Sick Cat - Detect Cat Health Problems and Symptoms Early

Dealing with a sick cat at home can be challenging. Cat symptoms may not be very obvious at first, because they usually start up slowly. Find here answers to your cat health questions.

So, when do you know you have a sick cat?

An early, but often overlooked sign of cat illness is an abnormal appetite: it can be increased, decreased or lost altogether. You need to be a good observant: especially felines are sometimes fussy eaters!

Ideally, book in with a vet nurse for a regular, free weight check. Any weight gain or weight loss can be detected early and diagnostic tests or treatments commenced as necessary.

Cats with a painful condition seem to hide or move around slowly and cautiously. Symptoms of cat urinary tract infection are frequent release of small amounts of urine, or in the worst case scenario, the blockage of the urethra through stones, where no urine can be released at all. This is an emergency that needs to be addressed to immediately.

Some can be quite vocal, too.

Unfortunately we humans are still struggling to judge how much a cat actually suffers, because of the different way felines show us signs of discomfort and pain associated with conditions like cat arthritis.

 

It does not take more than a few minutes to check your cat's health status and you can do this at home.

Learn here how to do a basic health check and cat illness diagnosis at home.

Read more about essentials of cat grooming here.

If your cat belongs to the longhaired coated species you will find practical tips for grooming longhaired cats here.

 

Unsuccessful visits to the litter box should alert you instantly: this is usually a sign for constipation or inability to pass urine.

Both conditions are symptoms of severe underlying health problems and commonly seen in felines. They start up first unnoticeable, but may turn quickly into a life threatening stage.

Vomiting in cats and cat diarrhea are common cat health problems: if these signs occur in an adult cat once and cease after about 24 hours close monitoring for similar events are sufficient.

In case of frequent episodes that will not stop even after 24 hours, or vomiting and diarrhea in a young kitten, you need to bring your pet for a thorough check up to your vet.

Lost fluids and electrolytes require replacement, as otherwise your cat's condition will deterioate quickly.

Causes need to be identified and treatment started as soon as possible.

Read more about cat symptoms that require immediate action.