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My new adopted cat is sneezing with runny eyes and nose. Is he sick?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 8 lbs

I adopted a cat from my local shelter on Thursday, yesterday i noticed he had a little sneeze here and there but thats it. I just got home from work and his sneezing is worse and he had runny eyes and a runny nose. I’m trying to see what it could be and if i should be concerned?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 13th, 2017

This is a classic presentation of a cat with an upper respiratory disease. It is not uncommon for cats to get this in the shelter, or when they go to a new environment. Many times this is a self-limiting (get better on their own) viral illness, but it can be complicated and require treatment. I would not be too worried with what you are describing. This may need treatment though, so I recommend calling the shelter that you got Shadow from and scheduling an appointment with the vet (they usually do this for free within the first two weeks of adoption). The shelter vets are quite used to caring for these infections and will get him the necessary treatment. Sometimes the congestion can get bad enough that they avoid eating and drinking, because they cannot breathe properly. You can help the congestion by giving him a steam bath. There is a link below that has good information about how to do this and other helpful tips for this condition. http://www.wikihow.com/Help-Your-Cat-Breathe-Easier I hope this helps and Shadow feels better soon.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It sounds like he has an upper respiratory infection which can be very common in cats that come from a shelter. If he is otherwise acting completely normal then you could monitor him for a couple days and see if it resolves. If his signs persist/become worse or he becomes lethargic, stops eating, has a fever, or has any difficulty breathing then he needs to be examined by a vet for treatment. You could put him in a room with a humidifier or a steamy bathroom to help loosen any nasal secretion, if needed.

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    Answered By Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on August 20th, 2019

    It sounds like an upper respiratory infection, which is common in shelter kittens. I would recommend having them both examined by the vet to start a relationship and determine if Ziggy needs medications or not. Since most of these infection are viral, we often wait and see if it clears.

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