Cat Always Coughing

[Bubblebumpkins]

Hey my name is Candace and I have known my kitty cat Sammy for about three years now but she is six years old. She is my partners cat and she was with him long before I moved in /she is six years old/ when I met her I found that she tends to cough and as my partner and I both smoke I figure it was the smoke however she is a biiit over weight /she is 32 pounds/ she is a basic tabby tortuous she'll colored black brown white cat but the reason her coughing has come to my attention at this moment /I've done some web searches and found it could be her weight but my partner doesn't want to put her on a diet as she's regularly happy and pure cuddles like we can't get a moment away from her when where in the house instantly she fills our laps with prrs and a demand for a petting/ in any case I got off topic. When I met her three years ago she would cough very rarely /once every month or so and the coughing lasted a minute/ but a year in her coughing got gradually worse it's to the point now that she coughs about 4 times a day five to seven minutes per fit and I'm trying to find answers today because I have found if I put pressure on her belly /place my head on her my hand on her a pillow on her/ she instantly starts a coughing fit so I am getting worried any thoughts would help thanks

 

[susanm9006]

32 pounds would make her considerably overweight, like 15-20 pounds over weight. I would bring her to the vet as soon as possible to discuss her coughing, to do a full blood workup and also to work on a weight loss plan. Carrying the extra weight is really hard on her joints and pre disposes her to diabetes.

 

[Bubblebumpkins]

I thought so now I'm really worried, I love her very much but I'm worried the vet bills will be a bit much. I don't want to sound like money is more important then her health but I really don't have extra cash /been dealing with multiple family crises's lately/ do you have a spectrum of what it might cost? Thank you very much btw

 

[susanm9006]

Vet costs vary all over the country so I wouldn't want to quote anything but if you Google "low cost vets in my area", you will have some place to start calling and asking about fees for office visit, X-ray and bloodwork. You can also inquire whether they have a payment plan.

 

[Bubblebumpkins]

OK thank you I'm going to look into it now

 

[jcat]

Coughing can be a sign of heart problems, so it would be wise to get her checked by a vet asap.

Could you and your partner smoke outside or limit your smoking to one room only? You might try e-cigarettes for inside your home, too (but make sure your cat has absolutely no access to the liquid, as the nicotine in it is very toxic).

 

[Elfilou]

I have a coughing cat too, she has bronchitis. Mine doesn't cough nearly as often though, maybe once every 3 months now - but I've learned how to avoid her triggers. For one I quit smoking. I vacuum every day for dust, no longer burn scented candles, use dust free litter, wash the bedding on her spots more often etc. (I have asthma myself so it's also great for me that I finally made these changes for her)

But I don't think that's enough for your kitty. Quite frankly the vet told me that if Elfie's coughing becomes as frequent as 2-3 times a month I should go back and we'd put her on prednisone. Coughing as many times a day as your cat does is very sad and she is likely struggling to breathe, please get her to a vet right away so you can give her some relief. Having asthma myself I can tell you it's painful as well as mentally stressful to be gasping for air with no relief.

This is all assuming your cat has something similar, but she might not. Coughing in cats isn't normal though.

 

[TnK]

It can be asthma if your cat cough that much and definitely not normal. You need to bring her to a vet if you haven't done so. They might need to take x-ray on her chest. My cat started to cough about a few times a week when he was 1 year old, then he was diagnosed with asthma. I got the inhaler for him.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

She sounds very much in need of vet care, in my opinion.

 

[foxxycat]

asthma is treatable. Please smoke outside. My cat has heavy lung damage from prior owners smoking around her. She's been with me for 4 years now. We have it controlled on flovent which we buy overseas. Xrays shows inflammation. Her weight sounds excessive. You can cut back food 10% and the cat will be fine. Do this for a week. Each week add 5% reduction. That way it's slow and don't starve her-liver problems will cause more issues.

Yes see a vet. Check google reviews to find a good vet. preferably one who likes cats.