My 5 month old cat has a "smokers cough" when he wakes up. Is it a hairball or does he have a cold?

Question

Recently he has been waking up and coughing in the morning. Just like a smokers cough where it sounds like he has a cold in his chest or some type of liquid buildup in his lungs. Is it a hairball hes trying to cough up? Is this a sympton of a bigger issue??

Thanks for all your answers. It was passed to me that he received all his shots. I will check with the shelter and book and appointment.

Answer 1

I would suggest the vet. 5 months is young and if you recently got him he could have had something that is just now manifesting symptoms. Shelters and rescues have diseases all the time. Some animal breaks with something all the time and no matter how cautious communicable diseases can spread.

Did he have all his rounds of shots? I would seriously have a vet listen to his lung. He is old enough for a rabies vaccine so I would take him in for that. Only a vet can give the shot and they will listen to his internal organs and feel around for anything suspicious.

Kittens rarely get hairballs as they haven't started a full shedding cycle.

Answer 2

While canned is better than dry, there are better dry food choices than others. Most supermarket dry foods are just loaded with cheap fillers. What are those? Corn's the biggest one, and it provides very little nutritional value for cats. Nature made cats to eat meat, and not corn. It's the reason that many cats end up with stinky poop, food allergies, and diabetes. It's added because it's cheap - not because it's good for our cats. Also avoid foods with by-products. This isn't meat - it's the scrap "parts" that have been deemed unfit for human consumption. It's such tasty morsels as beaks, hides, feathers, tendons, spinal chords, intestines, spoiled meat, meat with tumors, and animals that are diseased or died before they could make it to the slaughterhouse. Not exactly good nutrition for your cat. So - read the labels before you purchase anything. There is so much misleading advertising on most of the foods - IAMS included. Beware of claims like "vet recommended" "real meat" and pictures showing plump chickens and carrots and ears of corn. Would you rather pay a premium price for cheap ingredients, or for real meat for your kitten? Go to a pet store, and real the ingredients. There are healthier choices out there for all budgets. For the same price as IAMS, you can get Petsmart's Authority brand, or Nutro. Better still are the high quality grainless foods like Wellness Core, Innova EVO, and others. Other good brands include regular Wellness, Blue Buffalo, California Natura, and Innova.

Answer 3

It sounds like a hairball or possibly allergies. To help him with passing hairballs, put a little petroleum jelly on his whiskers; he won't like it, and will lick it off; this helps coat the hairball in his digestive tract, and makes it easier for him to get rid of it. If this doesn't take care of the problem in a few days, it's time to see your vet.

Answer 4

My cat had a cough and I thought the same thing. When I took her to the vet I found out that due to our recent move and being used to different humidity she developed allergies. You might want to check with your vet to see if this is the case and get some meds to help the cat.

Answer 5

I have never known it to be a good thing, or even remotely normal for a cat to cough...Get it to a vet...

Answer 6

Hes a smoker...

Answer 7

hair ball
also it could be the dry food you feed him.
try changing his food....they have dry food for hairballs.....

Answer 8

It is possible that he has a cold, but also possible he may have allergies.

Answer 9

it's sick see the vet for treatment

Answer 10

could be either, neither or both!