What are the Causes of a Cat Sneezing Fit?

Have you ever noticed your cat sneezing? If you’ve had cats for very long, there’s a better-than-average chance that you’ve noticed this at least a few times. However, it’s not usually a cause for concern. On the other hand, if you’ve started to notice that your cat seems to be having several fits of sneezing throughout the day, you’ve probably grown more concerned with each passing episode. In a case like this, it’s important to realize exactly what causes sneezing in your cat and whether or not there’s anything you need to be doing about it.

There are actually several different reasons why your cat might be sneezing a lot. One of the most common reasons is allergies. Just like their human counterparts, cats can become allergic to almost anything. If they’re allergic to pollen, weeds, trees or grass, you can expect them to be sneezing a lot when those types of allergens are more prevalent. If you have allergies to the same things and you’ve been sneezing more often than usual, you might notice that your cat is doing the same thing. This generally isn’t anything that you need to worry about, although it can make both you and your cat miserable. If you’re trying to find some relief for your feline friend, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with your veterinarian and see what types of allergy medications might be appropriate, if any.

If your cat does have allergies, you might need to start looking at the quality of the air around you. Even for cats that don’t really suffer from a lot of allergies, this can be a problem. Do you keep your cat in an area that’s relatively clean or are they relegated to a place like the garage where dust is more likely to accumulate? Your cat might be sneezing because there is too much dust in the air or it might be because you need to have the ductwork in your home cleaned out. While this can make your cat uncomfortable, it’s not likely to cause any real physical harm. The more frightening possibility is that if your cat is sneezing because there’s an issue with air quality in your home, you and everyone else in your family are also being exposed.

Sometimes your cat sneezes because something is blocking one of his nasal passages. Cats have a tendency to get their faces where they shouldn’t be sometimes. If your cat has sniffed something such as a grass seed or something similar, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that it could have become lodged in one of his nasal passages. This will obviously irritate it and your cat is likely to start sneezing like crazy in order to attempt to dislodge it. The good news is that more often than not, cats manage to do exactly that without any help from you and without a trip to the veterinarian. Of course, if that isn’t the case, then it’s time to make an appointment as soon as possible.

One of the more serious reasons that your cat might be sneezing a lot is because of a respiratory infection. Cats have a tendency to get these types of infections on a fairly regular basis. While they can clear up on their own, they can also cause a lot of complications. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to make an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as you start to suspect that your cat has such an infection. How are you supposed to know if the sneezing is due to a respiratory infection or something less severe? Generally speaking, cats that are suffering from respiratory infection will display a number of other symptoms. They are likely to be lethargic, display a little interest in interacting with people or other animals, and they might not even be interested in eating. In addition, cats who are suffering from a respiratory infection have a tendency to sound congested when they breathe. In many cases, they also have watery eyes or what looks like gunk in their eyes, more commonly referred to as conjunctivitis. If your cat is displaying any of these symptoms, it’s really best to go ahead and make that appointment with your veterinarian. That way, if your cat needs antibiotics, you can get started on them as soon as possible.

Last but certainly not least, your cat might be suffering from some type of virus that causes symptoms similar to a cold in humans. More specifically, it could be due to viruses like calici or herpes. In most cases, an otherwise healthy cat is capable of recovering from these types of viruses in about five to seven days. In some cases, there might be a few lingering effects such as sneezing for up to 10 days. If the symptoms persist longer, seem to be getting worse, or are severe, have your cat seen by a veterinarian immediately.

Now that you know what typically causes cats to sneeze, you can probably relax and realize that in most cases, it’s not because of something serious. If the problem continues or your cat is displaying other symptoms along with the sneezing, have them evaluated. In most cases, it’s a passing symptom that will resolve on its own in just a few days.