Why does my cat's meow sound painful after switching to dry food?

Sometimes a viral upper respiratory infection can affect the back of the throat and cause swelling that could affect your cat’s ability to meow. Difficulty swallowing can also occur when something is lodged in the esophagus or if there is a problem with a tooth. I’m glad Lily ate some chicken, but if her normal appetite does not return soon I’d recommend seeing your vet for an examination.

Melvin could be suffering with a sore throat. It might be secondary to a virus. I would recommend a vet check up and in the meantime to offer moist food. Fish flavours are often popular amongst cat, slightly warmed up would be even better for him. If declining normal cat food, he might be interested in some tuna in water, no salt/oil.

Hello, thank you for your question about Whiskers. Based on the symptoms that you are describing and her change in eating habits it is possible that she could be experiencing pain in her mouth. Oral pain can be secondary to bad dental disease, jaw pain, or other conditions. In pets with mouth pain it becomes more difficult for them to chew on the dry kibbles and they often prefer the softer food. I would recommend having Whiskers seen by your veterinarian so that they can examine her and look for any abnormalities that could be contributing to this change. They can palpate her abdomen and look for evidence of constipation. Depending on their findings they can discuss the need for additional diagnostics or treatments. Hope this helps!

Your cat may have laryngitis, which is an inflammation of the larynx or "voice box". Signs of laryngitis include hoarseness and/or loss of voice. The most common causes of laryngitis are excessive vocalization and chronic[ coughing](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/coughing). Both put strain on the vocal cords. Laryngitis can also be due to other underlying medical conditions such as throat infections, [allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/feline-allergies/), tonsillitis, [pneumonia](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/pneumonia-1/), tracheobronchitis, foreign bodies and rarely tumors. Since it has been three days since your cat's symptoms began, I recommend having him evaluated by your veterinarian to check for throat infections or other sources of irritation of the larynx. You may need to feed a soft, bland diet and keep him as stress free as possible during his treatment and recovery.

Margo could have something lodged in her throat or this could be a sign of nausea. As long as she is eating and not vomiting I think it’s probably okay to wait until Monday. If she has any other symptoms or seems to be getting worse you should see your vet sooner.

If your cat is otherwise happy, healthy, and eating, drinking, and acting normally, I would not be too concerned. If however your cat is not acting like herself she may have an upper respiratory infection or something going on. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

This can be from over use or from the start of respiratory infection that causing a sore throat. If she is eating and drinking well with no sneezing, coughing or runny eyes, then you can monitor her to see if it comes backs. If further respiratory signs develop or her appetite changes, then she needs to be seen by a vet