Greenbriar Animal Hospital

Allergic lung diseases affect many cats and are usually labeled “asthma.” Cats can also have allergies that are expressed on the skin or ears (itchy, scabby spots, hair loss, raw areas), and/or cause GI signs (chronic intermittent vomiting and/or diarrhea), instead.

Major tips for your asthmatic cat:

Wheezing (audible and sometimes high-pitched breathing) and/or coughing are the most commonly reported symptoms. Coughing is a serious symptom in cats and should be checked ASAP. Occasionally, bouts of sneezing and/or vomiting are noted, too.

Cats with asthma do not have a lot of energy for physical activities; once on treatment you may be surprised by how differently your cat acts and feels!

Asthma is suspected by the history and physical exam findings. It is usually confirmed via chest x-rays and sometimes blood tests, too. Additional testing may be indicated, as there can be lots of overlap in allergic symptoms. In many cases, an underlying cause cannot be identified despite thorough testing.

Most cats can achieve a good quality of life with medical management. We can help by having medications compounded (made to order). Inhalers can help with some cats.

Things that can cause or worsen asthma include: inhaled irritants like dust from cat litter (see below), second-hand smoke, perfume, hairspray, powdered carpet fresheners, and other powders and aerosols. Also, pollens, molds, mildew, dust mites, and more can affect cat allergies.

Miscellaneous helpful things to know about asthmatic cats:

Successful management of asthmatic cats includes avoiding any factors known to trigger or aggravate breathing problems. This can mean keeping your home as dust-free as possible, switching to low-dust, non-irritating cat litter, eliminating second hand smoke, using air filters/purifiers, adding humidity via steam/ultraviolet light sterilizing humidifiers, and avoiding aerosols, fine powders, and perfumes (including facial and baby powder). 

While it is rare, cats can have serious or even fatal asthma attacks just like humans can. If your cat has symptoms of asthma, it is always best to have it thoroughly checked out. Most cats need regular medication(s).

Two excellent low-dust, non-irritating litter options: the new “Breeze” litter system which uses non-dusty pellets plus urine-absorbing pads (available at Walmart and Petsmart), and unscented silica pellets. These pellets can be dusty but silica is pretty inert and non-reactive so it rarely causes any problems. Silica pellet litter is available from many different companies. Avoid clay litter and clumping litter as all of these are very dusty and irritating to cats with allergies or asthma. Also, use a large, open litter box (no cover). See our handout “Litter box tips” for recommendations on how to switch to a new litter; it takes weeks to months to switch litter types properly so don’t be in a hurry!