Can your cat catch a cold in the autumn rain?

Autumn has arrived, and the forecast predicts significant rainfall. In this weather, how we care for our outdoor pets is critical.

Regular readers will know that we are generally in favour of keeping cats indoors, as this is the only way to ensure that they are not victimised by cars, stray cats or stray dogs, or harmed or poisoned. We could go on and on about the reasons why it’s better indoors than out. But if, for whatever reason, someone cannot afford to keep their pet indoors, or if the cat is an outside cat or has a catio then the owner should keep a close eye on the animal because of the cool weather and rainfall. One of the important questions is whether the cold and rain can cause the cat to catch a cold.

Rain is not the direct cause of colds in cats

Cats can also have symptoms similar to humans when fighting with a cold, also known as the common cold, and in their case it is usually caused by a virus. According to statistics 90 per cent of cases are caused by the rhinotracheitis virus (rhinotracheitis virus) or the -calicivirus. Both diseases are highly contagious. Cats infected with herpesvirus carry the virus for the rest of their lives, but there are periods of dormancy when the virus does not multiply and does not cause any symptoms or complaints. However, stress or other conditions that weaken the immune system can cause the virus to become active. In the case of feline calicivirus, oral cavity sores are more common. Importantly, these are only dangerous to the cat and are not contagious to humans.

A cold usually means the following symptoms:

• coughing,
• sneezing,
• discharge from the eyes and/or nose,
• lethargy,
• loss of appetite,
• fever,
• sores in the mouth,
• corneal ulcers.

Fortunately, these symptoms will resolve themselves after 7-10 days, but your pet will suffer during this time . Also, if you have a chronically ill cat, cat with weakened immune system, or a young or older cat, their body may not be able to fight off the virus. In fact, the disease may worsen and a bacterial overgrowth may develop. Signs of this include a change in the colour of the discharge to green or yellow. Pneumonia is also common as a result of upper respiratory illness. In such cases, the animal’s breathing becomes difficult and, in addition to wheezing, coughing is common and usually requires hospitalisation.

For all these reasons, we advise you to take your cat to the doctor even for mild symptoms. This will speed up the healing process and prevent secondary infections.

Rain is not good for your cat’s health

Still, it’s not good for the animal if they are soaking wet outside. The immune system of a cold (or shivering) cat will not be able to work at full efficiency.

Weakened immune system can make the cat more susceptible to diseases, including the viruses mentioned above. Kittens, older cats and cats with health problems may be even more susceptible. So if you can’t bring your pet inside under any circumstances, make sure you have a sheltered, rainproof and waterproof shelter for them, and line it with some sort of lining. Blankets and other fabrics are not good because they absorb water, so use them only if you can guarantee that the den will be rainproof.

There is a vaccine for both diseases

Fortunately, you can get vaccines for both of these viruses for your cat, which may not prevent infection but can help reduce symptoms. This will make the disease milder.

What to do if your cat has a cold?

There are practices that you can do to speed up your pet’s recovery and reduce the symptoms.

1) One is humidification. This is necessary if the air in your home is very dry. This is usually in winter, during the heating season. anowdays cold humidification is also recommended for humans; there are many humidifiers available for humidifying small and large spaces. If you take your cat inside with you while you bathe, the more humid air in the bathroom can also help to eliminate nasal congestion.

2) Spare your cat and create a calm environment for him. Stress for all health problems hinders improvement. In the event of illness, it may be helpful to set up a separate room for the recovering animal. Provide a bedding, feeding and watering bowls and a place for the animal to lie down. This will allow them  to rest peacefully. Of course, don’t leave them all alone, spend time with them and pet and play with them if they need it. Pheromone preparations can also help to relax them.