Why Is My Cat Sneezing?

The affection we feel for our pet leads us to worry when we seem to perceive that something is wrong.

Of course, many times we become unnecessarily alarmed. However, unfortunately, on other occasions we were right. That is why it is best to be well informed in order to remain calm or act on any change.

Today in Better with Pets we answer a question you may have asked yourself more than once:  why does my cat sneeze.

The sneeze in the cat

We will start by asking you a question, is it always because you sneeze because you are sick? Surely before we have finished stating the question your lips have verbalized the answer: no. Well, the same thing happens in the cat .

By definition, sneezing consists of the involuntary ejection of inspired air through the nose and mouth , caused by a stimulus to the nasal mucosa .

In this way, every time a cat sneezes what it is doing is eliminating any cause that is irritating the lining of the nose. Keep in mind that if your cat does it from time to time you should not give it the least importance.

However, when sneezing is accompanied by a runny nose or is very common, we can begin to feel a moderate concern that should increase if your nose is so obstructed that we perceive that you are not able to smell your food.

A fact that will be evident if we notice that the animal refuses to eat or significantly decreases its food intake. That is when it would be necessary to go with our cat to your veterinarian so that you can evaluate its health.

What more symptoms should we observe in the cat

As we said in the previous paragraph, the time has come to take action and allow a professional to evaluate what our pet’s sneezing responds to.

It would be important to discuss any other symptoms that may accompany sneezing, such as these:

• Green or yellow nasal discharge, which may be due to an infection.
• Discharge or inflammation of the eye
• Difficulty breathing.
• Loss of weight or appetite.
• Apathy.
• Fever.
• Swollen glands.
• Cough.

Reasons for your cat to sneeze

Here are the most common causes of sneezing in your cat :

• Viral infections In this case, they can be caused by contact with other cats or by having shared an object with them. You have to be very careful because they can lead to pneumonia that could have fatal consequences.

• Dental problems. Problems of all kinds that the animal may have in its teeth could lead to sneezing.
• Strange object. Anything that lodges in the nostrils of our pet will cause sneezing.
• Feline immunodeficiency virus. This disease deserves a separate point, which is very common in cats that have contact with the outside world. It is spread on many occasions when these types of animals fight each other and due to deep bites.
• It is a very serious issue as it can not be cured and can have serious consequences as well, requiring urgent treatment.
• Allergies. Any kind of allergen that irritates your pet’s nose can cause your cat to sneeze. But they are also caused by certain foods, so it would be necessary to first determine which ones cause this type of disorder in our friend.

Treatments for cat sneezing

As in any other case,  treatment to control sneezing will depend on the disease diagnosed by your veterinarian. In some cases it will be enough to improve the home environment with a humidifier.

When the origin is allergy, it is likely that you will be administered either antihistamines, in milder cases,  or steroids if it is stronger, which will help reduce the annoying symptoms of this disease.

You may need a course of antibiotics depending on the source of the problem. At other times, the help of nasal decongestants will suffice.

We cannot rule out that it is necessary to intervene surgically on our pet, if otherwise it is not possible to end sneezing.

As we have seen, sneezing in your cat does not always have to be serious, but the one who knows it best is your veterinarian, so check with him.