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Coughing in Cats
What is Coughing?
Coughing in cats is not uncommon and the sound of your cat’s cough may be different depending on the cause. There are usually two main types, a thick, wet-sounding cough or a dry and hacking cough. Many times, your cat is just trying to clear a tickle in her throat or she may have a hairball. However, you should see a veterinarian if your cat continues to cough or has other symptoms such as fever, runny eyes or nose, weakness, loss of appetite, weight loss, trouble breathing, or wheezing. Some of the most often reported reasons for coughing are:
- Bronchitis
- Feline asthma
- Hairballs
- Heart disease
- Heartworm disease
- Pneumonia
- Upper respiratory infection
There are some things you should watch for including coughing at night, which could be a heart problem or lung edema; coughing during exercise may be from heart disease; coughing after meals may be from a larynx or esophageal issue; and moist, phlegmy coughs are usually a sign of pneumonia.
Why Coughing Occurs in Cats
There are many reasons for your cat to cough, from minor irritation to serious and life threatening. The most common reasons for cough include:
Bronchitis
The name bronchitis refers to the inflammation of your cat’s bronchial tubes which can be acute or chronic. Acute bronchitis comes on suddenly with a harsh cough that is sometimes uncontrollable, labored breathing, wheezing, panting, breathing rapidly, and intolerance of exercise. Chronic bronchitis comes on slowly with a mild cough that eventually becomes constant and difficult to control, weakness, appetite and weight loss. Some of the causes of bronchitis are:
- Allergy
- Heartworm
- Lung worm
- Fungal infection
- Viral infection
- Bacterial infection
Feline Asthma
Asthma in cats is relatively common and usually due to something your cat is breathing in your home or outside. Some of the most often reported signs include a dry cough, exercise intolerance, panting, labored breathing, and gagging. The most common causes of asthma in cats are:
- Chemicals or pollution
- Allergy to cat litter, mildew, mold, smoke, or pollen
Cats with flat faces such as Ragdolls, Scottish Folds, Himalayans, and Persians are more susceptible to asthma.
Hairball
Almost all cats have coughed up a hairball once in their life, even if you have not witnessed it. You may find a wet pile of hair that looks like vomit somewhere in your house. Of course, it may have dried out by the time you find it. However, a hairball cough is just a short coughing spell ending with one or two piles of wet and slimy cat hair.
Heart Disease
Some types of heart disease can also cause your cat to cough such as mitral valve regurgitation, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and endocarditis. If your cat has one of these diseases, coughing may be an early sign and can also include other signs like weakness, fluid retention (swollen belly), difficulty breathing, fainting, and exercise intolerance.
Heartworm Disease
Heartworm is a parasite (dirofilaria immitis) that attacks your cat’s heart and can cause lung disease, heart failure, and organ failure, leading to death. The severity of the symptoms depends on the amount of worms that have gotten into your cat’s system. Although this is rare, it is a serious illness that must be considered if you have not treated your cat for heartworm.
Pneumonia
This is a serious bronchial condition where the lungs become filled with fluid, making it difficult for your cat to breathe. This is an emergency because without treatment, the lungs will continue to fill with fluid and your cat will not be able to breathe. Some of the signs besides a wet cough include blue lips and nose, green discharge from the nose, breathing heavily, and gasping for breath.
Upper Respiratory Infection
Upper respiratory infections are a common cause of coughing. Usually, your cat will also be sneezing and breathing hard, with a fever and runny eyes and nose. There are many causes of upper respiratory infection such as chlamydia, mycoplasma, retrovirus, or Bordetella.
What to do if your Cat is Coughing
For hairballs, there are medications your veterinarian can suggest such as mineral oil and over the counter hairball treats or gels. If your cat’s cough is accompanied by any other symptoms, you should call your veterinarian and see if you need to bring her in for a check-up. The veterinarian will most likely need to perform a complete physical and some blood tests, x-rays, an endoscopy, and maybe a lung biopsy.
If your cat is coughing uncontrollably or having trouble breathing, you should take her to an animal hospital or clinic right away.
Prevention of Coughing
To prevent hairballs, brush your cat regularly to remove any loose fur. The veterinarian may be able to recommend a hairball remedy if you have a long haired cat that has a tendency to cough up hairballs.
You can also prevent asthma by keeping your house free from chemical odors and vacuuming often to remove any outdoor allergens.
Heartworm can be prevented by giving your cat heartworm medication prescribed by your veterinarian. Bronchitis, pneumonia, and upper respiratory infection can be prevented by keeping your cat indoors and away from animals that may have been exposed to illness. You should also take your cat to see a veterinary professional at least once per year.
Cost of Coughing
A cat with a cough that is persistent should be seen by the veterinarian without delay. A cough can develop into a worsening situation in cases such as pneumonia or bronchitis. The expense to treat coughing in cats will vary, depending on the extent of the condition and the severity of it at diagnosis. For example, heartworm and pneumonia can both be expensive to treat, costing you about $1,000 to $3,000.
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Coughing Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Domestic longhair
Ralph
12 Years
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Coughing
Hi, my kitty coughs on occasion in the crouching position with his neck extended and it will last about 10 to 30 seconds. I adopted him almost 2 years ago and he's always done this, about 3-4 times a month, sometimes accompanied by a gagging sound immediately preceding the cough. Is this normal or is this an ongoing chronic problem? I can't figure out what is considered "frequent" coughing in cats and what is normal. I mentioned this to my vet over a year ago and he said "cats don't cough". Please advise. Thanks!
June 19, 2018
1 Recommendations
These episodes are not frequent but are regular, there are many possible causes but hairballs are a common issue in cats and it may be with time Ralph has an issue with them. Without examining him I cannot determine if there is any other cause, but the frequency isn’t concerning since it is months between episodes; I would keep an eye on it for now but bring it up again at your next visit and get a video of an episode to show your Veterinarian if possible. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
June 20, 2018
Hi, my cat is about 6 years old. He’s randomly coughing every few days. He’ll have a small fit for a minute or two, then he proceeds about his day as usual. Eating, playing sleeping etc. no hairballs when he coughs though. He’s an indoor kitty so he isn’t exposed to much at all. What could this be from, no color change or phlegm when he’s coughing. Just an unproductive cough.
July 30, 2018
Paris D.
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Siamese/Ragdoll mix
Rocky
1 Year
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Coughing
Hi, over the last two days I have noticed Rocky coughing. He’ll crouch down, extend his neck, and have a short coughing fit for about 5 seconds, then quit this will go on several times through out the day. His appetite has been fine, no problem passing stool, no lethargy. His behavior hasn’t changed either. His mouth is also closed when he coughs. Prior to the coughing fits, I’d say a day before hand, he would pant after lots of play.
June 18, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
1 Recommendations
Rocky may have a hairball that is irritating him, but other causes for coughing in cats can include asthma, heartworm disease, or heart conditions. Since I cannot see him and this is a relatively new behavior, it would be best to have him seen by your veterinarian, as they can assess his cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and recommend any testing or treatment that he may need.
June 18, 2018
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Ragdoll cross
Simba
10 Months
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
Hi my male cat had a coughing fit two nights ago for around 10 seconds.. and from then has been grooming/itching all over! He has done this before around 5 times over the past 8 months or so! He is a ragdoll cross he seems alright otherwise although hasn’t eaten much since.
April 17, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Simba may have an allergy, or a bacterial or viral infection. It would be best to have him examined by a veterinarian to assess his breathing, and the cough, to make sure that he is okay.
April 18, 2018
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Diluted Siamese
Athena
One Year
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Coughing Fits
My cat has quite a few coughing fits. I have a humidifier that I keep in the bedroom that seems to help reduce the amount of coughing fits. These episodes will go on for about a minute. The cough sounds deep and sometimes wet but she never coughs anything up. She also will kind of sigh or breathe in deeply and loudly at random times and it kind of sounds a little laboured for those one or two breaths. She will have these fits every day or two and sometimes seems exercise induced so she will have multiple episodes in one day. Should I have a vet look at her or should I stick with the humidifier since it seems to help significantly?
Feb. 10, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
Thank you for your email. It would be best to have Athena examined by a veterinarian, and possibly have chest x-rays taken, as she may have an underlying problem that needs to be treated. Cats can develop bacterial or fungal infections of the lungs, or asthma, among other things. The humidifier may be a part of her treatment, but without knowing what is going on with her breathing, you run the risk of it worsening without treatment. I hope that everything goes well for her.
Feb. 10, 2018
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