Sometimes my cat meows, but no sound comes out, or does it?

I have been informed that humans typically lose the ability to hear frequencies above 19hz - 22Khz.

Maybe the cat IS meowing and it's us that can't hear it!

Don't forget that the cat can hear higher frequencies than humans in order to be able to hear baby mice etc.

What do others think?

That cracks me up as my sister has a cat that does silent meows too, we find it so funny! We just thought he was too bone idle to make any sound but now you mention it, maybe it is sonar meowing.... .

We cant hear our cat purr ,I know he is purring because I can feel it in his throat , but never do we hear a sound .
His meows are not the loudest either .

I always think of the silent meaows as being the cat REALLY hamming it up...as in
' I would meouw loudly but I am just so weak from lack of food/cuddles/special snacks etc that I can barely make a sound'

I don't know what silent meows mean but my dog does silent barksShe only does it when we tell her to speak for her food or ball.Most amusing

My cat has never ever made a sound. He opens his mouth to miaow, but nothing ever comes out.

Yes!! It has crossed my mind that they do it for this reason too.

I wonder if feral cats do it in the wild?

Oh! A silent meow is easy to explain. It is when the cat does everything that is required/expected of a cat meowing BUT no sound comes out- nothing at all.

That sound about right to me. My old moggy (who sadly died a few months ago at the age of 16) would meow loudly to get your attention but if you ignored him he's put himself in your line of sight and silent meow until you took pity on him and did what he wanted.

Here you go all you need to know about the Silent Meow

Silent Meow – Most often denotes gratitude and affection.

If we have been fortunate enough to have a cat look at us with narrowed eyes, ears comfortably pointed to the top and a relaxed body posture while opening the mouth slightly but emitting no sound, we have received quite an honor! The Silent Meow!

Unless a cat has an illness or other health issue preventing them from meowing normally, the Silent Meow is special and should be received with the importance and care in which it was delivered. It is a very high form of compliment, a way of saying thank you for all the things you do for her and it is her way of showing all the love and affection she feels for you!

So, the next time you are gifted with this special honor, remember to return the favor and thank your cat generously for being your beloved companion

http://www.thecatsite.com/Behavior/2...lent-Meow.html

awwwwwwwwwww. Quite touched now because we have a semi feral tom cat inhabiting our utility room. He turned up a couple of years ago so thin and ill looking and really nervous and scared of us. He's gradually calmed down and we can pet him to a degree. However at feeding time he does the silent meow. On occasion there is just a little eh sound at the end of it. He can do full meows we have heard him.

I'm sure I read before that feral cats lose their meows when they get to adulthood. One of mine is real little tough guy that loves a scrap and he can barely squeak, it sounds very girly

Awwww how cute!!! I shall feel honored when my little grumpy madam bestows me with one of her silent meows now and not just think she is being a lazy so and so!

My Jenny used to do the silent miaow but now (aged 12) has become more vocal especially in the morning when she wants us out of bed and needs feeding. When she was tiny, though, it was always the silent miaow and we found it cute and perhaps a female thing as none of my other cats (all male) had done this.

My cat Nellie was a feral kitten...and now at the age of 16 has a very LOUD and grumpy miaow so she certainly has not lost her voice!

Yes, when I think about it, I once read that in the wild cats don't like to make a noise. This would alert predators and prey alike that the cat was about.

And everywhere else presumeably thats why theres so many of em!

We had a cat (Tigger) who would often do the "Slient Meow" and I would hear her make a sound of the effort she was making to open and close her mouth so even when I was not looking at her I new she was talking to me.
There is a book called "The Silent Meow" by Paul Gallico.

ahh, winnie's the opposite. sometimes we can hear her when we're upstairs

The most affectionate cat I've ever had was a master of the silent miaow.
What was really funny was that as he did it, his mouth turned upwards so it became a sort of matey grin.
I swear he knew it, too, because he'd do it for effect and wait for the howls of laughter from whoever was watching.

We still miss him ...

Aww thats cute, my own excellent man perfected the silent meow when he was 18 and had no teeth, he also did the grin....gums everywhere! He loved the attention bless him..........

Our oldest cat has always had a pathetic miaow - he'd either get the "mi" bit or the "aow", but never both! Since his last visit to the cattery, though, he's learned a very loud and annoying miaow that he uses when he's on the doorstep and wants to get in. Difficult to describe, it's sort of "miaoooooooooooooooooooow" at full volume! He'll also do a silent miaow when he wants me to feel sorry for him.

Cool, what is that about?

It really is reassuring to know that I am not alone in having a cat that mewos and no sound comes out.

My first cat always meowed silently his whole life, except when he had his tail accidentally trodden on which was always a problem as had a habit of standing behind people.