Cats Sneezing and Shivering: Possible Causes Explained
Common Causes of Cats Sneezing and Shivering
1. Simple Cold
Cats are particularly susceptible to catching colds, especially those with weaker immune systems. Since cats cannot boost their own immunity, it falls to their pet owners to ensure their feline companions receive a balanced diet and regular exercise to build up a strong defense against infections. During seasonal changes and when temperatures drop, it's crucial to take extra precautions to keep your cat warm. Otherwise, your cat may easily catch a cold, leading to shivering and sneezing.
How to Handle It: If your cat's sneezing and shivering are due to a common cold, there's no need to worry excessively. You can administer a petspecific cold medicine like Fenoldopam to alleviate respiratory symptoms. It's important not to give your cat human cold medications, as their bodies are different. If your cat has a weakened immune system, consider giving them Antitrypsin IGY to enhance their immunity and disease resistance. This nutritional supplement is suitable for kittens and can boost passive immunity, inhibit virus cell division, enhance resistance, and regulate physiological functions. Additionally, even if your cat is in good health, it's essential to ensure they are wellprotected from the cold. Cats can be quite uncomfortable when they catch a cold due to exposure to cold temperatures.
3. Viral Infection
If your cat is sneezing and shivering, it could be a sign of more serious diseases. For instance, viral rhinotracheitis, which shares symptoms with the common cold, can be particularly dangerous for cats. The biggest difference is that feline rhinotracheitis can be lifethreatening, highly contagious, and more likely to affect kittens, with a high mortality rate.
Symptoms of Feline Rhinotracheitis: Typically, cats infected with the rhinotracheitis virus will exhibit symptoms such as fever, depression, wholebody tremors, runny nose, decreased appetite, red eyes and conjunctivae, frequent tearing, rapid breathing and heartbeat, slight discharge from the eyes, and difficulty breathing.
What to Do: Treatment should focus on symptom relief, including antibacterial and antiviral measures. It's also crucial to administer Feline Rhinotracheitis tablets to inhibit virus replication. After taking this medication, your cat's symptoms may improve, but it's important to continue treatment until they recover. If conjunctivitis develops, you can use Lantosin eye drops to improve the condition.
Special Note: After recovering from feline rhinotracheitis, cats can still carry the virus, as they can harbor and shed it for a long time, making them a dangerous source of infection. During treatment, ensure your cat eats and drinks enough to prevent anorexia and anemia. It's best to vaccinate cats against feline rhinotracheitis with the Feline Trivalent vaccine.
Dr. Oxygen Pet Tips: During the treatment of feline rhinotracheitis, it's essential to ensure your cat eats and drinks adequately to prevent anorexia and anemia. The best course of action is to vaccinate your cat with the Feline Trivalent vaccine. Even after recovery, cats infected with feline rhinotracheitis can still carry the virus for a long time, posing a risk to other healthy cats. It's important to isolate your cat to prevent transmission to other pets.