Warning for pet owners after cat started ‘sneezing blood’ | UK News

A vet has issued advice for pet owners after a beloved pet cat started sneezing blood for no apparent reason.

Six-year-old Ginge lives with his owners Laura Mellors, 52, and her partner Sam, 62, in Nottingham. He was originally a stray but he ‘chose them’ when he kept appearing in their garden.

Laura became concerned when Ginge started sneezing and coughing repeatedly. She had no idea what had caused it – and couldn’t see anything in his nose or mouth.

Laura explained: ‘Ginge was having sneezing fits and coughing, and then all of a sudden he started bringing up blood. I didn’t know what to do.’

Horrified by the ‘very scary’ sight of her beloved pet sneezing blood, Laura took Ginge to Nottingham’s PDSA Pet Hospital.

There, the vet was able to pull out a 10cm long blade of grass which had lodged itself in his nose.

Laura said: ‘You couldn’t see anything stuck in his nose or in his mouth so it must have been pretty far back.

‘After the vets got it out Ginge was back to his normal self almost instantly. I can’t thank them enough.

‘We wouldn’t be without him for the world – he’s an amazing cat. He’s slow and chilled out, he plods around the garden and sits in the sun.

‘He’s always eating bits of grass and even though I tell him to stop, I didn’t think it would cause much harm.

‘But I’ll definitely be a lot more mindful of this from now on.’

PDSA Vet Catherine Burke explained that this is common amongst cats and can be tricky to diagnose and treat.

She explained: ‘When a cat gets a blade of grass lodged in the back of their nose or throat, it can be very uncomfortable and irritating for them, and could cause an infection.

‘It can cause severe bouts of sneezing or coughing, and in some cases such as Ginge’s, the cat can start sneezing or coughing up blood which can be very distressing for both cat and owner.

‘It can be really difficult to prevent this from happening, as cats will often wander where we can’t keep an eye on them.

‘If your cat eats grass in your own garden, keep it cut short to reduce the risk of the longer grass blades getting stuck.

‘Sneezing from time to time is nothing to worry about, but you should contact your vet if your cat can’t stop sneezing, sneezes blood or seems to be in pain.’

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