Do Cats Get Colds Or Flu

The answer surprises most people.

Do cats get colds or flu. That cats are susceptible to the virus is a relatively recent discovery so not all veterinarians are aware of this fact or that human beings can transmit the flu to cats. Cat flu however does give cats the same side effects as us. Cat flu is much more common than dog flu.

According to the Ontario Veterinary College a cat may be able to catch your cold depending on what kind of virus it is although it does not commonly occur but a dog cannot. So if your cat is sneezing and coughing or has a fever or loss of appetite it may well be suffering from cat flu. The virus attaches to cells in the respiratory tract of felines similarly to how it does in humans says Weese.

However this is not to say that a cat with a cold should just be overlooked and or left untreated. Common signs that your cat may have a kitty cold can include sneezing a runny nose red and irritated eyes watery or goopy eyes and congestion. People cant catch cat flu and cats cant catch human colds or influenza viruses.

As with human colds there are several viruses that can cause it. Although cats do catch colds it isnt the same common cold virus that us humans catch. Just like their humans cats can catch colds and suffer.

But it can be serious and even fatal in kittens and adult cats with underlying illnesses so its important to get your pet to the vet. Cats can solely grow to be contaminated from different cats and sometimes different animals. Usually a cats cold lasts for about the same amount of time as a human cold 7-10 days and they will eventually get over it as we do.

Technically no they dont catch colds as humans do. These viruses produces symptoms similar to the common cold in humans. There is no cure for a viral infection however the cat can be kept as comfortable as possible by keeping it warm and treating the symptoms.