Why is my cat sneezing a lot without a runny nose? Is it serious?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 11 lbs
Cat keeps sneezing a lot. No runny nose or mucus
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on June 27th, 2018
If she is young or is undergoing a lot of stress (moving, new animal or person in the house, change of schedule) the most likely cause is a viral upper respiratory infection. Many cats will get by with the following support - lysine supplement- try Vetoquinol Viralys (L-Lysine) Oral Gel for Cats - treat all cats as directed on the bottle until all cats are well - try wet food or soaking kibbles and then very slightly warming the food. Cats are very smell-driven and warm wet food is smellier and more likely to be eaten by a stuffy nosed cat. - recommend a probiotic such as purina Fortiflora for every cat in the home. Odd as it sounds, we’ve found that probiotics actually speed recovery from URI’s - if any cat is squinting an eye or thick eye discharge, refuses to eat, or becomes lethargic, it’s time to see your vet. These are signs of eye ulcers and/or secondary bacterial infection. These cats will need eye ointments or systemic antibiotics. Occasionally, nebulizations or more aggressive treatment is needed. If Mama is lethargic, has decreased appetite, or the nasal discharge is thick, yellow/green, or bloody, or she is breathing with her mouth open, she needs to see the vet as these could be something more serious such as fungal infection, cancer, or secondary infection. Best of luck to you and Mama.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on March 6th, 2018
Aww, I’m sorry to hear about little Herbie! This sounds like an upper respiratory infection (URI). The most common cause is feline herpes virus. Many cats will get by with the following support - lysine supplement- try Vetoquinol Viralys (L-Lysine) Oral Gel for Cats - treat all cats as directed on the bottle until all cats are well - try wet food or soaking kibbles and then very slightly warming the food. Cats are very smell-driven and warm wet food is smellier and more likely to be eaten by a stuffy nosed cat. - recommend a probiotic such as purina Fortiflora for every cat in the home. Odd as it sounds, we’ve found that probiotics actually speed recovery from URI’s - if Herbie’s eye is squinting (looks like maybe so in the picture) this can be a sign of an heretic eye ulcer. These can hurt a lot! These cats will need eye ointments/drops so do schedule an appointment with a vet as soon as you can. Best of luck to you and Herbie!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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