We love our cats so much that we often tend to attribute human emotions and actions to them.
We’re convinced our cats can understand what we’re feeling, and we consider our furry friends to be intelligent, sensitive, cautious, outgoing — all the same conditions we might say about our human companions, as well.
But what about physical things?
We know our cats can get sick as we do, be tired an equal amount, but where do the similarities end?
For example, hiccups are a reasonably common occurrence in humans, nothing to be cause for concern.
But can cats get hiccups? And if so, how common are they?
This blog post will cover everything you need to know about cat hiccups, why they happen, and more.
Let’s jump right in!
Can Cats Get Hiccups? Here’s the Truth!
What many people don’t know is that cats can have hiccups.
Regardless of whether your cat is irritable or unpleasant or not, there is a slight chance that your hiccups are related to asthma or allergies.
Hiccups are very common in cats and kittens and are similar to the way humans get them.
A sudden contraction of the diaphragm causes a hiccup in a cat. Hiccups are more common in kittens than in adult cats and can be caused by overeating or eating hairballs.
Hiccups are most common in young kittens and older cats, but regardless of your cats’ age, shape, or size, it can be worrying when you experience your cat having hiccups for the first time.
More About Kitties and Hiccups: Is It Time to Go to the Vet?
If your cat has more hiccups than usual, you should take her to the vet to figure out what’s going on.
As with any cat disease, it depends on identifying the cause as early as possible to figure out how to overcome it. There is no known method to prevent hiccups in humans, at least not yet, and there is not even a safe, known method to avoid hiccups in cats!
Unlike humans, dogs, horses, rats, and humans in utero, kittens, and cats can develop hiccups.
In contrast to hiccups in humans, which occur frequently and can be solved with various home therapies, they occur less frequently in cats and are associated with severe diseases.
Why Does My Cat Have the Hiccups? Possible Explanations
Cats, like humans, have diaphragm muscles that contract to respond to irritation, leading to hiccups. This behavior can cause your cat to swallow additional air pockets, which causes cramps in the diaphragm, leading to hiccups.
When a cat swallows air, it can swallow so much air that it gets hiccups, gets sick in the stomach, and vomits.
- Cats can get hiccups if the dreaded ball of hair irritates the throat. When cats try to remove the fur from their throat, irritation and hiccups can be side effects.
- Emotional distress is often associated with hiccups in cats. Separation anxiety, emotional pain, anxiety, panic, or any type of stress can cause your cat to experience hiccups. Anxiety can cause hiccups in humans, but cats can also experience this.
- If a cat is sick, whether it suffers from allergies, cat-like vomiting or diarrhea, or an illness like cat cancer, it can get hiccups.
If your cat is a kitten, there is generally no need to worry, but kittens tend to swallow more air than food, which can cause squeaking and hiccups.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cat Hiccups!
Some people have many questions when it comes to cat hiccups. In this section of the article, we’ll cover some commonly asked questions on the topic.
Let’s get started!
What do I do when my cat has hiccups?
Normally, pet parents don’t need to do anything if your cat occasionally gets hiccups because they usually resolve on their own.
If the hiccups last longer than one day, or if they’re severe, if the hiccups happen daily, or are accompanied by additional signs of sickness, including vomiting, drooling, weight loss, loss of appetite, seizures or tremors, or lethargy, then we recommend intervention.
What are the hiccups signs for?
Hiccups signify that something has caused the diaphragm to spasm.
Occasional hiccups are typical in cats of all ages.
Hiccups in older cats can be due to many things, including gulping air from eating too fast, hairballs, intestinal parasites, heartworm disease, feline asthma, heart disease, cancer, food allergies, or ingestion of a foreign body.
Are hiccups be harmful?
Cat hiccups can also be caused by intestinal parasites, heartworm disease, feline asthma, heart disease, cancer, food allergies, or foreign body ingestion.
Some owners have reported chronic episodes of seizures due to constipation after feeding these very hungry animals for long periods without any need for solids with no change during the entire period of bowel movement.
Here’s the Deal: Can Cats Get Hiccups?
Hiccups are a reasonably common occurrence in cats, nothing to be cause for concern.
There is no known method to prevent hiccups in cats, at least not yet, and there’s no safe way to avoid them.
Hiccups can be caused by asthma or allergies.
A cat can get hiccups, gets sick in the stomach, and vomits when it swallows too much air. However, if hiccups are chronic or accompanied by other signs of sickness, it’s best to take your feline friend to the vet.
Do you have any questions or concerns? Feel free to leave them in the comments, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.