Dealing With Cat Colds
Got cat colds in your household? Don't worry, you won't catch it, and if your cat has a cold, it didn't catch it from you or anyone else in your family. The virus that's the cause of cat colds is different from the one causing a cold in a human, and won't cause a human to catch cold.
You will want to take precautions though if you have more than one cat in the house, as cat colds are very contagious, if you happen to be a cat that is. It might be necessary to quarantine the cat with the cold, at least until you find out whether your other cat or cats have come down with the same condition.
Usually Virus-Caused, But Bacteria May Play A Role - A cat cold is an upper respiratory tract disease, an infection most commonly caused by one or two viruses, but in some instances can be caused by bacteria. Bacteria caused cat colds are most apt to occur if a cat has for any reason become dehydrated, allowing the membrane lining in its nose to become dry. When wet, the lining inhibits the passage of bacteria into the respiratory system, when dry it may not.
Just as is the case with humans, one of the early signs that kitty has a cold will be a runny nose. A runny nose doesn't always signify a cold, it could result from an allergy, but if it persists for 12 to 24 hours, the likelihood of a respiratory infection is high, and it's a good idea to take the cat to the veterinarian for diagnosis and possible treatment. If the discharge is thick and yellow, it's usually a sure sign of a bacterial infection and your cat may be in need of an antibiotic. If the antibiotic doesn't give fairly quick relief, the infection could be due to a virus or fungus.
Food And Rest Is Good - One thing a cat will usually do if it has a cold is to get plenty of rest. It's not that the cat knows this is a good way to deal with a cold, although many animals, including cats, will instinctively do what they think is in their best interest. With the cat it’s not so much instinct, rather it’s that most cats spend most of their time resting and sleeping anyway. What a cat can't always do well is feed the cold. If their nose is stuffed up, they can't smell their food, so often won't touch it. If you normally feed your cat dry food, consider getting a can of tuna or any fish that has a good strong smell, and your cat will probably start eating.
Vitamin C Is Good As Well - There are household remedies for treating a cat cold. Just don't experiment too much. Small animals don't always tolerate medical experiments well. One thing that often can help though and isn't harmful is vitamin C. If you can entice your cat to eat, sneak a little vitamin C powder into its food. You can put a small chunk of a vitamin C tablet in its throat also, just don't try doing it with your fingers, and don't make it too big of a chunk which the cat could choke on. Your cat may not personally thank you, but it should start feeling better or at least experience milder symptoms.
The main thing you want to be careful about if your cat catches a cold is not to let the condition persist, or worsen, without seeing the vet. If an upper respiratory infection persists and is left untreated, it could turn into a lower respiratory infection, affecting the bronchial airways and the lungs. That can be a far more serious condition.