18 Symptoms That Your Cat Has Cold

This happens when there is an irritation in the nasal areas from elements such as dust or a virus. The moment your cat begins to sneeze more than they usually do, you must begin to pay keen attention to the occurrence and the intensity that the sneeze ends up occurring.

A couple of sneezes within a short period might mean that your cat is developing a cold. This is mostly the case when the sneeze is accompanied by some other symptoms of illness. Even though a sneeze is not always an issue to concern oneself with, one or two cases of heavy sneezing on the same day might prove concern enough for the cat.

If one notices your cat's nose to be a little wetter than usual, or even slight and not-so-cloudy discharge, then it can be a sign of a cold.

It may start clear and then thicken up or discolor in the cold, this change within the nasal discharge is a certain signal that your cat's body is fighting a viral infection. The other thing one needs to observe is the frequency of occurrence of nasal discharge and its consistency.

But if such a runny nose continues or becomes accompanied by other symptoms such as sneezing and coughing, then this surely is a sure sign that your cat is ill.

Among the most identifiable signs when your cat catches a cold is his watery eyes, this is because of inflammation of the tear ducts that is more often caused by a viral infection. 

You may notice that your cat has watered eyes or that he is blinking a bit more than usual. It starts as a clear, watery discharge but thickens up quite considerably if the infection gains speed and often becomes yellow or green. 

The cleaning of the area around the eyes may be ideally pursued discharge-free to avoid more irritations. You may wipe off the extra moisture with a soft cloth.

It mainly happens if the irritation is in the throat or airways, which always happens because of mucus buildup. Your cat may start to cough, and you need to pay much attention to the frequency of coughing, whether dry or productive.

An early warning may be a dry cough, but more likely a wet productive cough that may show that your cat's cold is now in full blossom. This can be somewhat disturbing for your cat, as it interferes with their normal comfort mode and can become lethargic.

You will have to follow your cat's cough and general condition as well to see if the cold is getting worse and if your pet needs more special care.

Not finishing the food might also be a sign that something is going wrong with your kitty and it may suffer from a cold. Cats relate the smell to their appetite, if the nose of your cat is congested, it probably won't like to eat.

While some cats start to become anorexic, only nibbling a little food and leaving the rest of it behind them, this can escalate into weight loss and dehydration, further complicating their cold. The most important thing during this period, even if they are not eating that well, is keeping your cat hydrated.

Pungent-smelling foods wet cat foods or hot meals, will be way more appealing to your kitty and even tempt them to eat.

The most common symptoms that cats depict when they fall sick are included in common cold situations, the animal may sleep much more than usual or be less interested in things they generally do. This might be the case because the body wastes much energy just to fight off the infection.

Your cat might just become a little more languid, or he may simply appear to be less playful. These can escalate as the cold progresses and your cat appears to spend most of his days sleeping, rest is essential to help the body fight off infection.

She should be given a comfortable and warm area to rest, but you have to monitor her actions closely because too much sleeping may necessitate extra attention.

Other symptoms of your cat developing a cold, which could be more of a concern, include wheezing; in most cases, this is usually an indication that your cat has contracted a cold. Obstruction of the airway and refusal of your cat to the comfort of normal breathing is pretty much at bay.

This might manifest most of the time from the wheezing sound one will get from labored breathing on your cat, showing that its cold has now taken a toll on the respiratory system. It might start very mild and perhaps only be heard when there is complete silence.

You have to monitor your cat's breathing closely, especially when your cat seems to be in some kind of distress or simply refuses to engage in any type of rigorous physical activity.

The most common symptom a cat will show, when experiencing a cold, is nasal congestion, which irritates them. If your cat's nose is congested, he may have difficulty breathing through the nose furthering discomfort. You may find that he breathes more from the mouth or even sniffs.

Nasal congestion at its initial stage can be mild, where your cat will show only a few marked changes in breathing. This could worsen, translating into a drop in appetite and lethargy since your cat can barely draw enough air. 

In addition, you can put the humidifier in the room where your cat spends most of their time to avoid nasal congestion. It will enable loose mucus and give them an easy time breathing.

Since colds involve the respiratory system, it would be difficult for the cat to have an easy time breathing if it is in such a condition. You will notice your cat panting or using rapid breaths and making extra efforts when taking in air.

The symptoms start as light difficulty breathing during periods of physical activity. As the cold progresses, the kitty can even struggle when at rest. Quite worrisome is when it sets in with other symptoms such as wheezing or nasal congestion.

If your cat has labored breathing, you need to set up a stress-free atmosphere to let them catch their breath, keeping away from smoke strong smells, and any other form of irritant that will make their labored breathing worse. 

This shaking results from cats responding either to the cooling off of the body or to the raising of the temperature when it is cold. Your cat may be seen shivering or trying to get into a huddled position to warm up.

Shivering that continuously occurs in a fairly warm environment is a form of signaling a state of inability to regulate their body temperatures because of such cold. Providing extra warmth for them, such as blankets or warm beds, will make them comfortable.

It is very important to check up on their temperature and keep them warm and comfortable to help them recover from this. Persistent shivering may require further attention to prevent their condition from getting worse.

This symptom may occur because of the congestion of the nasal way that allows only partial air to pass. You might notice your cat making louder or more frequent snoring noises when she sleeps.

As the congestion worsens, snoring can get louder and may become more frequent. Occasional snoring is not normally considered a problem but ongoing snoring in a cat that previously did not snore may indicate your cat has nasal congestion.

Keeping your cat's sleeping area free of dust and other irritating factors will further help relieve this symptom. If the snoring persists or is one of the other signs suggesting illness, you should be monitoring your cat closely for greater care.

They drink less water due to a lack of appetite or because of general discomfort. This dehydration enhances the other symptoms and complicates recovery. You may see dry gums in your cat or loss of elasticity in her skin, for example.

The dehydration can be mild in general; this might mean that your cat will drink a little less during the initial stages of a cold and then avoid it totally when the cold worsens, which may result in serious dehydration.

This is very important because your cat needs to stay properly hydrated since proper hydration is so important for immune systems and recovery in general.

In cases where your kitty feels some kind of discomfort or pain, she often retires to some quiet place for rest. The cat spends more time than usual under furniture or in areas she doesn't usually visit.

This can be as subtle as only lying in different locations with the persistence of cold, they can become withdrawn and hide most of the time. This could then be a clear symptom that your cat is not feeling well and needs just that little extra care.

Gently check on them throughout the day to make sure they are still eating and drinking, and not becoming too withdrawn.

Drooling in cats is very rare, but it may be due to irritation of the throat or when your cat has difficulty swallowing because of their congestion. You may find excessive saliva around their mouth or wetness on their chin.

It will be light at the beginning, only coming once in a while, postprandially, or after a nap your cat has taken. The drooling could become more frequent and sometimes continuous if your cat has a cold, especially if your cat's throat is inflamed or irritated. 

This symptom may improve further with additional advice so that your cat receives appropriate attention should this symptom continue or worsen.

This symptom occurs in instances when the throat gets inflamed or irritated and your cat can't very well raise any sound as it usually does. You may notice your cat's vocalization is softer or strained.

As it progresses, the voice is now hoarse, or they cannot meow anymore because it hurts them. This sudden change in vocalization surely should be an indicative sign that there is something wrong with your cat.

They need to be allowed to rest and not be disturbed by too much vocalization so that they can return to their voice naturally. If the hoarseness persists or is followed by more symptoms, then your cat needs close attention and further treatment to get it its lost voice back.

Cats exhibiting fever look for warm spots, are lethargic, or, upon being touched, their body temperature feels warmer than usual. You may also notice that your cat is not as active and easily tires.

Your cat might be able to be much more withdrawn from you avoid activities and sleep a lot more as it progresses with fever. Being aware of all these kinds of changes will help you deduce whether or not your cat is suffering from a cold.

Provide them with a warm and comfortable sleeping place, and make them stay hydrated to avoid the exacerbating effects of fever. By observing their behaviors and temperature frequently, you will tell whether the cat is recovering or needs further consultation.

When suddenly your cat does not seem to be that interested in grooming, this can be a sign they are ill and may have a cold. Cats are very attentive to keeping themselves clean; if grooming is less often than usual, then this could be a sure sign that they do not feel exactly right. 

Initially, this grooming behavior will change in very small ways regarding the amount of time spent on grooming, they may eventually stop grooming, resulting in matted fur or simply looking a little dirty. The lack of grooming is one manifestation that your cat is utilizing its energy in fighting against the cold.

Other strange vocalizations may include that your cat has a cold, especially if they are much more vocal than they typically are, or making different sounds than normal meows. Your cat could cry out a lot more frequently this time when they're uncomfortable or in some sort of pain, and that should flag to you that something's wrong. 

As the cold lingers on, these vocalizations could become constant or urgent and become signs that your cat does not feel well. These can be changes that help you to recognize when they need a little more care.

A quiet environment will lessen their stress factor and make them feel more secure. If the unusual vocalizations do not go away, that could be a sign that your cat might need some extra attention to deal with this problem.