Should I be worried that my house cat has been sneezing?

Question

My cat (9 years old) has sneezed a few times in the past two days. She's never sneezed before and I was wondering if I should be worried? She's not sneezing a lot, maybe about six times that I've noticed in two days.

She's a house cat, doesn't interact with other animals and other than a few sneezes, she seems absolutely fine. She's not off her food or anything but I just read a few posts about cat flu and now I'm worried.

She never leaves the house and I don't want to take her to the vets if it's not necessary because I don't want to take her near any animals who might actually pass something more serious onto her.

Nothing's changed in the house so I don't thinks he can be allergic to anything. She does have long hair though and that might have irritated her, it sometimes gets in her eyes.

Will taking her into the bathroom when the shower's running help? I read that somewhere.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Cat flus are pretty much self-limiting and she should be just fine.
You need to watch if she stops eating or is getting really lethargic. Also it is very important that she is breathing freely. If the symptoms should get serious then she must go to the vet.

The shower number may help if she gets really congested. If it is that bad though I would take her to the vet.

Answer 2

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RE:
Should I be worried that my house cat has been sneezing?
My cat (9 years old) has sneezed a few times in the past two days. She's never sneezed before and I was wondering if I should be worried? She's not sneezing a lot, maybe about six times that I've noticed in two days.

She's a house cat, doesn't interact with other animals and...

Answer 3

Could just be the dry winter air or dust from somewhere. She may have a slight cold, which is nothing to worry about either. I doubt it though if she doesn't sound congested, it's probably nothing. Taking her in the shower will provide moisture like a vaporizer does for us humans. Can't hurt her. Will help moisturize her nasal linings and if she does have a little congestion brewing it will loosen it up for her.
Unless she starts sneezing all the time or shows signs of an upper respiratory thing(Just like us, she will cough, sneeze, runny nose, etc.) I wouldn't worry at all. She probably sneezed before too but you just didn't hear it.

Answer 4

If nothing else has changed,then she's probably fine.My cats sneeze sometimes.If it's got rather dry in your area the dust might be making her sneeze a bit more then normal.Doubt it's anything to worry about.

Answer 5

Believe it not, cat's can develop allergies. She may be experiencing a reaction to an allergen...dust is most common and kitty litter can be very dusty. Also, take notice if she pays attention to her ears. Our cat was diagnosed with dust allergies as a kitten after a period of excessive sneezing...but no real cold symptoms. As an adult when she was symptomatic they would prescribe antihistamine drops for her ears...her's ears would itch just like what we go through. Very strange. So...don't rule out an allergy. To be safe though, it's always best to seek professional help. Sounds like you really care for her, let the vet check her out throughly. You'd hate for something to be really wrong. Good Luck.

Answer 6

They do sneeze sometimes just to clear their noses of dust or whatever, like we do. I don't think you need to worry too much unless it gets much worse.

About the steam in the bathroom, you may be thinking of when small children have a bad cold or the croup, sometimes it's necessary to do that and it works really well on humans.

However, it doesn't sound to me like your cat is ill, she may just have a slight allergy. They can develop later in the cat's life, just like humans.

If you are concerned, I wouldn't hesitate to take her to the vets, things are always kept very clean and sterile at a good vets, and I don't think you need to worry about your cat catching something there. The examining table will be cleaned and disinfected before and after your visit, so if you need to take her, I think you should, just for your own peace of mind.

Good luck to you.

Answer 7

Hmm, well my cat wound up sneezing (somewhat artificially) when I changed his litter to a kind that was perfumed (for that matter, I sneezed a ton too, nasty stuff). It could just be dust though, if your house is closed up for the winter the air can get loaded up with dust mites and other nasties. Try keeping the place vacuumed and on days when its not too cold open up the windows for a bit if possible. If its her fur that's bugging her, you can try brushing her every day, and if none of that seems to improve her condition, try taking her to a vet.

Answer 8

You need to take her to the vet. Before you do, I would research Cats Herpes virus. 70-90% of cats have it and one of the main symptoms is sneezing. This can cause serious problems especially if she starts gettiing more congested. If left untreated it could lead to phenomonia (very young and older cats are at higher risk) Check it out. I am dealing with this now so trust me, I know.

Answer 9

My cats were sneezing and I brought them to the vet. The vet told me that as long as what is coming out of the nose is clear, there isn't anything to be concerned about. But, if it becomes thick and the cat begins to act differently, then there is room for concern.

Answer 10

She may be coming down with URI (an upper respiratory infection). Just keep an eye on her and if she continues sneezing or has watery eyes take her to the vet for some antibiotics.