Last Friday, in the evening, Claire heard me coughing : that didn’t last for a long time, just a coughing fit. As I didn’t seem to feel sick, she kept an eye on me (…and forgot to turn the iPhone for filming me…).
The weekend took place normally : I played with Zorro, he pursued me, I pursued it, I ate well, I came to cuddle, I mewed to say that I wanted to play with Claire or Momo, in brief, as usual. Except that I had a small coughing fit 5 or 6 times a day.
As that didn’t pass, Momo went on Monday morning with me to the vet. He said that I was very quiet in the car : it’s true, I did not even sing ! I’ve been brave : the veterinarian auscultated me, put his thermometer where the sun never shines, and to finish gave me a cortisone shot, without I protest. My humans have to give him news about me on Monday.
Why does your cat cough ?
He choked :
A foreign object blocks the trachea, and the cat coughs to expel it. The cough is strong, dry, and repeated. Watch out, according to the swallowed object, the damages in the trachea or in the larynx can be considerable !
He caught a mild virus :
That’s right, it happens ! But a mild virus can evolve in graver affection if it’s not looked after.
He has asthma :
An allergic sensibility can start an acute reaction. Asthma can also be chronic. The treatment with corticosteroids can be undergone in the long term.
He has a bronchitis :
The cough is frequent, strong and deep. The bronchitis requires an antibiotic treatment.
He has a pneumonia :
The cat is apathetic, often feverish, and his breath aches. The cough is weak and rare. Even treated, a pneumonia often leaves respiratory aftereffects for life. A veterinary treatment is necessary urgently.
He has a broncho-pneumonia :
The symptoms combine those of the bronchitis and the pneumonia. Cardiac, hepatic and renal complications are to be planned if left untreated. Even treated, a broncho-pneumonia leaves respiratory and cardiac aftereffects.
He has a pleurisy (breach of lungs enveloppe) :
The cat is apathetic, the breath is short and painful, and the cough very weak. A veterinary treatment is necessary urgently.
He has coryza :
The cat is apathetic, feverish, and doesn’t eat. He has runny eyes and runny nose, he sneezes or sometimes coughs. This disease is mortal : antibiotics relieve, but the cure of the cat depends a lot of his age and his immune system (adults have a better prognosis). Vaccination is the best protection against this disease.
He has parasites (aelurostrongylus) :
A snail or a slug eats the larvas of the parasite, a bird eats the infested snail, the cat eats the bird, and the parasite settles down in the lungs of the cat. The cough is dry. Medicine allows to eliminate worms.
In every case, cough is a warning, and the cat must be examined by a veterinarian ; the weaker it is, the deeper the breach is, and the higher the risk of aftereffects is.
Sources :
The Original Cat Fancy Cat Bible, Sandy Robins, 2014
Complete Cat Care Manual, Andrew Edney, 1992
Le livre des chats, collectif Solar, 1986
