Is My Cat Sick?

[kttn]

My 4 yr old indoor cat is sneezing now and then throughout the day but showing no other symptoms of illness yet. Yesterday I heard her sneeze two or three times, today I've heard several more. She has a full appetite, tons of energy, no discharge etc. When she was a baby she brought home a cold from the pound but hasn't been sick in the years since.

We recently got a new kitten who we kept isolated for a few days. The kitten has been vaccinated and had a recent health check and exhibits no sign of illness whatsoever, not a single sneeze. So we thought we were in the clear to introduce them.

Any thoughts? Is she going to make the kitten sick, or is the kitten the one who got her sick somehow? And how long do I let this ride out until I should be concerned about a vet visit?

 

[inkysmom]

My 6 year old indoor cat is doing the same thing for 3 days since one of my other cats died that he was very attached to and I brought home the empty carrier and removed the extra dishes and kitty litter and have been upset myself. I called my vet who said that most cats can be asymptomatic silent carriers of feline herpes and never show symptoms unless they're stressed. Like in the death of a buddy or the introduction of a new pet. The sneezing could progress to a full blown upper respiratory infection and he should see a vet for antibiotics if he gets mucus or seems really sick or trouble breathing. Vet said these progress over 3 to 7 days. I'd separate the kitten since kittens have weaker immune systems. He may have already caught it but maybe not and you don't want them sharing food and water bowls. My cat is just sneezing and occasionally licks his nose but I don't see anything worse yet. I know he's upset without his big brother though.

 

[kttn]

I called my vet who said that most cats can be asymptomatic silent carriers of feline herpes and never show symptoms unless they're stressed.

Oh I think you're right about this...I do recall one time she started getting sniffly when she was about a year old, I completely forgot about it until now. That explains how she can just get sick without exposure to a sick animal. She got over it really quickly last time, hopefully the same thing happens this time around too.

Thanks! And I hope your kitty feels better soon.

 

[inkysmom]

Thanks I hope your kitty feels better quickly too, and the transition with the new kitten goes well. 2 years ago I had 7 cats and 1 had a slight runny nose for a while, the one with diabetes but I didn't know it at the time. His absolute love of his life cat suddenly developed a massive infection and died within a few days in the hospital. I'd had all my cats for almost 10 years with no losses them so the whole household was in turmoil and no new cats or changes since a new kitten 4 or 5 years before. Suddenly everyone was sneeding with runny noses and the diabetic cat really went downhill. I think grief made him give up for a while. That's when I heard about the feline herpes and I was running around medicating and trying to take six cats to the vet for a month or so. So when the vet reminded me of that yesterday I felt some relief
So far it's just sneezing. But stress really can affect them.

 

[mysugarcat]

Yeah, I think my kitten contracted feline herpes from my adult cats after sharing their food and water. He was extremely sneezy for a few days, but now he doesn't sneeze at all. It's a fairly harmless condition, but there is lysine for when you believe the sneezing to be too severe.

 

[inkysmom]

I have lysine from the last but a couple of years ago, but my vet on the phone said that there's recent research that shows that it actually doesn't really help much and sometimes actus5is harmful so told me not to use it.

 

[foxxycat]

If the cat isn't eating/drinking then take to the vet. If sneezing-you can feed stinky foods to make sure keep eating. Herpes is a pain in the butt. I use lysine and notice a big difference in eye boogers and runny noses. I only use it for a month on and month off. My vet still recommends it.

 

[kttn]

Thanks! She stopped sneezing today and seems to be back to normal.

 

[oyster]

I give Lysine to a colony of stray cats and it works well. I have read that recent research points to it not being effective but I have also read a lot of anecdotal references where it has been. I tried it, worked within a day and now give it all the strays. I couldn't stand seeing them suffering and sadly, I can't take them all to the vet. Lysine works well for them. I give 500 mg in their food everyday.