My 7-week-old kitten is sneezing, raspy. Is it a cold or URI?

We don't often see signs of teething in puppies and kittens like we do in humans. The symptoms you describe could be indicative of an upper respiratory infection, which are common in kittens. If Wolfgang has not yet been examined by a veterinarian, now would be a great time to get him looked over! Oftentimes respiratory infections are viral and if mild may not require treatment, but sometimes they worsen and may require medication to treat.

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.

I'm sorry to hear that Memphis is having this problem. It is certainly possible that he has an upper respiratory infection even if he has been vaccinated with Felocell-4. I am attaching more information on upper respiratory infections below. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951489 Since most upper respiratory infections are viral, the only treatment option we have are products to stimulate the immune system (like your vet gave you). However, if Memphis stops eating or his congestion gets worse, I would certainly contact your veterinarian. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using PetCoach.

This kitten should be examined by a vet. He has an upper respiratory infection - may be viral, like herpes, or bacterial. The vet will prescribe some antibiotics and some topicals for the eye. This is not something you can fix at home.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Upper respiratory infection in cats is often a chronic disease, it can flare up for example because of stress or concurrent disease process. As long as Scooter is bright, has good appetite and does not have any breathing problems, you should monitor him at home. You should clean the discharge from the nose (and the eyes if necessary) with baby wipes. Offer him warm, tasty food as with runny nose cats can not smell very well. Typically, uncomplicated cat flu symptoms go away after 7-10 days However, if Scooter starts breathing heavily, goes off his food or the discharge from the nose turn green or yellow, you should take him to your local vets for an appointment.

Hello. I would say you are exactly right, that Simba has an upper respiratory infection, essentially a cold. If he is eating & drinking fairly normally, then you probably do not need to rush him to the vet as colds often just need to run their course. As to why your female seems fine? Well, there is a good possibility she could start sneezing in the next week or so. Again, if the symptoms are mild, you may not need to do anything, but if either kitty quits eating or the ocular nasal discharge becomes thick or green, or you detect any problems breathing, then you will need to have them treated by your veterinarian. If your kitties have not had a full series of kitten vaccinations, which include the most commonly encountered upper respiratory infections a cat can contract, please make sure you complete the series as soon as everyone is feeling better. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Cats can commonly be afflicted by upper respiratory viruses that can cause sneezing, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers. These viruses can be latent in a cat's system and then in times of stress or a weakened immune system (like in a kitten) they can cause illness. This is what I suspect is going on with your cat. Oftentimes cats can overcome a viral respiratory infection on their own but sometimes they need antiviral drugs, eye medications, and possibly antibiotics to help them get over the virus. If the illness continues to last more than 3-5 days, of if Mushu stops eating or the sneezing becomes excessive then I would take him back to the vet for a recheck. Most times these cats just need supportive care to get through the illness.