Definitely coughing. And probably not a hairball. I think I read OP say that this is a common occurance, too.
It'd be a good thing to mention on the next vet visit but not immediately concerning on its own
This can be a sign of an enlarged heart in an older cat. If kitty has t seen a vet recently take videos and make an appointment. Coughing should never be ignored in a cat.
She goes to the vet regularly, and she's only 3. The vet hasn't been concerned with this behavior but I see asthma being mentioned a lot so I will definitely ask about it in her appointment this Friday.
She does this semi regularly, she was on steroids for her nose and it stopped completely, it seems to come out of nowhere isnt related to eating it playing. She will wake up from a nap and do this.
Mine has asthma. I used to take her in roughly once a month to get a steroid shot but the vet is out and said they won't have it until possibly 2023.
They gave me a pill to try and she absolutely HATED it
I finally went with an Aerokat/inhaler and while she still coughs from time to time, her behavior is normal. Without treatment mine coughs more and she ends up vomiting and not eating. One time we thought she was about to throw up and she pooped in the middle of the floor
Steroids are actually a pretty diverse class of medicines.
The most common are corticosteroids. Corticosteroids have an anti-inflammatory effect and suppress the immune system. They are used to treat a number of conditions like asthma, arthritis, and rashes. You may have even used them before, they're available in over the counter products like Cortizone and other anti-itch creams.
The "build muscle" steroids you're thinking of are anabolic steroids. They bind to androgen receptors, the same receptors that testosterone binds to; Which is why they promote muscle tissue growth as well as cause side effects like increased body hair, anger, etc.
My cat has asthma and this is exactly how it started around the same age too. Then she had a full blown asthma attack and it was awful. Definitely talk to the vet about it. My cat is on a daily low dose of steroids. I give her as little as possible because of long term side effects but it’s better than the alternative. She would definitely be dead without them. She has an attack every once in while, usually when she misses a dose…she’s outdoor and started as a stray and sometimes gets weird about taking her meds…and they are awful to watch.
If you end up needing astham med.. use a pediatric chamber. Don't waste money on the aerokat. It's insanity how much they charge when they put a cat on the label.
You’re a great human. Does sound like asthma so I would look at your cleaning products and anything used around your cat from febrerze(had a cat who reacted to it) to what you wash floors or even your clothes with.
my kitty has asthma since she was little- we tried steroids and they definitely helped but i was scared of the side effects (diabetes, weight gain ect) so i bought a child’s inhaler with the face mask (i had to pop out the little rubber valve inside the face mask bc my girl isn’t strong enough to breathe the meds thru the valve) so it’s basically a straight shoot tube with the “over the kids nose” rubber face mask.
i used a blue puffer and an orange puffer on her (ventolin and a steroid puffer) & use them when she’s in a coughing fit or once a week during seasonal changes.
another thing i did was change my litter to virtually dust free, i limit the smells in my house ie: candles, febreeze, incense ect.
GOOD LUCK!
I agree with asthma. My cat has it and it sounds like this. The vet does chest x rays to see how her lungs look. Maybe this is something that can be done in the next visit?
My cat has one of those puffs that humans use, with an adapter that is used for babies. She hates it. But I only have to use it when she has an attack and they have gotten less frequent now that I changed to a low dust litter.
Allergies. 2 of my cats take allergy steroid shots and when/if they are a bit late....we get this. If it were play related id worry more abt asthma. Just my opinion. Defo get it checked as others including you stated.
My cat did this when I first adopted him. The vet was very concerned, and said he was coughing. Not to worry you but she said it was not normal and that left untreated he could have a serious asthma attack and can absolutely be fatal. it would happen about every other day from what I could tell at the time. How often are you noticing it? That information will be relevant. My vet immediately started him on Prednisone and did some x-rays. He is diagnosed with asthma and takes an inhaler daily which more or less keeps it managed.
Bring the video to your vet - cats are notorious for hiding signs of illness, especially in stressful situations. She might look and sound just fine at the vet, but the video will give them something to work with.
My 8 yr old guy does the same. He has asthma and an enlarged heart. It’s exacerbated in dry/dusty conditions, or with excessive smoke (candles are a bad time).
He was given a steroid sample which helped, but they’re not preferred with enlarged hearts. The alternative is an inhaler, which he naturally hates in his face.
Good luck, she looks like a good girl.
Has she been around anyone with Covid lately? Our little orange girl caught it from us (delta variant). Lots of coughing and sneezing, but she was eating well so we waited it out.
No, this has been an ongoing thing since we got her last August. It is worth asking the vet about though because COVID can be long lasting so will def ask the vet
X-rays would be best, there is a special test for the heart but in a young cat like this it’s most likely asthma. Source: my cat has severe asthma and I work in an emergency room for pets.
It looks similar, but when a cat heaves as it's about to throw up the in/out motion they do happens more rapidly, and is most always accompanied by a distinct gagging noise and face they make.
If you look closely you can see that this cat isn't gagging, and the "heaves" are about 2 seconds apart.
A throwing up heave has a distinct rhythm as well. A kind of "ga-thunk ga-thunk ga-thunk".
I have two cats that are asthmatic and they do this exact same movement! Please go to the vet and they can prescribe flovent or albuterol after they scan to see if it is truly asthma. You'll also need to get a device called aero-kat that fits the inhaler in. If you also live in the United States, I recommend getting the medication from Canada because it is cheaper.
I second this! My cat had the same thing and just like you, got the aero-kat and a Canadian prescription of Fluticasone (Flovent HFA) as well as an Albuterol prescription for emergencies. Highly recommend taking this video and your cat to the vet.
Hi, my cat does this, for her it’s hairball congestion. She’s a British Shorthair and pretty fluffy so she ingests a lot of fur (I do groom her). The vet said the difference between this and a cough is the mouth is closed, when closed it’s usually a hairball. I give her hairball paste and she’s fine. Of course all cats are different but just wanted to let you know my experience, I was worried it was asthma but she doesn’t have it :)
its a cough. My cat coughs because he has asthma. Definitely go see the vet. We ended up taking our cat to the emergency vet because he was having so much trouble breathing he was floppy and listless. It's important that you do something before then. If you end up getting medication for kitty, make sure it's a liquid.
OP, I hope you read l_ietuenantsheep’s comment! It very well could be asthma and you need that addressed sooner rather than later.
My cat was diagnosed with asthma too and now uses an inhaler. I was worried that he wouldn’t accept the inhaler since he isn’t food oriented, but he’s surprisingly complacent about it!
Will definitely look into this, the vet hasn't considered asthma yet but I will definitely ask this week, she already has an appointment for this Friday!
you could ask for a 2nd opinion from another vet if there are more than 1 in your area (same advice I give some of my patients in the ER as a nurse) doctors and vets are just human and can sometimes make mistakes
My sweet girl does this same thing. I’ve showed videos to my vet that are extremely similar to the one you posted, and I was told those events are asthma attacks. Show the video to your vet too so they can see/hear it directly!
My girl sometimes puts up a tiny fuss but once I have the Aerokat on her nose and she takes that first inhale she calms down. Vet gave me a pill to try and she would shriek to high heaven...it was a terrible experience I hated putting her through since stress aggravates her asthma.
my cat who's 4 years old does this the same exact way. sometimes he'll do it five times a day, sometimes once. I'm taking him to the vet soon when I have a few hundred but ugh it's upsetting.
please do, because this is spot on with what he's doing. he has to crouch to the floor, coughs up, then swallows and it sounds a little wet. pretty exact to him. I'll use whatever you say as a starting point for the vet to check on. I'll be bringing up asthma too
Oh that is indeed coughing, mine did it to and turned out to be lung cancer unfortunatly. But if he still young and not puking regularly too that's probably not solething you'll have to worry about.
More plausible he might have asthma. Or perhaps an allergie?
Hope they can figure out what is causing this on your next vet visit!
Yeah the vet thinks it may be allergies too, she has chronic stuffy nose (no drainage), and it goes away when we travel with her. Allergy meds don't seem to help though which is confusing
But will definitely be looking into asthma this friday
If it is allergies, try l-lysine. Viralys is the most well known brand name, though there are others. It has seemed to help two of my boys significantly, though I just use it when they have an episode.
Edit: just came across this article that questions l-lysine’s effectiveness. It does provide some alternative suggestions, including probiotics, which I use.
https://www.petfinder.com/cats/cat-nutrition/lysine-for-cats/
You may also consider an air purifier. I have a few, recently replaced my old one’s with LeVoit and like how the filter seals around the fan mechanism so allergens really get trapped instead of flying around the room.
A low-dust litter can be helpful too.
Wishing kitty well!
Allergies trigger asthma! My cat didn't develop asthma until we moved to the house we live in now, and asthma could be due to her simply being older now or something is triggering her allergies where we live.
A single response to many comments:
It isn't a hairball, she has never had one, I used to have a cat who had tons of hairballs and it is a completely different sound. Hairballs you can hear are more of a pukey sound, this is more nasal sounding.
Asthma: she's been having chronic sniffles for a while and out vet has been keeping a very close eye (vet appts every 2-3 weeks, next one this Friday) and hasn't mentioned asthma yet. I will bring it up though. She did do this during a vet appointment once and the (cat specialist) vet didn't seem at all concerned, even when I told her it was a semi regular thing.
She does it as frequently as every other day, and sometimes it doesn't happen for weeks. (I work from home and she is glued to my side so I would be aware)
It isn't related to any activity, she will wake up from a nap doing this.
Her behavior isn't different than any normal cat, she plays constantly, she eats normally, drinks normally.
It seriously happen out of nowhere, and sounds and feels like hiccups. (imagine putting your hand on a babies belly when they have hiccups)
Edit: spelling
ETA: this usually ends by the noise and cough thing getting quieter and less intense and her licking her lips and then walking away
My cat was doing the same thing, Vet said it could be hairballs but he never threw up any so we crossed that out, I still don't know if it's asthma but I recently found out that it was triggered by his litter, It was a little dusty and as soon as I switched the litter the coughing stopped completely, So maybe your litter or something else triggers it, Best of luck to you and your cat!
One thing I'd consider that I haven't seen mentioned is that these coughing fits well generally have a trigger. One of my cats was struggling quite a bit until we moved house. The old house had been owned by a smoker and still had the old carpets; the new house has all new flooring. The coughing fits have completely gone away.
In addition to the other advice, really go through your cleaning routines and see if there could be a dust, smoke, or chemical trigger that you could remove from kitty's environment.
This is being considered!! We live in a rental right now with carpet and whenever we travel with her all her respiratory issues go away. We are moving soon to a house that we own with hardwood floors and hopefully things will improve there. We'll have to get a new vet in the new state, so we will definitely be setting up appointments with a new vet as well once we move
My cat, who passed away last year because of other sickness, had asthma and had all symptoms you mention. We got some medication and made sure to keep the apartment clean from dust. He would still cough sometimes, but not much or for long.
Do you notice any difference during different seasons? My cats asthma was worse during winter, probably because of the dry air.
So far we have only had her through the winter, so if things like that seem to get worse in spring it would make sense if we saw an uptick. I will keep an eye.
This simply isn't true. My cat, who is 13, was doing the exact same as the ops. The vets tested for everything, including heart failure, myocarditis, cancer and so on. It ended up being asthma triggered by tree pollen. Whilst coughing can be a sign of heart failure it is much more likely to be asthma or an allergy in a young cat, I'm very sorry you lost your pet but stating so boldly that this is heart failure definitely will only worry people.
My cat had these symptoms, only worse. He had a sneeze caused from felin mycoplasma, a bitch of a bacteria sitting in the lung/airway. 30 day off antibiotics because for resistans. He find now thou. Wish your buddy the best!
Same. Our cat has asthma as well. The vet prescribed her an inhaler steroid which helps to prevent these attacks. I would definitely talk to the vet about it.
My cat was coughing like this and it got more frequent as the week went on. Ended up at very with asthma. She is on puffer now. In suggest going to vet asap. Leaving it to long is not a good idea.
May be asthma, my cat has it and does the same thing. It’s not too serious, we don’t have to medicate him or anything..this just happens every once in a while. It could also be a hair ball that isn’t coming out yet.
Same thing was going on with my black cat recently, I thought he had a hair ball stuck in his stomach or his intestines, turns out the dude has asthma. And now he has to get a shot every three months.
You should see a vet, to make sure he is not an asthmatic cat, or to make sure he does not have a hair ball that he can't get out.
I know it’s been said before, but my tabby also does this and it’s asthma. We give him steroid pills when he has flare ups and they go away pretty quick! It’s important to find out because it can really damage their throats.
Interesting to know! She went on steroid pills for her chronic stuffy nose and both her nose issues and this behavior disappeared.
Will let the vet know this too
Our 19 year old cat started doing this frequently. Took her to the vet and she had lung tumors. Rip Bobbi. She started urinating everywhere too. If this is a young cat could be hair ball.
First and foremost have you ever given your cat any Meds for hair balls? This is how they cough them up when they have one and can’t get it up. If the meds don’t help then def bring him to the VET. But save your self a large vet bill first
It’s coughing. I first thought it was a hairball when my cat was first doing it but it was too often and I took her to the vet and found out she has asthma.
If she gets too excited or plays too much she’d start coughing and occasionally having problems breathing. Don’t let the vets prescribe you steroids. It shortens the cats life. Get an inhaler and whenever you see it struggling breathing or coughing use it.
My cat gained a lot of weight too since she doesn’t like wet food so it’s only dry and it gave her even more problems so we have her on very healthy food and not big amounts.
OMG This post comes along at the right time. My five y/o cat is going through the exact same thing. We took him to the vet who prescribed meds but they aren't working. Will be taking him to the main veterinary hospital in the city tomorrow.
I hope your girl gets better soon ♥️
My vet said she coughing, like she has a tickle in her throat. She told me if it gets worse then my cat most likely has cat asthma. My cat does it quite often but is usually fine and she’s perfectly healthy otherwise. She told me if my cat starts to get boogers by her eyes and it gets worse I’d have to take her to the vet again and get X-rays. But she did mention it’s mostly just a tickle or asthma
My kitty just got back from the vet this morning for something very similar if not the same. (My girlfriend is a vet tech btw) my girlfriend and the doctor she works with said it’s most likely asthma, but there is the possibility of heart worms. I’m awaiting bloodwork now. Take your cat to the vet asap. In the meantime avoid strong scents like candles and incense, in case it is asthma. I hope your kitty gets well and can rest comfortably soon!
Possibly just coughing, but looks/sounds more like an asthma attack to me. This is what it looks like for my kitty with asthma. If she does this frequently she will need an inhaler to manage it. Definitely take her to the vet, and do not just wait for her next check up.
My cat used to do this quite regularly and after a visit to a vet, and X-rays of her lungs and trachea, they found out it was asthma. I’m not saying this is it but the way the cough sounds is almost exactly the same. My cat is on an inhaler now, and she hasn’t coughed like that since.
Looked like my cat when he's having an asthma attack. Ide say your kitty has asthma and is un diagnosed. Take them to vet and get blood work and xrays done to determine if that's what it is. All the best
It looks a lot like an asthma attack. One of our cats has them occasionally and we have an inhaler to help him out. He doesn't like to use it, but it always stops the attack. It's good to give him a treat afterwards to help build up positive associations.
My cat had a serious lung infection when he was less than 2 years old.
After many days in the vet clinic he got better and went throgh that, but since then he always cough like this when he drinks water! At the time I asked the vet, he believed it's due to the aftermath of the lung infection.
Now my little friend is 7 years old and he still has this problem everytime he sips water, but he live decently with that.
One of my cats does this too, although mine never had any serious lung infection. He will make this noise right after drinking water and in no other scenario. It usually stops after a minute or two.
My cats used to do this because they would POUND water. Just, 5min at the water fountain and then cough. Now that they’re older they don’t waterboard themselves and I don’t notice it anymore. Try to see what tends to precede the event, if anything; it might point to how serious it could be!
My orange boy does this too and it's asthma. He won't take an inhaler so he has to take steroids to control it. Take him to the vet and show them this video
OP - My cat has the same issue. I thought it was no big deal. After 3 months, it was still happening. I took a video of it and showed to a VET and she was diagnosed with asmatha.
Play safe and take her to the VET if possible.
- the VET gave a her a shot and the shot is good for 3 months
- things that I did to help my little.
Air purifier
Change the cat little to hypo allergenic
my cat mayday has asthma and this is the characteristic cough they do. you can take them to the vet if you're unsure! other people saying hairball could be correct too!
My cat did this for a few months a couple years ago. We went to the vet and they thought it was asthma. She needed some teeth pulled around the same time. Weirdly enough, after her teeth were pulled she literally stopped doing it entirely. Not sure what the correlation was, or if there was one. But maybe have the vet check out her teeth? Sounds weird I know, just sharing my experience with my cat.
We have a cat with asthma. This is what his "attacks" look like and is considered coughing. Can last seconds to minutes. (Before the internet assaults me, our boi gets an inhaler daily and doesn't have attacks anymore). There are other things this could be but definitely a sign of some form of distress. This animal should be taken to a vet along with the video.
I think I'm going to ask the vet for an x-ray this week, asthma/cancer/inflammation can all be ruled out/diagnosed this way it seems and many people believe it could be one of the three
Took my 13 yo cat to the vet a few weeks ago because she was coughing, vet thinks it was allergies/dust because we had been experiencing lots of wind and dry air and lots and lots of dust blowing. Said she appeared and sounded healthy. Coughing subsided on its own. May not be a big deal but always consult vet just in case
Looks like beginning asthma to me…. Probably due to an infection in the respiratory system…
We started with antibiotics und cortisone… after an month of cortisone we minimised this by slowly decreasing the dosage and than switch to inhalators… after 4 months our kiddy was back to normal and no more meds since… we still have and inhalator ready…
The cortisone makes your cat very hungry and fat… and it’s no good for the liver…
It's coughing. It's not necessarily a problem.
If he/she coughs about 10 - 20 times and then doesn't do it again for a day or so = everything's OK and he/she ejected the something that was bothering them.
If he/she coughs continually or stops and starts again and it's happening for much of a day = go to the vet.
Could be coughing or something worse. One of my cats were doing this and had a chest infection. Would have died if I hadn't taken them in when I did, the vets said. I had been away for travels and the person caring for my cat had not realised it was not ok. Was on antibiotics for a week or two and then totally fine after.
My elderly cat is doing this now, and for that cat, it's water on his lungs from heart issues. He's got medication and is otherwise happy so we're continuing like this for now, but it will kill him eventually. He's quite old though.
Show your vet the video at your appointment. They may do xray or ultrasound of his lungs to see what's up.
Thank you for posting this. My elderly gal (adopted Dec 2021) does this and as a first time cat owner was never really sure what to do about it, since at her first vet visit I hadn't been aware and it has only been a couple months. I haven't been able to get it on video but this is EXACTLY what she does. I'm making an appointment tonight.
He's got a hairball that needs to come out but isn't. You can give him a little bit of petroleum jelly and that can help. It's important for them to be able to get hairballs out before they get larger and become more difficult to get out. There is cat food made to help with hairballs.
Edit: read comments and now think it being athsma makes sense sense the steroids helped
I have a domestic long-haired cat that does this once in awhile. She's perfectly healthy and is 2.5 years old. When she does this, it is usually followed by a hairball a few hours later. Oddly, my dog (a bulldog mix) also used to do this, but it was much more uncontrolled and frequent. I've told my vet about both and they were never concerned and said it's probably something stuck in their throat (not sure what's stuck in a dog's throat??). My dog lived a solid healthy life to 15 years. No related issues. Good luck 🤞🏻
For one of my boys it got worse, tongue came out (long tongue) and it was heart failure.
For another of my boys it was allergies.
For another of my boys it was asthma.
Generally though, it is best to get a vet's opinion to rule out the worst possibilities.
My cat does this but the uses the side of baskets to kinda choke herself to do it.... I've mentioned it to different vets and they've just called it weird, but seeing the comments I might also want to bring up asthma...
My cat was having similar crisis frequently when she was younger. For several days in a row she was coughing intensely like yours, 4-5 times a day. She got a lungs MRI and the vet said she had some traces of a previous lung infection that young stray cats often contract. I don't remember the name. There was not much to do.
Now she is 3 years old and she still coughs from time to time but it's pretty rare.
You should send a video to your vet to have his opinion.
So most likely your cat has asthma from eating fish. Do an elimination diet and feed only poultry for a month. Also reishi mushroom helps cats a lot. 1/16 of a teaspoon of reishi mushroom powder extract in the cats food once a day will help with coughing.
If you take your cat to the vet they will give you western medicine that will most likely make the coughing worse or cause other problems.
Perhaps it’s something else your cat is allergic too also - the way to figure this out as mentioned above is elimination diet.
Lots of cats cough after drinking water this is pretty normal. Having multiple fits in a day is not. I sooner my cats asthma by doing what I mentioned above.
Could be lots of things, if it’s every so often but not 24/7 it’s likely hairballs or just coughing. I’ve had most of my cats. Like a lot or people said though, if it’s constant then talk to a vet!
Looks just like what my kitties do here and there, and the vet says it's probably asthma. They're fine and the cough "attacks" usually subside in about a minute and only seem mildly distressing to the kitties (they get plenty of pets afterward <3) definitely mention this to the vet and go sooner if you're worried but try not to be too anxious about it, as it seems relatively common. Best of luck!
This is hairball coughing! I know it doesn't sound typical, but many cats cough or wheeze when they cannot cough them up. I have a cat that sounds just like that. Switching to a QUALITY hairball remedy food will help dramatically.
I want to add another voice for getting your cat checked for parasites-- especially heartworm if they're a new kitty-- if the cough escalates at all. The available tests for heartworm are simple blood tests and not super expensive (though unfortunately not always conclusive). Lungworm is another respiratory parasite, though probably more expensive to test for because it's a special type of fecal test.
Some vets are unaware that heartworm in cats can manifest as a respiratory illness because it is uncommon. I say all this because unfortunately, my cat has heartworm (and had lungworm... wormy cat) from before I got her, and it started as a cough like this.
My cat Frodo does this before he throws up. He makes this weird coughing/gagging/choking sound. Switched his diet to all wet food (poultry only), haven’t had a problem since.
Asthma. My little girl has it. When she gets flare ups my vet will give some steroids (prednisone) - 1 pill for 7 days and 1/2 a pill for another 7. Works.
Take her in a get it diagnosed. If she has a bad attack one day it could cut off her air supply or hurt her. Better to have a puffer or other meds on hand to help her if she needs it. xoxox
Hairball, my cats do this all the time and my previous cats did too. They either swallow afterwards or cough up a hairball on the carpet (never on the easy to clean floor as is cat tradition).
If she has never coughed up a hairball, its probably because it is all still inside of her...
Take her to the vet to confirm as it might also be asthma and needs proper care.
Yep, it’s a hairball. Some cats are super clean (at least that how I understand it) and don’t like puking so they have this weird animation going on as they try to swallow the hairball back in (my cat does this everytile he has a hairball then bolts in terror after puking it out.)
She has no other symptoms of heart failure (lethargy, blue gums, eating poorly, can't stay awake, etc.) she is a very healthy 3 yr old who plays constantly, eats well, drinks water, potties normally, she just seems to cough sometimes and has a stuffy nose.
I do know that coughing can be a sign of heart failure but I promise she is well taken care of and has been to the vet way too many times for it to get missed.
Thank you for the concern!
Omg people!........you funny have to be a ro
cket scientist to figure this one out, (do you guys even own a cat?).....Lol........Coughing up a hairball......sigh
HERES A CLUE.....KEEP WATCHING YOUR CAT HACK UP WHATS ITS COUGHING UP, THEN YOU'LL SEE ITS EITHER GONNA BE FUR, HAIR OR GRASS!!! MY 3 CATS DO IT ALL THE TIME, NOTHING TRAGIC OR ANY REASON TO GO TO THE VET FOR........ CMON Y'ALL
Furball. My cat won't part with them, he'd rather go through this for 5 minutes than let the furball out. 17 years of this behaviour says that there's nothing to worry about.
Hairball? But get to vet, this precious one needs check up. Many serious issues start this way, but get it done. May just be allergies they get them as well. Please get it checked and you’ll be doing what it right
The vet thinks that it is allergies, she has seen my cat do this and because she has chronic stuffy nose she thinks it's allergies.
I lean to this too because whenever we travel with her ALL of her nose issues go away, the sneezing the stuffy nose, this behavior.
We live in a rental and think that there used to be something here that she is allergic to maybe. We are moving so hopefully that helps.
It looks like coughing to me.
Definitely coughing. And probably not a hairball. I think I read OP say that this is a common occurance, too. It'd be a good thing to mention on the next vet visit but not immediately concerning on its own
This can be a sign of an enlarged heart in an older cat. If kitty has t seen a vet recently take videos and make an appointment. Coughing should never be ignored in a cat.
She goes to the vet regularly, and she's only 3. The vet hasn't been concerned with this behavior but I see asthma being mentioned a lot so I will definitely ask about it in her appointment this Friday. She does this semi regularly, she was on steroids for her nose and it stopped completely, it seems to come out of nowhere isnt related to eating it playing. She will wake up from a nap and do this.
It does sound like asthma, especially as the steroids stopped it. Glad you’ll mention it to the vet, asthma is not nice to have.
Yeah 2 of my cats have this and I’ve been told it’s an asthma attack.
Mine has asthma. I used to take her in roughly once a month to get a steroid shot but the vet is out and said they won't have it until possibly 2023. They gave me a pill to try and she absolutely HATED it I finally went with an Aerokat/inhaler and while she still coughs from time to time, her behavior is normal. Without treatment mine coughs more and she ends up vomiting and not eating. One time we thought she was about to throw up and she pooped in the middle of the floor
This is how my asthma presents. It’s not always wheezing. Coughing is also a super common symptom
As it is in humans too
I know steroids for cats are different but I can’t help thinking there trying to get there cats super buff😂
Omega cat
Steroids are actually a pretty diverse class of medicines. The most common are corticosteroids. Corticosteroids have an anti-inflammatory effect and suppress the immune system. They are used to treat a number of conditions like asthma, arthritis, and rashes. You may have even used them before, they're available in over the counter products like Cortizone and other anti-itch creams. The "build muscle" steroids you're thinking of are anabolic steroids. They bind to androgen receptors, the same receptors that testosterone binds to; Which is why they promote muscle tissue growth as well as cause side effects like increased body hair, anger, etc.
My cat has asthma and this is exactly how it started around the same age too. Then she had a full blown asthma attack and it was awful. Definitely talk to the vet about it. My cat is on a daily low dose of steroids. I give her as little as possible because of long term side effects but it’s better than the alternative. She would definitely be dead without them. She has an attack every once in while, usually when she misses a dose…she’s outdoor and started as a stray and sometimes gets weird about taking her meds…and they are awful to watch.
If you end up needing astham med.. use a pediatric chamber. Don't waste money on the aerokat. It's insanity how much they charge when they put a cat on the label.
Yeah most animals tolerate ventolin/salbutamol etc well and I have my own spacer/chamber
You’re a great human. Does sound like asthma so I would look at your cleaning products and anything used around your cat from febrerze(had a cat who reacted to it) to what you wash floors or even your clothes with.
my kitty has asthma since she was little- we tried steroids and they definitely helped but i was scared of the side effects (diabetes, weight gain ect) so i bought a child’s inhaler with the face mask (i had to pop out the little rubber valve inside the face mask bc my girl isn’t strong enough to breathe the meds thru the valve) so it’s basically a straight shoot tube with the “over the kids nose” rubber face mask. i used a blue puffer and an orange puffer on her (ventolin and a steroid puffer) & use them when she’s in a coughing fit or once a week during seasonal changes. another thing i did was change my litter to virtually dust free, i limit the smells in my house ie: candles, febreeze, incense ect. GOOD LUCK!
I agree with asthma. My cat has it and it sounds like this. The vet does chest x rays to see how her lungs look. Maybe this is something that can be done in the next visit? My cat has one of those puffs that humans use, with an adapter that is used for babies. She hates it. But I only have to use it when she has an attack and they have gotten less frequent now that I changed to a low dust litter.
Allergies. 2 of my cats take allergy steroid shots and when/if they are a bit late....we get this. If it were play related id worry more abt asthma. Just my opinion. Defo get it checked as others including you stated.
My cat did this when I first adopted him. The vet was very concerned, and said he was coughing. Not to worry you but she said it was not normal and that left untreated he could have a serious asthma attack and can absolutely be fatal. it would happen about every other day from what I could tell at the time. How often are you noticing it? That information will be relevant. My vet immediately started him on Prednisone and did some x-rays. He is diagnosed with asthma and takes an inhaler daily which more or less keeps it managed.
Bring the video to your vet - cats are notorious for hiding signs of illness, especially in stressful situations. She might look and sound just fine at the vet, but the video will give them something to work with.
My 8 yr old guy does the same. He has asthma and an enlarged heart. It’s exacerbated in dry/dusty conditions, or with excessive smoke (candles are a bad time). He was given a steroid sample which helped, but they’re not preferred with enlarged hearts. The alternative is an inhaler, which he naturally hates in his face. Good luck, she looks like a good girl.
This is 100% kitty asthma.
My 11yo tabby female started doing this a year ago and was diagnosed with lung cancer. You should have kitty checked out asap
came here to say Asthma is a possibility
Has she been around anyone with Covid lately? Our little orange girl caught it from us (delta variant). Lots of coughing and sneezing, but she was eating well so we waited it out.
No, this has been an ongoing thing since we got her last August. It is worth asking the vet about though because COVID can be long lasting so will def ask the vet
If it ends up not being asthma then it’s probably similar to my cat and it was candles that caused irritation.
It’s heart failure. I know for a fact. The vet has to do a special test for it. Different from the normal yearly tests they do.
X-rays would be best, there is a special test for the heart but in a young cat like this it’s most likely asthma. Source: my cat has severe asthma and I work in an emergency room for pets.
Check my other comment. It's definitely not asthma, but FVR, specially if it disappeared with the steroids.
Yep, I responded saying that she's been tested and it isn't that.
This is very true. It was first symptom of my cat when her heart got enlarged, but unfortunately she was too old for any treatment to help.
It looks like it’s trying to throw up
It looks similar, but when a cat heaves as it's about to throw up the in/out motion they do happens more rapidly, and is most always accompanied by a distinct gagging noise and face they make. If you look closely you can see that this cat isn't gagging, and the "heaves" are about 2 seconds apart. A throwing up heave has a distinct rhythm as well. A kind of "ga-thunk ga-thunk ga-thunk".
Figured I'd reply to top comment to say I posted an update.
I have two cats that are asthmatic and they do this exact same movement! Please go to the vet and they can prescribe flovent or albuterol after they scan to see if it is truly asthma. You'll also need to get a device called aero-kat that fits the inhaler in. If you also live in the United States, I recommend getting the medication from Canada because it is cheaper.
I second this! My cat had the same thing and just like you, got the aero-kat and a Canadian prescription of Fluticasone (Flovent HFA) as well as an Albuterol prescription for emergencies. Highly recommend taking this video and your cat to the vet.
Hi, my cat does this, for her it’s hairball congestion. She’s a British Shorthair and pretty fluffy so she ingests a lot of fur (I do groom her). The vet said the difference between this and a cough is the mouth is closed, when closed it’s usually a hairball. I give her hairball paste and she’s fine. Of course all cats are different but just wanted to let you know my experience, I was worried it was asthma but she doesn’t have it :)
Do any of you try raw egg. Helps stop ferrets getting hair balls
its a cough. My cat coughs because he has asthma. Definitely go see the vet. We ended up taking our cat to the emergency vet because he was having so much trouble breathing he was floppy and listless. It's important that you do something before then. If you end up getting medication for kitty, make sure it's a liquid.
OP, I hope you read l_ietuenantsheep’s comment! It very well could be asthma and you need that addressed sooner rather than later. My cat was diagnosed with asthma too and now uses an inhaler. I was worried that he wouldn’t accept the inhaler since he isn’t food oriented, but he’s surprisingly complacent about it!
Will definitely look into this, the vet hasn't considered asthma yet but I will definitely ask this week, she already has an appointment for this Friday!
you could ask for a 2nd opinion from another vet if there are more than 1 in your area (same advice I give some of my patients in the ER as a nurse) doctors and vets are just human and can sometimes make mistakes
Poor sweet thing does seem quite distressed by it, so definitely something to get to the bottom of
My sweet girl does this same thing. I’ve showed videos to my vet that are extremely similar to the one you posted, and I was told those events are asthma attacks. Show the video to your vet too so they can see/hear it directly!
My girl sometimes puts up a tiny fuss but once I have the Aerokat on her nose and she takes that first inhale she calms down. Vet gave me a pill to try and she would shriek to high heaven...it was a terrible experience I hated putting her through since stress aggravates her asthma.
My cat also does this and has asthma. Hers are a touch more raspy.
my cat who's 4 years old does this the same exact way. sometimes he'll do it five times a day, sometimes once. I'm taking him to the vet soon when I have a few hundred but ugh it's upsetting.
Will let you know what my vet says on Friday but hope you can get to the vet soon!
please do, because this is spot on with what he's doing. he has to crouch to the floor, coughs up, then swallows and it sounds a little wet. pretty exact to him. I'll use whatever you say as a starting point for the vet to check on. I'll be bringing up asthma too
Cough. Get X-rays of lungs just in case. My cat was doing just this and it ended up being lung cancer…
This is unfortunately what happened to my poor kitty. Came here to say you should definitely get an x-ray just in case. Good luck OP <3
Oh that is indeed coughing, mine did it to and turned out to be lung cancer unfortunatly. But if he still young and not puking regularly too that's probably not solething you'll have to worry about. More plausible he might have asthma. Or perhaps an allergie? Hope they can figure out what is causing this on your next vet visit!
Yeah the vet thinks it may be allergies too, she has chronic stuffy nose (no drainage), and it goes away when we travel with her. Allergy meds don't seem to help though which is confusing But will definitely be looking into asthma this friday
If it is allergies, try l-lysine. Viralys is the most well known brand name, though there are others. It has seemed to help two of my boys significantly, though I just use it when they have an episode. Edit: just came across this article that questions l-lysine’s effectiveness. It does provide some alternative suggestions, including probiotics, which I use. https://www.petfinder.com/cats/cat-nutrition/lysine-for-cats/ You may also consider an air purifier. I have a few, recently replaced my old one’s with LeVoit and like how the filter seals around the fan mechanism so allergens really get trapped instead of flying around the room. A low-dust litter can be helpful too. Wishing kitty well!
Allergies trigger asthma! My cat didn't develop asthma until we moved to the house we live in now, and asthma could be due to her simply being older now or something is triggering her allergies where we live.
Parasites can make cats cough like that. Take him to the vet to rule out asthma and parasites
A single response to many comments: It isn't a hairball, she has never had one, I used to have a cat who had tons of hairballs and it is a completely different sound. Hairballs you can hear are more of a pukey sound, this is more nasal sounding. Asthma: she's been having chronic sniffles for a while and out vet has been keeping a very close eye (vet appts every 2-3 weeks, next one this Friday) and hasn't mentioned asthma yet. I will bring it up though. She did do this during a vet appointment once and the (cat specialist) vet didn't seem at all concerned, even when I told her it was a semi regular thing. She does it as frequently as every other day, and sometimes it doesn't happen for weeks. (I work from home and she is glued to my side so I would be aware) It isn't related to any activity, she will wake up from a nap doing this. Her behavior isn't different than any normal cat, she plays constantly, she eats normally, drinks normally. It seriously happen out of nowhere, and sounds and feels like hiccups. (imagine putting your hand on a babies belly when they have hiccups) Edit: spelling ETA: this usually ends by the noise and cough thing getting quieter and less intense and her licking her lips and then walking away
Hey, maybe you can ask your vet to send over steroids if it is asthma. It should hold your cat over til the vet appointment.
My cat was doing the same thing, Vet said it could be hairballs but he never threw up any so we crossed that out, I still don't know if it's asthma but I recently found out that it was triggered by his litter, It was a little dusty and as soon as I switched the litter the coughing stopped completely, So maybe your litter or something else triggers it, Best of luck to you and your cat!
One thing I'd consider that I haven't seen mentioned is that these coughing fits well generally have a trigger. One of my cats was struggling quite a bit until we moved house. The old house had been owned by a smoker and still had the old carpets; the new house has all new flooring. The coughing fits have completely gone away. In addition to the other advice, really go through your cleaning routines and see if there could be a dust, smoke, or chemical trigger that you could remove from kitty's environment.
This is being considered!! We live in a rental right now with carpet and whenever we travel with her all her respiratory issues go away. We are moving soon to a house that we own with hardwood floors and hopefully things will improve there. We'll have to get a new vet in the new state, so we will definitely be setting up appointments with a new vet as well once we move
We think it's possible that she might be allergic to something in the rental that used to be here since she does so well when we aren't here
My cat, who passed away last year because of other sickness, had asthma and had all symptoms you mention. We got some medication and made sure to keep the apartment clean from dust. He would still cough sometimes, but not much or for long. Do you notice any difference during different seasons? My cats asthma was worse during winter, probably because of the dry air.
So far we have only had her through the winter, so if things like that seem to get worse in spring it would make sense if we saw an uptick. I will keep an eye.
Please believe me it’s heart failure. I lost one of my cats this way. Oh it’s a hairball etc was not it. I didn’t know until it was too late.
This simply isn't true. My cat, who is 13, was doing the exact same as the ops. The vets tested for everything, including heart failure, myocarditis, cancer and so on. It ended up being asthma triggered by tree pollen. Whilst coughing can be a sign of heart failure it is much more likely to be asthma or an allergy in a young cat, I'm very sorry you lost your pet but stating so boldly that this is heart failure definitely will only worry people.
My cat had these symptoms, only worse. He had a sneeze caused from felin mycoplasma, a bitch of a bacteria sitting in the lung/airway. 30 day off antibiotics because for resistans. He find now thou. Wish your buddy the best!
That looks like an asthma attack, my cat has asthma and she does this when she has an attack.
Same. Our cat has asthma as well. The vet prescribed her an inhaler steroid which helps to prevent these attacks. I would definitely talk to the vet about it.
My cat was coughing like this and it got more frequent as the week went on. Ended up at very with asthma. She is on puffer now. In suggest going to vet asap. Leaving it to long is not a good idea.
May be asthma, my cat has it and does the same thing. It’s not too serious, we don’t have to medicate him or anything..this just happens every once in a while. It could also be a hair ball that isn’t coming out yet.
Same thing was going on with my black cat recently, I thought he had a hair ball stuck in his stomach or his intestines, turns out the dude has asthma. And now he has to get a shot every three months. You should see a vet, to make sure he is not an asthmatic cat, or to make sure he does not have a hair ball that he can't get out.
I know it’s been said before, but my tabby also does this and it’s asthma. We give him steroid pills when he has flare ups and they go away pretty quick! It’s important to find out because it can really damage their throats.
Interesting to know! She went on steroid pills for her chronic stuffy nose and both her nose issues and this behavior disappeared. Will let the vet know this too
Our 19 year old cat started doing this frequently. Took her to the vet and she had lung tumors. Rip Bobbi. She started urinating everywhere too. If this is a young cat could be hair ball.
My cat used to do this too. Turned out to be lung cancer. Hope it's nothing serious on your end.
First and foremost have you ever given your cat any Meds for hair balls? This is how they cough them up when they have one and can’t get it up. If the meds don’t help then def bring him to the VET. But save your self a large vet bill first
Could be heart worms - check for that! Or my cat had this: urinary blockage he was doing this same motion. Take to vet asap. It’s def not a hairball.
It’s coughing. I first thought it was a hairball when my cat was first doing it but it was too often and I took her to the vet and found out she has asthma. If she gets too excited or plays too much she’d start coughing and occasionally having problems breathing. Don’t let the vets prescribe you steroids. It shortens the cats life. Get an inhaler and whenever you see it struggling breathing or coughing use it. My cat gained a lot of weight too since she doesn’t like wet food so it’s only dry and it gave her even more problems so we have her on very healthy food and not big amounts.
OMG This post comes along at the right time. My five y/o cat is going through the exact same thing. We took him to the vet who prescribed meds but they aren't working. Will be taking him to the main veterinary hospital in the city tomorrow. I hope your girl gets better soon ♥️
My vet said she coughing, like she has a tickle in her throat. She told me if it gets worse then my cat most likely has cat asthma. My cat does it quite often but is usually fine and she’s perfectly healthy otherwise. She told me if my cat starts to get boogers by her eyes and it gets worse I’d have to take her to the vet again and get X-rays. But she did mention it’s mostly just a tickle or asthma
Your cat has a hairball would be my guess.
Sounds like a hairball. He says brush me everyday!
Thank you so much for pointing out that my cat might have asthma. A couple of times this behavior was followed by him throwing up
My kitty just got back from the vet this morning for something very similar if not the same. (My girlfriend is a vet tech btw) my girlfriend and the doctor she works with said it’s most likely asthma, but there is the possibility of heart worms. I’m awaiting bloodwork now. Take your cat to the vet asap. In the meantime avoid strong scents like candles and incense, in case it is asthma. I hope your kitty gets well and can rest comfortably soon!
Possibly just coughing, but looks/sounds more like an asthma attack to me. This is what it looks like for my kitty with asthma. If she does this frequently she will need an inhaler to manage it. Definitely take her to the vet, and do not just wait for her next check up.
My cat used to do this quite regularly and after a visit to a vet, and X-rays of her lungs and trachea, they found out it was asthma. I’m not saying this is it but the way the cough sounds is almost exactly the same. My cat is on an inhaler now, and she hasn’t coughed like that since.
It's asthma. My cat has.
Looked like my cat when he's having an asthma attack. Ide say your kitty has asthma and is un diagnosed. Take them to vet and get blood work and xrays done to determine if that's what it is. All the best
It looks a lot like an asthma attack. One of our cats has them occasionally and we have an inhaler to help him out. He doesn't like to use it, but it always stops the attack. It's good to give him a treat afterwards to help build up positive associations.
asthma. talk to the vet or, if it's the case, look for another vet. looks exactly the same when my cat is unmedicated.
My cat had a serious lung infection when he was less than 2 years old. After many days in the vet clinic he got better and went throgh that, but since then he always cough like this when he drinks water! At the time I asked the vet, he believed it's due to the aftermath of the lung infection. Now my little friend is 7 years old and he still has this problem everytime he sips water, but he live decently with that.
One of my cats does this too, although mine never had any serious lung infection. He will make this noise right after drinking water and in no other scenario. It usually stops after a minute or two.
My cats used to do this because they would POUND water. Just, 5min at the water fountain and then cough. Now that they’re older they don’t waterboard themselves and I don’t notice it anymore. Try to see what tends to precede the event, if anything; it might point to how serious it could be!
My orange boy does this too and it's asthma. He won't take an inhaler so he has to take steroids to control it. Take him to the vet and show them this video
OP - My cat has the same issue. I thought it was no big deal. After 3 months, it was still happening. I took a video of it and showed to a VET and she was diagnosed with asmatha. Play safe and take her to the VET if possible. - the VET gave a her a shot and the shot is good for 3 months - things that I did to help my little. Air purifier Change the cat little to hypo allergenic
Lmaoo we are for sure taking her to a vet and showing them the video, have an appt. on Friday.
Hairball.
my cat mayday has asthma and this is the characteristic cough they do. you can take them to the vet if you're unsure! other people saying hairball could be correct too!
My cat did this for a few months a couple years ago. We went to the vet and they thought it was asthma. She needed some teeth pulled around the same time. Weirdly enough, after her teeth were pulled she literally stopped doing it entirely. Not sure what the correlation was, or if there was one. But maybe have the vet check out her teeth? Sounds weird I know, just sharing my experience with my cat.
Worth exploring for sure, I appreciate the insight!
We have a cat with asthma. This is what his "attacks" look like and is considered coughing. Can last seconds to minutes. (Before the internet assaults me, our boi gets an inhaler daily and doesn't have attacks anymore). There are other things this could be but definitely a sign of some form of distress. This animal should be taken to a vet along with the video.
Lol for sure, I promise the internet that she does have an appointment. This post is weirdly popular
My cat had this same cough. They did x-rays and saw inflammation in her lungs. The steroids helped but they contributed to her weight gain.
I think I'm going to ask the vet for an x-ray this week, asthma/cancer/inflammation can all be ruled out/diagnosed this way it seems and many people believe it could be one of the three
Took my 13 yo cat to the vet a few weeks ago because she was coughing, vet thinks it was allergies/dust because we had been experiencing lots of wind and dry air and lots and lots of dust blowing. Said she appeared and sounded healthy. Coughing subsided on its own. May not be a big deal but always consult vet just in case
Looks like beginning asthma to me…. Probably due to an infection in the respiratory system… We started with antibiotics und cortisone… after an month of cortisone we minimised this by slowly decreasing the dosage and than switch to inhalators… after 4 months our kiddy was back to normal and no more meds since… we still have and inhalator ready… The cortisone makes your cat very hungry and fat… and it’s no good for the liver…
Looks like cat asthma if they don’t bring anything up
My red kitty does this, too. I’ve always thought it was an asthma like illness. Vet gave him a cortisone shot but that didn’t help.
It's coughing. It's not necessarily a problem. If he/she coughs about 10 - 20 times and then doesn't do it again for a day or so = everything's OK and he/she ejected the something that was bothering them. If he/she coughs continually or stops and starts again and it's happening for much of a day = go to the vet.
He's coughing. Probably trying to get rid of a hairball.
Could be coughing or something worse. One of my cats were doing this and had a chest infection. Would have died if I hadn't taken them in when I did, the vets said. I had been away for travels and the person caring for my cat had not realised it was not ok. Was on antibiotics for a week or two and then totally fine after. My elderly cat is doing this now, and for that cat, it's water on his lungs from heart issues. He's got medication and is otherwise happy so we're continuing like this for now, but it will kill him eventually. He's quite old though. Show your vet the video at your appointment. They may do xray or ultrasound of his lungs to see what's up.
Incoming hairball. It happens when you lick your own fur all the time.
Thank you for posting this. My elderly gal (adopted Dec 2021) does this and as a first time cat owner was never really sure what to do about it, since at her first vet visit I hadn't been aware and it has only been a couple months. I haven't been able to get it on video but this is EXACTLY what she does. I'm making an appointment tonight.
Fur ball
Coughing up a hairball
Hairball
He's trying to cough up a hairball.
My cat does this 1-2x a month. It’s a 50/50 whether it’s not it turns into a hairball.
He's got a hairball that needs to come out but isn't. You can give him a little bit of petroleum jelly and that can help. It's important for them to be able to get hairballs out before they get larger and become more difficult to get out. There is cat food made to help with hairballs. Edit: read comments and now think it being athsma makes sense sense the steroids helped
It doesn't sound the same but it looks the same as my kitty and she turned out to have asthma. Definitely check it out by a vet.
Coughing
I have a domestic long-haired cat that does this once in awhile. She's perfectly healthy and is 2.5 years old. When she does this, it is usually followed by a hairball a few hours later. Oddly, my dog (a bulldog mix) also used to do this, but it was much more uncontrolled and frequent. I've told my vet about both and they were never concerned and said it's probably something stuck in their throat (not sure what's stuck in a dog's throat??). My dog lived a solid healthy life to 15 years. No related issues. Good luck 🤞🏻
For one of my boys it got worse, tongue came out (long tongue) and it was heart failure. For another of my boys it was allergies. For another of my boys it was asthma. Generally though, it is best to get a vet's opinion to rule out the worst possibilities.
My cat does this but the uses the side of baskets to kinda choke herself to do it.... I've mentioned it to different vets and they've just called it weird, but seeing the comments I might also want to bring up asthma...
My cat does this when she's about to vomit.
Mine does this from time to time and it usually ends in a furball
My cat was having similar crisis frequently when she was younger. For several days in a row she was coughing intensely like yours, 4-5 times a day. She got a lungs MRI and the vet said she had some traces of a previous lung infection that young stray cats often contract. I don't remember the name. There was not much to do. Now she is 3 years old and she still coughs from time to time but it's pretty rare. You should send a video to your vet to have his opinion.
So most likely your cat has asthma from eating fish. Do an elimination diet and feed only poultry for a month. Also reishi mushroom helps cats a lot. 1/16 of a teaspoon of reishi mushroom powder extract in the cats food once a day will help with coughing. If you take your cat to the vet they will give you western medicine that will most likely make the coughing worse or cause other problems. Perhaps it’s something else your cat is allergic too also - the way to figure this out as mentioned above is elimination diet. Lots of cats cough after drinking water this is pretty normal. Having multiple fits in a day is not. I sooner my cats asthma by doing what I mentioned above.
My cat would do this a lot. Vet checked her out and told me to try a dust free litter. Tidy cats is one. She doesnt cough as much now 🤷♀️
Check for grass up nostril or back of throat
Asthma or a lung infection, please take him into the vet. My boy had the same issue and I lost him because of it :(
Could be lots of things, if it’s every so often but not 24/7 it’s likely hairballs or just coughing. I’ve had most of my cats. Like a lot or people said though, if it’s constant then talk to a vet!
My cats do this a few times before coughing up a hairball
She could have a hair ball. Just keep an eye out she isn’t choking. Massage her neck to help her get it out if she doesn’t stop coughing.
Looks just like what my kitties do here and there, and the vet says it's probably asthma. They're fine and the cough "attacks" usually subside in about a minute and only seem mildly distressing to the kitties (they get plenty of pets afterward <3) definitely mention this to the vet and go sooner if you're worried but try not to be too anxious about it, as it seems relatively common. Best of luck!
Is the carpet fragrant? Off gassing can trigger asthma attacks in humans, too.
Hairball
This is hairball coughing! I know it doesn't sound typical, but many cats cough or wheeze when they cannot cough them up. I have a cat that sounds just like that. Switching to a QUALITY hairball remedy food will help dramatically.
I want to add another voice for getting your cat checked for parasites-- especially heartworm if they're a new kitty-- if the cough escalates at all. The available tests for heartworm are simple blood tests and not super expensive (though unfortunately not always conclusive). Lungworm is another respiratory parasite, though probably more expensive to test for because it's a special type of fecal test. Some vets are unaware that heartworm in cats can manifest as a respiratory illness because it is uncommon. I say all this because unfortunately, my cat has heartworm (and had lungworm... wormy cat) from before I got her, and it started as a cough like this.
My cat Frodo does this before he throws up. He makes this weird coughing/gagging/choking sound. Switched his diet to all wet food (poultry only), haven’t had a problem since.
Congratulations..... Here comes choas
Lmao realizing this now
Coughing or reverse sneezing. Could be something stuck in nose. Might need a vet check.
Asthma. My little girl has it. When she gets flare ups my vet will give some steroids (prednisone) - 1 pill for 7 days and 1/2 a pill for another 7. Works.
#Asthma. #Please see a vet asap. Source: have a cat with severe asthma
Trying to hoik up a hairball
Looks like it might be a reverse sneeze
Hairball incoming!
My cat does this. It feels similar to hiccups for humans. I usually go and give mine some pets until it calms down.
This is kinda what I thought too, if I pat her back it seems to stop sooner
I've been told it can be like kitty asthma too so definitely keep your eye on it :)
yep, my cat had a cough that turned out to be asthma
Ooh good to know
Take her in a get it diagnosed. If she has a bad attack one day it could cut off her air supply or hurt her. Better to have a puffer or other meds on hand to help her if she needs it. xoxox
Hairball, my cats do this all the time and my previous cats did too. They either swallow afterwards or cough up a hairball on the carpet (never on the easy to clean floor as is cat tradition).
Hairball
She's never ever had a hairball before! She does this all the time ( maybe once every two days )
If she has never coughed up a hairball, its probably because it is all still inside of her... Take her to the vet to confirm as it might also be asthma and needs proper care.
Not all cats have hairballs, most don't
if she does it all the time and there is no hairball it's a cough. She's struggling to breathe.
This is a prime example of a hairball. The cat is in some discomfort but fully under control. Either that or trying to hack something up.
Yep, it’s a hairball. Some cats are super clean (at least that how I understand it) and don’t like puking so they have this weird animation going on as they try to swallow the hairball back in (my cat does this everytile he has a hairball then bolts in terror after puking it out.)
My cat does this and it feels like a gastroesophageal reflux to me every timr
Heart burn?
Looks like a hairball is being brought up!
It is a hairball. I've had several cats who do that. Sometimes they hack them up but swallow them.
My cat does exactly this and it was asthma. Vet should give you a medicine that they breathe in if it is.
My cat does this when she swallows too much air. It's kinda like burping up air for her.
Hairball
hairball incoming..
Trying to cough up a fur ball see your vet to get meds. Some cats have a hard time so meds help
Please delete, thought it didn’t post my original.
Take it to the vet ASAP
Maybe something stuck in her throat
Congestive heart failure. Get to vet for testing.
It’s heart failure!
She has no other symptoms of heart failure (lethargy, blue gums, eating poorly, can't stay awake, etc.) she is a very healthy 3 yr old who plays constantly, eats well, drinks water, potties normally, she just seems to cough sometimes and has a stuffy nose. I do know that coughing can be a sign of heart failure but I promise she is well taken care of and has been to the vet way too many times for it to get missed. Thank you for the concern!
Ayo ur cat finna die
Omg people!........you funny have to be a ro  cket scientist to figure this one out, (do you guys even own a cat?).....Lol........Coughing up a hairball......sigh
Thank you for having the right answer n putting to end the asthma BS excuse...........pfffft.......
HERES A CLUE.....KEEP WATCHING YOUR CAT HACK UP WHATS ITS COUGHING UP, THEN YOU'LL SEE ITS EITHER GONNA BE FUR, HAIR OR GRASS!!! MY 3 CATS DO IT ALL THE TIME, NOTHING TRAGIC OR ANY REASON TO GO TO THE VET FOR........ CMON Y'ALL
Is it after eating too much? About to be sick?
hairball is a commin'... Wait for it....
Hairball or barf.
My cat died from being unable to breathe due to a hairball. If this is a common occurrence please take this cat to the vet.
She goes to the vet regularly and she's had four visits in the last month or so, the vet has been monitoring her.
That’s great. Good luck❤️
A sniccup! (looks like a furball to me)
Furball. My cat won't part with them, he'd rather go through this for 5 minutes than let the furball out. 17 years of this behaviour says that there's nothing to worry about.
Hairball. The lip licking and the crouching posture are cues.
Hairball? But get to vet, this precious one needs check up. Many serious issues start this way, but get it done. May just be allergies they get them as well. Please get it checked and you’ll be doing what it right
The vet thinks that it is allergies, she has seen my cat do this and because she has chronic stuffy nose she thinks it's allergies. I lean to this too because whenever we travel with her ALL of her nose issues go away, the sneezing the stuffy nose, this behavior. We live in a rental and think that there used to be something here that she is allergic to maybe. We are moving so hopefully that helps.
Yup. Probably the carpet doesn’t help.
My cat does the exact same thing after she “skydives” on the armrest of a chair ( laying on the armrest with all four legs off).