It was my husband's good hearing and he is also a cat person so it weighed him down that he could hear it meow. Bless him.
On an unrelated note, I just found out that I actually have a single save from my old Appaloosa Plains containing the most extensive Alvi family. It was tucked away in the single Sims folder that survived my deletion spree a short while ago. It seems too good to be true. *wipes sentimental tear*