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My cat is sick, sneezing, and purring strangely. Is salmon safe? How to sex?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

I'm concerned about my cat & I'm saving my money so I can actually take it to the vet. When it purrs, it sounds vaguely like a helicopter. It's been sneezing a lot, too. I've noticed that it's hard for it to keep down solid kitty food. Is canned salmon okay for a cat to eat? I haven't fed it any yet, i wanted to make sure first. Also, I'm not sure if its a boy or girl. When it's chilled out, it won't let me sneak a glance down under and get a look at its goods. Any advice on figuring that out?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jacqueline Nobles, DVM, DACVECC

Veterinarian, Board-Certified Emergency/Critical Care Specialist

Published on December 12th, 2016

It sounds like your kitten may have an upper respiratory infection. You may offer some tuna or salmon but canned kitten food would be a better choice as it is balanced to meet nutritional requirement. Sexing kittens can be challenging. If you lift the tail and observe the anus, just below the anus you should find a small slit like opening which is the vulva in a female, In contrast, the male kitten's genitalia is located farther away from the anus and a small scrotal sac may be visible. Don't worry your veterinarian will be able to show you the difference and tell you the sex if you are having trouble.

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on

    It sounds like your kitty may have an upper respiratory infection - this is a very common problem in cats, and often causes nasal congestion and sneezing. Until you are able to see a vet, you can try bringing your cat into the bathroom with you while you take a hot shower - the steam and humidity often help to break up congestion and temporarily relieve symptoms. Canned salmon is okay for cats to eat, as is tuna. You may also want to try small amounts of chicken or beef flavored baby food, since these are normally quite bland and easy to digest. To determine your cat's sex, you will need to get a look at his/her genitals - often, they are clearly visible when the cat is standing with its tail raised. Females will have a vertical slit just below the anus, while males have a rounded genital opening a bit further down then a female's vulva. Unneutered males will also have testicles in this area, which are usually easy to see :)

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    Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Your cat could have an upper respiratory infection causing the sneezing and abnormal purring sound. If the cat is also vomiting than he/she could have an infection or parasite. I am not sure how old the cat is but it would be a good idea to stick with cat food instead of canned salmon. You could try a gastrointestinal diet, since he/she is having some GI issues. An examination by a vet would be helpful to diagnose and treat all the problems. Your vet can prescribe mediations to help treat. To identify the sex of the cat, you will need to lift the tail and examine the genitalia. In young kittens, the best way to tell is to look at the distance between the anus and genital opening. The distance in male kitten is a significantly greater distance than the distance in a female kitten.

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