If Your Cat Does This Longer Than 3 Weeks, Don't Ignore It

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

• There are several feline disorders that have coughing as a symptom. The most common cause of persistent coughing in cats is chronic bronchopulmonary disease, which is a group of conditions that includes feline asthma
• Because there are so many underlying causes of chronic coughing, it’s very important to accurately diagnose your cat’s cough
• Treatment involves identifying and resolving the underlying cause of the cough, as well as alleviating the cough itself

Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published May 17, 2016.

If your cat has a persistent (chronic) cough, it’s almost always a sign of an underlying problem. Coughing is a protective reflex designed to clear away irritants in the throat, voice box, windpipe, or airways.

A cough is also the body’s way of preventing kitty from aspirating (inhaling) fluids or foreign matter into her lungs, however, it also interferes with her ability to breathe normally.

Coughing is one of the most powerful reflexes in the body, and plays a crucial role in protecting against an invasion, obstruction, or abnormality of your cat’s airways. The medical term for coughing is tussis.