Odd Hacking, Perhaps Hairball Or Something Else?

Nature9000

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So Nikita has this problem I'm noticing where she starts hacking or choking. Using a technique I learned several years ago from an ex (one of the few good things I picked up form that relationship), I rub two fingers down her neck until she stops and calms down. This seems to happen only when I'm home, and every few days or so.

At first I think it's from hairballs, but I don't notice any evidence of it. Looking around, there are no hairballs around to even suggest that she's been hacking anything up while I'm gone at work or anything. She's not throwing up at all, and seems fine otherwise (Aside from the ear mites which I'm treating her for). I almost wonder if it has to do with those ear mites; but I don't have any ideas
 

abyeb

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Does she wear a collar? If a collar is too tight, cats will often start choking. You should be able to fit two fingers under the collar.

I’d advise you to get her into the vet, though. Something might be obstructing her trachea.
 

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There can be several reasons a cat is hacking. I would suggest a vet check.

Some Parasites can travel to the lungs, this is sometimes part of their life cycle, so she would need to be treated.

also check your cat litter. some cats cannot tolerate any dust or fragrance in the litter. I have one :( i had to switch and use no clay, dusty, or fragrances litters. Right now i use a dust free silica crystal, a grass litter, and litter maid walnut litter, all dust free and fragrance free. no hacking

They can also have a problem with household products laundry detergent , soaps, cleaners, candles, air freshener?

good luck and let us know what you find out.
 
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Nature9000

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I do have a vet appointment for both Prince and Nikita on the 20th for a follow up regarding the ear mites found in Nikita when I brought her home. I'l be sure to bring up the hacking with Dr. Rowe, bit i can' tell what in the house could be causing it, and i know Prince hasnt had issue ay

I don't know if ear mites could be causing that problem or not, but she does have a collar that is more like a ribbon collar and it's fairly loose on her neck. She, and prince during play, have gotten that collar off several times.
 
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Nature9000

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It is actually frustrating because Prince never had any issues and then I got Nikita and now she's having all these issues.

Even in the last couple of days I haven't noticed any hacking from her, it's only been 3 or 4 days though. So it's kind of rare and unnoticeable and it doesn't seem like she doesn't when I'm not home but I wouldn't know
 

Neo_23

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Does she squat in a "meatloaf" position and tilt her head to the ground when she does it? If yes, she may be coughing and it may be a sign of asthma.

 
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Nature9000

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She doesn move around like that. Most time, she's just laying down. The thing I do notice is her tongue is barely sticking out
 

Neo_23

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She doesn move around like that. Most time, she's just laying down. The thing I do notice is her tongue is barely sticking out
I would try to get a video of it next time it happens so you can show it to the vet. It sounds to me that she could be coughing or she could have an obstruction that she's trying to hack up.
 

Neo_23

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Also, if you notice her licking her lips that points to her having some nausea or something in her tummy bothering her.

Random story - my cat once started hacking when she was laying down and seemed like she was about to throw up but didn't. The next few days she kept licking her lips and didn't have much of an appetite. Then one day I find a piece of my hair in her poop. After that she's back to her old self. Needless to say, I keep my hair tied up at all times now.
 
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Nature9000

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I wondered at first if it could be stress induced, because treating those ear mites in her ear is getting really painful for her. When first found after the first ear drop treatment, wasn't so bad. After the second week, she started meowing in pain when she scratched her ears. I gave her the third treatment a couple days ago and she hasn' had much issue
 
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Nature9000

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since you mention poop, there is something else I've noticed. Now, her poop is much smaller than Prince's, and the smaller pieces are where I'm seeing it, but they have these burnt orange looking patches all over them. I don't know what that could be a sign of, but my vet's office said I should get a sample and bring it in

What do you suppose that could be?
 

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Do those burnt orange bits look like anything in the house she could have eaten (fabric? fleece toy?). My cat eats anything thats knitted with wool or cashmere and she once ate a couple of inches off the end of one of those wand toys with a fleece tail. When she's done this, she's had that coughing symptom when trying to bring it up and occassionally she has thrown up a big piece of sweater or whatever. Sometimes, its worked it way through her. Your cat could have something like this causing a traffic jam somewhere along the line.

Definitely take a sample of the poop in. Try and get as "clean" a sample as possible in case they want to run a test for parasites. I needed to give a stool sample once, so I put a piece of plastic wrap on top of her litter when she squatted to go. that way I got a piece that wasn't covered in litter.
 
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