Cats are susceptible to catching a contagious disease like kennel cough but it’s unclear whether kennel cough can be passed on from dogs to cats. Also referred to as Bordetella, kennel cough could be caused by a variety of bacteria so while there isn’t much evidence at the moment, there’s a possibility that certain bacteria get passed on from dogs to cats.
If you recently adopted a dog from a pet shelter or if your dog just returned home from a confined area where other dogs were around then it would be place to keep your cat in a separate area of the house as a temporary measure. Dogs that have kennel cough display symptoms like forceful coughing and gasping for breath. They may also display less-obvious symptoms such as losing appetite or feeling depression.
Cats will also display similar symptoms if they catch the kennel cough disease. In general, the kennel cough infection will run its course and disappear after about two weeks. We would, however, still recommend contacting the vet in case your cat is suffering from an infection that’s far worse.
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