Why is my cat coughing and spitting up mucus? Is it serious?

He could have a respiratory infection, allergies, or heart disease. If it continues, have him examined by a vet to diagnose. Your vet can take an x-ray to evaluate his heart and lungs. He might need an antibiotic, anti-histamine, corticosteroid, bronchodilator, or other medications.

I would recommend having Oliver examined by your vet and have them take some x-rays of his chest. There are some infectious causes of coughing in cats that may improve with medications, but we can also see asthma in cats which would require different medications. I am attaching a link to a handout about asthma in cats below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=665 Good luck. I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Coughing can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Wolfgang 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 night!