Silent cat

[IamAporcupine]

We've just adopted a lovely 3-year old male cat. He is super sweet, curious and gentle but does not meow at all! I have never seen a cat like this and I must admit it makes me slightly nervous that I keep talking to him and he does not reply back 🤪
I assume it's just his personality and maybe the stress of the new environment but is there anything I can do to stimulate communication? Thank you

I got a rescue cat 5 years ago when he was 4 and a half. He doesn’t meow either. Very very occasionally he will make a bit of a squeak when he’s really really annoyed. Has made me wonder if there’s something wrong with his vocal cords because he’s never done a proper meow. Totally healthy in all other ways.

Thanks Calamity
Do you feel he still communicates in other ways?

My cat frightens me when he does meaow as he does it so rarely!

One of my girls only makes a noise when she’s calling, it’s freaky. Her daughter on the other hand speaks enough for both of them!

Oh we had a rescue cat for ten years who never miaowed. He would purr, growl, hiss, scratch, bump you for cuddles and all other manner of self-expression, but never miaowing. On the very rare occasions he did miaow it would be a tiny mew and usually because someone had accidentally stepped on his tail.

I miss that gorgeous boy!

Absolutely he communicates in other ways! When I’m trying to work he will sit on my laptop and try and stare me out. He sometimes whacks me across the face with his paw or sits at my feet and whacks me with his paw across my legs. The final slightly creepy one is when he gets his claws out and very carefully combs my hair with his claws! I suppose it’s sweet but I find it slightly menacing 😂😂 In these situations it’s because he wants food or wants to go out of the front door despite having a cat flap in the back door. If he’s really, really annoyed and I’ve not submitted to any of his usual tactics he will go over to my small settee and start scratching it whilst looking me straight in the eye 😂

Oh yes he head butts too when he wants affection. Worried one day he will break my nose as it can be quite forceful!

I'll swap you with mine who never shuts up. We have explained to him that he does need to keep up a running commentary but he told us he knows best.

Had a female cat before who was almost silent. Made it extra special when she did miaow.

I had an almost silent cat. The odd little squeak that’s it. Her mouth would open when she did squeak but no sound til the very end.

Thank you all. I find it very weird as our previous cat was extremely vocal.

I have one who doesn’t really meow, squeaked instead and I thought maybe she had vocal cord issues until she went to the vet for hen first time. Nothing wrong with her vocal cords 😀

I now have heard him chirp a couple of times - very cute!