OP here. She's doing fine now. Instead of going to the vet, I just called and the vet was nice enough to chat with me. She told me the same thing: monitor food intake and overall mood, and as long as that seems fine, not to worry. She had recently been vaccinated for a bunch of stuff, so that's supposed to help lessen the effects of a URI. She had painful-sounding sneezing fits, but was still eating like a little piglet and is all better now.

OP, continue to monitor her and definitely take her to the vet if you see signs of unusual lethargy, lack of grooming or a decrease in appetite. Hope she's feeling better soon.

Please - I'm in the same boat- how did you get it diagnosed??

I have three all sneezing an throwing snot balls all the time. Lovely.

We have two that have been doing the same thing for four years. I am so sick of cleaning up cat snot. The vets we have seen have never diagnosed feline herpes -- they have pulled teeth and treated them with antibiotics but otherwise tell us they can't figure out what the heck is wrong with them -- but I just read in your link that it can be difficult to diagnose. How did yours get diagnosed?

I brought a kitten home and it had feline herpes. Cats catch it at cat shows, in a breeder's home, shelters, at the vet. It is not curable. My cat is now 7 but we have lived all 7 years with flying cat loogies. What's worse is that the kitten has now given it to two healthy cats, so I have three all sneezing an throwing snot balls all the time. Lovely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feline_herpes

If she's only sneezing and has no other symptoms, I wouldn't rush back out to the vet. My cats periodically go through sneezing fits.. could be allergies or just reacting to the different air environment in your home. Watch her eyes and her appetite. Any changes in those, and book it to the vet.

^^Also, we went to the vet last Tuesday and her coast was clear at that time...

Anonymous wrote:If you just adopted her, she likely caught a cold at the shelter. Every cat that I have ever adopted came home with an upper respiratory infection. The cats are usually stressed out at the shelter and there are so many animals that the infections spread easily. Usually a short course of antibiotics will take care of things. I'd keep an eye on her activity and eating. If either of those change, take her to the vet. Once they stop eating or drinking, it is harder for them to bounce back quickly.

Hmm, I've had her for a week now and she's only started with the sneezing today. She was only in the shelter 3 or 4 days before we adopted her. She was in a house before that. I will keep an eye on her eating, etc. She definitely still has her appetite! Always trying to steal my food, and poking around her bowl after having already devoured hers. I'll know for sure if she's really not feeling good.

If you just adopted her, she likely caught a cold at the shelter. Every cat that I have ever adopted came home with an upper respiratory infection. The cats are usually stressed out at the shelter and there are so many animals that the infections spread easily. Usually a short course of antibiotics will take care of things. I'd keep an eye on her activity and eating. If either of those change, take her to the vet. Once they stop eating or drinking, it is harder for them to bounce back quickly.

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/cat-care-herpes.aspx

"Please note, any cat developing an upper respiratory infection should be under veterinary supervision. A brief exam by a veterinarian will help to determine if your cat requires medication, has a fever or is dehydrated. If a cat is just sneezing, but is otherwise acting normally, no treatment will likely be needed. However, if a cat begins to show nasal discharge, loss or appetite or other symptoms, there is evidence of a secondary bacterial infection and cause for starting antibiotics."

I'm of the wait-and-see school, myself. But do know that cats have more likelihood of complication than people.

Upper respiratory infections in cats are a bigger deal than in people, so keep an eye on it.

There's also a more serious concern, which is feline herpes. This often has mucky eyes, in addition to sneezing and snot. It's pretty gross, and worse, it can be lifelong. You're going to want to see a vet if things don't improve in a few days, just to rule this out.

I recently adopted a cat and I noticed today that she's been sneezing a bit. Could this be a cold? Does it usually resolve and go away on its own? Aside from the sneezes, she's been herself, eating and playing as usual. She's 2. This is my first pet so I don't want to rush to the vet for no reason but also don't want to ignore anything potentially problematic.