Just as coughing is a frequent symptom in dogs, cats do not usually present it as often. Consequently, it’s common for your human companions to freak out when your kitty starts coughing. Don’t panic: this can be due to a number of factors, with varying levels of severity.
Feline cough can be an indication that the cat is sick, that it has ingested some strange agent that stings its throat or that it is trying to expel a hairball. Let’s see how to differentiate each type of cough in a pussy, as this will tell us if we should go quickly to the vet.
On the one hand, it may be that the cat is coughing because it has ingested a foreign object such as a blade of grass or an insect that has gotten stuck in its throat. Or because you have inhaled dust or smoke. In these cases, the cough is dry, sharp and sudden, but will stop when the cat expels what caused the cough.
It may also be that the kitten coughs as a result of asthma. This cough is also sudden and strong, accompanied by apneas and even wheezing. If this is the case, you should go to the vet to examine your pet and prescribe the necessary treatment.
Another type of feline cough is that caused by diseases, viruses, parasites, bacteria… Or those that derive from bronchitis or a tumor in the animal’s respiratory system. In this circumstance, we must observe if it is a dry cough, with secretions of mucus, sneezing, tearing or even vomiting.
As a general rule, this kind of cough will be accompanied by other symptoms, such as eye irritation, shortness of breath, listlessness, lack of appetite and energy, weight loss, stop grooming, etc. Faced with this type of cough and other suspicious symptoms, it is necessary to take the cat to the vet as soon as possible.
Finally, the cat’s cough is most likely due to a hairball. Kittens spend the day grooming themselves, licking themselves to remove excess fur. In this very personal ritual, they ingest the hair that ends up accumulating in their stomach in the form of hairballs. While some expel them through the feces, others come out again through the mouth.
The cough caused by a hairball is easily distinguished, as it is dry bumps. In addition, the animal is put in a hunched posture that anticipates that it is going to vomit. After that cough and a few spasms of the reflex to return, the animal will vomit up the hairball and go back to acting normally.
