-10-07 18:10:15 · answer #8 · answered by Dee 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I had a maine coon, who are known for only being able to 'chirp.' It's very cute and unique.
2007-10-07 22:06:19 · answer #9 · answered by Flatpaw 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give her/him another couple of days and then consult a vet.
2007-10-07 18:01:12 · answer #10 · answered by leeloo ♥ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋