How to Treat a Cat with a Cold

Just like us humans, cats can catch colds too. In fact, when they are feverish, they experience similar symptoms as humans, including runny noses, watery eyes, sneezing, and more.

However, cats don’t exactly catch a cold from us. Various contagious pathogens can cause this cold, which is often referred to as Upper Respiratory Infection (URI).

The good thing is that most of the time, kitty cold can go away itself and is largely treatable at home without the need of seeking help from a vet. There are some things you can do to help your feline pet get relief and feel better, resolve their symptoms, and relieve them of discomfort.

This guide will walk you through exactly how to treat a cat with a cold at home and when you should see a veterinarian, as well as the causes behind their cold, how to prevent it, and more.

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How Did My Cat Catch a Cold?

First things first, it’s essential to find out how your cat might have caught this cold so that you know how to avoid it in the future. While cats cannot catch a cold from humans, they can catch a cold from other cats.

The most common nasal congestion and cat cold type come from viral infections, namely feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus. These can easily spread from one cat to another.

When a nearby cat is already sick, the other cat might catch a cold from them. Hence, places with lots of cats in one area, such as a boarding kennel or shelters, are more susceptible to cat colds.

Upper Respiratory Infection (URI) includes pathogens that are airborne but can also be spread through water. The bacteria can even transmit to indoor cats. For example, if you pet a sick cat and then your own, you can transmit the germs to them.

Moreover, cats with a compromised or weak immune system are also more susceptible to catching a cold. For example, cats with kidney problems, asthma, allergies, and even stress can increase their chances of becoming feverish. Similarly, the cold weather might put them at increased risk as well.

Cats are sensitive creatures that are prone to stress after traumatic incidents, such as spaying or neutering procedures, being boarded and living in an unknown environment, or a fight with another cat, their immune system can get weakened. This can potentially cause them to contract a cold.

It’s important to note that some cat cold symptoms remain in the cat’s bodies long after the illness has resolved. They remain in the body until stress or a compromised immune system triggers them.

Does Cold Weather Cause My Cat to Catch a Cold?

Cold weather does not necessarily lead to a cat cold, but it can weaken the cat’s immune system making them susceptible to contracting a cold. This is quite rare and only occurs for cats who are not well cared for and don’t have access to nutrition and proper shelter.

Can I Catch a Cold from My Cat?

No, you cannot catch a cold from your cat because the illness is highly species-specific. This means that although cats can spread the cold to other cats, they won’t be able to spread it to humans.

Neither can your cat contract a virus or cold from you nor can you catch a cold from them. While their symptoms may be similar, the cold is not contagious.

Cat Cold Symptoms

The first thing to do when your cat is sick is to identify its symptoms. These symptoms are quite similar to the kind of symptoms humans have when they have a cold. Common signs of cold, fever, and upper respiratory infection in cats include the following:

Sneezing
Coughing
Pus-like discharge from the eyes
Wheezing and difficulty breathing
Nasal discharge and nasal congestion
Not eating or drinking
Feverish
Lethargy
Ulcers on the tongue
Dehydration
Enlarged lymph nodes

These symptoms generally last for up to a few weeks. Cat colds tend to last from one to four weeks, depending on the diagnosis and treatment. Your cat will likely not experience all of these symptoms at once, perhaps only a few.

The most concerning symptoms that owners should be mindful of are coughing and loss of appetite, as the latter can compromise the immune system and lead to dehydration and weakness.

How to Treat a Cat with a Cold at Home

Now that you know about the common symptoms of cat colds that you should identify in your cats, there are some important things you should know about when it comes to their treatment.

You cannot simply give your cat a spoonful of cold medicines and send her to bed as you would with humans. It goes without saying that you should never give your cats over-the-counter medicines and those meant for people.

Cats metabolize medicines differently from humans, which is why many drugs meant for humans might be toxic for cats.

Instead, there are some essential measures you have to take. If your cats have minimal symptoms that don’t seem severe, and if they seem to be doing fine, then you can provide them with supportive treatment at home.

Here is what you can do to treat your cat with a cold at home:

1. Keep the House Humid

Humidity will help your cat to breathe properly if they have trouble breathing or some congestion. This can open up their airways if they are getting stuffed up. Hence, use a humidifier if you have one.

Alternatively, you can also keep them in a steamy bathroom a few times a day for ten to fifteen minutes.

If your cat does not like being confined in the bathroom for longer than a few minutes, don’t force them. The crying and scratching might heighten their stress levels and make them weaker.

2. Clean Your Cat’s Face

When your cat is sick, they might have discharge from their eyes, nose, and ears. The runny nose and eyes on your cat’s face might be causing them discomfort, which is why it would be helpful if you regularly clean their face a few times a day.

Use a damp washcloth and gently wipe their face with it with a calming and soothing voice to help them relax. Lastly, ensure that the water you use to soak your cloth in is not too hot or too cold.

3. Encourage Them to Eat

When your cat is sick, they might not have an appetite and eat their food. They would likely avoid the same food they would have devoured happily before they got sick. While this is normal, not eating for long can lead to increased weakness.

give cats home made food to encourage them to eat — give cats homemade food to encourage them to eat

This is why it is important that you encourage your cat to eat as much as you can.

Some of the ways you can do this are to warm up the food as the smell of the food increases and might entice the cat, or add some water to it to make it easier to chew. Additionally, you can also give your cat food and treats that they enjoy eating.

4. Keep Cat Away from Other Pets

If you have other pets, you will likely need to separate them from your sick cat. This is especially necessary if your other pets are cats. As mentioned earlier, cat colds are quite contagious amongst the same species.

Hence, you should do your best to separate your sick cat from the rest of the animals in the house. Additionally, you should also feed them all separately.

5. Provide Plenty of Water

Your cat can very easily get dehydrated when they are sick. Signs of dehydration in cats include sunken eyes, tacky gums, and decreased skin elasticity. This is why you should provide them with constant access to plenty of water and encourage them to drink it.

Pay attention to their water bowl and keep refilling it if and when necessary. If your cat is not drinking their water, another way to keep them hydrated is by adding water to their food.

You can also read: How to Take Care of a Newborn Cat

Cat Nasal Congestion Home Treatment

When your cat is feeling under the weather, cat nasal congestion tends to be common. It is very easy for such cats to become weaker, dehydrated, and not eat or drink.

However, luckily there are some cat nasal congestion home treatment methods you can follow to make them feel comfortable and provide sine relief. You simply need to open their airways in cat nasal congestion.

As mentioned earlier, steam is significantly helpful in opening their airways and helping them breathe from their nose. This can be done by keeping your cat in the bathroom with you while you take a hot shower.

This way, the cat will feel relatively safer, and the steam from the hot shower will help keep the room humid.

Another cat nasal congestion home treatment is to keep your cat near a vaporizer or humidifier. This would be helpful to allow them to breathe in warm and moist air. If you can, allow your cats to sit near it for about half an hour every day.

Some people also consider nasal spray to be an effective cat nasal congestion home treatment. However, they can be difficult to use because your cat might find them too uncomfortable.

The bulb syringe might still be worth the shot as it gently cleans the cat’s nostrils. Be sure to not stress out your cat as they might end up scratching you and getting sicker.

Alternatively, you can also an infant nasal spray to moisten their airways. However, keep in mind that you don’t want to flush too much water in their nose using a nasal spray as that may be too uncomfortable and stressful for them.

When to See a Veterinarian

When your cat only seems to be sneezing with some discharge on its face, you might not need to take them to a veterinarian. Cat colds tend to last around a couple of weeks.

If it is a minor infection, it will clear up in a couple of days on its own. This is why you should continue monitoring their symptoms to see if they get better or worse over time.

take the cat to vet — take the cat to the vet

Under certain circumstances, when your cat exhibits concerning symptoms, you should get them checked by a vet to be on the safer side. You should go see a vet if your cat has the following symptoms:

Difficulty breathing
Cough
Excessive pus-like discharge from eyes, nose, and ears
Lethargy and depression
Ulcers around the mouth and on the tongue

You should see the vet if your cat is exhibiting any one or a combination of these symptoms. When cats are old, pregnant, or immunocompromised, their cold is more likely to persist and not go away.

They may also be more likely to experience these symptoms. Moreover, if your cat’s cold has been persisting for longer than a week, then you should see the vet at your earliest.

While there is no specific treatment for a cat cold, the vet might still prescribe some medications to relieve pain and resolve symptoms. These can include antibacterial medications, antiviral medications, and ointments.

Additionally, the vet will also conduct some tests to find out the cause of your cat’s cold. Some of the tests the vet might do to assist with diagnosis include:

Blood count to rule out any blood-related conditions
Chemistry tests to analyze the functioning of organs such as kidneys and liver
Electrolyte tests to check for dehydration and fluid imbalance
Urine tests to check for urinary tract infection or kidney infections
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) or feline leukemia (FeLV) tests if the vet thinks that there might be something serious going on

How to Prevent Your Cat from Getting a Cold

Now that you are aware of what causes your cats from getting a cold and how they can get it, it is also important to understand what you can do to ensure that your feline friend does not end up contracting a cold.

Besides keeping them away from other cats that might have a cold, you should also do the following:

1. Vaccinate Your Cat

It is important to stay updated with your vet about which vaccines to give to your cat. You should check with them every year to distinguish whether your cat is due for a vaccine or not.

In most cases, vets give the RCP vaccine, which is also known as feline distemper or FVRCP. Vets also recommend giving a Chlamydia vaccine. Although cats can still contract the virus and cold, their chances are minimal, and the symptoms they experience may be mild and not alarming.

2. Keep Cat Indoors

You must ensure that you keep your cats away from sick cats or those whose history you are not aware of. You should prevent their interaction with strange and unvaccinated cats, especially strays. Hence, it would be best to limit their outside time and only allow them to go to a specific area.

3. Give Balanced and Nutritious Food

Giving your cats a nutritious and balanced diet is essential in helping them build their immune system and keep them stronger. This will reduce their chances of getting sick or feeling weak.

4. Keep Their Living Area Clean

There should be adequate ventilation in your cat’s living area, and it should be entirely clean and free from bacteria that may cause an illness or trigger a cold.

5. Give Your Cat Vitamin C

Unlike humans, cats can actually make their own vitamin C. However, sometimes, providing them with extra supplements might help build their immune system and recover from cold and other conditions.

However, vitamin C may not be suitable for all pets, especially those with a history of urinary oxalate stone formation or other underlying health conditions. This is why it would be best to check with your vet before giving them vitamin C.

Final Words

When it comes to how to treat a cat with a cold at home, it is best that you consistently monitor your cat’s condition at home.

If your cat is starting to show signs of a cold, such as through coughing, sneezing, discharge from nose and eyes, or other such symptoms, it would be best to initiate cat nasal congestion home treatment to provide them with relief.

You can also encourage them to eat and drink more and help them get plentiful rest. Remember to keep your cat as stress-free as possible so as not to weaken its immune system.

However, when your cat’s symptoms become severe and persist for longer than a week, it might be time to see a vet. They will then conduct tests and decide what needs to be done next in terms of treatment and prevention.