Persistant cough

Question
I recently adopted a young male cat; about 1 year old that I found in my neighborhood.  He is very friendly and relatively healthy.  He has an upper respatory cough that gets better with anti-biotics.  It occurs infrequently, only a few times during the day.  Sometimes he will cough up some digestion; a small amount.  I found this three times in the three plus months that I have him.  He is eating well and is very playful.  The cough comes back after 5 days.  Each time it seems better but this is the fouth time he has been prescribe.  I am reluctant to have an x-ray because it means he will be put under.  I found him in September and I suspect he was abondoned because he was very social.  

Answer
Hi Michael!  This upper respiratory infection is definitely lasting too long and coming back too frequently.
You could talk to your veterinarian about trying a stronger antibiotic, like Baytril and see how that works.
X-rays of the lungs would be an excellent idea, to see how serious this congestion is and if pneumonia is a possibility.  I am unsure as to why you would have to have your cat put under anesthesia for an x-ray, as this is not a common procedure for an x-ray.
Has this cat been tested for Feline Leukemia and FIV?  Frequent and stubborn upper respiratory infections in a stray is often a symptom of these diseases.  Getting him tested would be an excellent idea.
I hope this helps and please let me know how your kitty is doing!
Hilary