Coughing cat.

Dr. Marie replied:

Thank you for sharing this video of your cat:



Although it's a sideways video, it's still a really good video of a coughing cat. While I can't give you an official diagnosis over the internet, I can give you a few of my thoughts.

The most common reason for a cat to cough like this is asthma. There are many possible reasons for asthma. Asthma can be made worse by the presence of allergies. Depending on where you live, allergies can be really common at this time of year (early fall).

If he goes outside, it may actually be helpful to keep him inside for the next couple of weeks if possible. Or, if you can't keep him inside, you can try wiping down his fur with a wet paper towel to reduce the number of allergens on him.

Another thing that I have seen bring out asthma in a cat at this time of year is fleas. Even if you don't see fleas, this could be the issue. This article on fleas is a really good one to read just to be sure. So why would fleas cause coughing? It's because some cats are allergic to fleas. While most flea allergies cause itchiness and skin problems, they still can lower the "allergy threshold" and cause other symptoms like coughing.

There are other things that can cause a cat to cough but they are nowhere near as common as asthma. If you live in an area where heartworm is common, then this is a possibility. Other more rare possibilities include eosinophilic pneumonia and others. But really, asthma is most likely.

If this is asthma, if your cat is only coughing a few times a day, you can possibly just ignore the symptoms for now. But, if the coughing increases, if it seems really bothersome to him or if he is getting sick (i.e. not eating, very lethargic) then he really should find a way to get to be seen by a vet. Your vet may be willing to give him some sedation perhaps to help the visit go smoother.

There is no at home treatment for asthma. In cases that do need medication, your vet may prescribe steroids either given orally, by injection or via a kitty inhaler or other medications given my inhaler. But again, many cases of asthma do not need to be treated.

Hope he is feeling better soon!

Dr. Marie


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Dr. Marie replied:

This really doesn't look like a hairball issue...but I can't really say for certain. Unfortunately there really isn't a home remedy I can suggest. If it keeps happening 9x a day or more then he really will need to see a vet.

Hope he is better soon!