# My feral kitty coughed. About 8 times. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 27, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-feral-kitty-coughed-about-8-times/358477 "2006-05-27T19:47:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-feral-kitty-coughed-about-8-times/358477/1 "2006-05-27T19:47:36Z")
This happened maybe 10 minutes ago. I was in the house, my wife was lolling on a recliner on the deck. The cat went over to my wife and coughed, one time after the other. I fear this could be bad news. Any ideas, cautions, etc.? I should add her appetite’s ok. I just fed her. She asked for, and polished off seconds of the canned meat. ---
**Author:** ![mike1dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mike1dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mike1dog)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-feral-kitty-coughed-about-8-times/358477/2 "2006-05-27T19:50:27Z")
Could it be a hairball? When cats cough up hairballs it’s sort of a cross between vomiting and coughing. They don’t always shoot out a hairball, however. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-feral-kitty-coughed-about-8-times/358477/3 "2006-05-27T20:09:13Z")
Has this critter been checked out yet by a DVM? Feral kittens do sometimes have respiratory infections. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-feral-kitty-coughed-about-8-times/358477/4 "2006-05-27T20:15:10Z")
> [@cerberus](#): > > Has this critter been checked out yet by a DVM? > > Feral kittens do sometimes have respiratory infections. No, **cerberus** ,I am ashamed to admit she hasn’t seen a vet since we’ve been feeding her and that’s about 4 years, now. If it is a respiratory infection, and not a hairball like **mike1dog** suggested, what other symptoms might my cat show? ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-feral-kitty-coughed-about-8-times/358477/5 "2006-05-27T20:21:20Z")
I’m not a DVM, but have cats, a few of which have been through medical fun. Cats tend to suppress symptoms. In progressive problems like infections, this can be catastrophic, as an infection can be really nasty in advanced stages. Your DVM can check the animal out for fever, and can do a culture to find evidence of bacterial infection. I find that using planned health plans is good at controlling costs of care while ensuring regular check-ups and maintentance care. The short answer is: don’t try to diagnose your cat at home. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-feral-kitty-coughed-about-8-times/358477/6 "2006-05-27T20:24:47Z")
> [@cerberus](#): > > The short answer is: don’t try to diagnose your cat at home. Thank you for your excellent advice. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-feral-kitty-coughed-about-8-times/358477/7 "2006-05-27T21:09:09Z")
If a cat is very sick, sometimes their third eyelid (the nictitating membrane) will become more prominent), possibly as a consequence of their loosing weight. But what you described sounds an awful lot like a hairball. Keep an eye on the cat for sneezing or coughing and get it to the vet for a routine checkup fairly soon. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-feral-kitty-coughed-about-8-times/358477/8 "2006-05-27T22:15:44Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > If a cat is very sick, sometimes their third eyelid (the nictitating membrane) will become more prominent), possibly as a consequence of their loosing weight. > > But what you described sounds an awful lot like a hairball. Keep an eye on the cat for sneezing or coughing and get it to the vet for a routine checkup fairly soon. Will do,\*\* Finagle\*\*. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-feral-kitty-coughed-about-8-times/358477/9 "2006-05-27T23:59:52Z")
One of our cats, the Big Boy, is asthmatic, and given to coughing spells, usually 5 - 8 at a stretch. It seems to be worse in the springtime and fall; he’s prone to allergies aggravating his condition. His vet gives him a shot of something, and it seems to quell it somewhat, for a while. If you’re suspecting that your cat might have an upper-respiratory infection, keep an eye out for discharge from the nose and/or eyes. Although by no means the only symptoms, these are a sure sign that something is wrong.