Cats will cough for a variety of reasons and it usually means something is irritating their throat, airways or lungs. Generally it’s nothing to be alarmed about and can be easily treated however there’re some cases where a cough can indicate something more serious. So, what exactly causes cats to cough?
Sometimes your cat’s collar could be on too tight and restrict their breathing leading them to choke and cough. Check their collar and if it feels too tight, simply loosen it and see if the coughing stops.
If your cat coughs and proceeds to vomit up a hairball you have quite literally seen the reason they’re coughing. Now the hairball has been coughed out, your cat should be able to resume normal cat duties.
Yes, cats can get asthma too. Just like in humans, asthma in cats is caused when the immune system goes into overdrive leading to inflammation. This makes breathing difficult and in extreme cases can be life-threatening.
This is common in cats and usually comes with other symptoms such as: sneezing, congestion, running nose, nasal discharge, gagging and decreased appetite.
The most serious reason your cat could be coughing is, lung cancer. This is usually found in older cats who are at least 10-years-old.
Aside from coughing your cat may also suffer from other symptons such as: difficulty breathing, rapid breathing, decreased appetite, weight loss, lethargy, fever – and even coughing up blood.
If your cat has a cough, make a vet appointment to get them checked over ASAP. Make sure you have a few details ready about your cats cough such as:
This information will help the vet determine what could be causing the cough and hopefully help your furbaby ASAP.