Why is Your Cat Coughing? A Vet Explains How to Help 

My cat had a cough that was worrying a few years ago. All tests came back clean. I use non-scented everything for my own asthma, so it wasn't that. She was on raw food at the time, perfectly healthy otherwise. My vet suggested a limited ingredient diet with a novel protein to rule out food allergies, and low and behold, chicken it was. Once I cut out chicken, the coughing stopped and has not returned. Recently I've tried duck and quail as another novel protein, but the cough returned with it. No feather friends for this girl. I'm grateful that my vet, after all the testing, suggested altering her diet.

That was a great reverse sneeze 😺😸😸

My kitten was coughing, like he was trying to bring up a furball. He was diagnosed with asthma and has to have an inhaler twice a day. He's a black cat and I'd already named him Vader prior to diagnosis but slightly concerned I jinxed him 😩

Huge thanks to Dr Sarah Wooten for all her wonderful expertise! 😻If you want to see more from her why not check out her video about what cats get up to all day - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rHT-5_GDuls.html

I really appreciate these videos

My cat had a diagnosis of asthma from chain bouts of coughing for 10 years straight, treated with steroids and bronchodilators the entire time, every single day for 10 years straight. Then she started to have some leaky eye issues and runny nose, so an online vet prescribed 3 weeks worth of antibiotics. After the 3 weeks of antibiotics, the "asthma" she had for 10 years completely disappeared, totally 100% gone. (She has not had a coughing fit for 3 years now). It is absolutely insane that no vet prior had tried antibiotics, and I have no clue why the antibiotics "cured" her "asthma", but I'm glad I saw that online vet, at least her last few elderly years will be cough free.

The reverse sneeze was perfect! I have a very healthy indoor/outdoor cat this has happened to twice during the same time of year (end of summer). I'm fairly certain now the culprit is grass seed that has tiny barbs that get stuck in his nasal passage or esophagus when he sniffs and/or eats the grass. In both cases, the sneezing was intermittent and resolved in a couple of days on its own.

One of my cats has that dry cough once in a while, too often to be normal. He's had it since he was a newborn kitten. Wheezing, too, but briefly. He was initially diagnosed with asthma but.. the inhalers didn't do anything for him. They're super expensive and I never noticed him having trouble breathing. So with my vet I decided to stop giving it to him (daily) and... nothing changed, nothing worse and nothing better. Their scans indicated it might've been asthma, but it might also not be. I tried different types of litter, and the less dusty ones seem to make him cough less. And now I got myself a litter robot, it's almost entirely stopped. I did buy a stethoscope to listen to his lungs, and his lungs do sound a little bit more rough than my other cat. So I'm guessing it's an allergy, perhaps something in the litter that I use and that he prefers. He's eating well, drinking well, playful, loving, has a stable and healthy weight, and that's that. He's alright with the inhalers, though. And I have 2 types at the ready for if/when he needs it. But no more daily puffs. I wish I knew for sure what it is, but he seems otherwise healthy and happy. So I'll keep a close eye on him :)

Dr Wooten thank you so much for this 3:50 love it!

This was very helpful. Thank you

😂🎉 you're reverse sneeze was so funny I feel like I can speak for everyone when I say that we really appreciate your expertise ❤️ even if it does make you look silly sometimes😂

Great video … many thanks!

I always thought they were just trying to hack up a hairball.

this video came just at the right time, thank you dr. sarah wooten! my cat has been coughing every three days. we went to the vet two times. first he gave us anti hairball paste (in case it's due to hairballs) and the second time he gave us prednisolone tablettes. he said if the tablettes work, it's likely she has asthma. if they don't help, it's not asthma and we'd have to do an X-ray. has anyone experienced something similar? I wonder if the tablettes help, because if she has asthma she'd need them all her life. atleast that's what the vet said.

That was a great reverse sneeze

Thank you so much. I’ve seen both my cats do this recently, so I’m looking into reasons!

My cat started coughing when he was 8 months old, and the vet described prenisolin. The cough came back a month or two later, and we did all the tests. Ebverything came back normal. My cat coughed every 2 months or so now, and the vet recommended to perform the BAL procedure, then he spitted out a hairball. I still dont know what he has, but the procedure is on hold until I see the cough again. He kinda wheezed a little today but not an actual cough. The second vet suggested no BAL and straight to the trial treatment for asthma. I am confused. I then adopted another one and she started coughing after 3 days, so again, I freaked out and to the vet we went. There were a million reasons for it to happen, the vet said, might be because of the stress during the transition process and such. I dont use fragrance, no essential oil, no candles, no smoke, no nothing so the two vet still cant give me the answer. I dont know what I am hoping for honestly, but I am preparing myself mentally for asthma. It hurts seeing him coughing every time. Sorry for the vent, but the conclusion is it can be a lot of thing, and you might never know the actual reason.

My 2 year old cat suddenly started coughing and it became more frequent as the days went by. We took him to the vet, she listened to his lungs and then asked if we smoked. We said no then she asked if we had any plug in air fresheners and I just looked at my mom because she is obsessed with her bath and body works plug ins. Since his lungs sounded okay she recommended we remove the air fresheners and observing my cat. She also gave him an antibiotic shot that would work for 2 weeks. The cough stopped 2-3 days later and he hasn’t coughed since.

My cat started coughing last fall and my lovely vets were able to get us a heartworm diagnosis quickly and we were able to get confirmation from a cardiologist specialist. Doxycycline and prenisone were prescribed to calm the initial inflammation and take care of the symbiotic bacteria. We have been on a fluticasone inhaler twice a day since tapering off the prednisone. Her bloodwork now shows a female worm has died since her diagnosis but we do not know if there are any males left. I am hoping in another 6 months her xrays show minimal inflammation in thr lungs and her bloodwork comes back clear so we can ditch the inhaler.

My cat was coughing bad. Took 3 different vets and finally an X-ray. Found out the top membrane of her trachea is caving in. They said it's usually something that happens to small dogs.

Great idea

My cat been coughing about a day and a half now I am very worried about this cough. Thank you for this video. It’s very helpful.💖😻

Great video. My 9yr old cat started sneezing in October with lots of nasal discharge with the sneezing and runny nose but no eye discharge. Feb rolled around and still sneezing but less frequently and seemed to be recovering but then a cough started. Off to the vet I went. She wasn't to concerned and said he sounded clear and suggested trying antihistamine of specific type to see if it was a new allergy. I haven't been able to He's a bit guy and I just haven't been able to because he fights me..Fast forward to May, still has the occasional sneeze with lots of discharge and runny nose regularly and is coughing more frequently. Still trying to address it.

My vet found a change in white blood cells often shown in allergies. I realized her coughing could be due to an allergy to dust resp. mites. I bought a special small vacuum cleaner which also uses UV- light. My cat stopped coughing within two days. She hated the noise of the vacuum cleaner . So I was too lazy doing this . Before we moved she had access to a garden, left the condo and came back in when I called her. She is 14 years old now and didn‘t miss the garden, became an indoor cat.

Loved your video!! ❤️ My cat is “FUR MOWING” please do a video on this please 🙏

I have two boys from the same litter and both of them have coughing "fits" when thy get excited. It happened quite a lot when they were young (less than 18 months) but now is rare but still happens on the odd occasion when excited. My vet said to keep an eye on when it happens but if it is just due to excitement it was nothing to worry about.

Thanks, Dr. Wooten. I'd be interested in learning more about Bordetella. I think you mentioned vaccinating for respiratory illness, but I've heard the vaccines can be bad for the cat. I like to know about vaccines for cats in general.

We would see our cats do this and think they just wouldn't be able to cough up hairballs for some weird reason but now were seeing it's that they're coughing. All 3 of them😕. It looks like they're dry heaving, but something wants to come out, and most of the time, they end up swallowing it. To the vet we go.

Our cat only seems to cough when he's playing and rolling around on his back - kinda when he gets a bit frustrated during play. His head is always upside down when he does this.

Thank you very much, can you please help with a pale nose by cats? what is the reason? Also cold ears?

I got a cat from a barn. Their kittens were dying due to all this sneezing and mucus that was going on. Took her to the vet and they couldn't easily see but I had her spaying set up. When she was under and they pulled the tube out of her throat the vet saw what was on the tube and sent it in to be analyzed (he knew I'd be willing to pay for it). It was kennel cough. Not what he had expected. The best part is, the farm then knew what was wrong with their barn cats and were able to treat them. For those that don't know, farmers cannot afford vet care for barn cats. They die within three years anyway. Oh, mine wasn't coughing, but sneezing all the time. It was so gross. She was constantly sneezing mucus on my curtains, furniture, floor, and of course on me especially in my face.

I had no sleep, my cat was coughing so badly throughout the night. It sounded like a dry cough, will take her to the vet.

I wish I’d of seen this video. My cat recently died after onset of seizures. He started Dec 2023-2024. I thought it was a hairball. I gave him hair ball gel and it stopped for a few months. May 1- 2024 he started behaving OFF. Took him to vet he was diagnosed with pancreatitis and prescribed cerinia because Amylase was high. He did not respond after 1 1/2 wks. Took to 2nd vet for 2nd opinion because he wasn’t better. He was worse because now he was HIDING constantly. 2nd vet reran labs. Amylase was coming down but WBC s were elevated. He was given an antibiotic injection and IV fluids and oral antibiotics. By the time we got home he was 100%! Back to normal. 1 wk later he withdrew again. He had a seizure took him to ER vet. They didn’t do anything. No intervention even after all the case history. He even had a seizure while there in exam room. They took him but still did nothing because seizure stopped by the time they got him to the back. 4 hrs later we left. I was frustrated and even more worried, and kitty was even worse on the verge of death. He severely distressed. Rushed to 2nd vet again he had seizure as I pulled in. He was taken back and treated with crisis intervention. He did not recover. I lost my baby 10am 6/8/24. BTW our environment hadn’t changed in the 2 yrs. I wish I could have done a telehealth consult. I have lateral views skull and spine. X-rays-- Retired barn cat- now totally indoor kitty for 2 1/2 yrs. Tested for fiv & Felv all negative. Had a complete physical 2yrs ago and then again seen by 2 regular vets. Can you do a tele health consult? Even though my baby died I still want answers.

My cat is now one. She's been coughing after she drinks water ever since she was 14 weeks. I've been to the vet sp often but nothing seems to work. The only thing the prednison treatment did is make it impossible for her to take tablets now. She's also an extreme picky eater. She does not take any wet foods. I've tried so many brands and textures. So she can't get extra fluids from there. She's also losing a bit of weight again. It keeps going up and down. She doesn't appear to be sick tho. I do know she's not healthy. And I hate not being able to figure out what it is. Or how to help her. She just turned one this March

My cat caughs only when purring...she breathes normally when sleeping . Gave her medicine but didn't work...could it be allergies?

Thanks mam...haha ur funny aswell 😄😊

What is the treatment for inhaled foreign object??? My cat has most likely inhaled a piece of cat grass and has been coughing the whole night. It has now gotten a bit better now, but he still continues to cough now and again.

My cat has had a wet cough. Did x rays and blood tests . On X ray vets are still not sure . So they wanted to do a biopsy… which is under full Anastasia again …so hesitant to do so …

My cat has been doing it off and on for over a year now and they give her steroids and laxatone. It goes away for a while but it comes back. She sounds and acts like she is dry heaving and it is repetitive after it starts then every time she hisses at the other cats it starts again. She is also a constant bather if any one touches her she takes a bath, if she changes rooms she takes a bath.

What about heavy breathing?

If an x-ray doesn't indicate asthma, and the coughing is assumed to be caused by a seasonal allergen because it doesn't happen in the winter, might some sort of antihistamine help?

I have a question can I please ask? I have a showcase with some stuff on it. I am worried if my new cat will be intrigued by it or will leave it alone. I am planning to keep few things for cat to not engage with items on the shelves. I need your suggestion regarding this. Thanks

My female cat she’s an outdoor indoor

👍🏻

My 7 mo kitten has coughed several times since she was 3 mo. I think it's when she chews on cardboard or other packaging materials. I think she's learning not to do that.

I had my cat castrated two weeks ago, but he began to show habits of requesting mating, such as putting the quilt between his feet and doing what male cats do during mating. He never married. He was castrated at the age of eight to nine months Is this normal and when does it stop? He becomes violent when he does this and I am afraid😢

My 3 years 6 months old cat (female) has this coughing issue like she'd straighten up her neck with tongue out and cough for around 6-7 seconds or sometimes upto 9-10 seconds. I noticed her coughing in winters 5-6 months back, after consulting with vet, i gave her tablets for cough but that wasn't of not much use, bjt eventually she stopped coughing. Now again it's been around 20 days,i have seen her coughing for 2-3 times. She looks healthy otherwise, clear eyes annd nose, eats her food and active too. We get her vaccinated annually on time. Can you please tell me the possible reason could be behind her coughing ? Also i am taking her to vet for her annual vaccination in a week, if yoh could help me with this,would be great. Thank you

😢

The coughing in cat, can it be communicable to human?

What should i do?? My first cat get a cold and cough, then the next day my other cat have it too, then next my 3rd pregnant cat got it. 😭😭I don't have money to Bring them to vet. They just keep sneezing and coughing. What are the home remedies for this?? 😊

Dark mechanic 64

Can obesity be the cause of coughing in cats ? (Why and how ?)

Hairball maybe..

Are you single?

really disappointed that there's no interaction. Posting a video is one thing but it triggers questions from viewers. Just ignoring them is rather rude and not what YT is about.