Cat Ailments A-Z - Bordetella

Sounds like cheese... isn't. 

Caused by the bacteria- Bordetella Bronchiseptica - is thought to possibly be the primary cause of respiratory disease in cats or it may run as a concurrent infection with viral infections such as Calicivirus and Feline Herpesvirus.

 This jack ass of a bacteria is passed via aerosol 

If you are like me and think of hair spray when the word aerosol is mentioned...we are speaking of coughing and sneezing.

So basically ..

but from...

Very easy to transmit - super easy. 

Another way this can be transmitted ...

by the super cute and innocent K9

That's right. You can send your doggie to day care and it can come back with Kennel Cough.

Puppy sneezes and poof... kitty has been exposed. 

It's just that easy. 

Horrible isn't it!

There is a vaccine for Kennel Cough that I believe is mandatory if you are going to be boarding your dog in a facility. 

But I am not 100% sure on that. 

I know they are not asking cats for it. 

Though if they actually asked the cats.. chances are they would lie.. because they are cats. 

Symptoms 

• Coughing - though I can not think of how cats cough so that may be more of a human thing...unless you count hacking .. I have heard that. 

• Sneezing- I freak out a little every time I hear a cat sneeze.. keep in mind that sometimes sneezing has nothing to do with illness - unless it is constant then chances are rather high that there is an issue.  
• Nasal Discharge - snotty nose... runny nose, if only they could blow their nose. 
• Ocular Discharge - fancy way of saying eyes running - crusty in the corners.. inflamed. Over all yucky and very sore looking. But it starts out looking like they have been crying or are starting to cry. Maybe they are.. :( 
• Anorexia - that is a bit misleading, they do not become anorexic - they lose their appetite - probably because they feel like crap.. and they can't smell their food which deters them from eating. 
• Lethargy - Question.. how do you tell if a cat is being lazy, lethargic or acting like a cat? It can be difficult to notice in an older cat - but it will be very apparent in a kitten. 

       This is where knowing your cat becomes very important. For instance - if 
       I tossed a bottle cap in the room by Willow and she didn't pounce on it
       I would worry. Cubby, my old man kitty does very little so how would I 
       be able to tell? Honestly, I would have to see something visual like 
       a runny nose or eyes watering. 
       ( Lethargy is usually listed as Depression but I think lethargy is simpler 
       to understand. Besides... a depressed cat? It's part of being a cat!)

• Fever - Don't use this as a guide because the only reliably way to tell if your cat has a fever is by using a thermometer ...and not the mouth kind. If your cat is not eating and is lethargic then chances are it has a fever so take kitty to the vet - They can check for fever there....
• Swollen lymph nodes  - check now when they are not sick - under the jaw by the neck - basically the human version is the throat by the jawline. Now that you have a frame of reference it will be easier to feel a difference. If they are swollen you can feel lumps about the size of a chewed up piece of gum ( I could not think of something that was bigger then a pea but smaller then a gumball) That indicates that your feline is not feeling well.. so get it to the vet. 

If you miss these signs - it happens, cats are fantastic at hiding things- you will not miss the next stage of signs which include projectile snot. 
Visually it is very hard to ignore the swollen eyes and constant sneezing. 
The cats nose gets very raw and sometimes the skin cracks causing it to bleed. 
The eyes are a horrid site - swollen and very sore looking. Sometimes swollen shut.
Unfun...very unfun for Kitty. 
Not all that fun for kitty parent either. 

Reading those symptoms - it is very hard to tell which illness I am speaking of because there are a few that sound exactly like that!

A vet can take a nasal swab to determine which bacteria they are dealing with. 

But wait!

Your kitty does not need to be showing signs in order to pass this to another meow. 

A Cat can be a carrier, showing no outward signs. They can pass on the infections to other kitties. 

Though it is never fun for any cat to deal with this - it is even harder for young kittens. 
A kitten may appear to be doing okay with the infection one moment - then drastically decline. 

If left untreated this can lead to Bronchopneumonia - which can lead to death.  

Get into see the vet as soon as possible. The faster you catch it, the sooner it can be treated and that means the less time your kitty will have to endure this evil infection.
  

Here are a few more links 
Cat-World 
Merck Animal Health 
PetMD
CatInfo