My cat is coughing, but no hairball comes up. When to worry?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Mittens has been vomiting and is now coughing. Cats can vomit for a number of reasons, including trying to vomit a hairball, eating something they shouldn't have, gastrointestinal obstruction, infection, inflammation, or even cancer. From the information you provided, my concern is that Mittens may have aspirated (taken fluid into the lungs) during one of these vomiting episodes, and is now coughing as a result. Aspiration pneumonia can be a scary thing in cats, and especially if Mittens is not acting himself or wanting to eat, I would recommend bringing him to your veterinarian to be examined. If your veterinarian determines that he has abnormal lung sounds, he/she may recommend blood work and chest x-rays to look for evidence of pneumonia. If present, they will likely start Mittens on some antibiotics. There are other possibilities for Mitten's cough including bronchitis or an upper airway infection, which should also be managed by a veterinarian. I hope this is helpful!

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, I would recommend taking Maise in to see her veterinarian soon. It is possible Maise may actually be coughing. This can be due to an upper respiratory infection, throat polyp, feline asthma, or a heart condition. Your veterinarian will do an examine and carefully listen to her lungs and heart. An x-ray may be recommended as well to get a better view of the heart and lungs. Treatment will then depend on the diagnosis. In the mean time, you can try a humidifier in areas where Maise spends the most time as this may help a bit. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am afraid that without diagnostics such as radiographs there is no way to tell what may be going on. This is not likely to be due to a hairball. Coughing can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Max 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 day!

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

I'm sorry to hear both kitties are coughing. It is possible there could be something in the home such as dust or allergens causing the behavior, or both kitties got into something that is causing some irritation. Moving them to a well-ventilated area may help if there is some sort of irritation ongoing. If the coughing continues, or other symptoms appear, it is a good idea to bring them to your vet for an exam and to rule out any health issues.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. With your description I am concerned that Cookie is not interested in eating and is trying to vomit. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Cookie so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I would definitely consider having abdominal x-rays taken to ensure that this is not from something Cookie ate (string, stuffing, toy, etc.). I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello. Yes, a watch & wait may be prudent as long as Sundee is not in any respiratory distress, and her activity & appetite are normal. Definitely have her seen if her resting respiratory rate exceeds 30-40 breaths per minute when sleeping, the cough becomes more frequent, or she stops eating, becomes lethargic or anything else concerns you. Hopefully this is a mild upper respiratory infection & it will clear in the next few days. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.