There are as many reasons for cats sneezing as there are cat videos on YouTube. But we can cut down on those reasons by saying upfront that we aren’t talking about the occasional sneeze here.
Maybe you have witnessed a significant sneezing fit, or perhaps your cat has been sneezing incessantly over the past day or two; it could indicate an underlying issue.
Since cats can’t tell us what’s wrong, monitoring and understanding the visual signs are essential.
In descriptive terms, a sneeze is a sudden, powerful expulsion of air from the nasal passages and mouth. It is usually the body’s way of expelling some kind of irritant from the nasal passages.
Under normal circumstances, cats generally sneeze for the same reasons humans do. Something has irritated the nasal passage, usually, and a cute “achoo!” accompanied by a shake of the head takes care of that.
As with human flu, cat flu brings on sneezing, watery eyes, and the dreaded runny nose. In most cases, cats from good domestic situations are vaccinated against cat flu, although it can still occur in rare cases.
Herpesvirus and calicivirus are two examples of common culprits when it comes to upper respiratory infections (URIs) in cats. Several other less common viruses can be present.
Severe causes of sneezing include growths and tumors. These can arise anywhere, including in the actual nose and throat. It can cause lots of sneezing and even discharge.
Subscribe to The Discerning Cat Newsletter and we'll send you a free 50 page ebook Why Do Cats…. Common Cat Behaviours Explained