My 5-year-old shorthaired cat has had two sudden coughing episodes in the last few days and I’m trying to figure out if this sounds like early asthma or something else. Both times it happened while I was asleep and I woke up to it already in progress. It starts with a single cough, then turns into a short coughing fit with a brief pause in between. There is never any vomiting, no hairballs, and nothing ever comes up. During the episodes she stretches her neck out but after a short time it stops completely, and she goes back to acting normal. No open-mouth breathing, no color change in her gums, and her behavior and energy are completely normal afterward.

The only recent changes are her dry food and treats. I switched her kibble from Friskies seafood to Nachos chicken and pumpkin formula, and I’ve also been trying out new treats (“Bonkers” treats). She also gets wet food daily, which has stayed the same. I’m not sure if any of this is relevant, but I’ve seen some people mention coughing starting after diet changes and then stopping when switching back, though I don’t know if that’s coincidence or actually related. She does not have other allergy symptoms like skin issues or digestive problems, and the coughing doesn’t seem tied directly to eating.

I am planning to take her to a vet next week, likely for chest X-rays, to rule out asthma or bronchial disease. I’m mostly trying to understand if this pattern sounds consistent with early feline asthma or if a food or treat-related trigger is realistically possible.

Any insight would be appreciated.