By Max Young
Just like humans, cats can catch colds, and they do so somewhat frequently. However, colds are not passed on between humans and cats since the viruses that cause colds are species-specific. Simply put we do have a cold advantage over cats: while we can care for our colds with medicine, our pets can't. This means that a cold can become a grave ailment for a cat, especially if you have more than one cat in your household.
Cat cold symptoms are almost identical to human colds: wheezing, sneezing, watery eyes, coughing, mucous seepage. You may also discover what look like cold sores around your cat's mouth or respiratory troubles.
Cat colds are most common during the summer, and they are highly contactable. Your cat can pick one up at the groomer, the vet, the kennel or from any cat it meets on the street.
Generally, a cat cold will run its course in seven to ten days, approximately the same length as the human cold. The cat's immune system will take care of it, so don't try to dispense human cold medication as a remedy. The only time a cat cold becomes dangerous is if the virus spreads, causing a respiratory infection or a secondary infection in the sinuses.
If you think your cat has caught a cold, call your veterinary surgeon. Getting medical involvement at the outset can be significant if the cold advances into something worse. Once your cat develops a respiratory infection, it can come back over and over again. You want to avoid this at all costs.
One of the first signs of a cat cold is a stuffy nose. Keeping an eye on your cat when he eats is an important way to tell if he is suffering from a stuffy nose, since he will not be able to smell his food (normal cat behavior). Typically, a cat that can't smell his food won't even eat or drink. Consequently, if you notice that your cat isn't eating typically, call your veterinarian right away.
Keeping your cat up to date with all the suggested vaccinations is a great way to defend against the two viruses that cause cat colds: feline herpesvirus (FHV) and feline calicivirus (FCV). If possible, the best rule of prevention is to keep your cat inside
Cat ownership involves a certain level of basic, non-negotiable obligations. If you really want the best relationship that it's possible to have with your cat, it's worthwhile taking the time to find out what makes her tick. This implies finding out how to keep her happy and healthy, how to supply her with enough care and nutrition, how to help her adjust to your house (the house training secrets are a definite bonus!), how to prevent and deal with any behavioral troubles that might eventuate, and in general how to attain and keep up the kind of rewarding and mutually caring relationship with your cat that we would all like to have.
| Max Young is an information researcher whom presents working information to be used for every day experiences. To get the inside word on preventing and dealing with problem behaviors like aggression and dominance in your cat/dog, click now on the following link. |
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