I ask because about 3 this morning, I woke up to my boy cat, Jake, coughing - almost wheezing, like he couldn’t catch his breath. Maybe it was hairballs (I’m not sure what that sounds like either, since the kitties haven’t had problems with hairballs since I’ve had them). It really worried me, but then 5 minutes after it woke me up, he was fine and jumping off and on the bed, chasing his sister around and the like. No watery eyes, although his breathing has always been a little congested sounding - and I never realized cats could snore until I got this one!
It is spring, and I’ve been leaving the windows open all the time (they are screened), so I wonder if he has some allergies that just didn’t show themselves until now, with the spring pollen at its loveliest.
Alternately, what does it sound like when a cat is trying to hack up a hairball? I didn’t find anything on the carpet when he was done coughing, so it wasn’t a kitty puke fest that I could tell.
And yes, I know that I should take him to the vet, and I will, but there is truly no time in my schedule until next Wednesday, so I may try closing the windows and turning the AC on a little, instead of letting the outside circulate all day while I’m on campus.
Oh, there is one. What does it sound like when a cat is trying to hack up a hairball? G’nooorrrkkk, hrk, hrk, hrk, g’norrrrrrrkkkk, kk, kk, kk, hrk, hwaaaaakk, hwaaaaaaaaaaakk, snrk, snrk, eeerrrrrrrnnn, kk, kk, hrk, tblex, hooorrrnnnnkkkkk. splat meow.
If he’s acting OK, you should be alright to wait on the vet. Yeah, you should get him in right away, but it sounds like it’s just snot. If he stops eating or drinking or changes hs behavior, blah, blah, blah.
Cats can have allergies. One of mine had a skin condition a couple of years ago. On the advice of my regular vet, I took the kitty to a specialist who did a skin patch test on her: they shaved a little patch about 3 inches square under one of her forelegs, and tried a number of substances on it, just the way people are skin-tested for allergies. She tested positive for wool, black ants, and a couple of other things. As a result, she now gets a shot every 3 weeks, but her condition has improved wonderfully.
It could be asthma - my cat Abby has it. It sounds like they are coughing up a hairball. Was he crouched down when he was wheezing? When Abby was first diagnosed I gave her pills and then later she had shots (she is one of those cats that is impossible to give any meds to…she foams at the mouth and they come back up so shots were the only way to treat it). She hasn’t had an attack in years now, but they were worse in spring and fall when she was getting them.
As others have said, yes cats can have allergies. Also, if you notice wheezing/congesting/coughing - it could also be the beginnings of a URI (upper respiratory infection). As long as your kitty is eating, drinking, using the litter box and otherwise behaving normally - I wouldn’t worry that next Wednesday is the earliest. If he stops eating (24hrs) or there’s a change in his behaviour - like Rue said - get him in sooner.
While I have to spend the day on campus (it’s the end of the semester, so that means 14 hour days typing, interspersed with occasional classes), I’m going to plan on leaving here around four and going home to check on him before I have to be back for class at 6.
Boscibo, he was crouched while he was doing it, I think. I’m fairly blind in the middle of the night, and the noise startled me enough that I didn’t get my glasses right off, but peered off the end of the bed.
I closed the windows before I left to reduce the amount of pollen that gets in that way. I’m also going to e-mail the friend I got the cats from - she had them for a couple of years - and see if he has any history of doing things like this, just so I know.
He was eating shortly afterward too, as I was trying to fall back asleep (I still can’t believe how attached I got to these guys after only getting them back in August). And I felt much better this morning when he did his usual trick after I get out of the shower - he likes to curl up on the damp towel that I set on my bed as I get dressed. And he made his usual squeaky “pet me and get off that towel, woman” noise that he makes.
it sounds like kitty asthma. 2 of mine have it. they will cough, crouch, enlongate their necks, and turn their head slowly from side to side. after about 30-60 seconds they stop and all is well.
if you notice kitty doing this often time for a vet visit. often = several times a week, once or more a day, etc.
with my girls i’ve narrowed it down to a kick up of dust. dust is truly evil, i won’t even go into what is going on with killer dust bunnies.
One of our cats turns out to have an allergy to fleas. We knew she’d get itchy, but last summer she developed a very serious reaction and almost died. It took cortisone shots and about four weeks for her to recover completely.
I had an e-mail back from the person the cats previously owned this morning. She let me know that Jake has had issues with allergies in the past, mostly associated with the change in seasons. She also said that the incidents have never lasted long, and that he has always been fine shortly afterward.
She also suggested that I call the vet if it happens again to see what they say, maybe avoiding the expense of an office visit (grad student, broke) and avoiding the trauma that comes when these guys are separated.
That makes me feel better - even though I’m going to continue keeping an eye on him.
I read the title of this thread as "Can cats have alligators? and i was treated to a mental image of kitties with teeny-tiny alligators crawling over them like fleas.
Rue DeDay I just have to say that is the best description of hacking up a hairball I ever read. Makes me feel like I need to wear shoes all day and check all carpets closely.
My cat Cosmo is allergic to fleas. Our late cat Tuffy couldn’t eat or drink out of a plastic dish because it gave him kitty acne. I don’t know if that’s exactly an allergy, but it functioned rather like one.
My Bella is having a reaction to all the pollen, her eyes get watery. She’ll get over it in a few more weeks, till then, I’ll just keep wiping her eyes.
My horribly lazy old cat is allergic to getting of it’s butt. Also chicken liver makes it fart- not just any fart, but one that is drawn from the tips of its toenails, and would clear a jumbo jet. You worry that you get some of it on you.
