kitty cold

Question
Hi, I have a one year old siamese cat who I just adopted from the shelter 9
days ago. She was spayed the day that I picked her up and seems to have
developed a cold. She has a stopped up/runny nose and a little bit of mucus
around her eyes and was sneezing earlier. She just coughed and sounded a
bit wheezy. Do you think that it's a virus or should I take her to the vet
tomorrow? I want to take her but I also don't want to spend $200 for a vet
visit if he's just going to tell me that it's a cold and there's nothing I can do
about it. What do you think?

Answer
Definitely if she's still got symptoms today, get her in.  Most kitty colds ARE viral.  However, unlike we humans, kitty colds tend to come with complications.  They nearly always end up with a secondary bacterial infection that needs antibiotics to clear up.  And hopefully the visit shouldn't run you so much.  A simple physical exam should be all that's needed, and antibiotics aren't usually terribly expensive.