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Expert: - 10/6/2009


Question
Good morning,

I have a mixed breed cat that is 10months old and has always been extremely healthy. A few days ago he started making this choking, coughing sound.  He still eats and has not lost any weight but it seems to be getting worse and even when he meows nows, its in a soft voice not anything like normal.  What could be the problem>>Please help me.

Thank you

Khadeeja

Answer
Khadeeja,

If it is not producing a hair ball, it could be bordatella. The first thing to try is some hair ball remedy.  If there is no improvement, then you should seriously consider that it may be bordatella which is easily treatable with antibiotics. I would talk to your vet.  Bordatella is a bacterium that produces kennel cough in dogs and will also infect cats.  If not treated, it can be fatal. The symptoms are dry coughing as if trying to cough up a hair ball, but no hair ball is ever produced.

Please let me know what you find.

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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