Older cat coughing.

Dr. Marie replied:

The most common reason for cats to cough like this is if they have asthma. Asthma can be similar to allergies and can be brought on by exposure to some type of allergen (pollen, smoke in the house, dust, etc.)

If a cat with asthma is coughing several times per day then there are medications that your vet can prescribe to help her.

There are other possibilities though. Coughing can be a sign of heartworm. Heartworm is not as common in cats as in dogs, but in certain parts of the world (i.e. Southern US) it is more popular.

Cancer can make animals cough, but it is not common for cats with chest cancer to actually cough until they are very sick. If this were the cause you really should be seeing other symptoms.

At this point, if Chloe is still eating and drinking then it's probably ok to wait and see how things go. If the coughing gets to the point where it is happening several times a day and seems bothersome to Chloe, or if her appetite starts to decline, or if you are seeing weight loss then I would definitely have her checked out.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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