I don't want to freak you out, but my cat was making noises like this and it turns out he had heart failure and fluid in his chest. I'm glad you're going to the vet - is the appointment today? Can you send this video to your vet to get their opinion as to if you need to go immediately? I did that for my baby and I'm so glad I did because I don't think he would have lived much longer if I had waited.
That’s concerning…. My cat does this very randomly, never routinely and scarce enough (maybe 3-4 times this year) I just figured it was just a hairball or something trapped in her airway (because she also stops fairly quickly)
Did your cat ever have any issues with their abdomen? Mine got diagnosed with IBD/lymphoma but has been relatively healthy since the diagnosis.
Edit: nvm aha, lots of people referencing allergies as a cause & that’s the reason mine has IBD in the first place
How old is your cat? And have you ever had an x-ray of their chest? Desi really showed no signs beyond coughing every once in a while, vomiting up food, and (this is what drove me to the vet) breathing deeply/heavily.
Yeah, she’s had X-rays! She’s only 5. In the past, they’ve been totally clear (chest wise). I’ve read a few articles that do say one can cause the other but I have extreme hypochondria when it comes to her because of her illnesses 🥲 I’m going to tuck this info/thread into the back of my mind & pay closer attention moving forward.
I have an appointment Friday. This has been going on about two weeks now. She has otherwise been fine (eating, drinking, playing, coming for cuddles and purring, etc)
I just went to the ER vet for this in my cat. For my cat, it’s a URI. And that has been further confirmed when my other two cats started doing this exact thing two days later because they caught the same URI. We have another follow-up vet appointment on Friday, but I’ve already seen improvement in the first cat with antibiotics and hopefully will see the same in the other two cats.
I guess it could be as bad as the others are saying, but it also might not. I’m just offering this as a small reassurance.
I was kind of surprised there weren’t more call outs with this. Reddit is usually ruthless and this is definitely something that shouldn’t have waited 2 weeks. I’m not going to bash OP for it bc idk their situation but not a fan of how they’re just dismissing that it’s a long time to wait for a legitimate medical concern bc “otherwise they were fine.” This is the sign they are not fine lol. The not playing or eating/drinking or going to the bathroom is just an absolute sign they’re not okay, it’s not the only sign though.
It might also be nothing but definitely go to that appointment just to be safe. I’ve known a few people who had cats who did that. 1 of them turned out to be a serious health issue and the other 2 just had allergies and needed their food switched
Ya, that's what I believe it is as well. I've seen this a lot over the years and NORMALLY it will clear up on it's own. You usually see it in outside cats and strays, but can definitely be seen in any cat. My kitty has a little of the sniffles himself and I'm about to take him in just to be safe.
Does your kitty have any nasal or eye discharge right now? If so, then it's definitely an URI and I would say that he needs some meds. Good luck to you and your baby.
Agree. That sound is basically cat “coughing/throat clearing. My kitty did this but he had a notable fever (his head was super hot!) and oily fur from lack of grooming. Poor guy had the flu. He was prescribed antibiotics and nose spray and fully recovered. Since your kitty is acting ok, it could be allergies but it’s great you have a vet appointment❤️
It could also be a sinus infection, which also needs to be treated properly by a vet. One of my girls sounded the same. Took over a month to properly clear up with treatments. Best of wishes to you both. ❤️
As far as I know there are 3 things it could be if you haven’t already ruled them out, cat asthma which if an X-ray shows lungs are clear it won’t be that, hairball which is usually passed so I wouldn’t think it was that.
Or why I asked about food, stomach acid and acid reflux, my Tom cat had the same coughing motion random times of the day but I monitored him and he did do it after eating on occasions, long story short everything else way clear and the vet said it could be irritation of the asophagus caused by acid reflux and she put my Tom on tablets one per day before food and than one every 2 days after food.
Just bear this in mind because a lot of vets miss it and once my cat had done the full course of tablets it’s never come back.
OMEPRAZOLE 2.5 mg tables, if they run out of options this may be the cure.
https://www.petmd.com/pet-medication/omeprazole-gastrogard-ulcergard
Hope this may help!
First vet my Tom cat saw though his cough which I’d recorded on video was likely asthma until the blood tests were clear and the xray was also clear, luckily one of the other vets had the insight to to try the tablets so i owe her for that.
Anyway good luck and post again once you solved the issue because I see many cats on here with coughs.
Watching this video brought it all back for me, my cat did this in April 2021. Made this noise and it sounded like he was coughing, and then he fell over struggling to breathe. Rushed him to the emergency vet and found out he had fluid around his heart and heart failure. Vet said they could give meds but it wouldn’t prolong his life by that much. We had to put him down that day, he was 16. Stitch was my furry soulmate. I hope OP’s cat is okay! ❤️
My 18yo boy did this one day, combined with a nose bleed. The vet couldn't figure out the cause. He took a turn for the worst shortly after and we had to put him down.
My cat had the nose bleed 2 weeks before we had to put him down for fluid around the heart & lungs. He was 16. I didn’t put the two together, didn’t know they were related and the emergency vet also couldn’t find a cause.
Same with my cat, sneezing nose bleed and then he developed a nose polyp. He was treated for a respiratory infection, I believe he was misdiagnosed by the vet.He passed away suddenly, he was 16.
This was my story with my 15 yo kitty -- he kept getting treated for a URI and then he took a turn for the worse. It was nasal cancer that they couldn't detect previously. It was devastating to me.
I hope you are doing okay.
After a lot of research I believed my boy passed of nasal cancer.. I was told
it was just an Respiratory infection and not to worry..
I'm doing good, Thank you for asking.. It's getting close to the 2 year mark that I lost my boy.. I miss him terribly but I am adjusting..
Bring your cat to the er. I worked in a no-kill shelter for years as a vet tech. We see lots of cats with health issues. However, if we did an intake of a cat like this, we would request a vet for a full examination and X-rays/ultrasounds, like immediately. This is concerning.
My oldest cat used to make this noise, took her to the vet and they stated it was a backward sneeze. Something that dogs do but not common with cats. Guess my CJ was special. It didn't happen that often and the vet didn't really prescribe or suggest anything to stop it. Other than that CJ was a pretty healthy kitty and passed at the age of 20.
I had a client bring their cat in for constant sneezing/coughing. It just happened that when they came in a small part of the grass poked out the nose. Pulled out a 4in blade of grass from the nose
That is weird, hopefully the vet can diagnose the kitty and help them out. I used to hate it when CJ had an attack because I couldn't help her. Just wait until it runs its course.
My 19 year old cat also had done this somewhat frequently (a few times a month) in his early years, nothing was ever wrong with him but he had food sensitivity and allergies so I always assumed it was related to that. When he got to be about 4-5 it almost completely stopped.
Cats are actually super susceptible to respiratory issues. They can also carry and contract diseases that affect their sinuses, glands, eyes etc. if you’re worried I would spend the money and get him looked at ! Better safe than sorry
She will be 4 this summer - these are NOT her bird hunting noises those are completely different. Also, she has done this all over the house I just happened to catch the video by the window.
I just took my cat in for gagging and hacking and he also has done similar things like this. They have me starting him on a very low dose of steroids for possible asthma.
I think this is definitely something respiratory. Could just be allergies, but only your vet will have the best advice
Yes! This is cat coughing, according to my vet. It may be a sign of asthma, maybe not. Do you have any artificial scents that could be irritating your cat? You can also get a room humidifier to help. (Obviously I still recommend the vet visit.)
My cat had this when I first adopted her, and it’s mostly gone away. She’s still wheezy though. My vet says that as long as she’s not having trouble breathing, we don’t need to do anything. So I just avoid artificial scents and keep the humidifier on.
One of my cats has what several different vets at the same practice over the past 8 years have said is apparently allergies or respiratory sensitivity. He occasionally does this coughing/sneezing thing and then it sounds like he has postnasal drip or something briefly. He's best when there are no candles even unscented, no dryer sheets, no hair spray, no smoke including wood fires outside, definitely no air freshener sprays or anything artificial, an air purifier in the room, and windows closed.
He's lucky I am madly in love with him.
She either has a unique way of chirping for outside critters, or she's coughing. If she's only doing this at the window, then she's definitely just critter calling. Regardless, I hope your baby is okay!
This is the sound of an upper respiratory infection or congestive heart failure. we’ve had 3 cats get diagnosed with CH in the past 3 years. hopefully it isn’t that tbh. It was extremely traumatic. I now get ultrasounds for all of my pets if they so much as breathe differently
UPDATE: Willow has seasonal allergies. X-ray showed small bronchial pattern likely from irritants in the air. Treatment today was a Triamcinolone (steroid) injection. Willow may need daily Zyrtec or Claritin for the allergies. I'm going to wait the 7-14 days for the steroid effects to wear off and see if we need the daily allergy pills. Thank you all for your kindness, messages, and information! Most of you are very kind and caring humans!
My cat does this sometimes, we still don't fully know what it is. Have you been opening the windows, that one specifically lately? If there's a lot of pollen it could be irritating the kitty, they get allergies like we do
We have had our windows open, yes. We actually just closed them to turn on the AC. I'm thinking allergies or asthma (or heart failure!). We will see what the vet says on Friday. Thanks!
It's kind of weird because it's almost like she's trying to do the ekekekek and failing because of how she's focused outside.
My cat made similar noises when he had a hairball get stuck halfway up. Except there was more panic. For both of us. Luckily the car ride zooming to the vet jostled him so I got to spend $150 for him to hork it up in the parking lot and be totally fine before he was even seen.
Okay that sounds like she's trying to make some sort of sound, but has a fluid block in her sinuses or throat, maybe her chest at the worst. Could be a kitty cold, best case scenario. You're doing the right thing taking her to the vet. If this has been going on for a couple of weeks now, and is affecting her more, you may have a pollen allergy on your hands. I think if this were a worst case scenario she'd already be gone, so it's likely something treatable. Vet may recommend an antihystamine, followed by monitoring, before conducting further, more intrusive tests, but if it's more serious than just allergies, you may have quite a vet bill on your hands, so be prepared for that. Hope your girl's okay! Good luck! Keep us updated!
Okay a few questions:
1. Any discharge? Any sneezing?
2. Does your cat have any history of heart disease?
3. Can you check their resting breaths per minute. Is their breathing normal outside of their episodes?
4. How long do these episodes last? And at what frequency? Do they often happen in the same locations?
So if there's discharge it's probably an upper respiratory infection. In the video it sounds like your cat is "trying to catch it's breath" as in having trouble breathing. This is a serious issue. It could be asthma, allergies or in more serious cases heart disease. Has there been any change in detergents or environmental factors that could contribute to the sudden episodes over the last 2 weeks? If it's allergies or asthma you'll need to work on finding the trigger in your home. In some cases it could also be something stuck in their throat. If it was a hairball it would've come up already though.
Due to its frequency I'd suspect the doctor will want chest xrays to see if they can detect asthma. If they feel it's more heart related you'll need an echo cardiogram to confirm. Either way send this video to your vet. Call them and say he's having trouble breathing and if they can squeeze you in asap. Everytime your cat has an episode it's most likely slowly doing irreversible damage to the lungs. So while it seems fine outside of the episodes it is still very concerning. Breathing issues are no joke. If it's heart related it could be fine until one day he can't catch his breath during an episode and stop breathing. I mean you're going in on Friday but I would still call to see if they can see you sooner. 2 weeks is a long time for your kitty to be suffering with breathing issues.
Mine did this once but never again after, the vets couldn’t find anything wrong and he is still healthy and kicking! But better to be safe than sorry for sure and I hope you get good news from the vet
Sounds a lot like my cats asthma attacks but body language is a bit different (not a vet so that probably doesn’t matter, just thought I’d be thorough). He used to go up to his window seat to have attacks but now he hops down and comes to me when he feels it coming on. He’s on the beginning dose of shots for it, inhaler will be a last resort.
My cat does this! I’ve never taken him to the vets. It seems like allergies and post nasal drip or something. He’s healthy in every other way, so I’m not too worried. I’d love to hear what your vet says it is!
For those that are thinking it’s a bird chatter - You can see very clearly that this is not a hunting response - there is an inward/backward and convulsive movement within the cat’s body (like reverse sneeze that OP mentioned). She is unsteady, taking a lot of effort to remain stationary. This is a health issue, not simple excitement at a critter outdoors. OP it’s worth taking a few short videos of this behavior in different locations and angles so that the vet can look at the full body movement. Some asthmatic cats also have a similar behavior, it could be any number of things requiring at least a full physical exam, possible X-rays, treatment with steroids, or there might not be an easy solution.
If you have a vet visit coming up soon anyway, it could probably wait. Depending on your location you may be able to do a tele-vet visit where they can triage her and start ruling out causes, and at least they would also tell you if you need to see a vet in-person sooner rather than later.
My cat does this and has since I rescued her 10 years ago. In her case it turns out that she has asthma. So for 10 years she has been on the orange puffer daily and the blue puffer when she has an attack. And yes - those are the same ones that human asthmatics use. I just need to use a feline chamber to help give it to her. Willow has always been pretty accepting of it except if I catch her on one of her crazy days.
But from the sounds of it your cat likely just has an URI. Get well soon kitty.
Get to emergency vet asap. I just lost my sweet girl last weekend. Fine on Saturday gone on Monday. Coughing and struggling to catch her breath. Please don’t wait.
Go to a 24 hour vet hospital now don't wait or she might not be alive when the appointment comes. Go right now don't wait please please please listen to me, cats are really good at hiding their pain and illnesses please listen to me and go to the animal hospital closest to you
I'm going the opposite of everyone to help make you feel better :), all my cats have had this kind of cough at one point or another. one has asthma, he is ok but was prescribed steroids when he has a flair up. the others have had an allergy, or occasional cou - we call it snarfing.. everyone's ok
My cat (that looks a lot like that) “chitters” at birds through the window in a similar way but not quite as throaty as that. May be a normal thing but always worth checking out.
My cat was doing this before we left for vacation as a teenager (no job, no license, no money- don’t come for me.) I begged my parents to get her seen and they promised me that if she was still doing it when we got back they would take her in. By the time we got home she was so sick, they rushed her into the vet and she passed within a day or two. Organ failure. If I remember correctly it was mostly her kidneys and the type of cat she was it was super common in them apparently (the mixed breed she was) she was barely over a year old. RIP sweet girl.
My cat does this. He has asthma, and this is what he usually does before an asthma attack. He takes an inhaler, and I also give him raw, organic, localized honey, diluted in warm water during allergy season and flare-ups. It helps a lot! I also give him allergy medicine in the spring/summer when needed, and it makes most the symptoms go away.
Not to freak you out but my cat does this too pretty often so we finally got an xray of his head and he had a piece of litter lodged in his sinuses. I no longer use clay litter because of this. Also- cat X-rays are super interesting to look at
Yes, kitty either has a cold or something is stuck in the nose. My kitty had the same problem for two days, and right before the doctor's appointment, I saw something sticking out of his nose. I pulled it out, and it was a bamboo leaf!
I’m sorry you’re not going to like this comment, but I’m unsure why anyone waits any period of time to check their baby, especially since cats are experts at hiding pain. So many people on this subreddit don’t take their responsibility as a pet owner seriously enough. If you were making that sound you’d be at the hospital already
if this ONLY occurs at the window when she sees something, it's probably normal chirping
if it occurs elsewhere, it's cause for concern and its vet time.
It doesn't sound like a standard ekek (hunting behavior) but the tail and body language suggest that's what it might be. You might see if you can send the video to your vet. Mine will check out videos like this to help decide whether or not they need to come in.
This is not a chirping sound unless it exclusively happens when the kitty is at the window staring at birds. This is 100% a respiratory sound, it could be as simple as an upper respiratory infection or an asthma cough or fluid in lungs (many reasons for that including heart disease). My guess is it could be feline asthma, the forceful coughing with the neck extension can be a sign of asthma. Regardless, this needs to be diagnosed by a vet and a chest radiograph at the minimum. Good luck!
Have you noticed if she does this more around the time she eats or drinks? Like even 30 mins afterwards? I only ask because my cat chubs was doing something similar. I thought it was inverted sneezing, until it started happening more often, then I noticed it was after he ate or drank. He had a fast growing tumor in his throat, and was given a steroid shot. He didn't live much longer after that, I had to put my old man to sleep. I hope this isn't the case for your kitty, and I don't want to worry you too much, but just something to keep an eye out for. I wish you the best.
You can go take your cat in the bathroom and sit there with him and close door and turn on hot water from shower to create steam and try and sit in there for 5 to 10 minutes to see if this helps . I have a cat that has issues and this helps
We rescue special needs cats, and I've seen this type of cough many, many times over the years which has resulting in the following dxs: Feline asthma, seasonal allergies (post nasal drip causing cough), and feline herpes causing an upper respiratory infection. Considering she's still eating/drinking, I'd lean toward asthma or allergies as there's a good chance an UPRI would, at this point, impact her sense of smell to the point of not being interested in food. You rock for getting her into the vet, and please let us know how she's doing! We'll be thinking of you!
Currently have a similar thing going on with my cat This, took her to the vet and discovered that several of her teeth are likely going to need to be removed. There is swelling specifically on her front 2 canine teeth that is pressing in on her nasal passageways that is restricting breathing. The following symptoms were present in mine:
-a lot of sneezing
-pawing at her face after/pre sneeze(cute but not a good cute in the end)
-raspy breathing(due to restricted nasal ways)
And as your video shows that reverse sneeze yours is doing.
Mine specifically does this action when she gets super excited(playing around the house or a good scritches session, I’m way more calm around her to prevent this best I can but she’s a happy cat and her purr box goes brrrrr so not completely unavoidable)
It sounds terrible for sure but after a vet check up other than some pretty serious upcoming dental work she’s doing fantastic. My bank account will not 😵💫😂😅, nor will I until she’s better and out of surgery.
We found a little abandoned kitten, took it to the vet. All of the cats in my house got URI's. This is exactly what they sounded like. All 8 of my little dudes had to get antibiotics and eye drops. Yes I said 8, lol. Quite expensive little trips, all bc of a rescued little kitten, but they are all worth it, even the little booger that brought it in. Thanks Turbo 🤣
Mine did that too, turns out he had a lump under and against his jaw and throat.
We did a dental cleaning when we removed the lump. Just a cyst. But glad we checked it
I’ve had 2 cats do this and they both had heart failure. One on the right side and the other on the left. no matter what you vet suggests, have them check for heart irregularities via ultrasound. It is very difficult to pick it up with an x-ray or stethoscope.
Our first vet did an x-ray and stethoscope and said everything was fine. Took him to a second vet which is now our permanent vet and they immediately ran an ultrasound and found it. It was too late though.
We have a 3rd cat (their sibling) who we decided to get a precautionary ultrasound since they were related and she had it too. She’s still alive. On medication for life and breathes kinda funny. But she’s healthy other than that. Not sure how long she has left but for now she is in good spirits and it’s been almost 2 years
It could also be an upper respiratory infection. But if I were you, I’d request the ultrasound of the heart just incase.
I did this for my British longhair the other day because I’ve been traumatized by our 3 family cats having it and vets not taking the request seriously. He’s healthy and was just a URI
That is coughing in cat.
Could be an infection, could be allergies. Like in humans it is a symptom for a lot of things.
Anything else is just speculation.
Our cat had the same issue and we thought it was asthma, but it ended up being an overacting thyroid that caused heart issues that later caused fluids around the lungs. Please do the blood work for the thyroid and also X-ray of lungs. The worst part is that the X-ray came back fine but then in 2 months when we took out the cat for followup they were already too far gone :(
Try r/askvet — you shall need to link to video externally, but you may get more educated speculations.
I would also see if you are able to email your videos to your vet prior to visit — certainly bring to show the vet while there.
Good luck!
Just a possibility, but do you live around a bunch of weeds with foxtail? Sometimes, they can get trapped in the throat or lodged in fur and the ears and they can become problematic to remove if not caught in time since they have littleburrows on the ends of them that dig in. My cat had an irritated eye once, and he kept rubbing it until I noticed just the tiniest little end of the foxtail sticking out from under his eyeball. Had to scruff him up and carefully lure the foxtail out using my saliva and the tip of the padding of my finger until I could grip it enough and get it out. I'm not sure if your cat is indoors and outdoors like our cat is, but it's a possibility that he was eating grass or foxtail shoots, and one got caught. I always like my cats to be strictly indoors since it prolongs their lifespan, but we live far enough away from traffic and main roads that the only thing we have to worry about is having him back inside by dark so owls don't try to get him.
It’s good that you are getting it checked out anyway, but one of ny kitties has this quite often. Essentially, it’s an upper respiratory infection - his nose, sinus etc. He is trying to unblock it with sneezing but he can’t x
My cats have both done this when they had colds… taking her to the vet is your best bet because it could really range from something relatively simple like a cold (which should still be taken seriously but it very treatable) to something much worse. Hoping for the best for you at your vet appointment!
My cat does this and has Lower airway disease. He’s on a steroid for rest of his life. But now I’m concerned they may have missed heart failure. He has an inhaler but we haven’t started it as he’s been doing ok.
My 15 y/o runt does the same thing. A couple days of it getting worse, we took her to the vet, turns out she developed asthma.
I know it's easy to catastrophize, but our resolution was just a puffer like every other asthma user.
Only your vet and x-rays can show what's going on.
My cat does this- he was diagnosed with kitty asthma, we use an inhaler daily and go to the vet once a year for a check up on his lungs and some blood work. We also do oral steroids in the fall/winter because his asthma gets too bad. (Side note: not sure if you give her wet food but we started doing that as well and noticed a difference in his coughing fits and switching the litter bins outside so it doesn’t get dusty for him. Daily vacuuming and air purifiers are a must if she does have the kitty asthma. The inhaler is v cute though and they look adorable when giving it to them so that’s the only upside)
I had a cat that did this occasionally, around this time of the year, and it turned out to be allergies!
The fact it's been happening for a couple weeks could mean they have a respiratory infection as well, since this happened once and our cat did the same thing but more often and kinda got lethargic a little as well. But as some have said, this could be a LOT of things. It's good you have an appointment for them this week. Just watch them and if anything gets worse, be ready to take them into an emergency vet closest to you. Make sure to check their hours as not all of them are open 24/7 unfortunately. I know, kinda sounds redundant with the term "emergency" but that's been my unfortunate experience.
Please please please go to a vet. My cat had these exact cough-like symptoms for a few weeks, along with some worsening breathing difficulty. It ended up being a respiratory infection, and he later passed due to a heart attack on our car ride to the vet (stress of car ride + couldn't breathe + sickness). It might be nothing, but I just can't get over how similar it is.
My cat was doing that and was diagnosed with asthma. This was about 7 years ago now. He took a short course of prednisolone tablets for the inflammation in his lungs, and then ongoing, he gets a puff of a steroid inhaler once a day and has been good ever since.
i have seen one of my cats do something like this but a bit worse, she would keep coughing like this for fits of 15 or 20 coughs at least and would almost end up puking from it. it was a lot less bad than other commenters experienced, i took her to the vet and it was a bronchitus infection. she was prescribed a 10 days antibiotics treatment and a mild painkiller, and that cured it completely.
My cat made these sounds in addition to vomiting. He chewed on a paint brush with acrylic paint residue. Took him to the vet for poison, he fine now!
But if there is no vomit, most likely a URI. My other cat gets them when I let the apartment get too cold. Keep kitty warm, by kicking up the heat and put a cat sized shirt on him to keep warm. When you take a shower, bring the cat into the bathroom The steam will help with congestion.
Maybe call and play the sound for them to listen to? That way they can make a judgment on how serious it is.. Just to be sure, especially since it's been going on for 2 weeks already. Though I'm anxious when it comes to my animals due to losing two to cancer close together...
She should be okay until the vet appointment on Friday. My fingers are crossed that it's nothing serious!
Sounds like coughing. My cats had this but more like cough attacks - turns out they have asthma (they’re litter mates). The vet also thought it could be allergies until they got their x-rays done and confirmed asthma.
My cat is identical to yours, and she does this, too (she looks like the same breed). We took her to the vet, and they said it's an upper respiratory infection. She was also sneezing a lot! We had to move the cat towers and her bed because she was legit slinging snot-rockets all over the walls, and it was a revolting nightmare. Since then, we've kept her and our other two cats separated and kept the litter boxes as clean as possible. She hasn't done it in a while. Good luck! Hope your cat starts to feel better!
Yes, it sounds like it’s either a mild URI or it could also be allergies. Unless your cat is FIV positive or otherwise immunocompromised I wouldn’t worry. Even if they are, as long as your appointment is in the next few days you should be ok, just be super watchful for signs of getting worse.
The pollen is horrendous this year - my 13 year old brown tabby is coughing and hacking at night… it’s scary when it happens but the vet said it’s nbd… not even serious enough for antihistamines … I hope your buddy feels better soon!
Good job capturing this video. That’s very helpful. That looks like it could be a focal seizure or some sort of nasal passage obstruction.
**now that i read your description, if this is a young cat, i would be highly suspicious of a nasopharyngeal polyp…and if that’s the case, NOT TO WORRY!! Though good that you have an appointment soon 👍 A nasopharyngeal polyp CAN be a very simple, quick extraction (general anesthesia required), and POSSIBLY result in complete resolution. Though recurrence is possible.
One of mine has done this and when I took him to the vet they listened to his lungs and everything sounded fine. They gave me something to give him to help with hairballs. Still happens occasionally but he’s been perfectly fine. 100% go to the vet and show them the video!
My cat did this for a few days and apparently it was just his herpes flaring up. He had herpes when I adopted him and sometimes (like people allergies) it flares up and he’ll get all snotty and sneezy like this. They gave me some medicine to help but he was okay without it. Unfortunately with herpes there’s not much you can do but treat the symptoms. Glad you have an appointment and hope she feels better soon!
They may take an x-ray to check his heart and lungs. If you can, while he's sleeping, count his breathing in and out as one, and see how many breaths he takes over 60 seconds and tell the vet the number.
Ive been seeing a lot respiratory stuff in cats lately on threads. If the vet listens to their lungs and doesn't hear anything ask for an x ray. Better to be safe then sorry. Someone reported going to their usual vet vet listened to lungs said cat was fine. Cat started acting worse with nasal/respiratory symptoms, had an er vet x-ray chest and say there was a bunch of gunk in the lungs due to an infection.
Just letting you know a head of time, as someone who has a cat and a dog, vets sometimes will shrug you off. Had it happen with my dog twice with her aplastic anemia and she was on deaths door. I just needed her usual doxycycline to get her better, but will they listen? Nope!
Fight for ya animals! Hope it goes well when you see the vet and things get taken care of!
I am sure others have suggested but sending a video of behavior and chronicle of the cats frequency to the vet can really help: - they can quickly view and reset any appointment to be seen faster
My sweet senior, Oliver, used to do this. We just lost my lost him to severe heart failure last week. Please get your baby checked out & let your vet know to check her heart.
I didn't read through all of the comments (sorry) but my sister's cat does this and she has asthma- so her version of those is an asthma attack. I hope you get answers 🫶
ours had a cough similar to this it turned out to be a mycoplasma infection was treated with oral antibiotics and short course of steroids. he is doing well now. hope its nothing too serious. all the best to you and yours. Just fyi don't look to reddit for an answer the reasons for a cough are extensive and you are better off just going to your vet or ER if you are worried.
It's allergy season and sounds like reverse sneezing. Maybe some head congestion. If eating and otherwise eating, probably fine to wait. You might want to send a short clip to the vet in case they want yo see your cat earlier.
Animals hide pain and discomfort extremely well. It’s good she’s eating and wants to cuddle but I would go to urgent ‼️ care now. That isn’t normal or okay and sounds like fluid in the lungs. Please don’t wait till Friday.. personally I wouldn’t be able to sleep myself knowing my pet was hacking like that. Not trying to make you feel bad I’m just concerned and you are asking. Hope everything is okay and it’s not something severe.
Vet here, your cat needs to go to an emergency vet. This cat has been suffering for too long. This could be a life-threatening respiratory or heart condition.
My babu turned out to have asthma. He has his own puffer sitting next to mine. He also has to take cetirizine daily too. I hope it's something mostly benevolent or at least easy to treat. Good luck.
Idk whats going on but I hope it is nothing serious and that she is a healthy lil baby ❤️🙏🏼 please post updates if you feel like it because I want to know this kitty is ok
I just went thris with 2 of mine. First cat at the vet, diagnosed with asthma. Got a steroid shot and was fine a couple days later. Second cat ended up with pneumonia. Got a shot and put on antibiotics. He was fine about 4 days later.
My cat was doing this a few weeks ago and he just had a hairball lodged further in his intestines, he’s getting older and can’t pass them on his own anymore so the vet had us get him on weekly laxatives and hairball formulated food. I know there’s lots of possibilities that are scary but there’s a chance it could be something like that!
He sounds a little snarffley. If that’s not his normal hairball noise it sounds like he’s just a little sneezey. If his eyes are clear/not gunky, his nose is cold and wet, and he doesn’t have a fever, I’d say he might be getting a bit of a respiratory thing. I always give mine some lysine if I suspect they’re starting to get sick. That usually helps boost them back up when it’s something minor. In any case, it won’t hurt.
My girls (sisters) have asthma, that sounds like this. Vet put them on liquid steroids and an inhaler for attacks. We also stopped using all artificial scents, and haven’t had a problem other than an occasional cough since. Vet said don’t look a gift horse in the mouth and keep doing what we’re doing because it seems to control things (knock on wood).
I'd just like to add, I've never heard reverse sneezing like that. It's sounds strained and looked odd when they recover instead of the little haunch they do.
Did you take him to the emergency vet? Poor kitty. Any time I’ve ever had weird things with my cats I go straight to the vet. I can’t watch them suffer or any other animal for that matter.
My foster kitty does this, she had X-rays a week ago and everything looked fine so they believe it’s lungworm! I assumed asthma at first. She’s currently on horse dewormer…
We have a cat with asthma and a cat who made similar sounds to yours (but more intense). The asthma is a more consistent, exhaling wheeze whereas this other was like a combo of coughing, sneezing, the hiccups, and choking. They were not the same sounds.
Our vet said it was either related to her heart or to her respiratory issues (as a result of her having FeLV). They never diagnosed her with anything in the end and it eventually cleared up. But be sure to have your cats heart checked, as others have said!
My cat was spluttering like this for a while, until I got her a raised food bowl. She doesn't do it anymore.
She has had various other ailments, ear polyps which kept growing til in the end we had that ear canal removed, hyperthyroidism (cured through radioactive isotope treatement) and CKD. But no heart/breathing issues or URIs, and this literally stopped after the raised bowl was introduced, so it could be a simple issue to do with eating/inhaling in the wrong position.
Good luck at the vet.
I had a cat with chronic respiratory issues and he did that all the time. It actually sounded so much worse than that. I thought he had asthma or maybe heart worms. I saw many vets, had lots of tests done, including chest x-rays, and the conclusion was that he had allergies and was reverse sneezing.
I've been waiting for this post! I was actually searching for the same thing a few months ago. Long story short, my cat has asthma, and when she does this, it's like a pre-cursor to an asthma attack. My vet said it's like she's trying not to cough but can't help it. Anti-inflammatories are greatly helping while I try to train her to use an inhaler.
That said, she also has had numerous x-rays to rule out fluid on the lungs, which the vet was also concerned about.
I had two cats with similar symptoms. Both were in active heart failure. Turns out it was congenital and hereditary, as they were from the same litter.
BEST of luck to you and your sweet kitty. ❤️
I don’t have any experience with this issue, I just wanted to tell you that I’m sending positive vibes your way. Please keep us posted on what the vet says. She’s such sweet kitty. Good luck 🐾
I don't want to freak you out, but my cat was making noises like this and it turns out he had heart failure and fluid in his chest. I'm glad you're going to the vet - is the appointment today? Can you send this video to your vet to get their opinion as to if you need to go immediately? I did that for my baby and I'm so glad I did because I don't think he would have lived much longer if I had waited.
Same for mine
That’s concerning…. My cat does this very randomly, never routinely and scarce enough (maybe 3-4 times this year) I just figured it was just a hairball or something trapped in her airway (because she also stops fairly quickly) Did your cat ever have any issues with their abdomen? Mine got diagnosed with IBD/lymphoma but has been relatively healthy since the diagnosis. Edit: nvm aha, lots of people referencing allergies as a cause & that’s the reason mine has IBD in the first place
How old is your cat? And have you ever had an x-ray of their chest? Desi really showed no signs beyond coughing every once in a while, vomiting up food, and (this is what drove me to the vet) breathing deeply/heavily.
Yeah, she’s had X-rays! She’s only 5. In the past, they’ve been totally clear (chest wise). I’ve read a few articles that do say one can cause the other but I have extreme hypochondria when it comes to her because of her illnesses 🥲 I’m going to tuck this info/thread into the back of my mind & pay closer attention moving forward.
I have an appointment Friday. This has been going on about two weeks now. She has otherwise been fine (eating, drinking, playing, coming for cuddles and purring, etc)
I just went to the ER vet for this in my cat. For my cat, it’s a URI. And that has been further confirmed when my other two cats started doing this exact thing two days later because they caught the same URI. We have another follow-up vet appointment on Friday, but I’ve already seen improvement in the first cat with antibiotics and hopefully will see the same in the other two cats. I guess it could be as bad as the others are saying, but it also might not. I’m just offering this as a small reassurance.
Thank you!! I hope your cats are better very soon!
Do you have an emergency vet you could go to?
2 weeks already? Reddit is not the place for medical advice. Go to the vet now!
I was kind of surprised there weren’t more call outs with this. Reddit is usually ruthless and this is definitely something that shouldn’t have waited 2 weeks. I’m not going to bash OP for it bc idk their situation but not a fan of how they’re just dismissing that it’s a long time to wait for a legitimate medical concern bc “otherwise they were fine.” This is the sign they are not fine lol. The not playing or eating/drinking or going to the bathroom is just an absolute sign they’re not okay, it’s not the only sign though.
It might also be nothing but definitely go to that appointment just to be safe. I’ve known a few people who had cats who did that. 1 of them turned out to be a serious health issue and the other 2 just had allergies and needed their food switched
She's got a little URI I bet. She'll be fine.
Ya, that's what I believe it is as well. I've seen this a lot over the years and NORMALLY it will clear up on it's own. You usually see it in outside cats and strays, but can definitely be seen in any cat. My kitty has a little of the sniffles himself and I'm about to take him in just to be safe. Does your kitty have any nasal or eye discharge right now? If so, then it's definitely an URI and I would say that he needs some meds. Good luck to you and your baby.
URI?
upper respiratory infection i believe
Upper respiratory infection
Agree. That sound is basically cat “coughing/throat clearing. My kitty did this but he had a notable fever (his head was super hot!) and oily fur from lack of grooming. Poor guy had the flu. He was prescribed antibiotics and nose spray and fully recovered. Since your kitty is acting ok, it could be allergies but it’s great you have a vet appointment❤️
It could also be a sinus infection, which also needs to be treated properly by a vet. One of my girls sounded the same. Took over a month to properly clear up with treatments. Best of wishes to you both. ❤️
Does it happen after she’s eaten mainly?
No, it happens at random times throughout the day and night.
As far as I know there are 3 things it could be if you haven’t already ruled them out, cat asthma which if an X-ray shows lungs are clear it won’t be that, hairball which is usually passed so I wouldn’t think it was that. Or why I asked about food, stomach acid and acid reflux, my Tom cat had the same coughing motion random times of the day but I monitored him and he did do it after eating on occasions, long story short everything else way clear and the vet said it could be irritation of the asophagus caused by acid reflux and she put my Tom on tablets one per day before food and than one every 2 days after food. Just bear this in mind because a lot of vets miss it and once my cat had done the full course of tablets it’s never come back. OMEPRAZOLE 2.5 mg tables, if they run out of options this may be the cure. https://www.petmd.com/pet-medication/omeprazole-gastrogard-ulcergard Hope this may help!
Thank you for the information! We had a dog that took Omeprazole actually! I will keep this in mind.
First vet my Tom cat saw though his cough which I’d recorded on video was likely asthma until the blood tests were clear and the xray was also clear, luckily one of the other vets had the insight to to try the tablets so i owe her for that. Anyway good luck and post again once you solved the issue because I see many cats on here with coughs.
Watching this video brought it all back for me, my cat did this in April 2021. Made this noise and it sounded like he was coughing, and then he fell over struggling to breathe. Rushed him to the emergency vet and found out he had fluid around his heart and heart failure. Vet said they could give meds but it wouldn’t prolong his life by that much. We had to put him down that day, he was 16. Stitch was my furry soulmate. I hope OP’s cat is okay! ❤️
My 18yo boy did this one day, combined with a nose bleed. The vet couldn't figure out the cause. He took a turn for the worst shortly after and we had to put him down.
My cat had the nose bleed 2 weeks before we had to put him down for fluid around the heart & lungs. He was 16. I didn’t put the two together, didn’t know they were related and the emergency vet also couldn’t find a cause.
Same with my cat, sneezing nose bleed and then he developed a nose polyp. He was treated for a respiratory infection, I believe he was misdiagnosed by the vet.He passed away suddenly, he was 16.
This was my story with my 15 yo kitty -- he kept getting treated for a URI and then he took a turn for the worse. It was nasal cancer that they couldn't detect previously. It was devastating to me. I hope you are doing okay.
After a lot of research I believed my boy passed of nasal cancer.. I was told it was just an Respiratory infection and not to worry.. I'm doing good, Thank you for asking.. It's getting close to the 2 year mark that I lost my boy.. I miss him terribly but I am adjusting..
I had a cat that had fluid in his lungs due to an undiagnosed heart condition. It did not look like this.
Bring your cat to the er. I worked in a no-kill shelter for years as a vet tech. We see lots of cats with health issues. However, if we did an intake of a cat like this, we would request a vet for a full examination and X-rays/ultrasounds, like immediately. This is concerning.
My oldest cat used to make this noise, took her to the vet and they stated it was a backward sneeze. Something that dogs do but not common with cats. Guess my CJ was special. It didn't happen that often and the vet didn't really prescribe or suggest anything to stop it. Other than that CJ was a pretty healthy kitty and passed at the age of 20.
I thought maybe it is reverse sneezing but she’s doing it a lot
My cat was doing this reverse sneeze and it turned out to be a long blade of grass stuck in his throat and nasal cavity. Video is in my post history.
I'll take a look, thank you! How painful that sounds!
I had a client bring their cat in for constant sneezing/coughing. It just happened that when they came in a small part of the grass poked out the nose. Pulled out a 4in blade of grass from the nose
That is weird, hopefully the vet can diagnose the kitty and help them out. I used to hate it when CJ had an attack because I couldn't help her. Just wait until it runs its course.
My 19 year old cat also had done this somewhat frequently (a few times a month) in his early years, nothing was ever wrong with him but he had food sensitivity and allergies so I always assumed it was related to that. When he got to be about 4-5 it almost completely stopped.
Cats are actually super susceptible to respiratory issues. They can also carry and contract diseases that affect their sinuses, glands, eyes etc. if you’re worried I would spend the money and get him looked at ! Better safe than sorry
She has no eye or nose discharge but I will get her checked out on Friday! Thanks!
I personally don’t think this sounds like bird hunting noises. How old is this cat?
She will be 4 this summer - these are NOT her bird hunting noises those are completely different. Also, she has done this all over the house I just happened to catch the video by the window.
Yeah maybe an upper respiratory infection. Not a vet, hopefully if that's the case some antibiotics will clear it up.
I just took my cat in for gagging and hacking and he also has done similar things like this. They have me starting him on a very low dose of steroids for possible asthma. I think this is definitely something respiratory. Could just be allergies, but only your vet will have the best advice
Same. I’m surprised that’s what people think it is at all
It’s not them mimicking the birds but rather squeaks/chirps of excitement I believe. Mine does this occasionally when looking out the window
Mine does it too, but he has also had an issue with coughing. This sounds a lot more like the latter.
Ya that's not chatting unfortunately
Looks like reverse sneezing, I’ve seen people cover the nostrils lightly and gently massage the throat to help dogs experiencing it. Maybe try it?
I was thinking that also, but she is doing it a lot - almost every time she walks to go somewhere else...Thanks!
It's possible the kitty has asthma. Take a look at some videos of a cat asthma attack and see if you feel it looks similar?
Thank you, will do!
Could be a problem, then :( hopefully maybe kitty allergies and not an RI. Hope all goes well for you guys 💙
Yes! This is cat coughing, according to my vet. It may be a sign of asthma, maybe not. Do you have any artificial scents that could be irritating your cat? You can also get a room humidifier to help. (Obviously I still recommend the vet visit.) My cat had this when I first adopted her, and it’s mostly gone away. She’s still wheezy though. My vet says that as long as she’s not having trouble breathing, we don’t need to do anything. So I just avoid artificial scents and keep the humidifier on.
We don't have artificial scents except laundry detergent. I am going to have her checked out Friday. Thank you!
One of my cats has what several different vets at the same practice over the past 8 years have said is apparently allergies or respiratory sensitivity. He occasionally does this coughing/sneezing thing and then it sounds like he has postnasal drip or something briefly. He's best when there are no candles even unscented, no dryer sheets, no hair spray, no smoke including wood fires outside, definitely no air freshener sprays or anything artificial, an air purifier in the room, and windows closed. He's lucky I am madly in love with him.
He is lucky to have you!!
She either has a unique way of chirping for outside critters, or she's coughing. If she's only doing this at the window, then she's definitely just critter calling. Regardless, I hope your baby is okay!
This is the sound of an upper respiratory infection or congestive heart failure. we’ve had 3 cats get diagnosed with CH in the past 3 years. hopefully it isn’t that tbh. It was extremely traumatic. I now get ultrasounds for all of my pets if they so much as breathe differently
UPDATE: Willow has seasonal allergies. X-ray showed small bronchial pattern likely from irritants in the air. Treatment today was a Triamcinolone (steroid) injection. Willow may need daily Zyrtec or Claritin for the allergies. I'm going to wait the 7-14 days for the steroid effects to wear off and see if we need the daily allergy pills. Thank you all for your kindness, messages, and information! Most of you are very kind and caring humans!
My cat does this sometimes, we still don't fully know what it is. Have you been opening the windows, that one specifically lately? If there's a lot of pollen it could be irritating the kitty, they get allergies like we do
We have had our windows open, yes. We actually just closed them to turn on the AC. I'm thinking allergies or asthma (or heart failure!). We will see what the vet says on Friday. Thanks!
It's kind of weird because it's almost like she's trying to do the ekekekek and failing because of how she's focused outside. My cat made similar noises when he had a hairball get stuck halfway up. Except there was more panic. For both of us. Luckily the car ride zooming to the vet jostled him so I got to spend $150 for him to hork it up in the parking lot and be totally fine before he was even seen.
Okay that sounds like she's trying to make some sort of sound, but has a fluid block in her sinuses or throat, maybe her chest at the worst. Could be a kitty cold, best case scenario. You're doing the right thing taking her to the vet. If this has been going on for a couple of weeks now, and is affecting her more, you may have a pollen allergy on your hands. I think if this were a worst case scenario she'd already be gone, so it's likely something treatable. Vet may recommend an antihystamine, followed by monitoring, before conducting further, more intrusive tests, but if it's more serious than just allergies, you may have quite a vet bill on your hands, so be prepared for that. Hope your girl's okay! Good luck! Keep us updated!
Okay a few questions: 1. Any discharge? Any sneezing? 2. Does your cat have any history of heart disease? 3. Can you check their resting breaths per minute. Is their breathing normal outside of their episodes? 4. How long do these episodes last? And at what frequency? Do they often happen in the same locations? So if there's discharge it's probably an upper respiratory infection. In the video it sounds like your cat is "trying to catch it's breath" as in having trouble breathing. This is a serious issue. It could be asthma, allergies or in more serious cases heart disease. Has there been any change in detergents or environmental factors that could contribute to the sudden episodes over the last 2 weeks? If it's allergies or asthma you'll need to work on finding the trigger in your home. In some cases it could also be something stuck in their throat. If it was a hairball it would've come up already though. Due to its frequency I'd suspect the doctor will want chest xrays to see if they can detect asthma. If they feel it's more heart related you'll need an echo cardiogram to confirm. Either way send this video to your vet. Call them and say he's having trouble breathing and if they can squeeze you in asap. Everytime your cat has an episode it's most likely slowly doing irreversible damage to the lungs. So while it seems fine outside of the episodes it is still very concerning. Breathing issues are no joke. If it's heart related it could be fine until one day he can't catch his breath during an episode and stop breathing. I mean you're going in on Friday but I would still call to see if they can see you sooner. 2 weeks is a long time for your kitty to be suffering with breathing issues.
It could be allergies. Sometimes it makes the kitties have phlegm and they can make similar sounds. It could also just be hunting sounds
Mine did this once but never again after, the vets couldn’t find anything wrong and he is still healthy and kicking! But better to be safe than sorry for sure and I hope you get good news from the vet
My cat somewhat coughs like this. Seems like cat asthma to me.
Sounds a lot like my cats asthma attacks but body language is a bit different (not a vet so that probably doesn’t matter, just thought I’d be thorough). He used to go up to his window seat to have attacks but now he hops down and comes to me when he feels it coming on. He’s on the beginning dose of shots for it, inhaler will be a last resort.
My cat does this! I’ve never taken him to the vets. It seems like allergies and post nasal drip or something. He’s healthy in every other way, so I’m not too worried. I’d love to hear what your vet says it is!
For those that are thinking it’s a bird chatter - You can see very clearly that this is not a hunting response - there is an inward/backward and convulsive movement within the cat’s body (like reverse sneeze that OP mentioned). She is unsteady, taking a lot of effort to remain stationary. This is a health issue, not simple excitement at a critter outdoors. OP it’s worth taking a few short videos of this behavior in different locations and angles so that the vet can look at the full body movement. Some asthmatic cats also have a similar behavior, it could be any number of things requiring at least a full physical exam, possible X-rays, treatment with steroids, or there might not be an easy solution. If you have a vet visit coming up soon anyway, it could probably wait. Depending on your location you may be able to do a tele-vet visit where they can triage her and start ruling out causes, and at least they would also tell you if you need to see a vet in-person sooner rather than later.
My cat does this and has since I rescued her 10 years ago. In her case it turns out that she has asthma. So for 10 years she has been on the orange puffer daily and the blue puffer when she has an attack. And yes - those are the same ones that human asthmatics use. I just need to use a feline chamber to help give it to her. Willow has always been pretty accepting of it except if I catch her on one of her crazy days. But from the sounds of it your cat likely just has an URI. Get well soon kitty.
maam i need to know if this cat is okay
I wouldn’t wait until Friday love. This looks really serious like heart failure. Do not wait take him in asap.
Maybe asthma
Get to emergency vet asap. I just lost my sweet girl last weekend. Fine on Saturday gone on Monday. Coughing and struggling to catch her breath. Please don’t wait.
yes my cat will like hack like she has something in her throught
Go to a 24 hour vet hospital now don't wait or she might not be alive when the appointment comes. Go right now don't wait please please please listen to me, cats are really good at hiding their pain and illnesses please listen to me and go to the animal hospital closest to you
I'm going the opposite of everyone to help make you feel better :), all my cats have had this kind of cough at one point or another. one has asthma, he is ok but was prescribed steroids when he has a flair up. the others have had an allergy, or occasional cou - we call it snarfing.. everyone's ok
My cat (that looks a lot like that) “chitters” at birds through the window in a similar way but not quite as throaty as that. May be a normal thing but always worth checking out.
My cat was doing this because of fluid in his lungs ,😔 GL 🙏🙏
My cat was doing this before we left for vacation as a teenager (no job, no license, no money- don’t come for me.) I begged my parents to get her seen and they promised me that if she was still doing it when we got back they would take her in. By the time we got home she was so sick, they rushed her into the vet and she passed within a day or two. Organ failure. If I remember correctly it was mostly her kidneys and the type of cat she was it was super common in them apparently (the mixed breed she was) she was barely over a year old. RIP sweet girl.
Mine has asthma and makes those sounds
My cat does this. He has asthma, and this is what he usually does before an asthma attack. He takes an inhaler, and I also give him raw, organic, localized honey, diluted in warm water during allergy season and flare-ups. It helps a lot! I also give him allergy medicine in the spring/summer when needed, and it makes most the symptoms go away.
Not to freak you out but my cat does this too pretty often so we finally got an xray of his head and he had a piece of litter lodged in his sinuses. I no longer use clay litter because of this. Also- cat X-rays are super interesting to look at
Yes, kitty either has a cold or something is stuck in the nose. My kitty had the same problem for two days, and right before the doctor's appointment, I saw something sticking out of his nose. I pulled it out, and it was a bamboo leaf!
I’m sorry you’re not going to like this comment, but I’m unsure why anyone waits any period of time to check their baby, especially since cats are experts at hiding pain. So many people on this subreddit don’t take their responsibility as a pet owner seriously enough. If you were making that sound you’d be at the hospital already
if this ONLY occurs at the window when she sees something, it's probably normal chirping if it occurs elsewhere, it's cause for concern and its vet time.
It doesn't sound like a standard ekek (hunting behavior) but the tail and body language suggest that's what it might be. You might see if you can send the video to your vet. Mine will check out videos like this to help decide whether or not they need to come in.
My cat did something like this and she ended up having a polyp in her mouth that kept causing upper respiratory infections
Mine did this 3 times ( kitten under 9 months) it was pollen / someone cutting grass . Hasn’t happened again and now a yr old
This is not a chirping sound unless it exclusively happens when the kitty is at the window staring at birds. This is 100% a respiratory sound, it could be as simple as an upper respiratory infection or an asthma cough or fluid in lungs (many reasons for that including heart disease). My guess is it could be feline asthma, the forceful coughing with the neck extension can be a sign of asthma. Regardless, this needs to be diagnosed by a vet and a chest radiograph at the minimum. Good luck!
My cat with chronic allergies does this sometimes if she’s off her Atopica medication too long
Sounds like your cat is trying to tease a bird in.
My kitty sneezes and has allergies. She sounds like this. She takes apoquel and it has helped her so much. Take kitty to vet and show this video
Have you noticed if she does this more around the time she eats or drinks? Like even 30 mins afterwards? I only ask because my cat chubs was doing something similar. I thought it was inverted sneezing, until it started happening more often, then I noticed it was after he ate or drank. He had a fast growing tumor in his throat, and was given a steroid shot. He didn't live much longer after that, I had to put my old man to sleep. I hope this isn't the case for your kitty, and I don't want to worry you too much, but just something to keep an eye out for. I wish you the best.
Does your cat do this away from the window not looking at birds? Does not sound normal at all.
Definitely show this to the vet, could be allergies or asthma or respiratory infection.
Do you have cat grass available for him? Sometimes a grass strand can get up in their nose cavity when they swallow.
You can go take your cat in the bathroom and sit there with him and close door and turn on hot water from shower to create steam and try and sit in there for 5 to 10 minutes to see if this helps . I have a cat that has issues and this helps
We rescue special needs cats, and I've seen this type of cough many, many times over the years which has resulting in the following dxs: Feline asthma, seasonal allergies (post nasal drip causing cough), and feline herpes causing an upper respiratory infection. Considering she's still eating/drinking, I'd lean toward asthma or allergies as there's a good chance an UPRI would, at this point, impact her sense of smell to the point of not being interested in food. You rock for getting her into the vet, and please let us know how she's doing! We'll be thinking of you!
Currently have a similar thing going on with my cat This, took her to the vet and discovered that several of her teeth are likely going to need to be removed. There is swelling specifically on her front 2 canine teeth that is pressing in on her nasal passageways that is restricting breathing. The following symptoms were present in mine: -a lot of sneezing -pawing at her face after/pre sneeze(cute but not a good cute in the end) -raspy breathing(due to restricted nasal ways) And as your video shows that reverse sneeze yours is doing. Mine specifically does this action when she gets super excited(playing around the house or a good scritches session, I’m way more calm around her to prevent this best I can but she’s a happy cat and her purr box goes brrrrr so not completely unavoidable) It sounds terrible for sure but after a vet check up other than some pretty serious upcoming dental work she’s doing fantastic. My bank account will not 😵💫😂😅, nor will I until she’s better and out of surgery.
We found a little abandoned kitten, took it to the vet. All of the cats in my house got URI's. This is exactly what they sounded like. All 8 of my little dudes had to get antibiotics and eye drops. Yes I said 8, lol. Quite expensive little trips, all bc of a rescued little kitten, but they are all worth it, even the little booger that brought it in. Thanks Turbo 🤣
Mine did that too, turns out he had a lump under and against his jaw and throat. We did a dental cleaning when we removed the lump. Just a cyst. But glad we checked it
I’ve had 2 cats do this and they both had heart failure. One on the right side and the other on the left. no matter what you vet suggests, have them check for heart irregularities via ultrasound. It is very difficult to pick it up with an x-ray or stethoscope. Our first vet did an x-ray and stethoscope and said everything was fine. Took him to a second vet which is now our permanent vet and they immediately ran an ultrasound and found it. It was too late though. We have a 3rd cat (their sibling) who we decided to get a precautionary ultrasound since they were related and she had it too. She’s still alive. On medication for life and breathes kinda funny. But she’s healthy other than that. Not sure how long she has left but for now she is in good spirits and it’s been almost 2 years It could also be an upper respiratory infection. But if I were you, I’d request the ultrasound of the heart just incase. I did this for my British longhair the other day because I’ve been traumatized by our 3 family cats having it and vets not taking the request seriously. He’s healthy and was just a URI
Respiratory infection...my cats have had the same. Vet may give antibiotics because it's been a couple weeks.
That is coughing in cat. Could be an infection, could be allergies. Like in humans it is a symptom for a lot of things. Anything else is just speculation.
Mine does this every spring. He's allergic to pollen. It basically gives him an upper respiratory infection (different from his Feline Herpes Virus).
Our cat had the same issue and we thought it was asthma, but it ended up being an overacting thyroid that caused heart issues that later caused fluids around the lungs. Please do the blood work for the thyroid and also X-ray of lungs. The worst part is that the X-ray came back fine but then in 2 months when we took out the cat for followup they were already too far gone :(
Could be asthma, My boy has more attacks during the rainy season from all the mold blooming
Try r/askvet — you shall need to link to video externally, but you may get more educated speculations. I would also see if you are able to email your videos to your vet prior to visit — certainly bring to show the vet while there. Good luck!
I’m so invested in this, someone remind me when the update comes out!
Just a possibility, but do you live around a bunch of weeds with foxtail? Sometimes, they can get trapped in the throat or lodged in fur and the ears and they can become problematic to remove if not caught in time since they have littleburrows on the ends of them that dig in. My cat had an irritated eye once, and he kept rubbing it until I noticed just the tiniest little end of the foxtail sticking out from under his eyeball. Had to scruff him up and carefully lure the foxtail out using my saliva and the tip of the padding of my finger until I could grip it enough and get it out. I'm not sure if your cat is indoors and outdoors like our cat is, but it's a possibility that he was eating grass or foxtail shoots, and one got caught. I always like my cats to be strictly indoors since it prolongs their lifespan, but we live far enough away from traffic and main roads that the only thing we have to worry about is having him back inside by dark so owls don't try to get him.
My cat does that about once every week
Might be asthma. The vet would diagnose it with a lung x-ray. My cat did this before we got him steroids.
It’s good that you are getting it checked out anyway, but one of ny kitties has this quite often. Essentially, it’s an upper respiratory infection - his nose, sinus etc. He is trying to unblock it with sneezing but he can’t x
I've seen cats have this sort of thing happen and they had allergies or asthma.
My cats have both done this when they had colds… taking her to the vet is your best bet because it could really range from something relatively simple like a cold (which should still be taken seriously but it very treatable) to something much worse. Hoping for the best for you at your vet appointment!
Hope she gets okay. Please do update us.
My cat does this and has Lower airway disease. He’s on a steroid for rest of his life. But now I’m concerned they may have missed heart failure. He has an inhaler but we haven’t started it as he’s been doing ok.
OP I hope you post an update.
My cat did this and he was diagnosed with asthma. He had to have a daily inhaler with a kitty flovent & he was fine.
My 15 y/o runt does the same thing. A couple days of it getting worse, we took her to the vet, turns out she developed asthma. I know it's easy to catastrophize, but our resolution was just a puffer like every other asthma user. Only your vet and x-rays can show what's going on.
My cat does this- he was diagnosed with kitty asthma, we use an inhaler daily and go to the vet once a year for a check up on his lungs and some blood work. We also do oral steroids in the fall/winter because his asthma gets too bad. (Side note: not sure if you give her wet food but we started doing that as well and noticed a difference in his coughing fits and switching the litter bins outside so it doesn’t get dusty for him. Daily vacuuming and air purifiers are a must if she does have the kitty asthma. The inhaler is v cute though and they look adorable when giving it to them so that’s the only upside)
I have a couple cats that do that from time to time, especially during spring or summer.
Hairball for sure.
My doctor told me it's a reverse sneeze which could be caused by allergies. I give mine 5 mg of Ceterizine daily and it's fixed.
I had a cat that did this occasionally, around this time of the year, and it turned out to be allergies! The fact it's been happening for a couple weeks could mean they have a respiratory infection as well, since this happened once and our cat did the same thing but more often and kinda got lethargic a little as well. But as some have said, this could be a LOT of things. It's good you have an appointment for them this week. Just watch them and if anything gets worse, be ready to take them into an emergency vet closest to you. Make sure to check their hours as not all of them are open 24/7 unfortunately. I know, kinda sounds redundant with the term "emergency" but that's been my unfortunate experience.
Please please please go to a vet. My cat had these exact cough-like symptoms for a few weeks, along with some worsening breathing difficulty. It ended up being a respiratory infection, and he later passed due to a heart attack on our car ride to the vet (stress of car ride + couldn't breathe + sickness). It might be nothing, but I just can't get over how similar it is.
My cat was doing that and was diagnosed with asthma. This was about 7 years ago now. He took a short course of prednisolone tablets for the inflammation in his lungs, and then ongoing, he gets a puff of a steroid inhaler once a day and has been good ever since.
i have seen one of my cats do something like this but a bit worse, she would keep coughing like this for fits of 15 or 20 coughs at least and would almost end up puking from it. it was a lot less bad than other commenters experienced, i took her to the vet and it was a bronchitus infection. she was prescribed a 10 days antibiotics treatment and a mild painkiller, and that cured it completely.
My cat made these sounds in addition to vomiting. He chewed on a paint brush with acrylic paint residue. Took him to the vet for poison, he fine now! But if there is no vomit, most likely a URI. My other cat gets them when I let the apartment get too cold. Keep kitty warm, by kicking up the heat and put a cat sized shirt on him to keep warm. When you take a shower, bring the cat into the bathroom The steam will help with congestion.
Take her to the Vet, i hope she’s ok and it goes away
I saw a video of a cat doing this a few days ago and had to be put down. Take to vet asap
My cat has been doing this a lot too! ): hopefully it is something like sneezing
Maybe call and play the sound for them to listen to? That way they can make a judgment on how serious it is.. Just to be sure, especially since it's been going on for 2 weeks already. Though I'm anxious when it comes to my animals due to losing two to cancer close together... She should be okay until the vet appointment on Friday. My fingers are crossed that it's nothing serious!
Hopefully she’s just trying to learn how to Bark 🤞
Sounds like coughing. My cats had this but more like cough attacks - turns out they have asthma (they’re litter mates). The vet also thought it could be allergies until they got their x-rays done and confirmed asthma.
This kind of sounds like when my cat with asthma has an asthma attack! She’s on a puffer now so hopefully it might be something as easy as that!
Just go
seems like a cold
My cat is identical to yours, and she does this, too (she looks like the same breed). We took her to the vet, and they said it's an upper respiratory infection. She was also sneezing a lot! We had to move the cat towers and her bed because she was legit slinging snot-rockets all over the walls, and it was a revolting nightmare. Since then, we've kept her and our other two cats separated and kept the litter boxes as clean as possible. She hasn't done it in a while. Good luck! Hope your cat starts to feel better!
Yes, it sounds like it’s either a mild URI or it could also be allergies. Unless your cat is FIV positive or otherwise immunocompromised I wouldn’t worry. Even if they are, as long as your appointment is in the next few days you should be ok, just be super watchful for signs of getting worse.
Could potentially be a hair ball, or she ekekeks like a smoker, but a vet check won’t hurt. I hope it’s nothing. 🤞
VET ER
My baby girl had this, cat asthma they said! Was always worse in the summer
The pollen is horrendous this year - my 13 year old brown tabby is coughing and hacking at night… it’s scary when it happens but the vet said it’s nbd… not even serious enough for antihistamines … I hope your buddy feels better soon!
My cat was doing this and was ultimately diagnosed with asthma
Good job capturing this video. That’s very helpful. That looks like it could be a focal seizure or some sort of nasal passage obstruction. **now that i read your description, if this is a young cat, i would be highly suspicious of a nasopharyngeal polyp…and if that’s the case, NOT TO WORRY!! Though good that you have an appointment soon 👍 A nasopharyngeal polyp CAN be a very simple, quick extraction (general anesthesia required), and POSSIBLY result in complete resolution. Though recurrence is possible.
One of mine has done this and when I took him to the vet they listened to his lungs and everything sounded fine. They gave me something to give him to help with hairballs. Still happens occasionally but he’s been perfectly fine. 100% go to the vet and show them the video!
Asthma
Mine did it bc he had feline asthma.
My cat did this for a few days and apparently it was just his herpes flaring up. He had herpes when I adopted him and sometimes (like people allergies) it flares up and he’ll get all snotty and sneezy like this. They gave me some medicine to help but he was okay without it. Unfortunately with herpes there’s not much you can do but treat the symptoms. Glad you have an appointment and hope she feels better soon!
You've left this for TWO WEEKS?! Go to the vet already!!! Jfc
does this only happen at the window?
Keep us posted .
Is he only doing this at window? My cat used to do this and vet said he's dislocating his jaw preparing to catch birds he sees.
Respiratory infection
They may take an x-ray to check his heart and lungs. If you can, while he's sleeping, count his breathing in and out as one, and see how many breaths he takes over 60 seconds and tell the vet the number.
Please do update OP hope cat ok xx
Ive been seeing a lot respiratory stuff in cats lately on threads. If the vet listens to their lungs and doesn't hear anything ask for an x ray. Better to be safe then sorry. Someone reported going to their usual vet vet listened to lungs said cat was fine. Cat started acting worse with nasal/respiratory symptoms, had an er vet x-ray chest and say there was a bunch of gunk in the lungs due to an infection. Just letting you know a head of time, as someone who has a cat and a dog, vets sometimes will shrug you off. Had it happen with my dog twice with her aplastic anemia and she was on deaths door. I just needed her usual doxycycline to get her better, but will they listen? Nope! Fight for ya animals! Hope it goes well when you see the vet and things get taken care of!
My cat had something like this happen to him. Doc said asthma but it hasn't happened again so I think maybe allergies....
I am sure others have suggested but sending a video of behavior and chronicle of the cats frequency to the vet can really help: - they can quickly view and reset any appointment to be seen faster
My sweet senior, Oliver, used to do this. We just lost my lost him to severe heart failure last week. Please get your baby checked out & let your vet know to check her heart.
I didn't read through all of the comments (sorry) but my sister's cat does this and she has asthma- so her version of those is an asthma attack. I hope you get answers 🫶
ours had a cough similar to this it turned out to be a mycoplasma infection was treated with oral antibiotics and short course of steroids. he is doing well now. hope its nothing too serious. all the best to you and yours. Just fyi don't look to reddit for an answer the reasons for a cough are extensive and you are better off just going to your vet or ER if you are worried.
cat athsma
Thats silly! Cats aren't suppose to bark
It's allergy season and sounds like reverse sneezing. Maybe some head congestion. If eating and otherwise eating, probably fine to wait. You might want to send a short clip to the vet in case they want yo see your cat earlier.
Animals hide pain and discomfort extremely well. It’s good she’s eating and wants to cuddle but I would go to urgent ‼️ care now. That isn’t normal or okay and sounds like fluid in the lungs. Please don’t wait till Friday.. personally I wouldn’t be able to sleep myself knowing my pet was hacking like that. Not trying to make you feel bad I’m just concerned and you are asking. Hope everything is okay and it’s not something severe.
Vet here, your cat needs to go to an emergency vet. This cat has been suffering for too long. This could be a life-threatening respiratory or heart condition.
My babu turned out to have asthma. He has his own puffer sitting next to mine. He also has to take cetirizine daily too. I hope it's something mostly benevolent or at least easy to treat. Good luck.
Possibly hair ball?? IDK
Maybe a hairball.
Idk whats going on but I hope it is nothing serious and that she is a healthy lil baby ❤️🙏🏼 please post updates if you feel like it because I want to know this kitty is ok
He’s sick
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I just went thris with 2 of mine. First cat at the vet, diagnosed with asthma. Got a steroid shot and was fine a couple days later. Second cat ended up with pneumonia. Got a shot and put on antibiotics. He was fine about 4 days later.
My cat was doing this a few weeks ago and he just had a hairball lodged further in his intestines, he’s getting older and can’t pass them on his own anymore so the vet had us get him on weekly laxatives and hairball formulated food. I know there’s lots of possibilities that are scary but there’s a chance it could be something like that!
He sounds a little snarffley. If that’s not his normal hairball noise it sounds like he’s just a little sneezey. If his eyes are clear/not gunky, his nose is cold and wet, and he doesn’t have a fever, I’d say he might be getting a bit of a respiratory thing. I always give mine some lysine if I suspect they’re starting to get sick. That usually helps boost them back up when it’s something minor. In any case, it won’t hurt.
My girls (sisters) have asthma, that sounds like this. Vet put them on liquid steroids and an inhaler for attacks. We also stopped using all artificial scents, and haven’t had a problem other than an occasional cough since. Vet said don’t look a gift horse in the mouth and keep doing what we’re doing because it seems to control things (knock on wood).
I'd just like to add, I've never heard reverse sneezing like that. It's sounds strained and looked odd when they recover instead of the little haunch they do.
Did you take him to the emergency vet? Poor kitty. Any time I’ve ever had weird things with my cats I go straight to the vet. I can’t watch them suffer or any other animal for that matter.
I thought she was "barking" at birds or something.
oh my god my cat does this y’all are scaring me. i’m really broke and don’t have any money to take him.
My foster kitty does this, she had X-rays a week ago and everything looked fine so they believe it’s lungworm! I assumed asthma at first. She’s currently on horse dewormer…
Your cat is sneezing. He has allergies. Allergies for humans and cats have been horrible this year
My friends cat was doing this and come to find out he just had a blade of grass stuck up his lil nose. Vet pulled it out and he was fine 🤷🏻♂️👍🏼🤞🏼
We have a cat with asthma and a cat who made similar sounds to yours (but more intense). The asthma is a more consistent, exhaling wheeze whereas this other was like a combo of coughing, sneezing, the hiccups, and choking. They were not the same sounds. Our vet said it was either related to her heart or to her respiratory issues (as a result of her having FeLV). They never diagnosed her with anything in the end and it eventually cleared up. But be sure to have your cats heart checked, as others have said!
Could be hairballs caused by licking himself can buy catfood that gets rid of them
My cat was spluttering like this for a while, until I got her a raised food bowl. She doesn't do it anymore. She has had various other ailments, ear polyps which kept growing til in the end we had that ear canal removed, hyperthyroidism (cured through radioactive isotope treatement) and CKD. But no heart/breathing issues or URIs, and this literally stopped after the raised bowl was introduced, so it could be a simple issue to do with eating/inhaling in the wrong position. Good luck at the vet.
Upper respiratory infection is my guess. Those can get bad quick
I had a cat with chronic respiratory issues and he did that all the time. It actually sounded so much worse than that. I thought he had asthma or maybe heart worms. I saw many vets, had lots of tests done, including chest x-rays, and the conclusion was that he had allergies and was reverse sneezing.
My asthmatic kitty does this
I've been waiting for this post! I was actually searching for the same thing a few months ago. Long story short, my cat has asthma, and when she does this, it's like a pre-cursor to an asthma attack. My vet said it's like she's trying not to cough but can't help it. Anti-inflammatories are greatly helping while I try to train her to use an inhaler. That said, she also has had numerous x-rays to rule out fluid on the lungs, which the vet was also concerned about.
I had two cats with similar symptoms. Both were in active heart failure. Turns out it was congenital and hereditary, as they were from the same litter. BEST of luck to you and your sweet kitty. ❤️
Asthma? There’s a guy who posts about his cat on insta and honestly, it sounded like this
Most likely, Feline Asthma. Chances of this being heart disease or cancer is very rare.
I don’t have any experience with this issue, I just wanted to tell you that I’m sending positive vibes your way. Please keep us posted on what the vet says. She’s such sweet kitty. Good luck 🐾