Cats can get upper respiratory infections or what we call the
common cold or flu. However you can not pass a human cold on to
your cat and vice versa. The cat 'cold' is a completely
different cup of tea. If your cat has any of the below symptoms
for more than a day or two he/she probably has an upper
respiratory infection. Upper respiratory infections are
extremely contagious (infection can be passed through an
airborne contagion or through casual contact) and it is very
common for all cats within a household to become infected
quickly. Although most of the agents that cause URI do not
survive very long (from a few hours to a few weeks) in the
environment, they can last a very long time in the cat's
respiratory tract in a latent or potent form. Many cats actually
will carry the agent in their body for the duration of life. In
such a case your cat may suffer from occasional flare-ups when
stressed or when the immune system is weak. Such a cat may also
pass the agent on to other cats (even if that cat isn't act