Is a coughing stray cat sick or just wheezing?
Respiratory sounds like coughing and wheezing in stray cats can indicate serious conditions like feline asthma that require veterinary treatment. Without professional diagnosis, it is difficult to determine if symptoms stem from a manageable chronic condition or a severe illness needing immediate intervention.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Taking the cat to the vet
- 2Contacting local shelters or rescues
- 3watching the cat for 10 to 15 minutes to see if symptoms change
- 4monitoring the cat to see if it goes away and he acts normally
- 5giving watery food to compensate
- 6Checking the cat's belly for signs of constipation
- 7Asking online communities for visual opinions on pet waste
- 8Watching to see if the cat stops and continues playing
- 9Checking if the cat has plenty of water
- 10Keeping an eye on the cat for potential allergies or upper respiratory infections
- 11feeding the cat human food such as bologna or cheese temporarily
- 12waiting until the morning to call and schedule a regular appointment
- 13Calling the vet to describe symptoms or send a video
- 14Waiting for a callback from the clinic
- 15Feeding extra kitten food for calories
- 16Waiting for an upcoming appointment with a vet
- 17Monitoring the frequency of the cough and waiting to see if it happens more often than once every few months.
- 18Checking for something in the eye like hair or dust
- 19Flushing the eye out with water
- 20trusting that nearby store owners are providing food, water, and care
- 21Waiting a day or two to monitor the condition
- 22Booking a regular vet appointment instead of going to the emergency vet
- 23Checking for eye discharge or behavioral changes like itching and deeper squints
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I've never seen nipples like this on a male cat. Has anyone ever encountered this on a male, and if so does anyone know what the cause might be?”source ↗
“My cat dropped tears”source ↗
“I don't think there's a problem in her eyes.”source ↗
“Please help. Should I take him to the emergency vet?”source ↗
“is this laboured breathing and should I take her to the vet?”source ↗
“he’s been eating less food, especially wet food (i get friskies purina) and now he does this cough thing throughout the day. what should i do and do i need to take him to the vet?”source ↗
“Its a street cat making coughing or wheezing i can't tell”source ↗
“Soll ich sie zum Tierarzt bringen, oder darauf vertrauen, dass der Laden sich um das Schätzchen kümmert?”source ↗
“Just kinda worried about them, since I'll be leaving them with someone for a week.”source ↗
“Should this be something I give them a heads up about? Or am I being paranoid?”source ↗
“My partner picked up a young stray male cat tonight and the cat is displaying some behavior that I think is concerning.”source ↗
“So am I right to be concerned about this behavior and should I take him to a vet? I have already planned to call a few in the morning, dont know if I should take him to an emergency vet or schedule an appointment for later.”source ↗
“It's a medical issue. Take her to the vet.”source ↗
“Our cat did the same thing and turned out he had asthma.”source ↗
“My kitten is making this weird sound (first time I’ve witnessed her do it). Shes long haired. Is this just a fur ball or do I need to take her to the vet?! It’s nighttime where I live so I’d need to take her to emergency if needed. First time cat owner- please help!”source ↗
“Today I am taking her to the vet.”source ↗
“I decided to take her to the vet.”source ↗
“My kitten's been dealing with a chronic case for about the last 2 months despite medication and eye drops.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 5Accidentally cut my pet while grooming do they need the vet?
- 5How to help an outdoor stray cat without a vet or money
- 3How to trap and transport an unfamiliar stray cat to the vet
- 3How to tell if a neighborhood stray cat is in heat
- 5How to tell how old a found kitten is and what care it needs
- 9Is my cat coughing or having an asthma attack?