When we catch a cold, we are usually plagued by watery eyes, a runny nose, congestion, coughing, and sneezing. Anyone who has owned cats for any length of time has seen these same symptoms from time to time. But did the cat really have a cold?

If we follow the definition of a cold as an upper respiratory infection, then yes, cats can get colds, and the mechanism and course of infection are similar to ours. In general, the immune system must be weakened to allow this, since healthy people will not be weakened by an attack by the causative agents.

The causes include viruses and bacteria, mainly. Often a virus will show up first and weaken the tissues in the respiratory tract, at which point certain bacteria can take hold and create symptoms as a secondary infection.

The various “cat colds” include FVR (feline viral rhinotracheitis), which is caused by a herpes virus; FCV (feline calicivirus), an RNA virus that is very similar to human cold viruses; and feline chlamydia, or pneumonitis, caused by a bacterium, chlamydia psittaci. This is the infection that leads to eye infections that can accompany respiratory symptoms.

Arguably, those caused by bacteria are the easiest to fight, as they can be treated with antibiotics, but there are no antibiotics that specifically target viruses. So the best approach is to treat the symptoms while supporting the cat’s physiology with remedies that promote health and strengthen the immune system.

Those “treatments” involve common-sense approaches, such as proper diet and reducing environmental stress. When these are part of the cat’s daily lifestyle anyway, colds and other illnesses are much less likely to show up in the first place.