My cat has a cold. :(
October 31, 2018 11:15 PM Subscribe
My senior cat has cold symptoms. I talked to the vet on the phone and she said there's no immediate need to bring him in but to come in if it goes more than a week. YANMV, but you've had sick cats before. How can I make him more comfortable in the meantime?
My cat's profile is that he's a 13 y/o indoor only shorthaired male. He has thyroid issues and kidney problems are beginning. He doesn't have many teeth left. He was recently given a steroid shot and an antibiotic shot after something bit him, causing scabs on his head. He eats soft food with water added but has decided he's done with drinking water, so I give him fluids daily (mostly for his kidneys).
He has all the human cold symptoms--sniffling, sneezing, drooling, etc. And his purr sounds more raspy. Hasn't been much nasal discharge and what I've seen has been clear, which is why the vet didn't think I needed to bring him in right away.
I don't think there's a ton that you can do for these symptoms in cats, but I'm hoping someone will know how to help him. I've been making him sit for more sub q fluids than usual. Tonight I sat with him by a hot-running shower for the steam, and then later I held him near a pan of water. He sniffled like maybe it loosenedd something, but then he had had enough. (I don't have a humidifier, and, again, he doesn't just drink water anymore.) Of course I'm cuddling him but also trying to let him be alone.
Anything else I can do? The congestion seems to be the worst part. If I could figure out how to blow his nose, I would.
My cat's profile is that he's a 13 y/o indoor only shorthaired male. He has thyroid issues and kidney problems are beginning. He doesn't have many teeth left. He was recently given a steroid shot and an antibiotic shot after something bit him, causing scabs on his head. He eats soft food with water added but has decided he's done with drinking water, so I give him fluids daily (mostly for his kidneys).
He has all the human cold symptoms--sniffling, sneezing, drooling, etc. And his purr sounds more raspy. Hasn't been much nasal discharge and what I've seen has been clear, which is why the vet didn't think I needed to bring him in right away.
I don't think there's a ton that you can do for these symptoms in cats, but I'm hoping someone will know how to help him. I've been making him sit for more sub q fluids than usual. Tonight I sat with him by a hot-running shower for the steam, and then later I held him near a pan of water. He sniffled like maybe it loosenedd something, but then he had had enough. (I don't have a humidifier, and, again, he doesn't just drink water anymore.) Of course I'm cuddling him but also trying to let him be alone.
Anything else I can do? The congestion seems to be the worst part. If I could figure out how to blow his nose, I would.
My cat likes a heat pad on the lowest setting but there are some dangers especially if your cat won't move much. Here is a related ask on heat pads and cats there are cat heat pads too. He might just like it if the weather has gotten cold.
posted by AlexiaSky at 1:04 AM on November 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by AlexiaSky at 1:04 AM on November 1, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: When our cats recently got a nasty respiratory virus, one of them was so badly congested it hurt to watch him drool and be miserable. His airways got so congested he couldn't even sneeze to clear his nose. Everything kind of poured out, accompanied by massive amounts of drool - imagine a Maine Coon drooling like the drooliest dog there is, and that's our Banksy.
I phoned the vet - no need to bring the cat in, nothing they could do at this point, etc. The only thing that DID help was running a hot shower for a few minutes, then spending half an hour with the cat next to the shower. Just like you have been doing. The first couple of times I had to block the cat flap in the door so he stayed in the room with me. After a couple of times he didn't want to leave the room any more as I left. He learned pretty quickly that the steamy air made him feel better. Even when he did eventually leave, he lay down next to the (now open) door, where the air was still more humid than elsewhere in the house.
I repeated the shower treatment maybe six or seven times during his drooliest day. After a few times he began to sneeze. What a relief! The sneezing cleared his nose, and less than 24 hours later he was eating and drinking normally. The drooling stopped when the sneezing started. So, even if steamy air doesn't seem to help at first, run the shower as often as you can - it does make a difference.
posted by kaarne at 1:41 AM on November 1, 2018 [3 favorites]
I phoned the vet - no need to bring the cat in, nothing they could do at this point, etc. The only thing that DID help was running a hot shower for a few minutes, then spending half an hour with the cat next to the shower. Just like you have been doing. The first couple of times I had to block the cat flap in the door so he stayed in the room with me. After a couple of times he didn't want to leave the room any more as I left. He learned pretty quickly that the steamy air made him feel better. Even when he did eventually leave, he lay down next to the (now open) door, where the air was still more humid than elsewhere in the house.
I repeated the shower treatment maybe six or seven times during his drooliest day. After a few times he began to sneeze. What a relief! The sneezing cleared his nose, and less than 24 hours later he was eating and drinking normally. The drooling stopped when the sneezing started. So, even if steamy air doesn't seem to help at first, run the shower as often as you can - it does make a difference.
posted by kaarne at 1:41 AM on November 1, 2018 [3 favorites]
I will second something like kaarne's shower treatment. One of my parents' cats had severe respiratory infections every year, thanks to a weak immune system, and both humidifiers at home (and when the symptoms got really bad, at the hospital) helped a great deal.
posted by thomas j wise at 2:53 AM on November 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by thomas j wise at 2:53 AM on November 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
Yes, humidifier! They are cheap at places like Walgreens, you can leave it running and it does more long-term good than the shower method.
Credentials: I have six cats who all had a cold at the same time. Oyy! - I hope your little guy feels better ASAP!
posted by tomboko at 5:52 AM on November 1, 2018
Credentials: I have six cats who all had a cold at the same time. Oyy! - I hope your little guy feels better ASAP!
posted by tomboko at 5:52 AM on November 1, 2018
I suggest getting a humidifier, since your kitty will need more water in the air now and probably through the winter.
Also I must protest a cat ask that has no pictures of the cat in question!
posted by bile and syntax at 10:09 AM on November 1, 2018
Also I must protest a cat ask that has no pictures of the cat in question!
posted by bile and syntax at 10:09 AM on November 1, 2018
humidity hacks
If you have a drying rack or two, hanging wet stuff on there will markedly increase the humidity. Go ahead and wash your hand-washable sweaters or whatever, or use a couple of towels you hold under the shower every night. It makes a huge difference and doesn't use electricity. You can even wash your clothes and just hang them on there instead of using the dryer.
Another thing that increases the ambient humidity: making large pots of bean soup. It takes a while to cook beans (from dried beans) (soak them first), it's incredibly healthy, and it will fog up your windows if you leave the lid off of the pot / if it's cold outside.
If you can keep the cat in a smaller, quiet room or area, it will help him conserve his energy and also be easier to keep humidified.
And all this is helped by keeping the environment warm.
(I'm hesitant about cheap humidifiers because they tend to smell strongly of plastic; that smell must be even worse for a cat. In addition, the cool mist ones can become mildew fountains over time, and the warm mist ones are great, but a cheap one makes me worry about safety and even _more_ plastic smell. I have a Boneco humidifier that I love, but it wasn't cheap).
posted by amtho at 10:13 AM on November 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
If you have a drying rack or two, hanging wet stuff on there will markedly increase the humidity. Go ahead and wash your hand-washable sweaters or whatever, or use a couple of towels you hold under the shower every night. It makes a huge difference and doesn't use electricity. You can even wash your clothes and just hang them on there instead of using the dryer.
Another thing that increases the ambient humidity: making large pots of bean soup. It takes a while to cook beans (from dried beans) (soak them first), it's incredibly healthy, and it will fog up your windows if you leave the lid off of the pot / if it's cold outside.
If you can keep the cat in a smaller, quiet room or area, it will help him conserve his energy and also be easier to keep humidified.
And all this is helped by keeping the environment warm.
(I'm hesitant about cheap humidifiers because they tend to smell strongly of plastic; that smell must be even worse for a cat. In addition, the cool mist ones can become mildew fountains over time, and the warm mist ones are great, but a cheap one makes me worry about safety and even _more_ plastic smell. I have a Boneco humidifier that I love, but it wasn't cheap).
posted by amtho at 10:13 AM on November 1, 2018 [1 favorite]
One of mine also has perpetual sniffles, and when she's really suffering she volunteers herself to be in the bathroom when the shower is on, so I know it helps. And when it's really bad I also do the kids-snot-sucker thing on her itty bitty tiny nose, with limited results, but at least it's something. I really wish i could teach her to blow her nose :(
My vet also suggests a low-dust kitty litter, as the dust only aggravates the situation, even if kitty isn't actively allergic to it.
There are also other ways to sneak more water into a cat. If he eats wet food - add a tablespoon of water to his dish and mush it together. And if he tolerates it (ie isn't lactose intolerant) and likes it, milk or cream works as well. Note my vet actively discourages the cream, but my cat is old and it makes her happy and gets water and calories into her (both of which she needs) so I give it to her anyway (in moderation).
posted by cgg at 11:47 AM on November 1, 2018
My vet also suggests a low-dust kitty litter, as the dust only aggravates the situation, even if kitty isn't actively allergic to it.
There are also other ways to sneak more water into a cat. If he eats wet food - add a tablespoon of water to his dish and mush it together. And if he tolerates it (ie isn't lactose intolerant) and likes it, milk or cream works as well. Note my vet actively discourages the cream, but my cat is old and it makes her happy and gets water and calories into her (both of which she needs) so I give it to her anyway (in moderation).
posted by cgg at 11:47 AM on November 1, 2018
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One thing that my mom did sometimes, and she also did with our dogs if they got doggy-colds, was to use a bulb syringe to suck goop out of their noses. You can find them in any drug store, often in the infant care section. It's just a soft rubber or plastic bulb with a pointy part at the end. You squeeze it closed, insert the tip, and release it to create gentle suction. That can sometimes help get out an obvious booger without the pain of a sneeze. But wow did our cat hate it! If you're already at the drug store you can buy a humidifier too - I just used mine for my own cold last week and it was invaluable, so think about one for yourself? And that at least isn't going to stress out your cat.
I hope your kitty gets better soon. Just let him rest and watch for rapidly changing symptoms.
posted by Mizu at 12:18 AM on November 1, 2018 [1 favorite]