What Are the Causes of Productive Cough in a Cat With Loss of Appetite?

When the family feline suddenly loses its appetite and begins to cough up phlegm, fluid, or pus, these can be symptoms of serious respiratory diseases, and the cat should immediately see a veterinarian. Because cats are less likely than dogs to indicate an illness to their owners, catching the symptoms may take longer, reports Dr. Julie Meadows, DVM, and assistant professor for clinical medicine at the University of California, Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.

  1. Bacterial Pneumonia

    • Cats suffering from bacterial pneumonia, or streptococci, will exhibit symptoms including a productive cough and lack of appetite. Labored breathing may or may not also be evident. Cats with this type of pneumonia, which is a bacterial inflammation, will also suffer from fever. This type of pneumonia can be caused by viral infections such as feline calicivirus and parainfluenza virus. Diagnosis can be confirmed by a veterinarian.

    Aspiration Pneumonia

    • The inhalation, or aspiration, of dust, smoke, vomit, water, or fine, airborne plant materials can cause inflammations in a cat's lungs. Foreign substances that are inhaled damage lung tissue and can lead to serious infections. Symptoms of aspiration pneumonia include productive coughing and loss of appetite, noisy, congested sounds when breathing, blue lips or gums, and fever. If undiagnosed, cats may develop pleurisy, an inflammation of the linings around the lungs, or pyothorax, which is a pus-filled infection of the chest cavity.

    Bronchitis

    • Bronchitis, an inflammation of the windpipes that carry air into and out of a cat's lung tissues, will produce an increase in mucus in those tissues. Bronchospasms, or a narrowing of the wind pipes, may also occur. Symptoms of this disease will always include productive or non-productive coughing, fever, wheezing, nasal discharge, and lack of energy and loss of appetite. Cats with chronic bronchitis may cough constantly.