Concerned about my coughing cat

I suspect that my cat has asthma. She is about 5-6 years old and spayed. I dont remember when she started coughing, but everytime she coughs it just concerns me. she sometimes crouches down wheezes through her nose. No sign of open mouth breathing. Last month she was at least coughing/wheezing everyother day. It is springtime and lots of pollen is around. but her coughing lasts less than a minute and she goes back to being playful. Still has a great appetite and drinks plenty of water. She also runs around right after without coughing again. So hopefully it is not serious, or at least not yet. But she seems to be getting better. Recently she hasnt been coughing alot lately, which is a releif. She did cough a few times, but they were pretty short. Also pollen is dying down. She also coughed a little today while on the bed cause the sheets were off and it was dusty. So what should I do, is this pretty serious? Will this get worse? Anything that will help? I really wish I can take her to the vet if I have to, cause I care so much about her. But since I am only 15, I have to convince my parents that we should take her. My parents only take out pets to the vet when its an emergency. here is a link to a video of her coughing.

Hello and welcome to TCS.

She's a pretty cat!

She is a long hair and it is also hairball season. Her cough appeared to me, like she was clearing her throat and she may have hairball issues, though not coughing them up. As the episodes only lasts a few seconds, I don't think it's asthma, but it is always good to have her vet checked if you could talk your mom into it. What kind of diet is she on? A good wet, high protien, low carb, grain free diet is best and will help her pass her hair without problems.

If she is coughing and not passing a hairball, I would advise you to take her to the vet. Coughing can be a sign of heart disease - it happened to me, I lost a kitty to it I too thought it was hairballs...... It wasn't.
Please, please be safer than sorry. Take the kitty to the vet, and ask for chest x-rays in different angles - that will show the presence of fluid around the heart (or hopefully not).

After what happened to my cat, I will never take coughing lightly again.

Katluver4life: Thanks for answering. Now that you mentioned about hairballs, I just realized she hasnt been coughing up hairballs for a while. So it might just be that she is trying to get rid of hairballs. I will try to get her to a vet to be safe. She is on a dry and canned diet. She has kirkland dry food and fancy feast, but I am thinking about changing her dry food to something grain free and maybe something better for her canned food.

Carolina: also thankyou for answering. I will try to take her to the vet when I have an oppurtunity. I am worried it could be heart disease too, and that is serious. I can't imagine a world without her. Sorry for your loss.

chocomylove1 said:

 She has kirkland dry food and fancy feast, but I am thinking about changing her dry food to something grain free and maybe something better for her canned food.

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Fancy Feast CLASSICS are actually ok. Getting her off dry food altogether would be better. Glad your having her checked.

Carolina said:

If she is coughing and not passing a hairball, I would advise you to take her to the vet. Coughing can be a sign of heart disease - it happened to me, I lost a kitty to it

I too thought it was hairballs...... It wasn't.
Please, please be safer than sorry. Take the kitty to the vet, and ask for chest x-rays in different angles - that will show the presence of fluid around the heart (or hopefully not).

After what happened to my cat, I will never take coughing lightly again.

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Carolina, I'm so sorry about your kitty