Cat cold symptoms: sneezing, coughing and breathing problems

Common cat cold symptoms

• Sneezing, sometimes in bursts.
• A runny or blocked nose, with clear, yellow or green discharge.
• Watery, red or sticky eyes (conjunctivitis).
• Reduced appetite, often because a blocked nose stops cats smelling food.
• Lethargy and a mild fever.
• Mouth ulcers and drooling, especially with calicivirus.
• A croaky or lost voice.
• Coughing (less common, and more often linked to Bordetella or asthma).

What causes cat colds?

Around 80 to 90% of cat colds, usually called cat flu, are caused by two viruses:

• Feline herpesvirus (FHV-1): causes sneezing, eye discharge and conjunctivitis, and sometimes eye ulcers. Most infected cats carry the virus for life and can have flare-ups when stressed. Read about lysine for cats, sometimes suggested for herpes flare-ups.
• Feline calicivirus (FCV): causes mouth ulcers, sneezing, fever and sometimes lameness.

Bacteria such as Bordetella bronchiseptica, Chlamydia felis and Mycoplasma can also cause or complicate infections. Vaccination doesn't always prevent cat flu, but it greatly reduces how ill cats become. See our guide to cat vaccinations.

Cat sneezing and watery eyes

Sneezing together with watery eyes is the classic cat flu combination. It can also be caused by allergies (see can cats get hayfever), dust, smoke or strong scents, or by something stuck in the nose such as a grass blade. Sneezing that affects only one nostril, comes with nosebleeds, or continues for weeks needs a vet check. Our guide to cat eye problems explains eye discharge and squinting in more detail.

Cat runny nose

A clear, watery discharge is common in early cat flu. Thick yellow or green discharge suggests a secondary bacterial infection. Blood, a discharge from one side only, or facial swelling can indicate dental problems, a foreign body or, in older cats, a growth in the nose. Gently wipe your cat's nose with damp cotton wool to keep it clear.

Home care for cat cold symptoms

1. Keep your cat warm and indoors, with a cosy bed away from draughts.
2. Clean the eyes and nose several times a day with cotton wool and cooled boiled water, using fresh pieces for each eye.
3. Use steam: sit with your cat in the bathroom while a hot shower runs (not in the shower), or let it rest in the room afterwards, for 10–15 minutes a few times a day.
4. Tempt the appetite with strong-smelling, warmed wet food, such as fish or meaty pouches. A blocked nose dulls smell, which reduces appetite.
5. Encourage drinking with fresh water, a fountain, or a little water mixed into food.
6. Keep sick cats apart from other cats, with separate bowls and litter trays, and wash your hands after handling them.

When to see a vet

Contact your vet if your cat:

• Hasn't eaten for 24 hours (or 12 hours for a kitten).
• Is a kitten, elderly, or has another health condition.
• Has thick yellow or green discharge, or painful, closed eyes.
• Has mouth ulcers or is drooling.
• Seems very lethargic, or symptoms aren't improving after 5–7 days.

Your vet may prescribe antibiotics for secondary infection, eye drops, anti-inflammatories, appetite stimulants, or fluids for dehydrated cats.

Cat breathing heavily or rapid breathing in cats

Heavy or fast breathing is different from sneezing and is more worrying. To check, count your cat's breaths while it's resting or asleep: each rise and fall of the chest counts as one breath.

Breaths per minute at rest	What it means
20–30	Normal
30–40	Higher than normal: recheck later and call your vet if it stays high
Over 40	Too fast: see a vet today
Any open-mouth breathing, effortful breathing or blue gums	Emergency

Causes of fast or heavy breathing include fever, pain, stress, heatstroke, asthma, heart disease (often silent until breathing changes), fluid around the lungs, anaemia and lungworm. Cats rarely pant like dogs, so a panting cat that isn't simply hot after play needs prompt attention. Our guide to normal cat heart rate explains how to check your cat's pulse too.

Cat coughing and sneezing

Many owners mistake a cat bringing up a hairball for coughing. A true cough looks like a crouched cat with its neck stretched out, making a dry hacking or wheezing sound, without bringing anything up. Coughing in cats can be caused by:

• Asthma, the most common cause of a chronic cough.
• Bordetella (kennel cough) or other respiratory infections.
• Lungworm, caught by hunting slugs, snails, birds and rodents. Read about wormers that cover lungworm.
• Something inhaled, such as a grass seed.
• Heart disease or tumours, especially in older cats.

Hairballs are covered in our guide to cat hairball remedies.

Can cats get kennel cough?

Yes. Bordetella bronchiseptica, one of the causes of kennel cough in dogs, can infect cats, causing sneezing, nasal discharge, coughing and, rarely, pneumonia, particularly in kittens. Cats in rescue shelters, catteries, multi-cat households, or homes with dogs that have kennel cough are most at risk. A vaccine is available and may be recommended for higher-risk cats.

Cats with asthma: symptoms and life expectancy

Feline asthma is an inflammatory condition of the airways, similar to asthma in people. Signs include coughing, wheezing, fast breathing and sudden breathing attacks. Triggers can include dust, smoke, scented sprays and litters, and pollen. With diagnosis and treatment, often a steroid inhaler given through a cat spacer and mask, many asthmatic cats live a normal lifespan. Reduce triggers by using dust-free litter, avoiding smoking near your cat and not using air fresheners or diffusers.

Cat lost voice

A hoarse or lost meow is often due to laryngitis during cat flu, or simply too much yowling (for example in a cat in heat, or one shut in a room). It usually returns within a week or two. A voice change that lasts longer than two weeks, especially with breathing noise, weight loss or difficulty eating, needs a vet check, as it can occasionally indicate thyroid disease, a growth in the throat or a nerve problem.

Preventing cat flu

• Keep vaccinations up to date, including boosters.
• Quarantine new cats for a week or two before they meet your other cats.
• Don't share bowls, beds or litter trays between sick and healthy cats.
• Wash hands after handling other people's cats.
• Reduce stress, which can trigger herpesvirus flare-ups in carrier cats.

Cat flu is especially common in kittens from busy rescues and breeders. If you're bringing home a new kitten, check that it's been vaccinated and examine its eyes and nose for discharge before you go.

Recovery and long-term effects

Most cats recover fully within two to three weeks. A few develop long-term problems, such as chronic sneezing and nasal discharge ("chronic snufflers") or recurring eye problems from herpesvirus. These cats can be managed, though not always cured, with your vet's help.