Symptom · Cats
Cat coughing: what it means and when to call the vet
A cat crouching low with neck stretched out and coughing is often mistaken for a hairball. Repeated coughing without bringing anything up may be asthma or another lung problem, and needs a vet. Open-mouth breathing is an emergency.
By Maya HartCommon causes
- Feline asthma (allergic airway disease)
- Lungworm, especially in hunting cats
- Respiratory infections
- Something inhaled, such as a grass blade
- Heart disease (less common as a cause of coughing in cats than in dogs)
- Tumours in older cats
What you can do at home
- Film the episode — vets often can’t tell a cough from retching without seeing it
- Use dust-free, unscented litter
- Avoid smoking, aerosols and plug-in fragrances
- Keep worming up to date
What the vet may do
- Listen to the chest and check breathing effort
- Chest X-rays
- Tests for lungworm
- Airway sampling
- Inhaled or oral steroids and airway-opening medicines for asthma
Prevention
- Smoke-free, low-dust home
- Regular parasite prevention
The details
Hairballs are brought up by retching and usually produce a hairball or food. A cough is different: the cat crouches with the neck extended close to the floor, coughs or wheezes, and nothing comes up. Owners often only realise the difference after a vet watches a video.
Feline asthma affects a small but significant proportion of cats. It can’t be cured, but with an inhaler — given through a cat-sized spacer mask — most asthmatic cats live normal lives. Untreated, a severe attack can be life-threatening.
Questions owners ask
Is cat coughing an emergency?
Usually it is not an emergency, but your pet should see a vet within 24 hours. Go now if you see: open-mouth breathing or panting; breathing with big belly movements; blue or grey gums; collapse or hiding with fast breathing.
What causes cat coughing?
Feline asthma (allergic airway disease); Lungworm, especially in hunting cats; Respiratory infections; Something inhaled, such as a grass blade; Heart disease (less common as a cause of coughing in cats than in dogs); Tumours in older cats.
What can I do at home?
Film the episode — vets often can’t tell a cough from retching without seeing it. Use dust-free, unscented litter. Avoid smoking, aerosols and plug-in fragrances. Keep worming up to date.
Sources
Tailwise is for general information and is reviewed by veterinary professionals, but it is not a substitute for advice from your own vet, who knows your pet. How we check facts