Problem With My Kitten?, coughing and eye dirt/$h!t

hi there,

new here and just got my 5 months old female british shorthair called Ariel.

I noticed that she;s been coughing a few times daily, high chance that she has hairball problem.. I got her some hairball gel yesterday, hoped it works. I wonder is thie problem is serious..

Another issue is that she does have some dried eye dirt/$h!t, whatever u called them, on her eyes.. It;s not a lot, but also wonder if it is normal.

hoped that i could get some helpful/useful remedies/tips from ppl here... Thanks for reading..

It sounds like a URI. I found this on a website. You shoud call your vet and get her in.


What are URI's?? Upper respiratory infections in cats is extremely common, and the vast majority of the URI's in cats today are due to a herpes virus and a calici virus. There is a newcomer to the list, growing rapidly, and that is chlamydia psittaci, a bacterium. These infections are sometimes referred to as "cat flu" or "feline pneumonia"; however, these are not correct terms for these infections.


What are the symptoms of URI's?? The clinical signs may vary quite a bit, but often include sneezing, runny eyes, runny nose and sometimes even ulcers on the mouth. Another symptom often seen is a fever that may last as long as a week to ten days.


How does a cat usually contract URI?? URI's are extremely contagious and it is very common for all cats within a multi-cat home to become infected. And, while the viruses last less than 18 hours in the environment for feline herpes virus, and less than 10-18 days in the environment for feline calici virus, these viruses last a very long time in the cat's respiratory tract. Often the virus is continuously passed back and forth as up to 80% of cats that recover from acute URI's are likely to become chronic carriers and therefore are likely to infect susceptible cats and kittens. Feline calici virus carriers probably represent a greater overall threat to susceptible cats than do carriers of feline herpes virus.


How do we treat URI's?? Vaccinations are available for the majority of the major URI's, and some studies show that intra-nasal vaccines may provide the best protection. (However, there have been some serious problems associated with use of some of the intra-nasal vaccines, and they should only be used with the recommendation of your veterinarian, and then with great caution.) Vaccinations alone, however, will not completely eliminate URI outbreaks. Fortunately, most cats who get URI's recover completely if they receive prompt and complete veterinary care. Many cats with URI's are given antibiotics to help ward of secondary bacterial complications. It is important for the owner to watch the cat carefully and step in if needed to ensure the cat is eating and drinking, as URI's may greatly reduce the cat/kitten's ability to smell and taste their food. As a last resort, some breeders have started using the process called "Nebulization" which dispenses medication through the air, where it is inhaled deeply into the afflicted cats' lungs.