Most cats sneeze every now and then – just like dogs and humans. Most of the time, these symptoms are mild and disappear quickly and there’s no reason to worry. Sometimes however, these symptoms can be sudden and severe and in these cases, it might be worth visiting your vet.

Usually a cat is just sneezing because they have a bit of fluff up their nose – just like we sneeze when our noses are tickled. It becomes an issue when that sneezing is repetitive and happens alongside other issues.

One of the biggest reasons cats might sneeze chronically is cat herpes. Once a cat has herpes, they have herpes forever. It usually lays dormant but when a cat is stressed and their immune system is weakened, that dormant herpes can suddenly become active and make your cat feel terribly sick.

When an immunized, adult cat is infected, they usually only have a mild case of sneezing with a runny nose and runny eyes. In these cases, they usually don’t need to be treated – especially if they’re eating and drinking and generally behaving like they normally do.

If however, they have a weakened immune system and are feeling stressed, the impact might be more severe. Keep an eye out for the following symptoms and take your cat to a vet if any of them show up -

• Clear eye discharge turns into yellow/green eye boogers with squinting and redness.

• Clear nose discharge turns into yellow green nose boogers.

• Nasal congestion causes a drop in appetite (cats won’t eat if they can’t smell their food).

• Other symptoms develop that may suggest pneumonia – coughing, lethargy, fever.

• Other symptoms develop that may suggest sinusitis – lethargy, fever, headache – cat is scrunched up in a little ball with her head in her paws, not socialising.

• Dehydration develops.

The best way to prevent your cat from developing a more serious condition is to act fast. If you see any of these conditions, contact your vet!