Why does my 11-year-old cat cough after running? What's the cause?

Hello and thank you for reaching out about your cat. The most common causes for coughing in a cat of his age are: heart disease and bronchitis/asthma. Other, but less likely causes: infection or parasite. When a cat is coughing it is very important to get him to the vet so a doctor can listen to his heart and lungs and take an xray. This will help to determine which medication(s) would be best to treat his cough. Thank you.

Coughing and wheezing in a younger cat most commonly occurs as a result of asthma, but could also be related to underlying allergies, masses in the chest, or heart disease (although cats with heart disease do not commonly cough). At this point, I do recommend taking your cat back to the vet for another exam and chest x-rays to try to help differentiate (this is not always completely conclusive) between these causes. I hope this helps!

It definitely can be hairballs, it can be from whatever she is eating (plant wise or anything she isn't supposed to) but it could also be asthma. To diagnose asthma Pebbles would need X-rays. If Pebbles has asthma there is an injectable steroid. I would discuss this with your veterinarian. Heartworm disease in cats is extremely difficult to diagnose. I hope she feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am sorry to hear that! Coughing in a cat is concerning. It may be allergies as you mentioned, although I also worry about heart disease, asthma, and heartworms in a coughing cat. Since they all have different treatments I would recommend having an x-ray +/- bloodwork done first to see how to tailor Fifi's therapy! The good news is that, depending on what the diagnosis is, some respond very well to prescription medications! I hope this helps and that Fifi feels better soon!

I'm sorry to hear that Jo has been experiencing a cough and breathing changes. Coughing and respiratory changes are always concerning in cats, but I am happy to hear that she is otherwise active and seems normal. Possible underlying causes of her issues could be related to underlying heart disease, heartworm disease, hyperthyroidism, tracheal masses/irritation, asthma, among others. Jo needs to be examined by a vet, but stress could certainly exacerbate her current clinical signs. If possible, try to look into house call vets in your area. Many areas have vets either with mobile veterinary practices or those in brick and mortar practices that are willing to make house calls. If these options are unavailable, Jo may need to brave the car ride and trip to the vet. I hope that all goes well!

I suspect she may be allergic to something in your new apartment. It could be allergy to plants or pollen but some allergies in cats are triggered by floor cleaners, dust, new carpets etc. Also, coughing in cats is often a sign of asthma, so maybe Mia has mild asthma ? Sometimes this kind of allergies or mild asthmatic attacks are very difficult to diagnose. The common way to go to in such cases is prescribing anti-allergic / anti-asthmatic treatment for 1-2 weeks. I would suggest you to discuss that with your vets.

If a round of antibiotics did not cure Tsuyu's cough, then it may not be caused by a bacteria. Other possible causes of cough include heart disease, lung parasites, allergies, asthma, fungal infections, pharyngeal polyp, among many other things. I would recommend discussing these concerns with her primary veterinarian. Here is an article that discusses coughing in cats in much more detail: https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/coughing/