What's going on with my cat's clear mucus?

A cat with clear mucus flowing from its nose may be due to various reasons such as scent stimulation, foreign body stimulation, cold catch, or infection with feline upper respiratory virus. If your cat only has clear mucus flowing from its nose and shows no other abnormal symptoms, it's generally not a big deal. However, if your cat has clear mucus along with symptoms like sneezing, persistent coughing, red and swollen eyes, it might be infected with feline upper respiratory virus, and you should take your cat to the pet hospital as soon as possible for examination and treatment.

Scent stimulation

Cats have very sensitive noses. If there are irritating smells in their environment, such as perfume, lavender water, incense, or fresh flowers, it can cause secretions from their nose and eyes. In this case, removing the stimulus source and waiting for a period of time usually allows the cat to recover on its own.

Foreign body stimulation

If there are foreign objects in a cat's nose, such as hair or dust, it can easily irritate the cat's nasal cavity and cause symptoms like sneezing and mucus. You can check if there are any foreign objects in your cat's nose and clear them promptly, which usually leads to spontaneous recovery.

Cold catch

A cat with a cold will also have clear mucus flowing from its nose. In this case, the owner needs to give the cat veterinary cold medicine to treat it and pay attention to keeping the cat warm, such as adding small mats or blankets.

Infection with feline upper respiratory virus

A cat that continuously has clear mucus flowing from its nose may also be infected with feline upper respiratory virus. This disease is caused by feline herpesvirus and presents symptoms like sneezing, persistent coughing, red and swollen eyes, sticky tears, and oral ulcers. If this is the case, the owner needs to distinguish it from a cold and take the cat to the pet hospital for examination and treatment as soon as possible.