Why is my cat coughing and throwing up? Hairballs or something else?

Cats can commonly have lingering upper respiratory infections. I would recommend that you have your kitty checked out by a vet. They can help diagnose an infection, allergies, or even asthma. Cats have VERY sensitive noses and a strong sense of smell, so I would definitely avoid Vick’s as it can be very irritating to them. Depending on the diagnosis, your vet may recommend steroids, antihistamines, or another treatment that will help him out.

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, thanks for your question. It's unusual to see vomiting and coughing at the same time, although it's possible. Typically, though, the cat is just retching and nothing is coming up. It's likely, especially if your cat is bringing up stomach contents from time to time, that this is solely a GI problem. Vomiting can have a number of causes. Depending on how old your cat is, whether it goes outside, etc, one possibility might be more likely than another. Here are some possibilities: parasites, food intolerance/dietary indiscretion (eating something that made her sick), exposure to a toxin, a blockage either in the stomach or intestines, kidney disease, liver disease, diseases of the pancreas, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer. As you can see these are all very different diseases. Your vet can help you figure you what's going on with a good physical exam and some tests, probably blood work and x-rays to start with. Get your cat seen as soon as you can.

While a hairball could cause vomiting I wouldn't expect diarrhea or coughing. A true cough can be a sign of asthma or a respiratory infection. If he can't rest at night and his appetite is affected I'd recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian. They may recommend an x-ray of his chest and abdomen.

Indica may have a hairball she is trying to get rid of, so generally it is a good idea to regularly feed hairball remedy or a cat food with hairball remedy, especially if your kitty lives indoors only. Of course there may be another cause for this, such as an upper respiratory disease, a gastric problem, or a foreign body stuck in the trachea or esophagus or laryngitis. As you can see there are many possible causes, and you are doing the right thing by taking her to your veterinarian today.

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.

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.