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My cat is sneezing, coughing, has diarrhea, and eats more. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Ragdoll | Male | neutered

my cat has been sneezing, coughing, licking his nose a lot and he has diarrhea. he also has been eating more than usual.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on April 23rd, 2020

Poor Jupiter! It sounds like the poor guys is pretty sick. Jupiter is likely dealing with an upper respiratory tract infection. Cats can get allergies but a URI is much more common. Many times they clear the infection but sometimes they need to be examined and treated by the veterinarian. If your kitty is not eating or drinking well, seems lethargic, squints the eyes, has discharge from nose or eyes, has trouble breathing or has a cough beyond 5 days , you pet should be examined by the veterinarian. Here is some additional information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/sneezing-and-feline-upper-respiratory-disease/ Kitty Lysine can help but it is not always effective on it's own. The diarrhea could be caused by many things including worms, coccidia and bacterial infection (in addition to other causes). If the diarrhea has continued beyond 24 hours, I recommend to have him examined by the veterinarian. With continued diarrhea, there are often bacterial shifts in the gut that will make matters worse regardless of the initial cause. Make sure to bring in a sample of fresh stool. The doctor will check him for parasites and bacterial over growth. Many times a bland diet can help and then a slow, gradual introduction to the normal food can be done. A bland diet can consist of 25% boiled white meat chicken and 75% boiled white rice. This should all be plain. I hope Jupiter starts feeling better quickly! Please feel free to post any additional questions.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Poor Jupiter! It sounds like he may have a couple of things going on with him. He could have a respiratory infection causing his sneezing, coughing, and licking his nose (he may have nasal discharge), and the diarrhea can be caused by a stomach illness, eating something rotten, or intestinal worms. I'd have him seen by a vet today to get this diagnosed and treated. Best of luck.

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