How To Treat A Cat With A Cold At Home

Introduction

Caring for a cat with the sniffles or a sore throat is pretty similar to caring for one that’s completely healthy. As long as you follow a few basic guidelines and visit the vet if your kitty isn’t getting better on his own, he should be back to chasing strings and licking plastic bags in no time.

Be sure your cat actually has a cold.

Before you take your cat to the vet or spend money on over-the-counter medication, there are a few things you can do to confirm that it actually has a cold.

• Check for a runny nose, watery eyes and sneezing. These are all common symptoms of an upper respiratory infection in cats as well as humans. However, keep in mind that cats may exhibit these signs differently than humans: A runny nose might appear more like drooling than what you would expect from someone who is sick with the flu; cats often don’t get fevers when they have an illness; and coughing can be less obvious because some cats lack the ability to generate enough force through their chest muscles to produce audible noises (although this does not mean your cat isn’t experiencing discomfort). If your kitty does have these symptoms but no fever or sore throat or coughs, then there’s a good chance he has something else wrong with him besides just being under the weather—and taking care of him properly will help prevent any further complications down the line!
• Understand when treatment is needed if you suspect your cat has pneumonia instead of simply having an ordinary cold without any other symptoms. Cats can develop pneumonia caused by viruses such as feline herpes virus-1 (FHV-1) which causes upper respiratory tract infections including nasal discharge accompanied by sneezing and coughing that progresses rapidly into serious illness if left untreated; however sometimes these cases do not involve fever at all so always check with your veterinarian before considering antibiotics since they should only be used under strict supervision from those who know what kind of drugs work best on each specific type

Keep your cat indoors

Keeping your cat indoors is the best thing you can do to keep them from getting sick in the first place. There are many other animals and people who may be sick or carry germs that could make your cat sick. If you don’t want to take any chances, keep your cat indoors until they are fully recovered from their cold!

In addition to keeping them away from other cats and people who might be carrying germs, it’s also important not to bring anything into the house that might pose a threat. This means avoiding things like:

• coughing or sneezing on them (if possible)
• touching them with dirty hands or objects

Warm up their surroundings

If your cat is feeling cold and you don’t have access to a vet, you can help them warm up using one of the following methods:

• With a heat lamp or heating pad. You can get these at most pet stores or from veterinarians. Just make sure not to leave the heat on for too long because it’s easy for kittens or older cats to overheat.
• Using hot water bottles under blankets is also great way to help cats get warm quickly! For example, if you put a small towel over them and put hot water in it, they’ll stay nice and cozy.

Additionally, there are other things that will make him feel more comfortable when he’s sick with a cold or flu virus such as wearing sweaters or using blankets around him so he doesn’t get too cold but still stays healthy!

Feed them good food

The first thing you can do to help your cat feel better is feed them a high quality food. A good rule of thumb is that if the ingredients are easy to read and pronounce, then they’re probably healthy. You should also be wary of foods that add artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives as these can make your cat sick.

When looking for a new food for your cat it’s important that you choose one formulated for their specific age, breed and health needs (like kidney disease). Also keep in mind that dry food has more fiber than wet food so if your cat is having trouble maintaining his weight consider switching him over to dry kibble!

Give them lots of fresh water

Cats need to drink a lot of water. They can get dehydrated easily, especially in the winter when they are spending more time indoors and less time in the sun.

It’s important to make sure your cat has access to fresh water at all times, especially if you plan on giving them any medications (see below). If you think your cat isn’t drinking enough water, try offering it in different ways such as putting it in a bowl or by adding ice cubes for extra coolness. You can also add nutritional supplements that contain taurine and vitamin C which helps with hydration (these are usually found at pet stores).

Take them to the vet if you need to!

If you notice any of these symptoms, please take your cat to the veterinarian. If they have a fever or are coughing up any mucus, it is important that they get checked out. A runny nose can also be an indication that they are sick and need to be seen by a doctor.

When taking your cat to the vet, make sure you mention all of the symptoms that you have noticed so far as well as any other details about what happened before he became ill (for example, did he eat anything before being exposed?).

Make sure not to stress out your kitty!

Stressed cats are more likely to get sick in the future, be more prone to behavioral issues and even contract infections and cancer. So it’s important that you not let stress cause too much trouble for your cat. If he or she is stressed out, you may want to consider getting him or her a new home with people who can provide better care.

Make sure not to stress out your kitty!

Conclusion

I hope that this guide has given you the confidence and tools to get your cat through a cold. Just remember to stay diligent, don’t stress out your kitty by taking them to see a vet right away if they start sneezing or cough occasionally for a couple of days—those symptoms don’t always mean it’s something serious like Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).