I have never had a cat that coughed so I’m not sure if this is coughing or not. My girl will make a noise like she is trying to bring up a hairball but nothing comes up. She makes that noise maybe 6-8 times and then it stops. I watched some you tube videos but I’m still not clear on what coughing really sounds like. She’s eating playing etc normally otherwise.
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Coughing?
- Thread starter cat princesses
- Start Date
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2017
- Messages
- 3,905
- Purraise
- 4,348
Have you had her to the vet about this? if not i would recommend it.
There could be many reasons she coughs, parasites are one, if she is not treated regularly?
Another could be the litter? I have one male cat that i cannot let near clay litter, even the most dust free clay litter. he starts coughing within 24 hours. So i use Grass litter, Litter maid walnut litter, and Dr. Elseys respiratory relief crystal litter, not the clay one. As long as i stick to these, and they are all dust free, we do not have the hacking.
There could be many reasons she coughs, parasites are one, if she is not treated regularly?
Another could be the litter? I have one male cat that i cannot let near clay litter, even the most dust free clay litter. he starts coughing within 24 hours. So i use Grass litter, Litter maid walnut litter, and Dr. Elseys respiratory relief crystal litter, not the clay one. As long as i stick to these, and they are all dust free, we do not have the hacking.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
If the two girls are strictly indoor where could the parasites come from?
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2018
- Messages
- 117
- Purraise
- 87
Try recording it with your phone to present to your vet.
As to parasites for indoor cats, sometimes they actually acquired it from their mother, but were never treated for it since there were no symptoms. It is possible for indoor cats to get roundworms because you can tramp them in on your feet. That was how our cats (in the 70s) got roundworms (funny thing, they never got them AFTER we got a dog?!?). They can also get them from mouse kills.
As to parasites for indoor cats, sometimes they actually acquired it from their mother, but were never treated for it since there were no symptoms. It is possible for indoor cats to get roundworms because you can tramp them in on your feet. That was how our cats (in the 70s) got roundworms (funny thing, they never got them AFTER we got a dog?!?). They can also get them from mouse kills.
All over, like flea eggs can come in on your shoes and lower legs if you've walked through grass.
If she's coughing like she's trying to bring a up hairball but nothing comes up, then she probably has a hairball lodged inside that needs help to shift it. Giving her hairball paste, hairball treats, and dollops of vaseline smeared onto her mouth for her to lick off will help to lubricate her insides. Hairballs can become obstructions and so a cat may have constipation and vomiting as food struggles to get passed either end. Keep lubricating until the hairball(s) appears either in sick or poo, then continue to give regular hairball treats or paste as a preventative.
Worms do indeed cause coughing too. And as mentioned, a flea, harbouring worms, living in the grass outside could be brought into a home underfoot and all a cat has to do is to eat the flea, which would be a natural reaction.
Worms do indeed cause coughing too. And as mentioned, a flea, harbouring worms, living in the grass outside could be brought into a home underfoot and all a cat has to do is to eat the flea, which would be a natural reaction.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #7
Thanks! I will have to try and get a video of this. She cleans a ton so it's possible that it's a hairball stuck - she did just yack one up about 5 days ago.
Yes, probably a hairball. You can also try hairball formula cat foods. I have my girl on Royal Canin Hairball right now and haven't had incidents of hairballs, constipation or anything else and her fur looks really good. Plus, I do groom her 2, 3 times a week.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #9
LOL trust me, she gets combed morning and evening - but she is a long hair girl - it always amazes me each time I comb her how much fur comes off! It's never ending!
I hear ya! :-) You might wanna try that Royal Canin Hairball formula food. It's dry. You can always feed it for a snack.
I give my long haired boys regular hairball treats, which they gobble down and think they're extra special. 
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #12
I will have to look into something like that!I give my long haired boys regular hairball treats, which they gobble down and think they're extra special.
If it continues even after hairball treatment get an x-ray from the vet of her heart. It could indicate an enlarged heart. Definitely film it and bring it in to your vet. My Burt was diagnosed with an enlarged heart at 10 years old and did fine on lasix until seventeen. His only symptom was a cough.
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2018
- Messages
- 117
- Purraise
- 87
Hairball treats (nor hairball food) are not enough to manage hairballs in long furred cats. As an FYI, a couple of weeks ago, my only fluffy cat had a hairball incident. She clearly wasn't feeling well, but I thought it was the antibiotic. Then she threw up a very large hairball and dry kibble all hardened together. Then she drank a bunch of water (vet said if she didn't vomit up the water, she was ok for the weekend). One more hairball up the next day and she was fine. They are back on the regular hairball goo now as are the other cats. We stick with the Iams Mature Hairball food because the allergy cat has the least problems with it (CKD kitty loves her CKD food better, so no problem there), but I will no longer rely on it as a 'hairball treatment.'
Last edited:
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #15
Hi everyone! I finally was able to capture a video of what this sounds like - is this a cough or just hairball issue? She hasn’t passed a hairball since this happened a day ago
That looks like a classic hairball pose with the neck close to the ground and a rasping cough. Vaseline dolloping whist you await hairball treatment paste in the post....
