Cats are like family: they can cry like babies, snuggle up in your bed like little sister, and they can sneeze like mom. Even when cats sneeze they do it with poise. Like you and me, cats sneeze for many reasons. Like you and me, however, cats can spread virus by sneezing.
An ordinary cat sneeze caused by dust on your window brings no diseases. Your cat may sneeze with or without anything coming out of its nose. But if your cat sneezes repeatedly it could mean one or two things: it may have an allergy or a viral infection.
Causes of cat sneeze
Some of the common causes of cat sneezing are:
1. Allergens. Like us, cats can catch air-borne allergens. You notice that out in the grassy parts your cat sneezes a lot, that’s because it has probably sniffed pollen. In a newly painted room or space, cats also sneeze due to strong chemical scent. The same is true when cats smell soap and other cleansing liquid with strong scent.
2. Virus. A viral infection may most likely come from your cat’s socializing with other cats in the neighborhood. The most common viral infection among cats is calicivirus or infection by the herpes virus group. These two pass from one cat to another pretty fast. When cats catch them they begin to sneeze with nasal discharge.
This can lead to infection of your cat’s upper respiratory tract. Pet colds are caused by bacteria your pets pick up from the air. For dogs the most common virus is Type -2 Adenovirus and Parainfluenza virus. In rare cases, these viruses may infect cats, too.
3. Conjunctivitis. Moreover, cats sneeze because of conjunctivitis followed by a fever. You know conjunctivitis virus is almost second skin to many house pets, but there are virulent strains that can have your cats running high fever. And the danger is that these viruses stay with your pet cat for as long as it lives. When your cat sniffs up micro-organisms like mycoplasma, it also irritates its nose and thus makes it sneeze. Sneezing usually follows after 5 days of contamination.
4. Bacteria. When your cat breathes heavily and sneezes with nasal discharge that smells bad, it could only mean your cat has got a bacterial infection. This infection could lead to serious rhinitis. This worsens when your cat is not attended to right away. Your cat feels like having a common cold, the way you do on those bad days. Rhinitis may lead to pneumonia, if not treated right away.
5. Grass. You’ve probably seen your cat nibbling on grass on several occasions. This can cause sneezing too—your cat may have sniffed a blade of grass. Your cat sneezes to remove that grass from its nose. At times, your cat may have a lump or a pimple-like swelling on her nostrils. Your cat sneezes thinking it can dislodge it easily.
As a responsible pet owner, you need to keep track of your cat’s over-all health. When it sneezes, watch out for suspicious looking discharge. You know it’s harmless when it’s almost transparent. Even so, you can’t care less. You’ve probably heard of fatal cat fur infection.
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