My skinny cat has a cough and hoarse meow. What should I do?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. If you got him as a feral cat, you most likely do not have a full history on him. Since you don't have a full history, I would get him tested for FeLV and FIV. These infectious diseases are not curable and can cause cats to become prone to secondary infections such as respiratory infections. I would get him seen by your vet to have additional tests performed to figure out the source of the cough. Some cats are prone to herpes viral respiratory infections and these typically resolve on their own. He may need a course of an antibiotic to get over this. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation if needed.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It would be recommended to have Hooch evaluated by his veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Possible causes of coughing include pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, among other possibilities. Your veterinarian could also prescribe pain control medications as well as checking for possible reasons for weight loss such as hyperthyroidism, renal disease, cancer, among other possibilities. I really hope that he does well. Good luck!

You have to take Phat to a vet asap. It's very serious that he has a wheezing/hacking cough and has lost a lot of weight. He sounds very sick, and not getting him veterinary care is cruel to him. Please take him into a vet now.

Poor kitty. Coughing in cats can be caused by many things unfortunately, including: underlying heart disease, asthma (if wheezing also present), fungal infection, lung worms, etc. We need more information in order to narrow things down. I would suggest taking Mac in to your vet, especially since this cough has been persistent for more than a day or two. The vet will likely want to start off with a radiograph and bloodwork to hopefully diagnose the problem so that we know what Mac needs for treatment. I do hope that your furry friend Mac gets better soon! Best wishes and take care.

Significant weight loss is always a concern, especially if his appetite is good. Hormonal conditions such as diabetes and thyroid disease or poor absorption and digestion of his food is possible and I would recommend a full physical and blood panel as soon as possible in order to stabilise his condition before he becomes too frail

Unfortunately yes, weight loss and increased meowing can often be signs of illness in cats. You don't say how old your cat is, but if she is middle-aged or older the first thing I would be concerned about is possible thyroid disease - hyperthyroidism very commonly causes both of these symptoms. It also often causes increased appetite, and sometimes soft stool. Other possible causes could be diabetes, kidney disease, or even a digestive problem like inflammatory bowel disease. I would recommend having Ittybitty examined by a vet - he/she can do a simple blood panel to check for most of these problems, and advise you on treatment options based on the results.

Poor guy. This sounds worrisome for sure. I would use some caution here and get Boba seen by your vet right away. He could have an underlying illness going on such as kidney disease that is causing his symptoms. The vet needs to do some bloodwork and a urinlaysis to start and try to find out what is causing him to be so ill. I do hope that you are able to get Boba seen by your vet soon and that he is able to get back to his normal self. Best of luck and take care.