My cat rubbed on Windex bottle, now he's sneezing. What's wrong?

In small amounts, ingestion of Dawn dish soap may cause some mild vomiting or diarrhea. If some of it were inhaled, it could cause some respiratory signs such as rapid breathing and coughing. I would monitor her closely at this point. If she's breathing normally, I wouldn't be too concerned. If you do see her start to breathe quickly or breathe with her mouth open, I would take her to a veterinarian right away. Open-mouth breathing in a cat is a sign of severe respiratory distress and needs to be treated right away. I hope this helps and that she feels better soon!

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.

Allergens or irritants in the air that are inhaled perhaps during grooming (such as hair, grooming products, sprays, etc that become aerosolized can potentially cause sneezing for a day or so. If the sneezing is not accompanied by any other symptoms such as lethargy, decrease appetite, nasal discharge, vomiting, coughing, etc. then it may be due to the grooming and not too much to worry about.

Sneezing is a very vague sign in the sense it only means there is irritation to the nasal passages. So you are completely right in not jumping to the conclusion of an infection. It is more likely due to an irritant such as dust or pollen, or even cold air annoying the sensitive tissue. Do keep an eye as it could be the start of a touch of cat flu, but these things tend to be viral anyway.

It could be just mild nasal irritation. It coukd also be due to environmental factors like dust. Rarely we can see certain slow rising disease of cats such as nasal tumors. However we usually see discharge like mucus or blood. If you ever see a discharge, your cats attitude changes or the sneezing increases in its frequency I would consider having your veterinarian do an exam.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern! Sissy should be fine after coming in contact with the fake snow. Many formulations of the fake snow are non-toxic but if inhaled could definitely cause some irritation to the airway. If she continues to wheeze and this worsens I would recommend having her seen by a veterinarian. I would remove her from the room where the fake snow is and turn on the hot water in the bathroom and let the bathroom fill with steam. Keep her in the bathroom for 10-15 minutes in the steam and see if this helps. If not, I would get her seen by a vet sooner rather than later. I hope this helps and that she is improving! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

Sneezing and eye tearing in cats is often the result of a viral upper respiratory infection. Symptoms may include sneezing, eye or nasal discharge, nasal congestion, eye squinting, lethargy, and inappetence. Common causative agents include herpesvirus and calicivirus. The fact that he is eating and drinking normally is a good sign. However, because he is an older kitty, it will definitely require close monitoring to ensure his signs are not worsening. An exam with your veterinarian is recommended to make sure that his vital signs are normal, including a normal temperature. If he'll let you check his temperature at home, you can. I suggest lubricating a thermometer and checking his temperature rectally. Normal temperatures for can range between 100.5 to 102.5. If his temperature is 103 or higher you should consider bringing him in to your vet. Additionally, if you see yellow/green discharge from the eyes or nose, increased frequency of sneezing, lethargy, loss of appetite, or open-mouth breathing I suggest bringing him to your vet right away. Viral infections, just like in people, can weaken the immune system allowing bacterial infections to occur, which requires veterinary prescribed antibiotics. If there are any other cats in the house, I recommend temporarily isolating them from your sneezy cat until his signs resolve. Minimizing environmental stress is also recommended for his recovery. If you have any other concerns or are interested in additional information I'm happy to follow-up with an online consultation.