Cat Can't Stop Sneezing

Could a vaccination reaction, an allergy or a respiratory infection be the reason why one visitor's cat can't stop sneezing?

My cat is a Ragdoll. She has been healthy ever since I brought her home at the age of eight weeks old. Three weeks ago I took her to the vet for her annual check up and she received her FVRCP and rabies booster.

For the last one and a half weeks now she has been sneezing constantly day and night. I took her back in, and the vet gave her a cortisone shot which lasted for three days. She is now back to sneezing. she has no nose or eye discharge and no fever. She is eating and seems to be feeling okay. Do you have any idea what could be going on?

Thank you~~ Jasmine

Expert Reply

Hi Jasmine,

There could be several things going on here. First, it could still be a reaction to the booster. I hope your vet has considered this angle and contacted the vaccine manufacturer to see if other people have reported the same problem.

Second, did your vet check your cat for a respiratory infection when you took her back in? Although nasal discharge is quite common with this type of infection, some cats don't present with this symptom, so it's still worth checking into. A round of antibiotics could clear this type of problem right up.

Third, if the sneezing isn't related to the booster or an infection, we need to look at possible changes in your cat's environment to determine whether the sneezing is allergy related.

Things to consider:

• Have you switched to a different brand of cat food? Perhaps your cat is allergic to it. Watch for additional symptoms such as increased scratching and skin problems around the head and neck.
• Have you switched kitty litter brands? Some are dustier than others.
• Have you changed anything in your home? Things like new furniture, new carpet or even new laundry soap can trigger an allergic reaction in your pet. These can be contact or inhalant allergies.

I recommend you ask your vet to test your cat for allergies. You might be able to pinpoint the exact cause of the sneezing and eliminate it from your cat's living space.

I'm sorry I can't give you a more definitive answer, but I hope my suggestions will give you more direction for solving the problem.

Best wishes~~ Kelly

Thank you for your prompt answer on sneezing after shots. My Ragdoll cat has received all of her shots on a regular schedule, and she has never had such a reaction before. My other two Ragdolls have not caught the sneezing problem, but they are due for their boosters in October so I'm worried.

I keep reading that it is not necessary to give a booster every year except for the rabies vaccine. A three year vaccine is advised. Is this correct? My three-year-old female has to have her rabies done a week apart from her FVRCP because she became very lethargic after her first booster.

I will call my vet on Monday to ask her to follow up on your recommendations. No, she did not check for a respiratory infection when I took her back, nor did she call the manufacturer of the vaccine, as far as I am aware.

Please advise on yearly boosters.

Thank you~~ Jasmine

Expert Reply

Hi Jasmine,

I hope your vet is able to diagnose the cause of the sneezing because I am fresh out of ideas on that one. As for annual vs. triannual vaccinations, here is my understanding.

There has been a lot of debate over whether cats need yearly vaccinations. The laws of most states require our pets receive an annual rabies vaccination, so we have to abide by that.

The FVRCP booster is a different story. There is evidence that one booster will provide enough protection to cover an indoor cat for up to three years. An outdoor cat will naturally be exposed to disease far more often, so an annual booster is likely better in this case.

There is growing evidence that a yearly booster may cause an aggressive tumor at the injection site, but this matter is still under study so no revisions have been made to the vaccination schedule yet.

Based on your cat's lifestyle and the laws of your municipality, you can make your own decision about whether or not to follow up with yearly FVRCP boosters. My feeling is that if your cats are strictly indoor cats, you probably don't need an FVRCP booster every year.

You should discuss this option with your vet, but understand that she may be reluctant to abate with the yearly schedule. As long as there is no law requiring anything more than the rabies booster, you have the right to refuse the rest and opt for the every three years plan.

Thanks for your question~~ Kelly

I have a three-year-old black male cat that started showing some redness and swelling of his nose about a month ago. I thought it would get better, but in the last week his nose has swollen to double its original size and is now a shiny red color. He has some sneezing and a minor runny nose. Other than what I've described, he appears in good shape. Is this something to worry about?

~~Dewey

Expert Reply

Hi, Dewey,

What you describe are some of the symptoms of Feline Upper Respiratory Infection (URI). In felines, upper respiratory can include nose, eyes and mouth area. Signs include:

• Sneezing
• Runny eyes
• Runny nose
• Fever
• Coughing
• Lethargy
• Ulcerated, swollen eyes
• Plugged nose
• Excessive saliva

Treatment includes antibiotics and special care of the cat. Your best bet is to take your feline to the vet and get a complete diagnosis to see if this is an infection or if the swelling is being caused by something else. With a personal examination, the vet will be able to properly diagnose your cat and offer treatment options. Good luck! I hope he feels better soon.

~~Lori

Hi! I have a tabby that is about a year and a half old. We recently adopted her from a local shelter. When we got her, she had a URI that was cleared up. She also had ring worm that we cleared up with a pill from the vet. However, it is now about four months later and her sneezing has not stopped. She has a healthy appetite, is playful, and acting in every way a normal cat would. When she sneezes, she is starting to leave snot on the carpets and walls and everywhere and it is getting hard to keep cleaning it every time I hear a sneeze come from her. We took her to a vet that flushed out her nasal passage, as well as did a scoping to look for nasal polyps but none were found. This alleviated the sneezing for a brief time, but about two weeks later she was sneezing just as badly as before. Her blood work came back normal except for a high white blood cell count. Our vet seems clueless. Do you guys have any ideas? Thanks!

~~Scott

Expert Reply

Hi, Scott,

Has your cat been tested for an upper respiratory infection recently? Cats can be prone to them and it doesn't sound like the vet has tried putting her on an antibiotic to treat a possible rhinitis infection. Perhaps it was never completely cleared up too. Her blood cell count also indicates that she has some type of infection somewhere in her body. It also sounds like your vet has ruled out any foreign objects being present in her nasal passages by using the scope.

You said the vet did some blood work. Did he or she test for cat flu? This is a potentially fatal disease and one of the symptoms is sneezing. However, most vets will test for this to rule out this possibility. I would just double-check and make sure that the vet did test for cat flu and feline leukemia.

Finally, if all that has been ruled out, cats can be sensitive to chemicals and have allergies. Make sure you are using a no dust cat litter for her and consider if there are any chemicals that might be adversely affecting the cat. Have you changed her cat food? Have you brought anything new into the house? Some breeds are more prone to allergies than others. For example, Persians have flat faces and shortened nasal passages and are more prone to allergies.

I hope some of these ideas work for you and your walls are "snot free" soon.

~~Lori

Dear Lori,

My cat Cicero is a short-haired, domestic tiger cat, orange in color. His teeth are in good shape, and he doesn't seem to be lethargic or losing weight, and he is alert and playful, even at 14 years old. However, he used to be an outdoor cat before I adopted him, and I've noticed that for the past year or two he seems to get sneezy in phases.

Sometimes he will sneeze four times in a row. He has discharge from both eyes that crusts to a brown color. From time to time, a small amount (tiny drip) of clear liquid is present at the end of his nose. His breathing and purring, when relaxed, are sometimes a little congested/labored sounding, though he doesn't appear in any discomfort. Even so, he does appear to be swallowing hard when just lying down (not eating or drinking anything). I've noticed he sneezes more when he is very relaxed and lying on his stomach or side, with his head tucked under his arms, or totally relaxed; head at an angle and facing the ceiling. He sneezes when he gets up from these positions. Can you help me understand what might be happening? Thank you in advance.

~~Susan

Expert Reply

Hi Susan,

There are a couple of things that might be going on with Cicero. Since he used to be an outdoor cat, it is possible he has contracted the Cat Flu virus at some point. This disease can cause a lot of respiratory infections and seems to impact very young and very old cats the most.

The other possibility is that Cicero has developed some allergies. Cats can have allergies just as people do. You may want to look around your environment and try to see what might have changed, paying particular attention when he goes through the sneezing phases.

My recommendation would be to go ahead and take him to the vet and have him tested for the virus. If he does have the virus, he will need some medication. If not, at least you will have ruled that out and can begin to try to eliminate other causes.

Hope this helps!

~~Lori.

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