Why Is My Senior Cat Sneezing?

An occasional sneeze is normal, but a senior cat sneezing day after day, or with a runny nose, is usually telling you something. Most of the time the cause is an infection, often a flare of a cat-flu virus she has carried quietly for years, or a chronic rhinitis left behind by one. The cause you most want to rule out in an older cat is a nasal tumor, and the clues that point to it are discharge from one nostril, blood, or a swelling on the face. Because those red flags matter, one-sided or bloody discharge deserves a vet, not a wait. This is a guide to reading the pattern, not a diagnosis for your own cat.

The short version: sneezing and a clear or yellow discharge from both nostrils, especially with runny eyes or mouth ulcers, usually points to a virus or chronic rhinitis, and is worth a vet visit soon. Discharge from just one nostril, blood in the discharge, a swelling or bulge on the face, noisy breathing, or weight loss are the red flags that call for a prompt look, because in an older cat they can mean something more than a cold.

What is normal senior cat sneezing, and what is not

Every cat sneezes now and then, from a tickle of dust or a strong smell, and that is nothing. What matters is a pattern: repeated, forceful sneezing, or sneezing that comes with a discharge and does not clear up. VCA frames chronic trouble by time, noting that when signs such as sneezing or nasal and eye discharge, persist over weeks or months or when they tend to recur at intervals of a few weeks, it counts as chronic upper respiratory disease. So a single sneezy afternoon is not the concern. Weeks of it, or a nose that keeps running, is.

Infection: the most common reason

Most sneezing in cats, at any age, comes back to infection, and the usual culprits are the two viruses behind what people call cat flu. Cornell lists the picture plainly: the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections include clear or colored discharge from the eyes or nose, coughing, sneezing, swelling of the mucous membranes around the eyes, along with mouth ulcers and low energy. That eye and mouth involvement is a useful clue, and it is why VCA notes that a sneezing cat that also has mouth ulcers likely has a viral infection.

One detail explains so many old cats who sneeze: the herpes virus never really leaves. As Cornell puts it, once infected, cats carry the infection for life and may experience recurring bouts of upper respiratory and eye disease, often when stressed. A cat who caught it as a kitten can flare again at twelve, which is one reason the FVRCP vaccination that covers these respiratory viruses stays on the list for life.

Sometimes the damage outlasts the virus, which is what old cat chronic sneezing usually is. VCA explains that a runny or stuffed-up nose is the most common clinical sign in cats with chronic upper respiratory infections, and that the nasal discharge tends to be thick and often yellow. The mechanism is a lingering one: even after the virus clears, the chronic signs relate to secondary bacterial infection of the damaged nasal passages, and in some cats this may lead to chronic osteomyelitis of the nasal turbinate bones, a bacterial infection of the delicate bones within the nasal sinuses. Chronic rhinitis is frustrating and rarely cured, but it is manageable, and it is not dangerous the way the next cause can be.

The red flags: when to think of a nasal tumor

This is the reason not to assume every sneezy old cat just has a cold. A nasal tumor is uncommon, but it is the thing worth ruling out in an older cat, and it announces itself with a particular pattern. The single most useful clue is sidedness: infections and rhinitis usually affect both nostrils, so cat nasal discharge from one nostril is more suspicious and warrants investigation. Blood is the other. VCA notes that if the nasal discharge is bloody, further clotting tests may be run, because bloody discharge can mean bleeding in the nasal passages, so a cat sneezing blood, or with blood-streaked mucus, should be seen.

The fuller picture helps. VCA notes that most pets with nasal tumors have a nasal discharge (usually pus-like or streaked with blood) from one or both nostrils, noisy breathing (from airflow obstruction), coughing, lethargy, decreased appetite, and weight loss. Add a swelling or a change in the shape of the face, and the case for a prompt work-up is strong. None of this means a sneeze is cancer, since most are not, but one-sided or bloody discharge in an older cat is exactly the situation where a vet, and often imaging, earns its place. If a mass is found, it is worth reading about cancer in senior cats.

Other causes worth knowing

A few more things make an old cat sneeze. A tooth is a surprising one: VCA lists among the causes of nasal signs conditions extending from the mouth such as abscessed tooth roots or tumors, because the roots of the upper teeth sit close to the nasal cavity, which ties nasal signs back to dental disease. A blade of grass or other foreign body causes sudden, violent bouts of sneezing that start out of nowhere. Fungal infection is another possibility, and VCA notes some fungal infections can cause chronic upper respiratory tract disease; these infections are more likely in specific geographic regions. And now and then a benign growth is to blame, since in a few cats, non-cancerous nasal polyps may cause chronic sneezing and discharge.

When senior cat sneezing needs the vet

Book a routine visit for sneezing that lasts more than a week or keeps coming back, or that comes with a thick or colored discharge, runny eyes, or a drop in appetite. Move faster, to a prompt appointment, if the discharge is from one nostril only, if you see blood, if there is a swelling or a change in the shape of her face, if her breathing is noisy or labored, or if she is losing weight. The everyday sneezes are usually a virus doing its rounds. The one-sided and the bloody ones are the patterns that most deserve a closer look.

How the causes compare

Use this to describe what you see to your vet, not to diagnose, since these can overlap.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my old cat sneezing so much? Most often a virus, and frequently a flare of a cat-flu virus she has carried since she was young, which can recur with stress or age. Chronic rhinitis left behind by an old infection is the other common reason. Persistent sneezing deserves a vet visit, and one-sided or bloody discharge deserves a prompt one.

What does it mean if my cat has discharge from one nostril? One-sided discharge is more concerning than discharge from both nostrils, because infections usually affect both sides. A nasal tumor, a foreign body, or a tooth-root problem can each affect one side, so cat nasal discharge from one nostril is worth a prompt vet visit to find out which.

My cat is sneezing blood. Is it an emergency? Blood in the discharge is a red flag that should be seen soon, though not always a middle-of-the-night emergency unless she is bleeding heavily or struggling to breathe. A cat sneezing blood can have a tumor, a foreign body, or a clotting problem, and your vet will want to look and often run tests.

Can a bad tooth make my cat sneeze? Yes. The roots of the upper teeth sit close to the nasal cavity, so an abscessed tooth root can push infection into the nose and cause sneezing or discharge, usually on one side. This is one reason a dental exam is part of working up a persistent sneeze.

When should I worry about my cat sneezing? Worry, and book a prompt visit, when the discharge is one-sided or bloody, when there is facial swelling, noisy breathing, or weight loss, or when sneezing drags on for weeks. Brief, occasional sneezing with no discharge and a bright, well cat is usually nothing.

The bottom line

Watch the nose, not just the sneeze. Both nostrils, a bit of clear or yellow, and an otherwise well cat usually means a virus running its course or an old rhinitis flaring. One nostril, a streak of blood, or a face that has changed shape is the pattern that earns a prompt trip to the vet. Biscuit is not much of a sneezer, but if she started, and I saw it coming from one side or tinged with blood, I would not file it under old age; I would have her nose looked at that week. That, in the end, is the whole skill of handling senior cat sneezing: most of it is a passing nuisance, and the small, one-sided, bloody rest of it is worth catching early.

Sources

• VCA Animal Hospitals, Chronic Upper Respiratory Tract Disease
• VCA Animal Hospitals, Testing for Sneezing and Nasal Discharge
• VCA Animal Hospitals, Nasal Tumors
• Cornell Feline Health Center, Respiratory Infections