Does my cat sound sick?

General Questions
#1

I’d like to see what the consensus is if this might be serious or not. My vet charges $60 just to be seen and I can barely afford my bills this month, so can only take my cat in if it’s absolutely necessary.

For the last 3 days, she’s been sneezing very frequently. She seems to have fits of several sneezes in a row, then she’s quiet for awhile, then there’s a few intermittent ones. Besides the sneezing, she seems completely healthy otherwise. Her eyes are clear and not runny, I listened to her chest and there’s no wheezing or gasping. Her nose is a little more wet than usual, but it’s not dripping and the moisture is clear. Her energy levels seem normal, and appetite is normal. Litterbox wastage looks normal and there’s no more or less than usual. Does this sound like something I should be worried about?

#2

She could have something up her nose. My MIL’s outdoor cat had a weed sticker stuck up his and had to have his sinuses drilled out and two holes drilled in his skull witha shoelace run through to give it a place to exit. Sorry.
Can you at least call your vet?

#3

She could. I noticed that after sneezing, she’ll paw at her nose. I thought something might be stuck in her throat, so I pried her mouth open but didn’t see anything. I don’t know how she could possibly get anything up her nose, though. She’s an indoor cat so that kind of limits any foreign bodies that have legs or spines. Maybe she’s just wiping the mucous off after the sneezing?

#4

Coke habit?

#5

Could be lots of things, from viral infection to foreign body (grass seeds are the most common thing)

If you have money issues and he’s otherwise eating/drinking/urinating/deficating fine, you could try waiting it out. Her being an indoor cat makes viral infection more likely than foreign body.

But, if it is a foreign body, it could migrate through his tissues and eventually cause worse problems.

You should talk to your vet about Care Credit, which is essentially a credit card just for medical expenses, including veterinary care. Most vet clinics take it. The interest rates are steep (18-19%), but they have a program where the rates are reduced/removed if you can pay off the balance in something like 3 months.

Link

#6

Welp, it’s been about a week now, and she doesn’t seem any better (but no worse either). I’ve noticed that she only has the sneezing fits after she purrs a lot. Could this be indicative of anything?

#7

If this were due to a nasal foreign body, you would be seeing some nasty purulent discharge by now. Assuming the cat to be young, FeLV negative, and otherwise healthy, I would not be very concerned. There are many viruses that will cause what you describe, and last a few weeks. Unless secondary bacterial problems occur, or if things continue for more than 2 - 3 weeks, I’d relax.

#8

I do not. There is a charge to the veterinary practice in many cases. Also, in my experience, most people who really need it are turned down due to bad credit.

Although many practices offer Care Credit, just as many view it negatively enough to specifically not offer it.