Cat Illness Problems - Sneezing Cat

The occasional sneeze from your cat is nothing to worry about. Like you and me, they're susceptible to random irritants in the air and it's the body's way of trying to get rid of these irritants.

These can include household dust and the finer particles in cat litter, and because cats use their sense of smell to investigate anything they're likely to sniff in particles and sneeze. You might notice that your cat sneezes if you use a spray like household polish or air freshener and you need to make sure that you don't use these sprays in high concentration near your cat as they can act not only as irritants but can inflame their air passages too.

If you hear a sneezing feline in the garden he has probably been investigating flowers and bees and has sniffed up some pollen which has irritated his nose. Sometimes cats develop a form of hay fever in the summer months when pollen levels are high, and this will result in more prolonged bouts of sneezing.

Any allergies such as fleas and parasites or food may result in some sneezing but this is more likely to be due to a reactive mucus in the eyes or ears when the cat develops a generalized allergic reaction.

Sneezing may be the warning sign of an upper respiratory tract infection. Cats are susceptible to bacterial infections such as streptococcus which is a very common airborne bacteria, or he may have fallen prey to cat flu. There have been occasions when even cats who have been vaccinated against flu will still contract the infection and he will need careful care and monitoring, The sneezing is caused by the inflamed nasal airways producing large amounts of mucus which block the nasal passages and his only way of relieving the blockage is to sneeze.

If there is no sign of infection but you notice your cat sneezing a lot, it may be that he has inhaled a foreign object which is lodged in the narrowing of the nasal passage. Because sneezing is a natural defence, the cat will continue sneezing to try and dislodge it, and if he can't do this he will need an examination with your veterinary surgeon.

Checking your cat's teeth on a regular basis will ensure that you discover any abscesses forming - if these develop these too may cause sneezing as the pressure of the abscess will affect the nerve supply to the nose and this will trigger sneezing.

If your cat is sneezing due to a disease or infection and his nose is running or blocked you can use a swab dipped in warm water to wipe away the exudates, washing your hands thoroughly afterwards and disposing of the swab. Dry and frequent sneezing may be helped by putting a humidifier in the room so as to moisten his air passages and help to damp down the irritation that is causing him to sneeze.