The last couple of days, our 8-y/o Abyssinian has been making noises that sound like a cross between a cough and a sneeze. She’s not bringing anything up - it’s definitely not her horking-on-the-rug sound. And she’s otherwise as normal as a cat can be - her appetite is good, her litterbox use is normal, and she’s as much of an attention whore as she ever was. Really, the only difference in her behavior is that she curls up almost exclusively on a particular chair in an afghan “nest” that my husband tucked around her the other night.
Naturally, this all started happening late Friday when our regular vet was closed, so calling the office wasn’t an option. The nearest emergency vet is about 20 miles away, and because the only change in her is the noise and the nest sleeping (which could be due to the cooler weather we’ve just gotten), I wasn’t inclined to worry.
Still, there’s that noise… Should I worry? Should I just ignore it? Should I call the vet on Monday? Should I offer her a shot of schnapps*, on the assumption that it’s just a little cold?
*This is an attempt at humor. We don’t even have schnapps in the house. And I don’t think she’ll drink Mike’s Hard Limeade…
I assume this is a continuous thing and not just once or twice.
Sneezing in pets is usually due to an upper respiratory tract infection (i.e. a cold). She’s probably just sick. I suppose it could be an allergic reaction as Fall comes in or perhaps some irritant she got in her nose.
Assuming she seems fine and not in distress I’d just wait to call her vet on Monday but keep a close eye on her.
If it is a cold I doubt there is much that can be done, just like people, but call just the same.
It’s not really continuous - just a once in a while thing. We haven’t noticed a particular trigger - she’s done it in her “nest,” at her food dish, in my husband’s ear… My first thought was that she has a cold, but I had no idea if critters got coughs/sneezes like bipeds.
If it does seem to get worse, we will contact the vet. I just don’t want to overreact.
Have you ever given her hairball medicine? I had a cat that made a similar noise for a few days when she was developing a particularly prime hairball… can’t hurt, anyhow.
Some of my cats have been especially sensitive to seasonal allergens. My mother is in Maryland and usually has a cat or two with what appears to be allergy-induced asthma.
There’s a good possibility your cat has asthma. One of our cats does, and it’s definitely a combination cough/sneeze/hack sound she makes. Depending on how often she does it, your vet may prescribe medication and/or an inhaler. I would call the vet if I were you…it’s not life-threatening, so no emergency…try to get a recording/video of the cat making the sound. Hope this helps.
Lynn, she’s a little beggar as it is. One can’t sit down to eat, especially seafood, without being treated to her plaintive yowl. Won’t giving her broth just encourage her? OK, it’s worth a try.
This morning when she jumped to the arm of my chair, she gave a teensy little cough/wheeze noise, then commenced to purrin’ and general “pay attention to me” behavior, so I expect whatever she’s got isn’t making her feel all that bad. I do appreciate all the suggestions. We’ll continue to keep an eye and ear on her and give it a little time before bringing in the vet. Thanks!
OK, it’s worth a try.