My cat's been coughing for 5 days. What's causing it and what to do?

Poor kitty. Coughing in cats can be caused by many things unfortunately, including: underlying heart disease, asthma (if wheezing also present), fungal infection, lung worms, etc. We need more information in order to narrow things down. I would suggest taking Mac in to your vet, especially since this cough has been persistent for more than a day or two. The vet will likely want to start off with a radiograph and bloodwork to hopefully diagnose the problem so that we know what Mac needs for treatment. I do hope that your furry friend Mac gets better soon! Best wishes and take care.

If Jolly has mucous built up in her lungs while she is sleeping, she may be coughing to clear that mucous. This is common in older animal and people, but is abnormal in a young cat. Ventolin will not normally make a difference with this because the cough is not caused by the airways closing, but instead because of the mucous in them. I am attaching a link to a handout on asthma below. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=665 I would recommend discussing this with your veterinarian. They may want to consider an antibiotics like Doxycycline or Zithromax since those often work better for upper respiratory problems in young cats or a steroid inhaler before bed in case there is abnormal mucous production. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hi and thank you for using Petcoach. Unfortunately, there can be many possible reasons for a cat having a chronic cough, just as there are in people. Parasites can cause coughing in some cases, so it may be worth getting a broad spectrum dewormer and treating Jarbou. Other causes for coughing can be viral infection (feline upper respiratory complex), bacterial infection, foreign body or asthama/allergies/bronchitis. There really is no good way to know the difference without a vet exam and probably x-rays. Keep watch on his overall health and make sure that he continues to thrive, is on a good quality diet and deworming is a good start. Make sure there is no smoke, oils or other fumes present in his area. Here are some articles for more info. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1596 http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=665

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Fleas and coughing are not expected to be related. Coughing can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Jolly evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include thoracic radiographs and bloodwork. Treatment would be dependent on findings. Good luck and have a good one!

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!

In cats, this is usually related to asthma, hairballs or a heart problem. Because of his young age, I would not rule out a respiratory infection. If it persists for more than a day, I would recommend taking him to the vet in order to get it checked.

Hi there. Coughing in an older cat like this could be caused by a number of different things, including asthma, allergies, bronchitis, or some type of respiratory infection. Since it's been going on for two weeks now, I would recommend taking Cleopatra to the vet on Monday for an exam. He/she can listen to her heart and lungs to check for any obvious abnormalities, and may recommend chest x-rays or other testing if needed to help diagnose the problem and see what kind of treatment is needed.