The throat is the passage to the stomach and lungs and is closely associated with the cat respiratory system. This is the reason why throat problems are a bit difficult to differentiate from feline respiratory diseases. Generally speaking, the term throat problem is used to define hoarseness and difficulty in swallowing.

In anatomy, the throat is the frontal part of the neck. It consists of the larynx and pharynx. The throat also contains several pharyngeal muscles, blood vessels, esophagus and the windpipe (trachea). One of the important features of the throat is the epiglottis, a cartilaginous flap that covers the trachea while swallowing.

The voice box or the larynx is situated at the top of the trachea through which the air passes on towards the stomach and lungs. A past history of frequent respiratory infection by the herpes virus and reckless use of antibiotics may cause damage to the turbinate bones in the nasal cavity. This allows infection to easily occur in the airways and lead to hoarseness in cats. Such respiratory infection, irrespective of the agent that causes it, is characterized by sneezing, coughing and nasal discharge. Most of the viral respiratory infections require treatment only for minimizing the risk of secondary infection. The cat is likely to get back her normal ‘meow’ regardless of disappearance of symptoms on their own or through feline upper respiratory infection treatment.