What Are Cat Respiratory Infections
The respiratory system in cats goes from the nose all the way to the lungs. When an infection is in the respiratory system of cats, the cells lining the system become inflamed and produce a larger amount of mucus than normal. Infections can be caused by a variety of pathogens including viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. There are generally two types of respiratory infections in cats: upper and lower respiratory infections.
What Is Cat Sneezing
Sneezing is an explosive expulsion of air from the mouth and nose. Sometimes a shower of discharge is also sprayed out. This can be clear, or it may be bloodstained or even yellow or green if an infection is present.
Cat sneezing is usually a minor occurrence it should expel the irritant in their nose. However, sometimes repeated sneezing may be accompanied by other symptoms which could mean a bigger health issue.
Excessive discharge from the nose or eyes, coughing or wheezing, reduced appetite and fatigue all may be seen in a sneezing cat.
What Do I Do If My Cat Is Coughing And Sneezing
An occasional sneeze or cough from your cat is common, but when does a simple Bless you! suffice and when should you be concerned? How can you tell if the strange noise coming from your cat is even a sneeze or a cough at all? Its not always easy to tell, so take a video of your cat during an episode to help your vet with their diagnosis and read on to learn more about the number of reasons why your cat may be wheezing, coughing or sneezing.
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What To Do About Cat Sneezing
If your cat sneezes occasionally and otherwise seems healthy, then you probably have nothing to worry about. Make sure you bring your cat to the vet for a yearly physical, or as recommended by your vet. Your vet may be able to determine if there is an underlying health issue before it gets out of control. In between vet visits, you can check your cat’s head and face at home to look for abnormalities.
If your sneezing cat is also experiencing nasal congestion, eye discharge, or other cold-like signs, then it might be an upper respiratory infection or similar issue. URIs often cause a cat to sneeze out mucus that could be yellow or greenish in color. The eyes might be glassy, teary, or even excreting a yellow or green mucus. You may notice loud breathing and trouble passing air through the nostrils. It may seem just like the common cold we humans get, except that healthy cats don’t often “catch colds.” URIs in cats are often caused byfeline herpesvirus orcalicivirus. Be sure to bring your cat to the vet soon for treatment.
Why Is My Adult Cat Not Eating
Loss of appetite can have many causes in adult cats.
If your cat wont eat, some causes may be evident through a vets physical exam of your cat, while others may require diagnostic tests like blood work or x-rays.
If your adult cat has had a poor appetite or simply wont eat for more than two days, take your cat to your veterinarian to find out the cause.
Here are some possible reasons why your cat is not eating.
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Why Is My Cat Coughing So Much
Like sneezing, coughing is also a defense mechanism that protects your cats airways from getting infected. Each time any foreign organism or material tries to enter your cats respiratory tract, it would immediately throw them out either by sneezing or coughing. However, coughing also occurs when something too big tries to enter the food pipe.
In addition to being referred to as a normal body function, your cat may cough a lot for various reasons. Lets have a light on these reasons quickly
When Should I Worry About My Cat Sneezing
If your cat sneezes a couple of times here and there, its probably just them trying to clear out their nasal passage. But if your cat sneezes constantly, or if the sneezing is accompanied by other symptoms, thats when you should consider next steps. If your cat stops eating or develops a cough, wheezing, or other more serious symptoms, bring them to the vet as soon as possible.
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Top Reasons Why Cats Sneeze
Cats sneeze for a variety of reasons: some are as innocent as a tickle in their nasal passage, while others are as serious as an upper respiratory infection or even pneumonia. As long as you keep an eye on your pet, you should be able to better determine the underlying cause of their sneezes. Here are the most common answers to why is my cat sneezing?
When To Take Your Cat To The Vet
Just because your cat’s nose is running doesn’t necessarily mean you need to dash off to the vet. In most cases, a runny nose is part of the normal nasal clearing process and/or the result of an infection that will clear up on its own.
The most common signs in cats with runny noses include sneezing, nasal discharge, red and runny eyes, coughing, oral or nasal ulcers, sniffles, fever and hoarseness. These common signs tend to accompany upper respiratory tract infections and often warrant a trip to the vet to ensure you can get your cat back to healthy.
More problematic signs you should be on the lookout for include severe eye swelling, bloody or greenish discharge, extreme lethargy, a high fever, poor appetite and difficulty breathing. Cats with these signs may just have a nasty cold, but they’re also more likely to have bronchopneumonia or even cancer. Take your cat to their vet right away if you notice any of these signs. Early treatment can make a big difference.
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Change Your Cat Litter
Cat litter is one of the biggest causes of allergies in cats, especially high-dust clay clumping litter. The dust particles easily get into the air and can make your kitty splutter. Fragranced cat litter is also a no-no, as the smell can make them sneeze, cause asthma, or give them a headache.
Switching to a cat litter for cats with asthma can make all the difference to your cats itchy and tingly nose! These cat litters are low-dust, fragrance-free, and contain no chemicals such as sodium bentonite. For any dust that does get outside of their box, try using a handheld vacuum for cat litter to clean up the particles before they become airborne.
When changing cat litter, gradually mix the new litter in with the old one, and put slightly more in each time you change the litter tray. This will help your cat adjust to their new litter more easily and will help to prevent any bathroom accidents. Cats can be finicky creatures, so whenever youre making a change always do so gradually.
When Should I Take My Cat To The Vet
Sneezing in itself is nothing to worry about, so when should you take your cat to the vet? Usually, if your cat keeps sneezing but seems fine, its because they are. So, take a deep breath and relax.
If the sneezing is due to one of the medical conditions I have mentioned above then other symptoms will become evident over time. Therefore, if the persistent sneezing lasts over five days, is extremely violent, or you notice they are sneezing in combination with any of the following symptoms, its time to take a trip to the vet:
- Nasal discharge, especially if bloody, green, or yellow
- Difficulty breathing or breathing through their mouth
- Snoring more than usual
- Pawing at their face or rubbing it on things
- Eye discharge
At the vet, your cat will be examined and the condition diagnosed. Based on the underlying condition, your vet will prescribe appropriate treatment. This could be anything from antiviral medication or antibiotics to performing X-rays of their upper respiratory tract.
If your cat doesnt show any of the above symptoms and youre still concerned, why not call up your vet anyway? After all, it is better to be safe than sorry and will put your mind at ease.
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What To Do If Your Cat Keeps Sneezing
Make sure your cat receives regular vaccinations against feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus to help prevent these viral infections.
If your cat only occasionally sneezes and is perfectly well in general, then just keep an eye on them for a few days and try to work out if there is any pattern to when they sneeze.
If your cats sneezing becomes more persistent, if your cat sneezes blood, or if they have other symptoms such as excessive nasal discharge, runny eyes, fatigue, coughing or trouble breathing, or if he or she is off their food, then you should make an appointment to see your vet as soon as possible. Most causes of your cats sneezes are easily treated and your cat should soon be feeling much better.
Looking for more cat health advice? Read our guide on cat vomiting, next.
When Your Cat Keeps Sneezing
Today Im going share with you the three super-weird steps you can take to stop your poor cat from sneezing again and again.
Thousands of my clients and people who have read my Animal Lessons book have used these three spiritual steps to solve problems like this in the past. And now you can too, if you follow these steps below exactly!
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Your Cat May Have A Dental Issue
Similarly, many diseases of the mouth can make cats stop eating altogether.
Cats can develop tartar and gingivitis, as well as inflammation in other tissues of the mouth that can be quite painful. Sadly, cats can also develop cancerous tumors in the mouth.
Clues to watch for include:
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Bad breath
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Nausea
Nausea may also be caused by kidney disease or medications .
Cats that are nauseous may seem interested in food, but then refuse it, or they may drool and lick their lips often.
Can Cats Get Colds
Yes, just like their human owners, cats can catch colds. The cat flu is generally a viral or bacterial infection that leads to cold-like symptoms in cats, especially in younger cats or those who came from animal shelters. For the most part, cat colds will pass after a week or so, but some can last longer.
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What If My Cat Keeps Sneezing
It depends on the cause. If it is an isolated episode of cat sneezing, the issue is likely to go away and not return.
If your cat starts sneezing suddenly and it lasts several days, there is a possibility that the issue will resolve, but treatment will likely be needed.
If your cat suffers from chronic sneezing, however, they will likely be sneezing intermittently for the rest of their life. Persistence of sneezing to a chronic state substantially raises the odds that an underlying disease process is at play.
Chemical Irritants And Allergies
Whenever your cat accidentally inhales any chemical factors, such as gas or perfume, inflammation can take place in the membranes of its nose and sinuses. Therefore, sneezing is a brilliant way for cats to get rid of irritants, just like foreign materials.
Also, you might see your cat sneezing a lot if it happens to contact some allergic objects. Feline allergies are varied, but some most popular ones are pollen, grass, household cleaning products, flea, etc.
Treating allergies can be arduous because determining what your cat is allergic to is a difficult task. Hence, take your cat to the vet for some instructions on what to do.
In addition, sniffing from your beloved friend can result from tumors in his or her respiratory system, which is somewhat dangerous. The diagnosis and treatments for tumors are mentioned in detail in the following paragraph.
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Why Is My Cat Reverse Sneezing
You might have been freaked out if youve ever seen your cat reverse sneeze, but its totally normal.
Reverse sneezing is usually caused by some kind of irritant, like food or water, strong smells or something getting in your cats nose. Reverse sneezing results from a spasm due to irritation of the soft palate and throat, Dr. Burch said.
Its basically like sneezing, but your cat will inhale instead of exhale, and hell probably make a weird noise while doing it. Its harmless, and itll stop as soon as the spasm is over.
Cats sneeze every now and then, and its usually nothing to worry about. But if your cat keeps sneezing and doesnt stop, you should take him to the vet to get checked out.
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My Cat Keeps Sneezing
As a pet parent youre responsible for your fur babys wellbeing, and my cat keeps sneezing is something many of us have said at one time or another. A few sneezes is common with cats, just as it is with us. However, when it becomes continuous, youre right to be concerned.
In this article youll discover common reasons why cats sneeze, and when you need to see the vet. Most times it will be something minor like dust or fur shes inhaled. On the hand its possible a foreign object may have become lodged in your cats nasal cavities. We know kids can get pencils stuck up their nostrils, but thats highly unlikely to happen to your kitty!! It would most likely be a tiny grass clipping or pollen thats found its way into your cats nose.
Sneezing will usually expel it, but if the offending object has become stuck, you may need the help of a vet. Wiping your cats nose with a tissue may help, but remember, cats cant blow their noses!!
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Inhalation Of Foreign Objects
Some cats may be prone to inhaling or trying to swallow foreign objects, such as pieces of toys or small objects they find around the home. This is incredibly dangerous for several reasons, but one of these reasons is that the cats airways could become partially or fully obstructed. A cat with a partially obstructed airway may sneeze frequently.
Keep Your Cat Comfortable
When your cat is under the weather, its more important than ever to make sure theyre comfortable. You can do this by keeping the temperature in your home at a warm but not hot level. Don’t let your cat outdoors until theyre feeling better.
Its also important to ensure that your cats feeding area and litter box remain clean. The presence of bacteria can cause your cat’s symptoms to worsen. Utilizing a self-cleaning litter box can help you ensure that your cat always has a clean place to go to the bathroom.
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Why Do Cats Sneeze A Lot
As mentioned above, there are several reasons which may make your cat sneeze very much. We will enlist these reasons below thoroughly. First, however, you must know that coughing, gagging, hiccups, and other similar reflexes may mimic sneeze. Therefore, it would be best if you consult a professional vet so they can diagnose if your cat is sneezing or not.
Moreover, you do not necessarily have to take your little kitty to the vet every time it sneezes. As mentioned above, sneezing is a defense mechanism that occurs naturally. If any particle tries to irritate your kittys respiratory system, it will sneeze right away, which is absolutely a normal reflex.
Lets have a light on the major causes why your cat keeps sneezing so much
Keep A Clean Litter Box
Thoroughly clean your cat’s litter box and other cat-frequented surfaces with plain water following the use of bleach solutions or other cleaning products. About 3/4 cup of plain bleach mixed with a gallon of water makes a safe disinfectant for cleaning your cat’s litter box, and it works well for other surfaces including kitchen counters and sinks. Since this cleaning solution leaves a fresh scent, it should also help eliminate the need for any additional air fresheners in the house.
Check your cat’s litter as well. Some litters create larger amounts of dust when the cat scratches inside the box, which can exacerbate allergy problems in both cats and humans.
Keep an eye on your cat for a few days. If it shows any other symptoms of an upper respiratory infection , or if it continues sneezing after you’ve eliminated environmental problems, a visit to the veterinarian is best.
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My Cat Is Constantly Sneezing In Altadena Ca How Can I Help
If you have a cat who is sneezing almost all the time, you might be worried about her. Sneezing frequently isnt common in cats, and its important to figure out whats going on and help her through the problem as soon as possible.
Read through the information below to find out what some of the most common causes of cat sneezing are and what you can do to help your feline friend. Be sure to talk to your cats vet if you have any further questions or concerns.
In The Meantime There Are A Few Things You Can Do To Help Your Poor Sneezing Cat Breathe Better While The Immune System Does Its Job:
1) Clean your house thoroughly to minimize airborne irritants like dust or perfumes.2) Change to a low-dust cat litter bigger granules dont clump as well, but they give off less dust.3) Add moisture to the air, with a vaporizer, steam from a hot shower, or boiling kettle of water.4) Apply saline nose drops to help thin mucus in the nasal passages and relieve irritation that may cause sneezing.
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