It is Sunday and I had a sleepless night last night. My little furball has a cold and he is restless! I noticed that he was sleeping more than usual and his appetite is not where it should be. His constant rubbing his nose to clear the congestion cued me to the fact that there might be more than meets the eye.
I helped with a damp tissue to clear his nose and since he can’t blow his own nose, it was the best I could do. Keeping him warm and quiet also helped. However, I realized that keeping quiet is not what cats do when they are sick or feeling down in the dumps. Chachi, the cat, is more active than expected and stirring up trouble! He opened all the cupboards in the cellar, then he was off and running to the kitchen where he found more cupboards to open and if that was not enough to get my attention, he decided to up the ante with more nonsense. It did get my attention if that was what he was vying for.
According to one source, “Cats can catch colds, typically known as feline upper respiratory infections (URIs), characterized by sneezing, nasal congestion, eye discharge, and lethargy, often lasting 7-10 days.”
Symptoms:
Sneezing and nasal discharge. Watery or runny eyes. Coughing or congestion. Lethargy and decreased appetite and mild fever or sores in the mouth.
My little bugger has some of those symptoms but he appears to be more active than usual. Not sure what that is about but it kept me awake at night. Maybe it is that, “misery loves company!” Whatever it is, he was moving around a lot during the night and kept me up with his constant, “Come join me mommy!”
Treatment:
Keep your cat warm and comfortable.
Offer strong-smelling food since congestion reduces their sense of smell.
Gently clean eye or nose discharge with a warm, damp cloth.
Consult a vet if you see a thick yellow/green discharge and or if they stop eating.
Here’s the other thing. A cat cold cannot be transmitted to humans. However, I do feel like I’m coming down with something! Just psychological transmission I suppose.
Fingers and toes crossed!
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