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Feline coryza (or cat flu) is a respiratory infection, often viral, which can be serious for kittens and older cats. While usually mild in healthy adults, it requires veterinary monitoring and can be prevented through vaccination.
Is your cat sneezing, sniffling, has a runny nose or watery eyes? Eating less, congested, or seeming tired? Running a fever? Just like you, they may have caught a "cold"—more commonly called feline coryza or rhinotracheitis in cats. This upper respiratory disease has multiple causes, bacterial or more often viral. The primary—and most severe—infectious agent is feline herpesvirus type 1 (FeHV-1). Two other pathogens may be involved: feline calicivirus (FCV) and the bacterium Chlamydophila felis.
Like the flu it’s sometimes compared to, this syndrome is never trivial. While a strong adult cat may recover with little harm, the consequences can be severe for very young animals—still fragile with an immature immune system—as well as for older pets whose natural defenses are no longer as effective. Fortunately, vaccines against these microbes do exist, and your vet will work with you to establish a vaccination schedule tailored to your companion’s lifestyle.
Depending on the causative agent, symptoms may vary: watery eyes, gingivitis, coughing, sneezing, loss of appetite, lethargy, etc. In serious cases, veterinary medical treatment or even hospitalization may be required. You can help your cat get through this rough patch by improving its comfort—cleaning its eyes with a suitable solution, unblocking its nose, and modifying its breathing environment with balneotherapy (also called fumigation or inhalation). In this case, essential oils will provide the benefits of their active compounds. However, cats have a different metabolism than ours, and some essential oils can be dangerous for them. Consult your veterinarian.
