I know, but I've never heard one do it.

March 21, 2006 3:56 PM

Can cats cough?
posted by 31d1 to pets & animals (10 comments total)

yes
posted by thirteenkiller at 3:56 PM on March 21, 2006

Yes, by consensus.
posted by jtron at 4:23 PM on March 21, 2006

yes, but it usually means they are really sick.
posted by dness2 at 6:16 PM on March 21, 2006

yes, it can sometimes mean they have a hairball and are not really sick, or they are about to puke and may or may not be really sick.
posted by jessamyn at 6:20 PM on March 21, 2006

yes, and it could also be choking back something that didn't taste so good after up. or a cold, asthma, bronchitis or even heartworm.

Google is your friend.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 6:37 PM on March 21, 2006

one of our cats coughs all the time. He has allergies.
posted by Lord_Pall at 6:47 PM on March 21, 2006

My cat has allergies too, and coughs at certain times of the year. The vet checked her out. I could drug her, but she doesn't seem bothered by it at all. Shoving a pill down her throat would bother her much more.
posted by kimdog at 7:28 PM on March 21, 2006

My wife made my cat cough, once, by heating a bunch of diced jalapeños in the microwave. I started coughing, and then our cat started coughing (she's Chicana, and thus immune ;-).

It sounded really dainty, and not the same as when he would get ready to hack up a fur ball.
posted by teece at 9:09 PM on March 21, 2006

They can also talk in their sleep.
posted by JamesMessick at 8:14 PM on March 23, 2006

What jessamyn said.

One of the symptoms that had me take my cat to the vet was frequent, almost continuous, coughing. A week later we had to have him euthanized due to kidney failure.
posted by deborah at 11:53 PM on March 24, 2006