SOOTHING CAT COLDS

Upper respiratory infection, caused by several different “bugs,” often affects cats. Some of these are related to the common human cold virus, but people don’t catch colds from their pets (or vice versa). Cats catch URI from other infected cats, and the agents that cause kitty congestion usually aren’t lethal in adult cats. But Fluffy won’t eat unless she can smell her food, so sick felines potentially can starve if they get a stopped up nose.

Only your veterinarian can diagnose the cause of your pet’s discomfort, and prescribe the best treatment. Preventive vaccinations protect cats from these common illnesses.

But when your cat suffers from congestion, nursing care at home keeps Fluffy more comfortable during convalescence. Use these tips to relieve the “SNEEZE” in your Burmese

Use a vaporizer to help unclog the nose. Put the pet in a fairly small room with a cool mist humidifier and use it just the same as you would for a child a couple of times a day. That not only helps break up the congestion, it can moisten inflamed or tender eyes and nostrils and make them feel better.

If you don’t have a vaporizer or humidifier, a hot shower can work. Take the pet into the bathroom with you and run the hot shower so that the air becomes filled with steam. A 10-minute session several times a day works great. Don’t go for longer than that, though, because heated air for too long can be hard for some pets to breathe, especially short-faced Persians.

Use warm wet cloths or cotton balls to soak and soften eye or nose secretions and clean them off. Don’t peel dried matter off, because that can hurt or even form scabs. To soothe sore tissue after you’ve cleaned off the mucus, dab on a bit of plain saline solution, or some baby oil. That can also make it easier to clean away any more crusts that might form.

Refusing to eat can make a cat sicker or even threaten her life. Offer pungent and more tempting foods to spark the sick cat’s appetite. Warm the food for five seconds in the microwave to just below cat body temperature—about 95 to 98 degrees. That not only makes the treat more alluring, it also unlocks the aroma so the food smells more pungent and penetrates even a stopped up kitty nose.

Moisture also helps enhance aroma, so try adding a bit of warm water, chicken broth, or tuna juice from the can to the cat’s regular food. Run it through the blender to make a mush, and there’s a good chance that will tempt her appetite. Learn more about tempting kitty appetites in this article.

Amy’s Top Tip: For cats reluctant to eat due to stopped up noses, try adding a top dressing of a pungent healthy treat like Kitty Kaviar.

FIRST-AID FOR KITTY SUNBURN PAIN

Long sunny days can bring misery for people—but cats are sun worshipers and love sunbathing. Cats are very well protected against the sun by their fur, and don’t routinely suffer from sunburn. When they do, it’s the hairless or thinly-furred areas of the body that are most at risk, like the ear tips, bridge of the nose, and the tummy. White cats are at highest risk.

Sunburn isn’t a medical emergency, but it can be painful and chronic sunburn can lead to cancer. When the cat’s skin burns, it turns red, can blister, become crusty, and peel. In severe cases, the tips of the ears can dry out, lose hair, and the edges curl. When that happens, the pet will need medical attention. But first aid is usually all that is needed to take care of minor sunburn pain. 

An easy, effective treatment is a cold water spray from a plant mister every half hour or so. Cats hate being sprayed, so soak clean washcloths with ice water and apply as cold compresses to the affected area.

Witch hazel is available at supermarkets or pharmacies and helps cool inflamed skin by evaporation, but doesn’t sting like alcohol. Dab some on with a cotton ball three or four times a day to soothe the burn.

Over-the-counter sprays contain local anesthetics that temporarily numb the pain of sunburn. Cats, though, tend to lick off the spray and some of these products won’t be good for them if swallowed. Ice is a safe and quick alternative—hold an ice cube against the burned area to numb the pain.

Sunburn dries out the skin. Aloe vera creams not only moisturize but also help heal burns faster. You can use the gel directly from the plant by breaking off a leaf and squeezing out the liquid. Or use a commercial product that contains aloe. Apply several times a day to the sore spots.

Vitamin E not only helps speed the healing, and soothes the burn, but also works great to prevent scars from forming. Squeeze the oil from a vitamin E capsule and spread on the pet’s nose or ear tips once or twice a day. You’ll need several capsules to apply to a belly burn. Vitamin E isn’t a problem if the cat decides to lick it off—it’s actually good for the pet on the inside, too.

AMY’S TOP TIP: The most dangerous times of day for sunburn are 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. so keep susceptible pets indoors during these hours, and draw the shades so window-worshipping cats aren’t exposed. Lure your cat to a safe resting spot with a treat like KittyKaviar.