Can cats catch a cold?

Our little Figgy has just been sneezing up a storm since we got back from Florida yesterday. She breathes out of her mouth sometimes because we can tell her nose is stuffed up. She'll sneeze uncontrollably, or she'll make sniffling noises. Could this be a cold of some sort? Should we take her to the vet or will it pass in time? Is there anything we can do for her now?

Yes cats can get colds (but not from humans, nor can you catch it from her) or other upper respiratory infections. If she is not better by Monday I would recommend bringing her in to see the vet.

With her nose stuffed she might not be able to smell her food so her appetite may go off. Warming the food may make it more appealing to her because it will be smellier. Adding a little warm water to some smelly canned food will help warm the food and get more liquids, which is important, into her, too.

let us know how Figgy is doing.

Why take a chance that things become worse? You say she's breathing through her mouth - that can not be good!
I vote for the vet asap.

It is probably an Upper Respiratory Infection. This is usually caused by a virus, just like our colds. But they often carry secondary bacterial infections, which is why the vet may well prescribe some antibiotics.

If the cat is healthy, she will usually recover in a week or so, but if she has any underlying problems, it can be very serious. Check with your vet, at least, to see what they think.

Open mouthed breathing is not a good sign, especially since you say she's congested. Please get your kitty to the vet ASAP. To help with the congestion, get the bathroom nice and steamy then take kitty into the bathroom with you and shut the door. Sit in the bathroom until the steam dissipates. This will help clear up the congestion.

Also, it's extremely important that you keep kitty fed and hydrated. Do not let your kitty skip a meal, even if you have to force feed her. As a previous poster mentioned, warm up some wet food (the stinkier the better) for a few seconds in the microwave or in a warm water bath. The heat will enhance the aroma of the food. Remember, if a cat can't smell the food, she won't eat it, so it's important you do everything you can to get her nose cleared and keep her eating. If you have to, you can give her some stage 2 meat baby food (no onions or garlic) and a tad of plain pedialyte.

Wow thank you everyone. This is all really helpful information. We'll probably get her in tomorrow. She's napping on the bed right now. The breathing through her mouth is only when she is having the sneezing fits, not all the time. Sorry to mislead people. She breathes through her nose the other times. I'll try the steam thing in the bathroom and I'll make sure she's eating. So far she hasn't missed any meals. She just seems more tired and wanting to rest. I'll keep you posted!

Get well soon Figgy.xx

Lethargy or just laying around sleeping all day, is often a sign of illness. While it's common for kitties to sleep for a large portion of the day, what you're seeing is a sign of not feeling 100%. So glad you're taking her into the vet tomorrow.

We have a rescue cat that became very I'll when he came in home. He had a fever and was extremely lethargic. His blood work was terrible. We were not sure if he could rally. The vet used I.V. To treat dehydration and we stringed Pedilite and mixed it with food. He was on prednisone and anti-biotics for months. However, the great news is mr. kersmodgen survived. He now lives with his 6 brothers that were also rescues in our home. Expensive but worth every cent and challange.

Otto is right, Yes, cats can get colds.. sometimes it does go away on it's own just like us... others u need to see vet for anti- biotics ..