Do cats get colds?

Our question this week was:

Do cats get colds? Wally, is coughing at night and when he firsts gets up in the morning. During the day he is fine and his appetite has not suffered at all.

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Jonnita S.

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. You asked – do cats get colds? The answer is yes. Cats can get colds – especially viral infections that can affect their upper respiratory tract. They often sneeze and may have eye or nasal discharge.

Coughing is not a common sign of a cold in cats. In fact, cats don’t cough that often. I’d recommend that you read the article below. I think the safest thing to do is to have your veterinarian evaluate your cat for any of the possible underlying causes for coughing.

Articles that might be helpful to you are Chronic Coughing in Cats and Feline Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTI).

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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