| If you are like me, you probably have never had a | | | | with a cold, you should call your vet. This ounce of |
| cat with a cold, but cats with colds are fairly | | | | prevention can honestly save you many vet dollars, |
| common. | | | | should the cold develop into something more serious. |
| How does a cat get a cold? The first thought that | | | | Once a cat gets a respiratory infection it is possible |
| comes to mind is "can my cat catch my cold?" | | | | that it will re-occur time and time again (like the |
| The answer to that is no and "no" you cannot catch | | | | proverbial bad penny.) |
| your cat's cold. It is said that cold viruses are | | | | Another important thing to take under consideration |
| species-specific, which means pets and humans | | | | is cats smell their food before they eat it. This is |
| cannot pass a cold back and forth. | | | | normal cat behavior and if your cat has a stuffy |
| While we can (for the most part) "doctor" our colds | | | | nose, it cannot smell its food. |
| with over-the-counter remedies, our cats cannot. | | | | What happens when a cat can't smell its food? |
| A cold is serious business for a cat and even more | | | | The cat will not eat or even drink. The cat becomes |
| serious if you have a multiple cat household. | | | | dehydrated and starts using up its own fat stores |
| Oddly enough, your cat's symptoms will be very | | | | for energy. |
| similar to yours, sneezing, runny nose, coughing, | | | | A cat needs to eat and drink (most canned cat food |
| wheezing and sometimes a mucous discharge either | | | | provides not only nutrition, but water,) the result of |
| from its nose or mouth. It is also possible for your | | | | not eating can cause a condition known as hepatic |
| cat to have a breathing problem, cold sore type | | | | lipidosis or fatty liver syndrome, which can be life |
| ulcers around it mouth and red teary eyes that have | | | | threatening. |
| a discharge. | | | | This is why, if your cat shows any sign of a cold or |
| Cat colds are very contagious and interestingly, cats | | | | stops eating for any reason call your vet at once. |
| are more susceptible to colds in the summer time. | | | | I can't say this enough, that one simple phone call |
| Where can your cat pick up a cold? | | | | may save you many future vet dollars. |
| At a boarding kennel, the groomers, at your vets | | | | A cat's cold can be a simple runny nose (wipe it with |
| and if your cat is an indoor/outdoor cat, it can pick | | | | a warm wet washcloth, cats can't blow) and require |
| up the virus from any cat it encounters outside. | | | | nothing more than some TLC from you, but check |
| What can you do for your cat's cold? | | | | with your vet first. |
| First of all do not try any human over-the-counter | | | | There are two types of viruses that can cause a cat |
| remedies. Usually a cat cold lasts just about as long | | | | to have cold like symptoms, the first is felline |
| as a human cold (7 to 10 days) and the cat will get | | | | herpesvirus (FHV) and feline calicivirus (FCV). Keep up |
| over it just as we do. | | | | all of your cat's recommended vaccinations as the |
| Where it gets complicated is, if the viral infection | | | | vaccine for FHV and FCV is given at regular intervals. |
| travels to the lungs or bronchial area causing a lower | | | | Keeping your cat indoors is truly the best way to |
| respiratory infection or if a secondary bacterial | | | | protect your cat from being the recipient of "what is |
| infection occurs in the nose, mouth or eye area. | | | | going around. |
| This is why at the first sign your cat is coming down | | | | |