My old cat is coughing, sneezing, and not eating. Is it contagious to other pets?

Hi, and thanks for your question. This sign could be compatible with an upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection or possibly to a chronic rhinitis (inflammatory, allergic, infective). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Vomiting several times a day for a week along with not eating or drinking much is certainly concerning. The sneezing could indicate a respiratory infection. There are lots of health reasons for her symptoms and Lilly really should see her veterinarian as soon as possible to have her evaluated and treated. Your veterinarian will do an exam and may recommend additional testing such as blood work or x-rays to pin down a cause so Lilly can get the treatment she needs and start to feel better.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Kidney failure isn't contagious and is relatively easy to diagnose on blood work based on elevated BUN, creatinine and sometimes phosphorus. I doubt it was diagnosed by mistake. Your other cat sounds like she has an upper respiratory tract infection. It tends to be viral usually in cats but we worry about secondary bacterial infections. It usually runs it's course but if she isn't eating then she should see your Vet. i wish you the best with both cats!

This sounds like she has an upper respiratory infection that is making her sneeze and vomit from the sneezing, coughing and nasal discharge. Generally cats get over colds in a week or so without treatment. Since Mieko is seventeen I’m more concerned about her since she could become dehydrated if she’s not eating and drinking normally due to having a head cold. I do recommend a veterinary exam and treatment. She may need fluids under the skin to keep her hydrated and perhaps medication to stimulate her appetite. Often dogs and cats vomit when they have a cough so I don’t think the vomiting is the main concern but certainly does need to be addressed if it continues. In the meantime you can use a warm damp cloth to keep her nose and eyes clean of discharge and heat up small meals of wet food with added water to keep her eating. I put it in the microwave for eight seconds which brings out the aroma since cats often stop eating when they can’t smell the food. If she’s not had senior blood work recently they may recommend that also to check her kidney and liver function, and check for anemia and infection. Antibiotics are given only when a viral cold turns into a secondary bacterial infection. You are right to be concerned with an elderly cat so please take her in for treatment so she can get over this quickly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Mieko.

This is probably an upper respiratory infection. it's very common in cats and is very contagious to other cats as well. It is treated with oral antibiotics for about 2 weeks. if left untreated many cats will end up blind or even die from the disease. I advise going to your vet asap to start the treatment right away.

Hello and thank you for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to say exactly what is causing Sash's symptoms without examine her, but I can offer some possibilities. Coughing can be a sign of an upper respiratory infection, lung disease, lung cancer, heart disease, or feline asthma. The only was to definitively know what is causing Sasha to cough is for a veterinarian to do an exam and perform an x-ray of Sash'a chest so her heart and lungs can be visualized and evaluated. Whether it is too late or something that can be cured depends on what the diagnosis may be. I hope this has helped and I wish you and Sasha the best of luck!

I'm sorry to hear of your concerns with Jack. Coughing, sneezing and nasal discharge can be seen with upper respiratory infections, foreign material such as grass stuck in the nose or even cancer. Given his weight loss and upper respiratory signs, I would recommend that you have him seen by your veterinarian. They will perform a thorough physical examination and may recommend blood work to get a better idea of what is going on.