HELP!!!!How do you cure a cat cold???

Hi,
I have been taking in feral cats and retraining them since last July. All of them have become excellent pets, but thats beside the point... Two days ago I captured a Tiny black Maine Coon kitten (The Grinch), and he has a clogged up nose. he sounds like he is FULL of mucus. his breathihng is okay but when he does it makes an aweful scraping/moaning noise. Sometimes he'll cough and you can hear all of the mucus inside him just moving around..its totally gross. he's been eating, drinking, pooping and sleeping alright but I'm really worried about him. I went to several cat sites on the internet and they all said to 'treat it' but don't tell how. I have a nice lady who would like to adopt him next weekend but I refuse to let him go until he is alright....does anyone know how to help my poor little friend out?

any info would be appreciated.
Kristen
Bye, Heika, Jack, Shelby and the Grinch
<p>
Shawn, Daisy, Fingers, Mow, Smores, enjoying pet life in their own home!

If it is that bad to where the breathing is difficult, the only way to get rid of it is to treat it with antibiotics. Once a vet has listened and determined what kind of cold it is, they will decide which antibiotic to put them on. Most common are amoxacillin, clavamox or clinda Drops. If the congestion is really bad, you can use the little noses nose drops available for small children. While there are a lot of homeopathic remedies for a lot of things, I don't recomend any because I am not a DVM and some can have serious side effects when given with certain things and they also are hard to calculate the dose.

Thanks!!

All my cats love the smell of Vicks Vapo-Rub. I have never used it for a cat's cold, but it might help him if he smells some. I can't possibly hurt him. The worst that could happen is kitty just doesn't like it and will turn away from it. My oldest cat loves it so much I have to keep him from licking it off me when I use it for a cold. This won't cure it, but may provide some relief until you can get to the vet.

Yep! It sounds like an upper respiratory infection. My eldest baby gets them. The vet will give you an antibiotic....Good luck!

I agree with the antibiotic way to go.

There is additional treatment that can be administered with a vaporizer, and I have successfully cured feral kittens of distemper using it. I am embarrassed to tell you that I cannot give you the name of the medication, but I found it several years ago on a website containing veterinarian advise on specific medication for that purpose. I know that it can only be administered by aerial suspension ( breathed into the lungs) and I put the medication in a vaporizer and directed it into a cat carrier draped with a towel. I treated the kittens three times a day for nearly a month, and their mother as well, who was a carrier, and all my other cats who had been exposed and were exhibiting symptoms. What made it worse is that the three week old kittens were not allowed to nurse anymore since Mommy was a carrier and would pass the disease back to them in her milk. I had to try even though their survival prognosis was grim, but I didn't lose anybody.

The medication was non-prescription, and I found it at a feed store. The symptoms are much the same, so if you still need help I would suggest you search the web for the name of the medication based on the information I have given you, or perhaps check with a local vet.

Sorry I can't be more help, but I know there are alternatives available

I used to have a kitty with chronic respiratory problems.

I agree that you should take this kitty to the vet and see what it is. You can get those antibiotics in a liver paste to be administered though a needleless syringe, which is pretty simple.

Vicks Vapor Rub -- NOO!!
It's toxic! You can use their formula for humidifiers and put it in the humidifier. This is a liquid Vicks. Do not use the jelly stuff on your kitty.

I used to 'steam' my kitty. There are several ways, the easiest and every day for me, I would bring kitty in the bathroom when I showered and stick a towel under the door. You can put herbs in your shower that help, such as licorice, eucalyptus, slippery elm, but don't let kitty eat them. You can also put kitty in a basket over steamy water and cover her with a towel, but be careful it's not too hot.

I also washed my kitty's face, especially around the eyes and nose, twice a day with a warm washcloth.

Make sure you feed good food, and I gave mine plenty of vitamins.