Cat Having Cough Issues

Question
I may have not been too clear instead of a cough it more of a "I want to spit up or something is in my throat" type thing.  I really did not want to lead you to think it was a cough, cough it more like she something is stuck in her throat and she needs to get it out but then she goes right back to normal whether playing or eating.  I am not that familair but it is a bit different to me than sneezing and coughing because she went thru that as a kitten and I could tell she had a cold/infection/running eyes, got the shots and all was better.  Would you say this is still considered coughing?  I am sorry to sound like I don't know but this is all new to me. But if you say it could be an infection from being at the vet because she surely was fine when I drop her off there for boarding over the holiday (5 days) then I will call the vet.  I did not notice this until 2-3 days after I picked her up.  She trys to spit itout but nothing comes up. I just rub her head and neck and she acts as normal.  Thank you so much.  
-------------------------------------------
The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
It's about my cat Peatee again.  She just had her check up December 28 and the only problem that was found was that she was a bit over weight and a dry skin issue.  Since she has been back she keeps coughing like she has "hair balls" in her throat.  She has never done this before.  She is making those coughing gestures/noises quite a few times a day expecially after she eats.  ONe of my friends says this is normal but it worries me.  Is this normal.  She still eats and acts normal but the coughing/weasing scares me a bit.  What should I do?
-----Answer-----
Wow, glad you two are doing well!

No, a persistent cough is never normal.  This time of year, cats are especially susceptible to upper respiratory illnesses that cause pink eye, coughing, sneezing, eye/nasal discharge, and sores in the mouth, throat and lungs.

If I had to take a guess, I'd say she may have picked up a germ at the vet's office.  One disease that causes a cough that is commonly spread through vets and groomers is bordatella.  It's a bacterial illness that causes cough and sore throat, which can be cured with antibiotics.

There are countless viral illnesses that can cause upper respiratory symptoms like a cough as well.  While antibiotics won't cure a viral illness, when a cat's immune system becomes busy fighting a virus, it often lets its guard down against bacteria, and the cat ends up with a viral AND a bacterial infection.  For this reason, even if a viral illness is suspected, most vets will prescribe an antibiotic to help prevent secondary bacterial infections.

Germs are common causes of coughs.  Hairballs can cause a cough, too.  You can feed her hairball treats or hairball formula cat food to help prevent these.  However, there are some more serious causes of cough such as heart disease, asthma, pneumonia, and fluid or tumors in the abdominal/chest cavity.  Most likely, these would've caused abnormalities that could be heard or felt during her recent exam.  But I think I'd certainly call the vet and ask if he could prescribe an antibiotic on the assumption that she caught something there, or if she should be seen again.

Answer
I think I know the sound she's making.  I call it "snorkling", though I'm sure that's not a medical term!  But this usually is due to an upper respiratory problem, too, caused by congestion and post nasal drip.  Sometimes this is from the feline herpes virus, and the best way to handle that is to give her l-lysine every day.  You can order it online in a gel called Viralys.  Or you can buy the tablet form at any drug store, grind it, and mix it in with food.  Ideal dosage is 1000mg per day.

If you don't see an improvement with that, I would call the vet.  I had one cat last month who had the same symptoms.  They ended up finding a tumor in her throat.