Signs of Sickness in Felines

In general, cats are known to disguise illness very effectively. There are key signs that owners can pay attention to. It is extremely important to catch illness early, as treatment is generally, more effective then as compared to waiting until worse signs of illness are shown.
The main sign that you should look out for is any type of change in their appearance.
Checking the look of their coat, the way that they move around, their sitting position or the way that they lay down can be a way that they are showing that they do not feel well. A sick feline will also not groom themselves as they normally would, causing greasy, matted, dry or even bald spots in their coat.
Another important factor to note is a change in the way that they socialize. If they begin to hide or begin vocalizing more than 24 to 36 hours, this is something that should not be ignored or brushed off as normal behavior. When cats are in pain, they often hide or vocalize frequently.
Paying attention to a cat’s eating and drinking habits throughout all of their life is crucial to their overall health, however, as they get older there are some common endocrine diseases that they are at risk for–hyperthyroidism and diabetes. These are both able to be treated as long as they are diagnosed early on, as well as maintained at home by owners with prescribed medication. If your cat is eating and drinking an increased amount and is showing some changes with their weight, getting them checked out by your veterinarian is the best thing you can do for them. Especially pay attention to any increase in breathing rate (less than or equal to 30 bpm). Cats can vomit intermittently, and it is not much of a concern, however, if this becomes more frequent especially more than a couple days your cat could be in trouble. Any time that your cat vomits, you should always be paying attention to what it looks like i.e. color of it, contains anything unusual that is not related to food or treats, as well as if there is any blood or hair in it. Vomiting can mean several different issues such as an intestinal blockage, liver disease, IBD, kidney disease, cancer, or type of infection. If frequent vomiting is ignored and untreated, this could lead to more complications or even death. To schedule an appointment at The Cat Doctor & Friends, call 661-259-5288.