Hello- I was wondering if there was anything to be concerned about regarding our maine coon. He's about 1.5 yrs old, and when he attempts to meow it comes out as a squeaking noise rather than a meow. He also makes repeated "gulping" sounds, especially so when eating or drinking but also when not. He does not appear to be suffering from any other ailments, is a healthy weight with a healthy appetite. Because he and his sister were not socialized properly as kittens (we got them from a rescue at about 8 months of age) he (and his sister) are very difficult to put into a carrier for vet visits, so we avoid doing this with the exception of life-threatening situations.
Hi Duncan,
Unfortunately, this could be something or it could be nothing - it's impossible to say for sure over the internet. The main thing that concerns me is the gulping - it's common for cats to gulp when they have a foreign body in their throat or when they have something wrong with their larynx. Since the larynx helps cats produce noise, it's definitely interesting that you've noticed this as well as a voice change.
Whilst this isn't an emergency, I would usually advise a visit for this. Perhaps you can explore home visit options, or even telemedicine options, so that a vet can get a better look? You should also look into carrier training so that it's easier to move your lad when you need to - in an emergency it'll help greatly if you don't stress him out so much with the transport. Lastly, your vet may be able to give you some medication to give him before his appointment to make him more amenable - this is also a great option to allow him to get his routine check ups and vaccinations, all of which are important.
I hope that helps!
Dr Joanna Woodnutt MRCVS