need help

hi, i dunno if my cat is sick or is just coughing up a hairball... she is 1 years 6 months old. does cats have hairballs all the time??? im new to cats and dont kno.. i dunno if itz a cough or a sneeze or is it gasping for breath but it does that every once in a while. nothing comez out of her mouth when i think itz a hairball... i dont have time to go to the vet but if u guyz think i absolutely need to go i will go. do cats get sick easily?? itz been in my house for 5 days so far...would it be that respiratory disease everyones talking about related to new cats in new homez?? or did it get sick since itz 20 degrees here in chicago and itz getting colder

and also she still eats despite coughing or sneezing so her eating has not changed

You say you've only had the cat 5 days, does that mean he/she hasn't had a general vet checkup yet?
If that is the case, I would urge you to take the cat in for a checkup, tests, and at least started on basic vaccinations.

It could be hairballs or an upper respritory disease. If it is a stray you brought in from outside then it's likely to have fleas and also should be scheduled for a spay or neuter if the cat is still intact.

I know it's difficult to find the time and money for the vet sometimes, but basic care is a real must.

Good luck with getting your new fur-baby settled and off to a healthy start.

Sounds like more than a hairball....not sure what, but I'm sure a vet could help you.

oh i also neglected to mention that i got her from petsmart.. i believe she already has a basic checkup as she was neutrerd spayed/ dewormed and all of that other good stuff so i believe she already had a basic checkup coming out of PetsMart...

Originally Posted by ayzero3539

oh i also neglected to mention that i got her from petsmart.. i believe she already has a basic checkup as she was neutrerd spayed/ dewormed and all of that other good stuff so i believe she already had a basic checkup coming out of PetsMart...

Click to expand...

I believe that the animals adopted through Petsmart are from shelters/rescues. Because of the close quarters, shelters can often be real incubators for all sort of ailments, so it would be a good idea to get her checked out by a vet again.