Strange sound from otherwise healthy cat

Hi, I have a cat with a strange quirk; not sure if it’s medical or behavioral. She is a 2yo domestic short hair, good appetite, very active, normal poops, clear eyes and nose, seems healthy in every way. But every now and then up to a few times a day she makes this sound that is somewhere between a burp and the sound a cat makes just before they barf up a hair ball, except I’ve never seen her actually barf up a hairball. She might do it once or two or three times within a couple of minutes and she kind of bends her head down when she does it. Then she goes on as if nothing has happened. I find it very odd and was hoping someone might have an idea what it is and if it’s worth seeing a vet for given that she seems healthy in every other way. Thank you!

Hello and thankyou for this fascinating question.  I wonder if what you are seeing is regurgitation followed by swallowing, which is definitely a 'thing' with cats.  There is a condition called  megaoesophagus, where the oesophagus can become artificially wide, ie a pouch form in the wall of the tube, and food pool up inside it.  These cats seem to swallow their food normally but then regurgitate, so this is one possibility.  Another might be pancreatitis, a commonly undiagnosed cause of regular vomitting.  Pancreatitis is often characterised by abdominal pain, but of course cats are experts at hiding pain (because they do not live in tight-knit packs like dogs do - there is literally no evolutionary advantage to cats from looking as if they're 'in pain.')  So for years, pancreatitis has been overlooked in cats- it is actually rather common. There may be other reasons too;  gut ulcers, changes at the base of the tongue, cancer, some liver disease.....  it is absolutely worth getting this checked out with your vet who can make a positive difference in at least some of these scenarios.  Diagnosis may have to come first.

Thank you for your reply! I'll make an appointment to have her checked out.