Can Cats Get Colds?
Can Cats Get Colds? Here's How to Help a Cat With the Sniffles
Cats can catch colds, but not from us humans. Here's how to tell if kitty has a cold and how to help.
By Kate Eldredge Basedow, LVT Reprinted from dailypaws.com
Key Takeaways
Cats can catch colds similar to humans, with symptoms like sneezing and runny noses.
Most kitty colds go away on their own, but vets can help if symptoms get worse.
Vaccines help protect cats from severe colds and make symptoms milder.
Cats can get colds that are similar to the common cold in people. You may notice that your cat is sneezing more often or has a runny nose and watery eyes. These are common signs of an upper respiratory infection (URI), or what we refer to in humans as a "cold." There are a variety of pathogens that can cause colds in cats, and many of them are highly contagious.
Thankfully, most kitty colds resolve on their own, but you can enlist the help of your veterinarian to ease your cat's symptoms if she takes a turn for the worse. Here's what pet parents need to know about colds in cats.
How Do Cats Get Colds?
Colds in cats are often caused by viruses or, less commonly, bacterial infections. Your cat can also get a secondary bacterial infection on top of her viral illness. Two of the most common culprits are calicivirus and feline herpesvirus or rhinotracheitis.
These pathogens are usually airborne but can also be spread through water. Cats often catch colds from sick cats in crowded places like shelters or catteries. Even indoor cats are at risk if exposed to viruses or bacteria indirectly, such as through contact with other sick cats or via their owners. Factors like poor ventilation and systemic illnesses (e.g., kidney disease, asthma, allergies) also increase the risk.
Systemic illnesses such as kidney disease, asthma, and allergies, can all put your cat at increased risk. For cats with asthma and allergies, forced air heat in the winter can cause an increase in symptoms and potentially predispose them to URIs, especially if the vents are not well-maintained.
Some viruses can also stay in your cat's body long term even after the initial illness has resolved. These viruses remain latent until stress or another illness triggers them to recur later in the cat's life. Feline herpes in particular tends to do this.
Can Cats Get Colds From Humans?
No, cats cannot get colds from humans. The vast majority of viruses are highly species-specific and will not survive in a different host. Some bacterial infections can be transmitted to and from humans and cats, but this is rare.
Cats can get COVID-19 from humans and may show mild symptoms, but this is extremely rare. Cats are in much more danger from feline coronavirus, which can cause the usually fatal disease feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).
Can I Catch a Cold From My Cat?
No, you cannot get a cold from your cat. Viruses tend to be highly species-specific and will not survive in a different host.
Can Cats Get Sick From Cold Weather?
Not exactly. Cold weather can weaken your cat's immune system if she does not have access to proper shelter and nutrition, which would then put her at increased risk of contracting a cold. But for a healthy cat who is well cared-for, cold weather does not pose a risk for this illness.
Cat Cold Symptoms
Symptoms of a cold or upper respiratory infection in cats include:
Sneezing
Congestion or sniffles
Runny nose
Runny eyes
Poor appetite
Lethargy
Ulcers, particularly on the tongue
Fever
Dehydration
Enlarged lymph nodes
Cold symptoms in cats can generally last for one or two weeks.
What to Do If Your Cat Has a Cold
For mild cold symptoms, make your cat comfortable at home: provide a warm resting spot, clean her eyes and nose with a damp cloth, use a humidifier for her airways, and warm her food to enhance aroma, as congestion can reduce her appetite.
Do not give any cold medicine to your cat without consulting your veterinarian. Cats metabolize medications differently than we do, and many drugs that are safe for humans are toxic to cats. Do not give acetaminophen (Tylenol) to your cat under any circumstance. Aspirin is appropriate in some situations, but is also easy to overdose, so it is crucial to have an accurate dosage from your veterinarian based on your cat's current weight.
Most kitty colds will resolve on their own with time and supportive care. If your cat is sick enough to need medications for her cold, your vet will prescribe medications intended for use in cats.
When to Go to the Vet
If your cat is just sneezing with some clear discharge but otherwise seems fine, she does not need to be seen by your veterinarian.
Causes for concern that may warrant a vet visit include:
Difficulty breathing (this is an emergency)
Coughing
Excessive or pus-like discharge from the nose or eyes
Not eating for more than a day
Ulcer on the tongue or in the mouth
Lethargy or depression
If your cat has any of these symptoms or a combination, she should be seen by your veterinarian. Young, old, pregnant, or otherwise immunocompromised cats are more likely to have trouble clearing a cold, so it may be appropriate to seek veterinary care even for mild illness in these cats.
Treatment for Colds in Cats
In most cases, your vet will simply treat your cat's cold symptoms. It's possible to find out exactly what is causing your cat's illness by sending out an upper respiratory panel test, so that is something the vet may do during the visit.
While there is no cure for most colds, your vet can provide medications to relieve symptoms and resolve secondary bacterial infections. Your vet may prescribe eye ointments to soothe your cat's eyes, antibiotics for suspected bacterial infections, or antiviral medications for severe viral infections.
More severe cases may be treated with fluids to boost hydration, supplemental oxygen, or even a feeding tube to provide nutrition for cats who aren't eating.
How to Prevent Your Cat From Getting a Cold
Vaccinate your cat according to your veterinarian's recommendations. The RCP vaccine (also referred to as FVRCP or feline distemper) stimulates immunity against calicivirus and rhinotracheitis (feline herpes). Some of these vaccines also include chlamydia. Cats who have been vaccinated for these diseases can still contract them in some cases but will have milder symptoms and recover more quickly.
Keep your cat away from infected cats and cats with an unknown health history. Keep your cat indoors at all times or only allow her outside in an enclosed catio or on a leash and harness.
Keep your cats' living quarters clean and make sure that there is adequate ventilation.
Feed a balanced diet to support your cat's immune system and overall health.
