My cat is sneezing and coughing after new kitten. When to see vet?

what the staff at the shelter told you is true about the possibility of forming respiratory issues due to stress. the symptoms that you are describing are indeed symptoms of a respiratory infection and antibiotics are needed. The coughing you are hearing likely has no connection to a hairball issue and is likely the infection progressing. My best recommendation to you would be to have them seen by your veterinarian at your earliest convenience to have them treated before their illness progresses into something worse than the "simple kitty cold"

This is likely the start of an upper respiratory infection. These are often due to a virus that is usually self-limiting (will go away on its own - much like a cold with people). These can become worse and complicated with bacterial infections, so if Alexa is having issues with congestion, or starts to develop yellow/green nose or eye discharge, then it will be best to take her to a vet for an accurate diagnosis and treatment. For now, make sure she is comfortable and free of any stressful situations. These infections often happen in times of stress, so if there was a potential new stressor, then try your best to remove it. I hope that helps and Alexa gets better soon.

It's highly possible that they're all experiencing a flare-up of feline herpesvirus, which tends to produce mild upper respiratory signs such as sneezing and ocular discharge. Most cats already have the virus in their bodies but don't have symptoms, but living in a stressful environment (shelters) or going through stressful events (having a new cat brought home) can trigger recurrence of the active infection. If it's been a week and a half they likely do need to see the vet, however most of them will improve with supplementation with the amino acid lysine and supportive care.

Yes, URI's (upper respiratory infections) are very common in kittens and cats that have been living in shelters. They typically are caused by viruses and most of them resolve without treatment, but they turn into bacterial infections that make the cat feel pretty awful, and need antibiotics. I would recommend calling the shelter from which you adopted the kitten and see if maybe he was treated for a URI while he was there. If so, perhaps it's resolving normally. If not, he may just now be showing the signs and he may need to be checked out (by the shelter or a private vet) before things get worse.

It sounds like Poppy could have an upper respiratory infection causing her cough, nasal congestion and eye discharge. The lack of pooping probably isn’t related - unless she is straining to defecate I’d guess that she’s not constipated but instead may not be comfortable with the new litter box. She will most likely poop when she has to go badly enough. I would recommend making an appointment to see your vet to determine whether or not she might have an upper respiratory issue.

A lot of cats have viral infections such as influenza, herpes and calici, that come and go. They hide in the system and recur usually in times of stress. The move has likely caused a virus to reemerge. It should clear up by itself but if she becomes very unwell it would be worth a vet visit. The initial viral stage has likely caused a high temperature which could be putting her off food.

She might have an upper respiratory infection causing the sneezing and discharge. Since she is eating and playing normal, you can monitor her and see if the problem resolves. If she stops eating, becomes lethargic, has a fever, and/or the discharge increases or becomes discolored then she needs to be examined by a vet for treatment.