Cats, do they get The Flu?

[giggler]

My new cats, sort of Saved from the Wild, when my Idiot neighbor moved away and left them..

slowly, the 2 trust me and will come inside to eat, play, and cuddle and watch tv. but they, (brother and Sister, about 1 yr. old) are still very wild..

they went thru the nice spay/nueter/ shots program from Humane Society, and I am slowley Taking them in..

but I've never had cats before..

the Boy picked up a pronounced Caugh/ sneez a few days ago.

do cats just Get the Flu like people, and then get over it?

or do I need to take him to the vet?

Thanks, Eric, Austin Tx.

 

[GotGarlic]

Hi, Eric. It's hard to say. It's more likely to be a cold than the flu, although we have a rescue kitty who has a permanent sinus infection from spending her first months outside. She frequently sneezes with lots of mucus, poor thing.

If it doesn't stop after a week, I'd take him to the vet.

 

[pacanis]

How's the appetite? If the appetite is off I'd take it into the vet right away... maybe even if the appetite is fine. Sneezing or coughing for any length of time is not good. It could be a simple resiratory problem or it could be something much more serious, especially if they are outside cats. It may have contracted Feline Luekemia Virus before it was vaccinated and that can be deadly.

 

[buckytom]

i agree that it's probably just a cold, but like pac said, it could be due to a disease, possibly fiv (feline aids).

since they spent time out in the wild, they definitely should be taken to a vet to be tested for fiv, and felk/felv (feline leukemia). it's called a snap test.

fiv isn't necessarily deadly, but a cat that has it should be kept away from cats that have not contracted it. some cats can have feline aids and show no symptoms, but they are carriers. it can be given to other cats through a playful bite, and the other cat may end up dying from it.

cats that have fiv and show no ill symptoms can live with other cats that also have it but are not ill from it, however.

the downside is they do have compromised immune systems, which makes them more susceptible to getting colds.

felk/felv (leukemia) is unfortunately an automatic death sentence for cats. if they have it, they should be put down immediately, according to our vet.

in any case, good luck with your new cats, gigg.

 

[CWS4322]

Cats suffer from a number of respiratory problems throughout their lives. These issues can be chronic and the cat has to be on antibiotics. I concur--take the cats to the vet.