Why is my cat's nose crusty?

November 4, 2007 8:51 AM

What is wrong with my cat's crusty nose?

My 3-year-old cat has recurring crusty black stuff in one of her nostrils. Its consistency is the same as that in a cat's eye. It has been happening for about a month. She does not seem to be in pain, but the crusty black stuff is starting to make me nervous. Has anyone had any experience with this?

posted by elquien to Pets & Animals (6 answers total)

Both of our cats, one more than the other, gets "kitty boogers" off and on. If they are particularly voluminous, I take a wet q-tip and wipe them out, but they come and go, much like my allergies or sniffles come and go with the seasons and air quality.
posted by stefnet at 9:07 AM on November 4, 2007

Yes, my cat Bailey gets these from time to time. They don't seem to bother her and they come and go, as stefnet says. She doesn't have any allergies, and I haven't noticing her sneeze. I'd say nothing to worry about.
posted by essexjan at 9:27 AM on November 4, 2007

Cats are very prone to upper respiratory infections, and nasal discharge is often a sign of this. Since upper respiratory infections can progress to being quite serious in cats, I would get the vet to check this.
posted by biscotti at 9:37 AM on November 4, 2007

One of our cats had that happen. It turned out to be an allergy to his wet food.
posted by wierdo at 10:53 AM on November 4, 2007

We moved to a new house when our kitten, Tweak, was about four months old. Shortly after that, she developed the crusty nose thingie (yech), along with a habit of occasionally sneezing five or six times rapidly in a row. A visit to the vet verified that her lungs were clear, blood work was OK, and he said there might be something in the new house triggering an allergy. The only major difference we could think of was the new house had carpeting, while the old house had been all hardwood floors. In any case, the nose thing cleared up slowly but surely after just under a year, although once in a while she'll still do that rapid sneeze thing.

(Anecdotal note: Tweak has always been a Daddy's girl since we've had her; that is, she attached herself to Mr. Adams. He responded in full measure (although prior to this he'd been a staunch "dog person"), except when her nose got icky; then I'd ovehear him tell the cat tenderly "Go see Mommy and have her wipe your nose."
posted by Oriole Adams at 11:52 AM on November 4, 2007 [1 favorite]

My Loopy gets both eye boogers and your more standard boogers. More commonly the former than the latter.

Scruff rarely has even one, but she is not a grotty little beast. Whereas he certainly is. Maybe she does but she cleans them, maybe she doesn't get them in the first place - it's definitely dirt related either way.

If they're just brown and crusty.. erm dislodge them. (If you would be so kind?) :-P

But if you have mucous - anything but clear is bad! (green, yellow, blood or 'stuff' ect - Bad!). Now if it's clear... (think yourself on a cold windy day - you know that slight sniff?) a wet nose every now and then isn't a big deal. But if it's literally running, or there's sneezing and/or eyes seem watery, itchy ect I would pay it more concern maybe.

Otherwise 'Ha- ha- your kitty has boo-gies!' :)
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 1:10 PM on November 9, 2007