18 Things That Causes Cat Coughing

Dust and other airborne particles are known to inflame the feline airways, inducing uncontrollable coughing upon every inhalation. To minimize coughing incidents, it's good to tidy up your home with a vacuum cleaner.

Use air cleaners to help trap dust particles, making the air cleaner and much easier for your cat to breathe. A clean, dust-free environment will keep your cat comfortable and will minimize his possibility of coughing due to irritants in the air.

Dry air has been irritating the respiratory system of a cat through coughing especially during the winter period. Low humidity dries out the airways of an animal and makes its breathing uncomfortable.

A humidifier may be used to incorporate moisture into the air during dry air inside the building, which regulates the humidity level relieving the cough. This could even help them get in better health by keeping the house hydrated.

Humidity can irritate other respiratory irritants, so keep them monitored to stay in the healthy range. Encourage fresh water intake to keep the airways hydrated and running well.

Cold can easily cause a cat, especially one with a short coat, to cough, as their respiratory systems may react to cold air by having bouts of coughing. Ensure your cat has warm bedding and cozy, sheltered places to lie down whenever the temperatures get cold.

A stable indoor temperature is what you should consider concerning your cat's comfort, especially during the cold seasons. There are heating pads and blankets that provide warmth for added comfort to help avoid respiratory strain.

What is needed for comfort is a warm, ideal draft-free space that further eliminates any chances of coughing due to a cat cold.

The cough might therefore be an instinctive reaction to really try and clear something out of the airway. Small toys, bits of food, and hair are likely to be inhaled while playing or eating.

Observing your cat during their play and eating time will help minimize the opportunity for inhalation. There are also slow-feeder bowls that help in minimizing eating fast and causing choking.

Toys should be checked regularly for loose parts and replaced when they wear out to prevent accidental ingestion. By paying close attention to your cat, you can avoid inhalation accidents that will keep him healthy concerning respiratory issues.

While they are grooming, the cats swallow the loose hair, an accumulation of this hair within the stomach may provoke bouts of coughing. A regular cat grooming schedule reduces the amount of hair your cat ingests and, thus, lessens the chance for hairballs to form.

You can ensure that your cat has smooth digestion and limited chances of hairballs by keeping it well-hydrated. Fresh water helps ensure that hair does pass through easily and does not get stuck.

If your cat often coughs up hairballs, seek your veterinarian for suggestions regarding grooming and diet. This will help your cat breathe easily without coughs resulting from hairballs.

Smoke from cigarettes, cooking, and fireplaces will eventually be irritating to the feline respiratory system in which it coughs. Smoking must be outdoors and air purifiers are important indoors for good quality air.

Leaving the windows open after cooking helps to keep the area well-aerated. This reduces the amount of smoke that your cat is exposed to, hence, it goes a long way in purifying the air your cat breathes.

Cleaning surfaces regularly to remove smoke residue can also make the air cleaner. A no-smoking environment is highly important so that good respiration and avoidance of coughs are attained.

The plants' pollen causes seasonal allergies in cats, which makes them cough a lot, making it difficult for cats to breathe freely and easily. Maintaining your home free from pollen during the allergy seasons may have the potential to reduce instances of coughing drastically.

If you want to minimize exposure to pollen for your cat, minimize the cat's outdoor playtime, use an air purifier and provide a cozy indoor playground. Seasonal allergies are ones that have to be monitored so as not to keep your cat coughing continuously

Cleaning practices make quite a difference in their respiratory health. Minimal exposure reduces their distress, thus, your cat is allowed to live in an allergy-free environment. Creating a pollen-free environment gives them ample reprieve from seasonal coughing.

Other irritants include air fresheners, perfumes, and cleaning agents, which may act as a source of coughing in cats. For sensitive individuals, those kinds of chemicals can be very irritating and distressing.

This can be minimized in ability by incorporating pet-friendly products and natural cleaning solutions along with adequate ventilation when cleaning. Not using strongly smelling products on the cat or in the vicinity will keep the environment relaxed.

Stagnation of rooms should not occur by airing out the rooms frequently to help dilute irritants in the air. If your cat coughs after cleaning, try switching to milder, fragrance-free cleansers. Keeping your cat out of the reach of chemicals can lead to a healthier, no-cough zone.

Other common household chemicals will irritate your cat's respiratory system enough to cause coughing and general discomfort. Cleaning products, insecticides, and even plants will release their fumes into the air, which might be affecting sensitive cats.

Look for pet-friendly alternatives that limit exposure for your feline friend, and make sure to properly ventilate the area after use of any cleaner to limit the possibility of respiratory irritation. Avoid the use of toxic chemicals. Instead of these, use eco-friendly cleaners to keep the environment safe for your cat.

If your cat starts coughing because of the remaining elements of fumes of the chemicals, then bring your cat to your veterinarian for professional suggestions. A chemical-free ambiance creates conditions for healthy breathing, eliminating coughs.

They can be allergic to their fur or dander, wherein coughing develops when inhaled. Regular grooming and bathing and persistent cleaning of the cat's surrounding area such as their bedding and living area reduces the amount of fur and dander within your home.

These can be supplemented with air cleaners that filter out the allergens in the atmosphere. Ensuring your cat has a clean space where it rests may alleviate coughing.

Be sure to watch for signs and symptoms of allergies, and take advice from your veterinarian if the problem of coughing continues. The more proactive you are in providing a healthy space, the less the chances of coughing brought about by allergies.

Feather toys may release particulates into the air, which can irritate the cat's airways and result in coughing. Thus, it is expected that while playing with feather toys, cats inhale small pieces of the toy creating respiratory problems.

You may want to consider bypassing feather toys altogether and replacing them with fabric-based toys. Or, simply check your cat's feather toys every so often, replacing those that are worn and have loose feathers.

Avoid those feather toys that can be so easily shed, for these pose a choking hazard. Instead, give your cat hardy, safe toys ones that will entertain him without all the heavy coughing.

These could involve very fragrant candles, essential oils, or even incense that may trigger coughs in sensitive cats, irritating their respiratory systems and providing discomfort for them.

Strong fragrances should not be put on your cat so that it stays comfortable, and make use of unscented or mildly fragrant items so that their ambiance stays healthy.

You need to ventilate the room once scented products have been used, it helps ensure that your cat does not get into respiratory irritation. A fragrance-free home contributes to the good health of your cat, keeping off incidents of coughing.

Some litter is dustier, and the cat, through inhaling the dust, will inadvertently be causing its respiratory system to react by producing coughing. Low dust or dust-free litter goes a long way towards cutting down the instances of coughing and keeping the litter box dust-free through changing and cleaning does a lot of good.

Dustless surroundings take away the problem of litter dust, hence permitting your cat to have free respiration. If you need to keep your cat away from respiratory irritations, choose from the clumping litters that minimize the amount of dust.

If good ventilation prevails around the place, then the piling of dust will be lessened, and there will be good breathing. A dust-free, clean litter environment keeps your cat from coughing or any other disturbances.

In cats, coughing can be caused by inhaling food because they eat too fast, and fast eating makes the food particles go down the airway, thereby irritating it. Where possible, try to use slow-feeder bowls, which will ensure that your cat eats more slowly. Small portions or wet food varieties will minimize the possibility of inhalation.

You can aid in your cat's choking incident by being observant of their eating habits. Just in case you observe that your cat tends to cough more frequently right after meals, you may try changing their feeding schedule.

More importantly, allowing your cat to eat in a distraction-free area can make your cat eat more slowly. Letting your cat eat safely will help keep them healthy and reduce the coughing.

If you suspect an infection, consult your vet so that a diagnosis can be made and treatment advice is given. Early intervention will prevent the deterioration of coughing any further, and the due amount of care will be provided.

Vaccination is something which is of great importance for your cat, as it lessens the chances of respiratory infections. Keeping up with the vaccination schedule properly reduces the opportunities for your feline friend to fall sick.

Also, observe your cat for other symptoms, like sneezing or nasal discharge, indicating a respiratory infection; this will give your cat early treatment and reduce coughing while keeping him healthy.

One of the chronic conditions that may affect your cat is feline asthma, he may suddenly start coughing or wheezing. It usually occurs because of inflammation in pathways, which later on causes difficulty in breathing.

Do make it a point to consult with your vet regarding the proper diagnosis and management of the condition if you suspect that your kitty companion has this condition. Asthma management may involve medication and changes in lifestyle as a way of reducing the coughing episodes.

The low-allergic environment you can provide will surely help you minimize the cat's asthma. Keeping the cat's area clean and clear of any kind of irritant will reduce the chances of coughing.

Regular follow-up with a veterinarian will ensure your cat gets the very best regarding their asthma. Asthma in cats, if treated accordingly, does permit them to live a happy life-with no coughs and suffering.

Less frequently than in dogs, a cough and respiratory problems can also be assigned to feline heartworms. Parasites of this type will sooner or later bring damage to your cat's lungs and heart, which may cause serious health disorders. 

Continuous heartworm prevention will help to prevent this type of infection and minimize the chance for your cat. You should seek help as soon as possible from the veterinarian if you observe your cat coughing, or having other respiratory signs.

This will involve your cat going regularly to the vet so that the vet can check them to make sure that heartworms are not in them. If you give them preventative care then their chances of developing a cough from heartworms are highly decreased.

If your cat is wearing tight collars all the time, these can cause them to cough as it will put pressure on them and this may cause damage to their windpipe. These problems can be solved by loosening the collar and changing it to a cat harness.

In addition to keeping your cat safe from coughing, using harnesses will help to minimize the chance of them slipping out of the collars if not properly managed.

If the cough caused by tight collars is continuous and they are not getting any relief, then you need to go to the vet to solve the problem and underlying problems caused by the tight collars.