Your cat can sneeze when he has a cold, as can happen to us. But sometimes a sneezing cat can hide an underlying condition and it is essential to make sure it is nothing serious and if the sneezing is worrying, to be able to take action to cure it.
But don’t worry, you just need to know the cause of this problem, and if necessary, go to a veterinarian who will know what treatment to put in place for your cat to be cured.
Cat sneezing: What causes?
Coughs are very common among our feline friends, a bit like us, and there are many causes that cause them to sneeze. However, if sneezing is frequent, it is a problem that should not be neglected and should be treated as soon as possible to avoid any risk of aggravation of symptoms or quite simply to make your cat’s life easier.
If your cat sneezes regularly, there may be several causes including:
- A harmful smell: It can be chemicals that attack him like household products or pollution or a cooking smell that he doesn’t like at all. In this case, it will be quite easy to find the smell that attacks his nose. Cats are very sensitive to odors and need fresh, healthy air to be healthy.
- Dry heating: Cats don’t like dry air because it forces their mucous membranes to produce more moisture and they have to sneeze to get rid of it. He can then seek to drink to rehydrate himself. Sometimes an air humidifier is necessary, especially if you live in an arid area or in a very cold area that requires constant heating and yours dries the air in the room a lot. Even for you it will be better because a minimum humid air is recommended.
- Dust: Dust and other suspended particles in the air are also potentially irritating to the cat’s respiratory tract and he may then start sneezing to expel this dust from his body. Try to see if there are sheep crawling under the bed, for example, or if dust is stuck in the radiators.
- A foreign object: Like a piece of stuffed animal, grass, or hair that may be stuck in their nose or mouth and may cause them to sneeze or cough. If the object is very firmly stuck, then avoid removing it yourself and consult a veterinarian. Outdoor cats are more prone to this problem.
- A respiratory infection : This infection is not necessarily serious, but must be monitored under penalty of evolving into pneumonia. Can be viral or bacterial can last 1-3 weeks and sneezing is recurrent over several days with runny nose and loss of appetite. Your cat may also cough.
- Inflammation: Which can reach the sinuses, the nasal cavity or the teeth and which consequently causes the cat to sneeze. If your cat has a runny nose, trouble breathing and runny eyes, these are signs of inflammation.
- Allergies: Allergies generally appear in the form of skin irritations, with lesions and itching. Sometimes sneezing and wheezing is a sign of inflammation. It could be a food or pollen allergy.
- Vaccines: Vaccines can cause cats to sneeze for a few days. This is completely normal and this effect will disappear quickly.
- Coryza: Coryza is a viral disease that is very contagious and attacks the immune system. It can be triggered by stress, such as during a change in the cat’s life. Kittens are particularly sensitive to it, especially when they arrive in the home and can be terrified by this change of environment or all these new people he does not know.
What should I pay attention to?
To find out the cause of your cat’s sneezing, there are several questions to ask yourself. These will also allow you to be able to give the answer to the veterinarian if he has to examine your cat because of a sneeze that does not pass.
- Do coughs occur at specific times of the day?
- Does it always happen in the same place
- Does it happen in a specific context?
- What are the other abnormal symptoms?
By examining the context in which the cat sneezes, you will be able to determine the cause. For example, if it happens after you’ve done housework, maybe the smell of household products is bothering her.
Know that to help the veterinarian to make an accurate opinion, you can take your cat on video when he sneezes and show it to the doctor.
If it’s a kitten sneezing
If it’s a kitten suffering from sneezing, it’s likely to be feline rhinotracheitis or a foreign body. His immune system is still developing and any symptoms should lead to a trip to the vet.
Special cases
Many special cases concern cat sneezing, here are the most common.
Cat sneezing with no other symptoms
If there are no other symptoms, then it is probably an irritation of the nasal mucous membranes which may be due to the presence of something irritating to the cat in the air or something stuck . If the cat’s sneezing stops quickly there is no need to worry, but if your feline sneezes regularly, observe its surroundings to see if anything is bothering it and causing it to expel the aggressive substance through its nose and mouth.
If despite everything nothing happens, then it is necessary to go to the veterinarian to find the cause of the problem and obtain the appropriate treatment.
Cat sneezing blood
If your cat is sneezing blood, he definitely needs to be taken to the vet, maybe something got stuck deep in his nose or some pathology is causing the bleeding. Internal bleeding in cats should be treated first because it is never a good sign and the situation will most likely not resolve itself without professional help.
Cat constantly sneezing
Untimely sneezing is often the consequence of food, respiratory or epidermal allergies. It will then be necessary to eliminate the allergic substance, or failing that, make him take medication that cancels his reaction to this allergic factor.
For food, special croquettes are sometimes necessary. For other allergies, antihistamines will be needed to eliminate allergy symptoms.
Sneezing cat and runny eye
Watery eyes combined with sneezing are likely the consequence of a feline cold. Your cat will probably be low in energy and eat less than usual. If it is not possible to blow your nose, you can always clean it with water or saline solution for cats.
Cat sneezing and rubbing its nose
If your cat is rubbing his nose , something is itching, it could be an external element or an internal irritation. Try to see if anything is stuck or has an injury there.
Cat sneezing and vomiting
There is a problem with your cat that forces him to expel whatever he has in his body by any means possible. The problem may be important if the vomiting is regular.
Cat sneezing and coughing
Your cat has a high chance of suffering from rhinitis or pharyngitis or laryngitis. Take him to the vet to get proper medication and the problem doesn’t get worse.
Cat sneezing and snot
Your cat probably has a cold. Here too, make his life easier by cleaning his nose with water or physiological serum for cats.
Cat sneezing and breathing badly
This is a serious condition, it may be coryza or even asthma and must be the subject of a visit to the veterinarian. Any respiratory problem must be treated very quickly.
Cat sneezing and runny nose
This is a disease, like feline cold or more generally a disease affecting the ENT sphere.
Cat sneezing and sticking out its tongue
Your cat is having trouble breathing and is sticking out its tongue to try to breathe better. Get to the vet ASAP.
My cat sneezes: Should I go see the vet?
If your cat sneezes but it is very occasional or there are no other symptoms present at the same time, then it is best to wait a few days to see the evolution of the symptoms. The only exception is if it is a kitten, which is more fragile and must be taken to the vet.
On the contrary, if there are other symptoms, a visit to the veterinarian is necessary so that he can provide treatment in order to make them stop. Symptoms can be lethargy, lack of appetite or difficulty swallowing.
What will the vet do?
He will start by asking you many questions about the context in which feline sneezing occurs and will then begin an examination of the respiratory tract (runny nose, palpation of the lymph nodes, fever…)
If nothing is found then X-rays or endoscopy can be used to find the cause.
To help him you can show him a video in which your cat sneezes.
Also prepare to answer the following questions:
- Since when does he sneeze?
- Is it regular?
- Does it happen at a specific time?
- Are there any other symptoms?
How will he treat the cat’s sneeze?
Treatment depends on the cause of the problem, your veterinarian may prescribe decongestants, expectorants and antibiotics, among others.
If it is a bacterial infection, antibiotics will allow him to avoid pneumonia which can occur if nothing is done.
If it’s an allergy, the vet may recommend removing something in his diet that he’s allergic to. If it is not a food allergy, then antihistamines will be prescribed.
If it is a viral infection, then cat cold medication will be prescribed.
My cat sneezes: How to treat a cat that sneezes before the medical appointment?
While waiting to go to the vet, it is advisable to do several things to improve your physical condition:
- A gentle diet : With foods that are easy to digest. With for example cooked chicken meat, cooked turkey meat and rice. Avoid giving them too many carbohydrates and favor meat. You can check the composition of these macronutrients in the packets of cat products.
- Steam baths: The steam decongests the nasal passages. You can boil water and pour it into a bowl near the cat or put it in a room that you have filled with steam, with a pot of boiling water for example (yes it’s original…).
- A healthy environment: Fresh air without aggressive agents for the sense of smell is recommended to help him stop sneezing. For example, you can use odor absorbers such as coffee grounds, vegetable charcoal or apple cider vinegar.
- Food supplements: Like grapefruit seed extract, or any other type that can boost the cat’s immune system. You will find many food supplements for cats online.
- Clean it with saline to avoid any discomfort. Go with caution so as not to attack your cat and manage to clean it.
- Make sure his coat is always dry. If he has a cold, for example, the fact that he is wet will only make the problem worse.
- Keep the vaccination record always up to date. There are many vaccines for cats, make sure that the vaccination record is always up to date.
- Give him vitamin C and E which will help him defend himself better, especially in the event of Coryza.
- Give him Krill oil: This oil is a concentrate of antioxidants and fatty acids that helps stimulate the cat’s immune system to help fight disease.
- Try homeopathy : By asking your pharmacist for advice to be able to make the best choice.
How to avoid cat sneezing?
If your cat is prone to sneezing, then several things can be put in place to make his life easier:
- If you have several cats: Separate the coughing one from the other cats. In some cases this will protect other cats, and sometimes it will be the reverse depending on the cause of the cat’s sneeze.
- Clean the cat’s water and food bowls: Hygiene is essential so that your cat does not have any health problems.
- Dry the cat’s coat when wet: As said before.
- Feed it in a balanced way: Feeding your cat in a balanced way means providing it with all the micro-nutrients necessary for its proper functioning and in particular for its immune system.
- Make him do physical activity: A cat needs physical activity to be in shape, you can take him dedicated toys that will help him exercise and boost his immune system.
- Get him vaccinated against serious diseases : It is essential that cats are vaccinated from an early age to avoid potentially serious diseases.
Cat sneezing: The final word
A cat that sneezes a lot or with other symptoms should always be taken to the vet to avoid any risk.
As long as the problem is resolved in time, your cat is in no danger.
Also, take the necessary steps to prevent this problem from happening again.