Charlie has a cold!

Hi-
Does anybody have any experience with kitties having a cold? Charlie has been sneezing lately, and the Vet didn't seem worried when I mentioned it, but his appetite has gone downhill. It got worse last night, because his nose started running, and he's having some diffuculty breathing. I can hear how stuffed up he is, and he's even breathing through his mouth, like we do when we have colds. He recently tested positive for FIV, so I'm worried sick about him. I'm leaving a message for the Vet to call me back, but in the meantime, I would really appreciate any suggestions anyone may have. Thanks so much...

Poor Charlie. He's not eating because he can't smell his food. If he's on dry food, try offering canned, the smellier the better. If you still can't entice him, try heating it slightly in the microwave. I guarantee this will stink up your kitchen, but it may get the molecules moving just enough to make their way to his nose buds. If nothing else works, try cooking him some chicken and softening it up to cat food consistency in a blender. By now you have probably already heard from your vet, but since this works for lots of sick cats, I am posting anyway in case it helps someone in the future. Good luck with Charlie, and I hope he feels better soon.

Dear Spencer and 4Feline,
Thanks for all the help and advice.
I'm not so sure this is a cold now! I think it may have been the new kitty litter I bought. I changed his litter just before his surgery (neuter). They didn't have the stuff I normally buy, so I picked up this litter called Clump n Flush. That's when he started sneezing. This was about two weeks ago. The sneezing got progressively worse, until the other night, when he was all congested. Yesterday, before coming to work, I cleaned his litter box and put in fresh litter (the kind I always used), and when I got home, his nose was no longer runny, and he wasn't so congested anymore. He wasn't breathing through his mouth anymore. I even got him to eat a little more. (4Feline, the Vet said the same thing you did about the smelly food) The chicken worked like a charm, and I also popped open a fresh can of tuna (guaranteed to bring them running!) This is when it dawned on me that the only thing I had changed was the litter.
He's still sneezing a little and is just a little bit congested (I guess he needs to sneeze it out of his system) but he's SO much better. I'm going to see if he continues to improve through tomorrow before I give him the antibiotics the Vet wants me to give him. Maybe it's not a cold at all.(she didn't actually examine him, she just concluded that he had a cold from the symptoms I described over the phone). I'm pretty sure this litter had something to do with it...it sort of looks like sawdust...I think he was probably inhaling that stuff. My poor baby.
Thanks again for the concern. I'll let you know what happens...
thelma

[This message has been edited by thelmalu99 (edited February 15, 2001).]

This is a good illustration of the fact that it is not a good idea to use the cheaper litters unless you have to. (I know sometime for financial reasons you have to.)Poor Charlie! I'm glad he's feeling better now, and I'm glad you figured out what was bothering him.