Home Remedy for Cat Colds
What are Cat Colds?
Cats get ‘colds’ which are upper respiratory infections very often. Cats who were strays or ended up for any reason in animal rescue centers or shelters are especially susceptible since they pick it up there from other cats. Cats who come from these backgrounds can end up being prone to get outbreaks of upper respiratory infection throughout the remainder of their lives. They carry the virus and during times of stress or immune weakness, the symptoms come back. This is especially the case for my orange boy.
Rescue cats like my boy are more prone to upper respiratory infection.
If you have cats you have likely been through a bout of upper respiratory disease. Symptoms include sneezing, runny eyes, squinting, redness around eyes or ears and can even include coughing and lethargy as well as lack of appetite. So what can you do? Is there a home remedy for these ‘kitty colds’ or do they need to go to the vet every time?
It is a good idea to get your cat checked out at the vet and make sure an upper respiratory infection is all that is going on. In order to prevent future outbreaks you can use several different remedies. I use both a natural supplement in my cat’s food to boost immunity every day and a home remedy you may have already to treat particularly stubborn outbreaks.
What Can I Use to Help Cure My Cat?
If you are treating your cat with prescriptions from the vet for an upper respiratory infection it can be a non-stop round of one treatment after the other for a long time to get it under control. I use this home remedy to help treat my kitties so they can get well faster. This home remedy is apple cider vinegar. You need a raw apple cider vinegar that has the “mother” in the bottle. This is a cloudy looking. white mass at the bottom of the bottle composed of enzymes, good bacteria and protein. Bragg’s is the brand of vinegar I usually purchase.
Apple cider vinegar is naturally anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-fungal. Whether a cat’s upper respiratory infection is viral or bacterial, apple cider vinegar can help. You mix equal amounts of apple cider vinegar and water and rub some into your cat’s fur and onto their skin on the back of their neck. I also rub it around their ears (never put any liquid IN your cat’s ears), and around their face. You can also rub it on their paws. It will absorb through the skin and they will also lick some of it off while grooming.
Supplement to Prevent Cat and Dog Upper Respiratory Infections
PetAlive Immunity and Liver Support is a great supplement that I put in my cat’s wet food at every meal. It is made from natural ingredients such as dandelion, milk thistle, echinacea and ashwagandha, all of which are used in supplements for humans. It works well to keep most of these outbreaks away and I love that it is all natural with no chemicals or pharmaceuticals. It is called PetAlive Immunity and Liver Support. It is made for cats and dogs alike and I even have a friend who used it for her hamsters!
I give it to my three kitties every day and I can tell you it gets glowing reviews on Amazon and elsewhere by dog and cat owners alike. People credit this with saving pets who had serious health problems and even helping with scary conditions like FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) and cancer! I highly recommend this for allover health and as a general immune support supplement. Click the link here or in the picture to go to Amazon and you can read the great reviews for yourself!
Immunity and Liver Support contains great ingredients found in human immunity supplements:
Milk Thistle containing the flavanoid silymarin which is an anti-oxidant and is also the most effective supplement for liver function.
Milk thistle is used in many supplements for humans to help the liver function at full capacity, regenerate liver cells and flush out toxins.
Ashwaganda is an anti-inflammatory that supports health of kidneys, heart, liver and blood. Ashwaganda also helps the body recover after sickness.
Echinacea which acts as an anti-fungal, antiviral and antibacterial. Echinacea stimulates the lymphatic system and immune system and is even used to support AIDS treatment. This is interesting since reviewers have said Immunity and Liver support has treated their cats with FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus)!
You can also get a combo pack with the other PetAlive supplement I give my cats everyday. This is Gumz-n-Teeth which treats and prevents tooth and gum disease. This is the supplement that was the inspiration for Thriving Cat. My cat suffered with bad teeth and needed anesthesia for tooth cleaning and extractions every year before I found Gumz-n-Teeth.
If you want to try the combo pack with both Immunity and Liver Support and Gumz-n-Teeth, here they are:
Gumz-n-Teeth has great ingredients including:
- Horsetail (herb)
- Spirulina
- Silica
- Dandelion (leaf)
The combo pack saves you about $20-$30 depending on the current price of each!
It is a great feeling to be able to keep our pets healthy. Saving money, time and stress for ourselves and our pets at the vet’s office is a huge benefit also. If you have any questions or comments about these supplements and this home remedy for cat colds, please let me know!
Jessica
Thriving Cat makes use of affiliate relationships with merchants such as Amazon Associates for monetization. This means when you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in a small commission that is credited to this site.
Wow! I never thought of using apple cider vinegar to improve the health of my cats!
I actually already use Bragg apple cider vinegar for my own health. I mix it with water and honey for a soothing drink that I take twice a day.
But, now, I can also give it to my cats, too? Are you sure that it won’t make them sick? I am very cautious about giving anything to my cats that I drink or eat. I have always been told that our animals dietary needs are completely different from the dietary needs of humans.
My cats are my family. And, I just want to be absolutely certain that rubbing a Bragg vinegar and water mixture on them will not in any way negatively affect their health.
I look forward to your response.
Thanks, for the article! It was very informative!
Marty
Hello Marty,
Yes, I am sure. I have been using it on my cats (only when they are sick) for years. My orange tabby boy is the most susceptible to these outbreaks. Many people use a very diluted mixture added to their cat’s water so they drink it. I have not done this since I don’t want them to be turned off from their water and drink less. People have been using it this way for a long time though and it is good for their cat’s health.
I prefer to just rub the mixture on their fur. This is something that works for cats well. It is not harmful. When I am using prescription medications from the vet and they just aren’t working and then I use apple cider vinegar and my cats get better, it is such a great feeling! There are of course many different causes for kitty colds. Some respond better to prescriptions than others and it is always hard to know since vets don’t usually test to determine if a sickness is caused by a virus or bacteria. They usually give a medicine for one and if it doesn’t work, then try another. This means your kitty can be sick for weeks before they get the proper treatment and of course you end up making multiple trips to the vet.
I am glad to have the option to try apple cider vinegar as well as prescriptions.
Thank you for your comment,
Jessica
very helpful article.
we adopted a kitten about 8 months ago (she looks exactly like the one in your picture) and we were told by the vet that she has a an upper respiratory infection. I will definitely try your apple cider recipe,
thank you, tom
side note- I’ve noticed when she get really bad if I start petting her and she goes into her purr mode that it really helps her to calm down and start breathing more easily.
Hello Tom,
I am glad this is useful for you! I feel like it doesn’t hurt to at least give it a try. There are some strains out there that apple cider vinegar doesn’t work well on I guess because sometimes it isn’t enough. In most cases it works for us though.
Yes, stress can bring on the symptoms so anything that helps calm them will help. We baby ours and my husband wraps them up in blankets when they are sick!
Thanks,
Jessica
I wonder if respiratory infection in animals can spread to humans and cause severe reactions on them.
What health elements present in the apple cider that helps cold in cats?
Why rub it on the skin and not apply straight to its mouth?
I love a feed back on this.
Thank you
Hello,
Some infections can be spread between cats and people but most do not. The common upper respiratory infections that cats get do not spread to people. There are some strains of flu like swine flu which cats can get in rare cases.
Apple cider vinegar is naturally anti viral and anti bacterial. That is how it helps cure cat colds and infections.
Some people do give apple cider vinegar to their cats in their water or food. I prefer not to since I know they don’t like the smell and probably don’t like the taste. I don’t want to put it in their water and make them avoid it. It it works on the fur and skin they just feel like they are cleaning themselves when they lick it off instead of me forcing it in their mouth.
I hope that helps.
Thank you for your questions,
Jessica
I’ve just adopted a stray cat in our new home in the mountains, she’s nursing and very thin. I think I can hear her cough sometimes… I’ve learned a lot from this article and am certainly going to use these tips to make her feel better! I bet the winters get pretty cold up here, so now I have a solution to her future colds:) thanks!
Hi Noa,
That is great you have adopted a stray kitty! I am glad this information can help you keep her healthy. I always had adult cats not kittens so I don’t know if she could have something else causing the cough. If you can take her to the vet that would be good. I hope the apple cider vinegar works well for her too!
Thanks for your comment,
Jessica
That explains what’s wrong with my cat! I’ve used Braggs vinegar for myself, so makes sense it would work for cats too. I was interested to read about the Gums n Teeth product, how would I know if my cat needs this?
Thank you!
Does your cat have bad breath? Does your cat have red gums or dirty looking teeth? Any of these are signs of tooth and gum disease. It would be very smart to start and use this preventatively even if your cat doesn’t have any of these symptoms yet since most cats end up getting it with age. It is very, very common. Sometimes Amazon doesn’t have just the Gumz-n-Teeth supplement available but they offer it in a two pack with another supplement we use called Immunity and Liver Support. Other places like Only Natural Pet offer the supplement as well. I need to set up my affiliate links for them.
Thanks for your comment. Yes, the apple cider vinegar is a very easy step to take and helps with keeping the teeth clean too! When they lick it off their fur they ingest some of it and some people put a little in their cat’s water as well. I don’t do that since I am afraid it would turn them off from their water and they may not drink enough which is dangerous for cats.
Jessica
Will the apple cider vinegar work for cats with seasonal allergies as well? One of my cats has problems every spring .My veterinarian says he is most likely allergic to pollen. He usually does not cough. His main symptoms are sneezing and watery eyes .I would love to find something natural to prevent this from happening every season.
Hello Lisa,
I did not know the answer to this but looked it up. It appears that apple cider vinegar should indeed help your cat with his allergies. It helps humans with allergies as well since it helps reduce mucus and cleans the lymphatic system. It is also good for repelling fleas and other pests that can bother cats and good for topical allergies of the skin.
It certainly wouldn’t hurt (and most likely will help your cat’s health) to try it.
Thanks for your question,
Jessica
You learn something new everyday! I never actually knew you could treat your cats respiratory problems and infections. Apple cider vinegar is great for its health benefits for us and even cats it seems it really it diverse! Thanks for the tips
Thank you Kourtney. Yes, it is so easy to use and it really works. This is so much better than endless trips to the vet and nasty, stinging drops that go in their eyes! They were not crazy about the smell at first but they are totally used to it now and it is a lot easier to apply than prescriptions.
Thanks,
Jessica
I love the idea of using natural remedies for curing my cats.
Apple cider is well known to have a lot of health effects even in humans. It seems to be so easy to apply too.
I wonder though how the cats will react to the smell.
My wife uses apple vinegar to treat her skin at night and I’m not really a fan of the smell 🙂
Thanks for the tip.
Hello Stefan,
My cats did not like it at first but they are used to it now. Of course it is diluted, not straight apple cider vinegar. My one cat purrs when I put it on her now. She is very bossy and moody and opinionated so she would not purr if she was not happy. She is also the smartest of the kitties and I suspect she understands that it makes her feel better now. I just use a paper towel to apply it all over her fur.
Thanks!
Jessica
So glad I came across this post, because my older cat actually gets a lot of colds, and I am always wondering what to do, besides taking numerous trips to the Vet, which is so costly. I love the idea of using Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar, as I use that for myself, so why not for my cat…! Great idea! How interesting that you rub it around his face, his paws and his fur. Makes sense…! I stopped letting him go outside, because he is getting older. Perhaps that is why he is picking up so many colds. Maybe he just needs to sit in the sliver of sun in my warm living room! Thanks for a great post!
Thanks Amy. Yes, it is so easy to use! My kitties didn’t like it at first but they are used to it now and my girl even purrs when I put it on her. I am thrilled to find a preventative and not have to wait for it to get back and go back to the vet over and over.
Jessica
Great article. Who would have known that Cider Vinegar could be so useful? My daughter has 2 cats and they are her babies. I will pass on the website details to her. We have some cider vinegar in the cupboard which I don’t think we have ever used and now I know just how useful it could be I think we shall start using it. I see that Braggs is available in the UK so my next purchase.
Thanks Mick,
It is so affordable and easy! I love it. I use it on two of my cats every day since they are the ones prone to upper respiratory infections. They didn’t like it at first, but now they are used to it. One even purrs when I put it on her and she is very opinionated. She would not purr if she was not happy. She is the smartest of the bunch and I think she understands it makes her better or something!
I hope it works well for your daughter. The brand does not have to be Bragg but that is a good one.
Jessica
Very useful, now I know what to use to get rid of my cats allergies, he gets them alot btw and I wasn’t sure what to use until now, I might try apple cider vinegar as that’s a natural and very effective health benefit, Thanks for this!
Thanks ShanLo,
I hope it works well for your cat! Let me know, I would love to hear.
Jessica
OMG I had no idea that you could use ACV to help cats with a respiratory infection. That’s pretty cool that you can just put it on their fur and expect it to absorb, and the’ll lick some of it off when grooming. The more I learn about ACV, the more I’m curious about why they don’t just use it as a treatment in hospitals!
Probably for the same reason they don’t worry about basic nutrient levels in hospitals even though these are the requirements for life! They are not trained in nutrition. Drug companies have all the pull and influence. My other website https://nutrientcures.com gets in to why we often have nutrient deficiencies nowadays and how to fix it. I don’t have a lot of posts there yet but I have a ton to add!
ACV is great! Thanks Penelope!
Jessica
I never knew that apple cider vinegar could be used to treat colds in cats. I knew of its health benefits to humans, but I never thought it could benefit cats too. I have some in my cabinet right now.
I am very interested in the Gumz-n-Teeth supplement. My cat Dockers has horrible breath. I give her Greenies treats, because its supposed to be good for her teeth and breath. To be honest I haven’t noticed much of a difference. I will have to give Gumz-n-Teeth a shot since it looks so promising.
Thanks for this great information. I will be sure to keep these home remedies in mind next time my kitty is under the weather.
–Tabitha
Hello Tabitha,
Yes, it works really well and is affordable and easy to use! I love it! The Gumz-n-Teeth supplement has been amazing for our kitties! I can’t imagine being without it now. If your cat has really bad teeth they may need to have a dental cleaning first to get a clean start but for mild problems, this may be enough and it certainly prevents problems going forward. All my cats get it every day in their wet food. It works so well our vet now recommends it!
Here is my review of it if you want to learn more. https://thrivingcat.com/revolutionary-supplement-that-keeps-dog-and-cat-teeth-clean
I hope you get a fix for Dockers breath! Greenies won’t be able to combat tooth decay and serious plaque.
Thanks for stopping by,
Jessica
How often do you use the Apple cider vinegar on your cats?
Hi,
I use the diluted apple cider vinegar twice per day if they are on the verge of an upper respiratory infection or I am trying to prevent one.
Jessica
I have never thought apple cider vinegar can cure my cat. My dad uses theme for his own health so I always have them in my house.
I’m just going to do some more research on it and then try giving it to my cat.
Thank you for sharing this with us. If it works I will be really thankful to you.
If it works I’m going to comeback to let you know.
Hello Sujandar,
Just make sure you dilute it with water. Don’t use it at full strength. It should help. Thank you for your interest and comments.
Jessica
I have one black cat, but I didn’t know that you can help to cure their cold.
I like that you can just rub it in, in order for it to help them.
My cat is really old and I want to help keep him healthy. This will be very useful information for me if my cat does get a cold, now I know what can help him.
Hello Shy,
Yes, apple cider vinegar can really help. Make sure you dilute it in water first, don’t use it straight. I hope your cat is healthy.
Jessica
I read where one person used ACV on their cats neck to relive congestion as it broke up the mucus in about 24 hours and actually cleared the sinuses. Do you think it can usually help that much that fast ? That would be amazing!
My recently adopted cat came into the shelter sick with a uri a month ago and is still battling bad sinus congestion. They had gave him another round of vaccinations and a flea treatment when he was sick too and I feel that messed up his immune system. He was nine month old and had been previously neutered so I’m guessing he’s been doubly vaccinated and that’s too much for his age. He weighed 4.5 pds when we adopted him 3 weeks ago. I know they have to do vaccinations and flea treatment being a shelter, but I wish he wasn’t put thought through that as he went straight to isolation anyway, and received antibiotics.
His energy is great, his appetite is great, no discharge or sneezing or coughing, eyes and mouth look great. The congestion was so bad again though that I ran him to my trusted vet today. Now 2 more antibiotics and this is the last round. I didn’t want to do that really but was afraid as he also had a fever today and the thought was the infection was coming back. His lungs had been a bit infected too. I didn’t know what to do but knew he needed help and I’ve trusted this vet for 15 years so felt that was best.
Stream treatments don’t seem to help much but he does like them. Now I read they could maybe intensify the mucus and suffocate him!! Goodness, I am feeling overwhelmed!
Infant saline drops maybe help a bit but it’s so traumatic to give to him it goes against any small benefit.
Will the vinegar help with breathing by the smell?
I have three other cats who were adopted the last couple years and I know they have been well vaccinated before I got them. They are very healthy. I kept new kitty separated for 18 days and then thought, with the advice of the fosters I had gotten two kitties through, that they would be ok to meet as no signs of infection, just the sinus congestion, no discharge of any kind. So they’ve all touched noses and played together. About 12 hours total the last four days, as mostly he is still in his room. I have colloidal silver in water dishes, and in cool mist humidifiers, one in kitty’s room, one in the living room in attempt to prevent the others from getting sick. I really thought he was fine to meet them but now am afraid. Today I went back to keeping them all separated for the time being. He’s not coughed or sneezed around them and hasn’t been doing that anyway plus there has not been any discharge of any kind since we had him, so hoping all is well. They are all getting probiotics as well. A few years ago I had a cat with a URI, wasn’t told to keep him separated, he had been seen by another vet as mine was out of town. The others didn’t catch anything that time so I’m feeling hopeful that will still be the case!
Should the ACV help as a prevention?
Thank you for any advice and for all the information you wrote!
Hi,
Wow, you have a lot going on! It sounds like you are doing a great job. I have not tried the silver for cats. That is an interesting idea. As for the ACV, I would say no matter what it probably doesn’t hurt to try it. I can’t guarantee it will work because there are different types of infections and it seems to work better for some cats and some situations than others. Some people put it right in the drinking water but I don’t recommend this. Getting enough water is often a problem with cats and a huge detriment to their health if they don’t drink enough. Therefore I don’t put anything in the cat’s water with a flavor to make sure they won’t avoid drinking. By putting the dilution of ACV and water on their fur they will feel compelled to lick it off and therefore will ingest it. I put it on the back of the neck but then also rub a bit on the tops of their paws and front legs and on the head in front of the of the ears where there is less fur and it can be absorbed better. Of course make sure you don’t get any in the ears! Cats get ear infections if they get water in their ears.
I have also noticed a major difference between the antibiotic eye drops or gels and oral antibiotics. The topical stuff never seems to work well, it just tamps the infection down and then comes back. The last time we used oral antibiotics it actually worked. For my boy who is most prone to upper respiratory infections the ACV keeps it under control or takes care of it if it is a mild infection. For bad ones he needs antibiotics too sometimes. For my other cats the ACV is all they need to clear it up.
I wish I could give you a definitive answer but I can’t. ACV is cheap and easy to find however so I would try it and see what happens.
Also be aware regular flea treatments are very dangerous for cats. I know someone who’s cat almost died after a flea treatment. I am so glad I live where they aren’t a problem but if I did I would be looking for natural alternatives. I know you didn’t have a choice in the matter but I just wanted to mention it in case it was involved in any of his problems.
I hope the ACV dilution helps. Please let me know how it goes!
Thanks for sharing your story.
Jessica
Excellent article, thank you!
I’m definitely going to try the Apple Cider Vinegar. I hadn’t heard of that one before, so thank you so much!
Hello Jade,
I am glad you found this useful. Thanks for stopping by!
Jessica
wow this is so helpful. I have been struggling with trying to brush my cats teeth and I only manage for seconds, before she squirms away in anger. I am definitely gonna buy this Pet Alive Gumz n Teeth. I hope she ingests it. She is so smart and ALWAYS eats around whatever medication I mix into her food. But ill try. Hope its not bad tasting. Hope I can mix it into her milk or water. Coz I dont give her wet food, as it increases the bad breath.
About flea treatments, I have not heard this is dangerous to cats. I use them on my indoor cat every 3 months- when I see her scratching alot. I try to keep a very clean house and never allow shoes inside- but fleas still find their way inside and kitty picks them up.
Anyway, thanks for the ACV tip. I’ll try it for her when she’s sneezing alot.
GREAT PAGE AND GREAT IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. im REALLY HOPING THE BAD BREATH ONE WORKS.
I know she has a bad tooth in there- but I cannot afford a vet bill right now.
THANKS!
Hello,
Thank you for your comments!
My cats don’t mind the taste but I am mixing it into their wet food. I have never tried mixing it in anything else. I would NOT mix it in their water. I don’t put anything in their water since you don’t ever want to discourage cats from drinking. Lack of water (especially when they eat dry cat food) is a leading cause of illness and death due to kidney disease. Kidney disease is what took my first cat.
Wet food is much better for their teeth. The concept that wet is bad and dry is good for their teeth is not true. Wet food is better all around since it is closer to their natural diet as they would eat in the wild. I feed both wet and dry. Wet for health and dry for price and convenience so they can get a bite if I am not around to give them wet.
I hope the Gumz n Teeth works for you and your cat. Even if you don’t regularly feed your cat wet food you could still give her something wet that has the powder mixed in. Many human foods are fine for cats as long as they don’t eat them as a regular diet. The powder smells very “green”. It smells a bit like mowed grass. It is not offensive in any way but it would be noticeable in plain water or milk. I might try adding it into something more flavorful.
Thanks for your thoughts and letting me know you found this useful!
Jessica
Thank you for the apple cider vinegar remedy for cats cold. I shall definitely try it on my cat asap. He’s started to sneeze, is squinting his eyes and looked lethargic. He’s such a sweet good boy. He’s never been sick before so I’m really worried about him.
I gave him 2 ml of colloidal silver orally 3 hrs ago. Not sure if colloidal silver will help but it’s supposed to be antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal too.
I will rub the apple cider vinegar on Chester in the morning.