Cat Illness Symptoms: 3 Major Categories
If your cat isn’t feeling good, you can imagine it’s hard for her to clearly communicate that to you. To make it easier, then, you have to be very observant. Here are a few major areas of cat illness and symptoms to which you should be alert.
Cats are very good at hiding discomfort and signs of illness, but sometimes this comes out as a change in behavior. If you notice a change in your cat’s typical routine, you’ll want to check for a physical problem.
Urination and defecation — Cats are subject to a number of issues and illnesses involving defecation and urination.
FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease) is a group of problems and can involve stones, crystals, infection, or inflammation. Some of these urinary tract problems can be life threatening.
Cats self-groom regularly, but excessive licking in the anal or groin area can be a sign of illness. If your cat is urinating more often than normal, this can be a sign of an illness such as diabetes.
Occasional constipation is common in cats, and is most often caused by hairballs. Treatments are available for this, and include store bought hairball remedies as well as veterinarian prescribed treatments such as lactulose.
Constipation over the long term may lead to a serious bowel condition known as megacolon. Impacted anal glands may present and will require treatment.
If your cat is dragging her rear end on the floor she may have impacted anal glands or a bad case of constipation. If your cat makes frequent but unsuccessful trips to the litter box, or cries out while using the box, she may have a problem that needs to be looked at.
If your cat is not urinating or defecating or is missing the litter box, contact your veterinarian immediately. Inappropriate elimination is common and is the number one cause that adult cats are brought to shelters. It has a number of physical and behavioral causes. You should address any medical problems first.
Other things to look for are evidence of blood in urine or feces, including black tarry stools. Diarrhea may indicate intestinal disease and can lead to dehydration, which can be fatal.
Mouth and eye problems — Check your cat’s eyes for uneven pupils, cloudiness, or discharge. The nictating membrane, or haw, is a “third eyelid” that you will sometimes see when a cat’s eyes are open. This can be an indication of disease.
Pallor of the lips and gums is a sign of disease and could indicate anemia. Other possible cat illness symptoms include bad breath, ulcers in the mouth, and obviously, loose teeth.
Skin and hair issues — The skin and coat of your cat can be used as a measure of overall health. Poor coat or problem skin can be a sure sign of cat illness.
In addition, if your cat stops grooming or looks disheveled, it’s probably a sign of trouble. An oily looking coat is also a sign of illness.
Also look for excessive dryness or flaking, skin growths, hair loss, and any kind of swelling or skin eruption. Parasites on the skin are usually easily spotted. Check your cat at least once a week.
Domestic felines may experience other health problems for sure, but these are a few of the major categories. Keeping an eye on your cat’s normal routine, and being sensitive to any of the above problems is an essential part of cat care.
