Respiratory Tract Infection (FLU)
Just like humans cat can catch the flu. Usually this is transferable through other animals. The cat flue can be caused by several viruses that attack the cat’s respiratory system. The cat flu most often is fatal, especially left untreated. There is a possibility for the cat to survive the cat flu, however, one the cat has contracted the virus it will be a carrier for the rest of his or her life.
Symptoms
- Fever
- Problems Breathing
- Runny eyes
- Sneezing
- Mucous discharge from the nose
- Loss of appetite
- Excessive Saliva
Causes
Cats most often catch the cat flu from other cats. It is especially problematic in large cat populations and in feral cat colonies. The cat flu is highly contagious and vaccines do not always protect a cat from getting the flu.
Preventative Treatment
Keep your cat indoors as much as possible. Keep your cat away from strange or infected cats. Good nutrition and a balanced diet can also help.
Treatment
Since the cat flu can be cause from different types of viruses, your vet will need to identify the afflicting virus in order to properly treat your cat. Sick cats are usually kept warm and encouraged to eat and drink. Your vet will usually prescribe antibiotics and anti-viral eye drops for your cat. Excessive discharge from the eyes and nose are also routinely cleaned.
My female cat is 7 1/2 years old. She is a housecat, never goes outside. She is the only pet and never around other animals. She has always been healthy. I adopted her from PACA when she was a year old. She is still eating some each day and drinking water. She started sneezing about 3 weeks ago and also coughing, seems to have a lot of clear but thick salive and sometimes sounds like she has a lot of wet congestion in her nose. We just moved to a different apartment 2 months ago. When we moved in I had a sinus infection and it was still warm during the day so I had windows open daily but closed at night. I was sick for over a month and then one morning I woke up and did not open the windows right away, went outside for a minute and came back in smelling a strong odor of natural gas. It turned out that there had been a gas leak coming from the back of the stove all that time. Could that be what has made Poo-Bear sick? I am very low income and have no money to take her to a vet. What should I do for her?