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Can cats actually get kennel cough, and can they catch it from dogs?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 10 lbs

Can cats get kennel coughs

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on May 2nd, 2018

Theoretically yes as kennel cough is just a generic name to define a complex infection due to a mix between bacteria and different viruses. Practically is less commonly seen in cats and it is unlikely to be transmitted from dogs to cats (unless they really share the same house). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Bordetella bronchiseptica, the pathogen that causes kennel cough, is something that cats can contract. It has been found that dogs with kennel cough were a risk for transmitting the disease to cats in the same house / shelter. While it is not as common in cats as it is in dogs, it is still an infection that can be transmitted to cats. There is a vaccination for this in cats but this condition is primarily a disease of very young kittens and not something we see in adult cats often. It is rather uncommon in adult cats and pet cats in general. For these reasons, it is not recommended to routinely vaccinate cats for this disease. The vaccination should be considered in young cats at high risk of exposure in very large, multiple cat environments such as shelters / rescues. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns!

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