Kennel cough or canine cough

Even though there is a vaccine approved for use in cats, unlike with dogs, it is very rare for a cat to be vaccinated against Bordetella. This is because it is quite rare for an adult cat to contract Bordetella. Very young kittens are much more at risk than adult cats.

Consequently, in some environments in which young kittens may be one of a large number of cats, veterinarians may recommend vaccinating the kitten against Bordetella.

Coughing is very rare in cats. If you have a cat that has developed a cough, especially if that cat is a young kitten, it is imperative that you contact your veterinarian immediately as kennel cough can be very serious in young kittens as well as in elderly or immunocompromised cats.

Although it is much more of a threat to dogs than to cats, Bordetella bronchiseptica, a bacteria that is related to the bacteria that causes whooping cough in humans, can cause very severe and even fatal respiratory infections in very young kittens or older cats with weak immune systems.

It is possible, and perhaps common, that healthy adult cats contract Bordetella but only develop very minor symptoms similar to a mild cold and recover quickly. When this bacteria infects a very young or otherwise immunocompromised cat, the resulting condition, commonly called kennel cough, is identifiable by the raspy and dry cough that develops.