How to Help Your Cat with a Cold (Symptoms, Vet Care & Home Tips)

Fascinating creatures, you love them, you would love to pet one too. It is a lot of fun to raise one as well. However, it’s all fun and games until it comes to taking proper care of them and checking on their health regularly. 

It is normal for your cat to face a few complexities during its upbringing. One of the most common cat health problems you may face is your cat catching a cold. Today, we will show you everything you need to know about “cat cold” and how to treat it.

What is a "Cat Cold"?

A ‘cat cold’ is a common feline upper respiratory infection (URI) in cats, which is almost the 

same as a human cold.

Figure: Cat with a cold.

To be more precise, it is a contagious and infectious illness of the respiratory tract and mucosa, which is commonly caused by various types of pathogens such as viruses or bacteria. Vets refer to this illness as cat rhinitis or cat pneumonia. Most cases are caused by the feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus, which are highly contagious.

• Feline Herpesvirus: This is a virus that primarily affects the upper respiratory tract and the structures of the eye. It is the most common viral cause of sneezing and nasal discharge in cats. Within 24 hours, a newly infected cat can transmit the feline herpes virus to other cats, so it’s important to seek veterinary care immediately. 
• Feline Calicivirus: It is a viral pathogen that causes upper respiratory tract infections in cats. It primarily invades the cells of the nose, throat, mouth, and tonsils. Infection most commonly resembles a cold, but severe infections involving the lungs, joints, and/or other organs can occur.

It is important to identify and quickly treat the illness. Otherwise, it can be fatal for your cat. Now, let’s look into some symptoms to find out if your cat has a cold. 

Recognizing the Symptoms

The symptoms of a cat cold are pretty much similar to those of a human cold. Some symptoms of a cat cold are described below:

• Sneezing and Runny Nose: Your cat may be sneezing frequently even tho it hasn’t come in contact with anything that can cause it to sneeze. 
• Coughing: Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (FVR) causes cough and cold in cats. It is also caused by feline herpesvirus, which is highly contagious.

Figure: Cat coughing and sneezing.

• Congestion: Nasal congestion or Rhinitis can make it hard to sleep, smell food, and even cause breathing problems.
• Watery Eyes: Your cat’s eyes may often be watery, or you can even see pus-like discharge from your cat’s eyes frequently.

Figure: Cat with watery eyes.

• Loss of Appetite: Due to the fact that your cat cannot smell, it may also lose interest in food due to taste and smell impairment.
• Lethargy: Your cat’s energy and activity may decrease due to being weak from the illness.
• Fever: Your cat may also be suffering from fever during this time. If the temperatures rise above 102.5º F, it is considered that your cat has a fever. 
• Dehydration: Your cat may often be dehydrated as well. Common signs of dehydration include lethargy, weakness, sunken eyes, dry gums, and thick saliva.

Figure: Lethargic and dehydrated cat. 

If you see these symptoms in your cat, it is necessary to treat the abnormalities as soon as possible. Here we will tell you how you can help your cat with a cold at home. 

How to Help Your Cat with a Cold at Home?

If you ever catch a cold, you know how you want to stay in your bed the whole day, and how you’re always low on energy. Coughing and sneezing repeatedly, having a stuffy nose, causing difficulty in breathing. Your cat feels the same way when it catches a cold. So, it is important to treat the illness as soon as possible. Some measures to take care of your cat with a cold at home are described below:

Hydration and Nutrition

Hydration is a must for your cat, especially when it has a cold. Water helps in various bodily functions, such as regulating body temperature, aiding digestion, and getting rid of toxins.

For recovery from a cold, it is crucial for your cat to stay hydrated. Food and hydration play vital roles in your cat's overall health. Wet food contains a significant amount of water, which helps keep your cat hydrated. Wet food can provide essential nutrients and hydration necessary for recovery.

Figure: Cat drinking water.

Encouraging your cat to drink water is very important, especially if their diet mostly consists of dry food. Providing multiple water sources throughout your home or having a cat fountain can entice your cat to stay hydrated.

Cleaning Eyes and Nose

Cats are extremely hygienic creatures. So you know it is vital to keep your cat clean, especially when it has a cold. 

You should try wiping their runny nose with a clean and damp cloth, and wipe away the discharge from the eyes with warm salt water. Boil a pint of water and mix in a teaspoon of salt. Let it cool to a semi-warm temperature before applying. You can also run a humidifier so the air isn't too dry.

Figure: Cleaning a cat’s eyes and nose.

By cleaning your cat’s eyes and nose regularly, you can help their breathing and sense of smell stay in good condition. 

Encouraging Eating and Drinking

It is important for your cat to eat and drink in significant amounts when it has a cold. Your cat may lose its appetite during this time due to losing its sense of smell. Here’s how you can encourage your cat to eat and drink more:

At first, warm up their food to enhance the aroma, as cats are often drawn to food with a strong smell. Do not offer a large meal straight away. Offer the meal in small portions, but frequently. Try hand-feeding the food, as cats may be more receptive to eating when offered food directly from your hand.

Try offering different varieties and flavors of food to see which one they are more interested in. You can also try adding small amounts of fish oil, tuna juice, or cooked egg to their food to attract them. Never try to force food down your cat's throat, as this can be very stressful and potentially harmful. 

Encourage drinking by offering fresh water from multiple sources throughout the house. Multiple water bowls, cat water fountains, wide and shallow bowls, etc., can help. 

Keeping Passages Clear

Keeping the passages clear, especially the nasal passage, is very important when your cat has a cold. Here’s how it is done:

To help your cat with a cold maintain clear nasal passages, use a humidifier or take the cat into the bathroom with a hot shower. Wipe dried nasal discharge with a warm and damp cloth in order to make sure that your cat has no difficulty in breathing.

Figure: Humidifier for cats.

Additionally, make sure that your cat gets enough amount of water to drink. Also, ensure that foreign objects don’t get stuck in its nose. Keep it away from dust, smoke, or any other allergic elements. 

Minimizing Stress

Just like humans, cats can feel stressed and anxious too. During the time your cat has a cold, you must be able to keep it stress-free. Here’s how you can do so:

Keep your cat in a small, quiet room where they feel safe and secure and away from distractions. Make sure that your cat’s essentials, like the litter box, food and water are in that room. Provide your cat with warm and comfortable bedding.

Figure: Cat in a comfortable bed.

Cats like low-traffic and nonchalant environments. So, avoid triggers like sudden changes in routine, loud noises, and potential triggers like introducing new pets or visitors, as these can increase stress.

Quarantine (If Applicable)

This applies if you have more than one cat in your house. This type of upper respiratory disease is highly contagious. So it is safer to keep your cat quarantined until they recover, which is generally 7-10 days. The number of days may depend on the intensity of the illness.

Figure: Cat in quarantine.

Start by keeping the infected cat in a separate room or area so that it cannot come in contact with other cats. Observe your other cats for any signs of illness, like coughing, sneezing, nasal or eye discharge, lethargy, or loss of appetite. Clean the cat food or water bowls regularly. 

Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly to make sure that you don’t transmit the disease to another cat.

So, we can come to know that you can help your cat with a cold at home by taking these basic measures. But in case things get too serious and out of your hands, you must consult a vet. 

When to See the Vet: Recognizing Serious Signs?

Cat colds usually resolve within a week to 10 days, with symptoms usually reducing as the cat’s immune system fights off the infection. Senior cats and kittens may require extra monitoring and additional time to recover due to comparatively weaker immunity. 

More serious upper respiratory infections can extend recovery to a maximum of 2 weeks. If your cat appears lethargic, refuses food, or shows worsening symptoms, it is important to see the vet immediately. 

It is important to consult a vet if the condition worsens and these symptoms continue to appear:

• Yellow-green discharge from the eyes or nose.