upper respiratory involvement

Question
QUESTION: can the eye goop stuff and runny nose(the respiratory thing) does it cure with time? and can it be contagious to people?

ANSWER: Hi Nathan.  This is a complex question.  It depends on the cause of the upper respiratory infection.  Sometimes the infection is strictly viral.  Viral upper respiratory illnesses that affect cats are not contagious to people, and they must pass on their own in time.  Something that will help the symptoms pass more quickly is to give the cat 500mg of lysine in their food every day.  Lysine can be found in 1000mg tablets at any pharmacy.  Chop the tablet in half, grind the half up, and mix it into canned food.

However, upper respiratory infections can also be bacterial.  Bacterial illnesses may never pass on their own and can escalate to problems like pneumonia instead of getting better.  They require antibiotics to cure rather than time and rest, and serious untreated infections can result in death.  Bacterial infections are also sometimes contagious to humans.  Certain forms of pink-eye can pass from cats to people.  So you should avoid rubbing your eyes after contact with a kitty who has an eye infection, and definitely have a cat with a upper respiratory symptoms treated by a vet.

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QUESTION: can you tell the difference between bacterial and viral? she is the most lovable cat with the worst cold...i just got her...how much would a vet bill look like?

Answer
A vet can tell the difference between bacterial and viral illnesses most of the time.  If your cat has bad breath, that's a sign that she may have a bacterial infection.  If eye or nasal discharge is yellow, brown or green, that may be another sign.  Most times, when a cat catches a virus, a bacterial infection follows it.

I'm not sure how much a vet bill would be in your area.  It varies widely by where you live and which vet you choose.  I would make a couple of phone calls to your local vets and find out what the going rates are.  My own vet charges about $50 for the office visit, and the typical antibiotic for an upper respiratory infection costs around $12.