# occasional coughing



## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

I was just wondering, is it concerning for a cat to occasionally cough. Like maybe once a month or less than that to have a little coughing fit. They crouch down, stretch neck a bit and repeatedly cough towards the floor, usually while squinting and slowly moving their heads from side to side. They don't vomit or gag just have the little fit, swallow hard, and are finished. It does not look like the asthma attacks I'm looking at one youtube, they don't suck air in and can pause and swallow now and again. 
Both of mine occasionally do this and I've never thought to bring it up to the vet because of how infrequent it is. Sometimes it'll happen once a month or so, sometimes we'll go months without it. I just sort of figured sometimes cats cough, like people. But I don't really KNOW that, and the events are sort of alarming when they happen (dog freaks out and runs over, sniffing cat all over to see what's wrong). Do you think it's something to be worried about?

This is the closest youtube video I can find. The main differences are that instead of two or three coughs then a little wait time mine will cough repeatedly for a good 10 coughs before stopping and swallowing, then he'll go again for another 10 or so coughs, then stop again, swallowing hard. Then there might be one or two more single or coupled coughs with lots of swallowing, like he's trying to stop himself, then he's done. My cats will also give a few harder coughs during their fit, almost as if it's so hard it'll make them vomit (this is usually right before stopping to swallow). When they cough really hard it will be very high pitched/squeaky.





I'd appreciate any opinions!


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## furryfriends251 (Jan 1, 2009)

Does it sound like the cat on Another Furball? It Might Be Feline Asthma (scroll down for the video)? Actually in both video's it looks like the same cat...I wonder if it is.


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## CJinCA (Dec 5, 2011)

Can't really offer any advice but i would take kitty to vet just to rule out any serious issues. 

My Squeek was coughing like that at night, almost every night. She sleeps in my bed so it would wake me up. We'd only heard a cough from her during the daytime maybe once a week. I took her to the vet and turned out she had a mild case of bronchitis. 2 weeks of antibiotics fixed it, although she got harder and harder to catch to give it to her as she learned to recognize she was about to get it ;-). 

Does you kitty sleep where you can hear her at night?


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## jodi (Jan 23, 2012)

My cat does that when she get a hairball. I do everything vet says to do to prevent furballs but she is long haired & still gets them. I would still check with the vet to be safe.


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