A really strange question about a cat's MEOW!! LOL!

Ok, here's a good albeit ODD one for you experts. My 13 yr old male cat has always meowed at a relatively short but high pitch sound. He would meow when you ask him if he's hungry, or if you told him to "go lie down", or any time you directed a sentence toward him. It was always laughable because he would do it in almost an ornary fashion.
The last day or 2 his meow has changed to a lower pitch, like a raspy snarl is the best way to describe it. Similar to when my past cats have been intubated for dental or other surgery and the tube irritates their throat for a couple days resulting in an off pitch MEOW. He's not coughing, has good appetite, and lazes around all day as usual, but I am puzzled why his meow seems to have changed, and hoping he doesn't have some sort of respiratory problem or throat ailment. I did introduce a 1 yr old already neutered male feral into the household about 3 weeks ago after quarantining him for 2 or 3 weeks to make sure he was ok, to get him checked out, shots, etc. A few of my other cats the last week or so have once in a while been hacking and/or making brief gagging/choking sounds (not hairballs, nothing comes out) and the vet [by phone] said I may have brought in a respiratory infection with the new cat. I have given these affected cats some antihistamines and that seems to have quieted them down alot and I have heard nothing or very little from them the past day or so. And I have been home alot the past few days.
Anyway, back to the MEOW scenario, is anyone else familiar with such symptoms??... and if this might be cause for alarm..? Thanks in advance.

 

some cats meows get raspier with age - you should hear the 13 year old foster meezer I have now. She definitely has what we refer to as the "meezer geezer croak"...and she's the first I've had that sounds like this. But with Siamese it's common for their voices to get raspy with age.

 

Shouldn't be a cause of alarm with an older cat. My Siamese has always meowed "off-key", so to speak. It was alway a youthful off-key meow, but lately its been a lazy low pitch sound..he's 8 years now. As well as some of my boyfriend's mom's cat...Her voice is raspy and quiet now, she's 13.

Do you notice any watery, "boogery"(lack of a better term) eyes? Lots of wet sneezing? That could be signs of a URI.

 

Thx for replies...I am surprised at how the meow seemed to changed almost overnight...it wasn't like a gradual process...that is what has me stumped and wondering if it will revert back in a couple days..as for the URI no one has unusual watery discharge or sneezing, just hacking or gagging for a few seconds, but again the last day or 2 seems to have abated in all...........

 

I had a kitty who's meow changed to a lower pitch when he got older, too. I don't know if it changed overnight, though. Can't remember that.

Hopefully it is just a normal process and everything is okay with your kitty.

 

Pumpkin's voice changed overnight in 2000 after she was let out for 2 min. and ate a sick, old bird. She developed cat herpes and her voice is forever raspy. She is 11 years old now.

 

While this topic is still active...My kitten Kali is a squeeker. Her "meow" is very high pitched, almost like a squeek. She's going on 5 months now...All her brothers and sisters have normal meows.
Do you think it will change, or will she be a squeeker all her life?

 

I had a squeaker...she stayed like that.

 

I thought so...My sister's cat was like that now that I think about it.