Cats can also have clogged noses, just like humans can. It will usually end up either the mucus falling out or it clogging inside the nose and throat. The way the mucus looks will depend on what is the root cause because every situation is unique in its own way.
So the question arises: What do different booger colors mean? Why would a cat get black boogers?
A cat’s mucus will get darker while it is drying. This type of coloration shouldn’t worry you most of the time. What you can do in this situation is to properly clean the cat’s nostrils of the boogers so that the cat has no issues breathing and guiding itself by smell.
Newer cat parents will usually get very worried when they notice black mucus around the nose of the cat or notice the cat has issues breathing properly.
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So let’s get into the reasons why cats would develop black bookers and what you can do to fix this issue.
Reasons Cats Get Black Boogers
1. Dried Mucus
Most of the time, a cat’s mucus will turn black when it dries off.
Any mucus that is inside the nose but exposed to air, will have a special effect happen to it. It might even happen that the mucus will be difficult to remove because it is dry and gets stuck to the walls of the nostrils. On the other hand. there are situations in which they will fall out on their own.
Black mucus caused by air will usually stick close to the exterior of the nose. As the cat moves around, the mucus will usually fall to the ground, but if it doesn’t then it might become a noticeable problem after a few hours or even days.
You will notice the mucus accumulating close to the entrance of the nose, slowly blocking the cat’s ability to breathe properly.
It’s best to remove the boogers as soon as you notice them, when possible. This is mainly because too much mucus will make it difficult for your cat to breathe and guide itself using its smell. If the mucus is stuck inside the nostril, don’t try to force it, because you might damage the inside of the nose of your cat.
2. Not Removed For In Time
It might happen that you have other problems and don’t notice your cat is sick. This might make you forget to remove a cat’s bookers for a considerable amount of time.
The mucus will in turn build up inside the nose of the cat until it will makes it hard for the animal to breathe. Although this is a normal happenstance, you might start to notice your cat pawing at its nose or rubbing it against the ground in the hopes of getting rid of the mucus.
This usually happens when the boogers get stuck in the cat’s nose and the best thing you can do is to try to remove them to help the animal breathe better.
Mucus from an illness also contains pathogens so removing it in time will help the cat get better faster.
3. Nose Rubbed Against Dirt or Soil
From time to time, especially while looking for food, a cat will rub its nose against the ground.
This will usually make soil and dirt get inside the nose and will get stuck to the mucus, making it get darker in color and thicker in consistency. When this happens, the cat will start to have a hard time breathing and will want to get rid of the accumulated mucus with impurities.
You will notice that your cat has a problem when you see it rubbing against all kinds of surfaces in its attempt to get rid of the mucus. If it can’t do it by itself you should help it out, to prevent it from hurting itself.
Conclusion
So why would a cat get black boogers? BLack mucus isn’t an illness in itself and there is usually another reason behind it. It is usually because either the mucus got contaminated with dirt or soil while the cat was smelling the ground, it got exposed to air or it stayed too much inside the nose of the animal.
The only thing you can do to make things better is to try and take the boogers out so that the cat can breathe properly. If the mucus is stuck on the walls of the nostrils, don’t force its removal. Talk to a vet instead to figure out a method that won’t injure the cat.
