Voice Change in Cat

Question
For the last 5 days, my 3-year-old Siamese cat (who is normally very vocal), now sounds weak and scratchy. Sometimes he opens his mouth to meow and doesn't make a sound. He seems to be okay otherwise -- still wants to go outside and eats normally. He had a severe ear infection last fall, and a veterinary specialist thought he might have a polyp in his ear, but his regular vet didn't think so and treated him with antibiotics.  Do cats get sore throats?  Could this be a polyp growing on his vocal cords?  Do you think this warrants a visit to the vet?

Answer
Voice change in the cat can be a sign of  many conditions...polyps being one of them.  Sometimes polyps grow down the eustacian tube from the middle ear to the throat.  Voice change may also be caused from changes in the lymph nodes of the throat, as we see with Feline Leukemia Virus infections.  Sometimes, cats will ingest a foreign body, like a sewing needle or something else and that may change the voice.  Have a vet do a good examination of the throat and the pharyngeal area.  That will require a sedative or an anesthetic to do.