Can Cats Catch Colds?

Last Updated on April 14, 2020

During the cold season, you may be wondering if you have to worry about your feline friend in the event you come down with a cold. The good news here is that only certain viruses can be spread to cats but these kinds of colds are rare. The bad news is, you can indeed get your cat sick.

Human to Cat

While it is rare for your cold to be transferred to your cat, it can happen. The respiratory syncytial virus is the most common to be spread from human to cat because cats are susceptible to upper respiratory infections. There are several different stains and not all of them will be contagious to felines. If you have symptoms in your sinuses such as pressure, runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes, this is likely to be a variant of that virus. You will want to be sure to wash up and keep clean around your cat just to be safe. Coughing, sore throat, and general chest congestion are common symptoms of a lower respiratory infection which is not contagious to cats. Colds tend to be in the upper respiratory where flues tend to be in the lower respiratory. Humans can give cats a cold but they cannot give them the flu.

Cat to Human

You may be wondering if you can catch a cold from your cat. While you can give your cat a cold, your cat cannot give you one. However, colds between cats are highly contagious and spread very quickly so you will want to try your best to keep them from sharing water and food dishes. These same colds can be passed to dogs as well. An upper respiratory infection in a cat can also become severe so it is best to get this treated as soon as you notice symptoms. You can do this with holistic medicine but if they do not improve in a week, they will need to be seen by a Vet.

When To See A Vet

If you noticed thick drainage coming from the eyes or nose, usually yellow or green in color, you should take your cat to a Vet ASAP.

How Colds Work

Many people believe that the “common cold” is from the cold weather when in fact it has nothing to do with it being cold. The reason colds are more common in the fall and winter is because people spend more time with each other, indoors. Vitamin D3 levels dropping (lack of sunshine) also plays a role in this. You can catch a cold any time of the year, it’s just far more common in the winter months. The common cold is the body’s reaction to fighting off a virus. When you say you are sick, you are actually healing and your symptoms are proof of this.

Does Your Cat Have a Cold?

If your cat currently has a cold or you want to be prepared, I highly recommend keeping Spectrin for cats on hand. My two boys both had upper respiratory infections and while apple cider vinegar applications worked for my younger one, they did nothing for my senior cat. I gave him 2mL of Spectrin a day for 6 days. I noticed a huge difference just after 48 hours. It is a liquid multivitamin formulated for cats. It can be used daily or just as a boost during cold and flu season.

Spectrin is a great option to have on hand at all times for multi-cat homes. Since cats spread colds to each other very easily, you will want to treat every cat under the same roof regardless of showing symptoms.


More articles

1 thought on “Can Cats Catch Colds?”

Leave a Comment