Why is my cat trying to cough something up, but only spit comes 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!

I am sorry to hear about Orchid! Coughing in cats is a concern and he should be examined by a veterinarian. We worry about a variety of issues ranging from a respiratory infection, feline asthma, heart disease, and more. The vet an examine Orchid, listen to his heart and lungs to check for abnormalities, and may recommend an x-ray to look at the lungs and heart. Based on their exam findings they can prescribe medication to help treat what is causing Orchid's cough.

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!

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.

Boots could have some foreign material (like grass) stuck in the back of his throat, or something like a polyp causing irritation. Feline asthma can also cause a cough that can sound similar to hairball. I would recommend making an appointment with your veterinarian - they may recommend chest x-rays and potentially sedation to take a good look in the back of his throat.

This sounds like your cat has an abscess, foreign body, naso-or oro-pharyngeal polyps, or ulcer or other type of purulent infection in her throat. She will need to be seen by a veterinarian who will need to thoroughly inspect her throat and upper airway, possibly under sedation and then remove the offending problem or lance an abscess. Please make an appointment for her tomorrow.

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.