Email of the Week: "Silent Sam"

Dear Franny,

We have a 13 month old jet black, large (14#?), not overweight. Adopted him at 10 weeks, fixed by Humane Society @ 2 weeks. Immediately took him to our vet--shots and through exam.

Our "little" guy has never 'meowed.' Purrs normally, also has a special purr like a dove or pigeon. A couple times a month he squeaks a tiny bit. I'm with him about 24/7. Vet says he's perfectly healthy, all his parts are okay.

Know you don't give medical advice, but have you ever heard of such a thing?
From Marilyn

Hey Marilyn,

I not only have heard such a thing, I have two squeaky guys just a bit older - litter brothers that I adopted at 6.5 weeks. (The photo is of Joey - big mouth, but tiny voice.) My theory with them is that they were separated from their mother too early for learning "socializing with humans" from her. Remember that cats don't normally "meow" at each other. They murmur, squeak, or make other cute but tiny sounds. They only "meow" at humans, and they learn this vocalization from their mamas. If your guy was neutered at two weeks, he may have been taken away from his mom at a very young age. I suspect this is the reason for his being a "silent Sam."

You can try to teach him to meow by imitating the sound yourself. It may not work, but you'll get his attention, and I bet he'll bond with you even more.

Franny