3 Categories of Cat Illness Symptoms

By Kurt Schmitt

Since your cat can't tell you where it hurts, you'll have to be on the look out for problems. Let's talk about some cat illness symptoms you should know about.

Pay attention to changes in your cat's behavior as this can indicate signs of illness. Cats tend to disguise signs of pain and illness as a throw-back to their wild days.

Elimination problems -- Cats may experience a number of issues involving urination, defecation, and litter boxes.

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.

Excessive urination can be a sign of cat illness such as feline diabetes. Excessive licking in the groin or anal area can be a sign of problems.

Treatments are available for hairballs/constipation, and include store bought hairball remedies as well as veterinarian prescribed treatments such as lactulose.

Impacted anal glands my also be a factor which will require treatment. It should be noted that long term constipation may lead to a serious bowel condition known as megacolon.

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 you notice that your cat is not using the litter box, always assume a physical cause may be at fault. If your cat is not urinating or defecating or is missing the litter box, contact your veterinarian.

Other problems to look for are blood in urine or feces, including black tarry stools. If your cat has diarrhea, it may lead to dehydration, which can be fatal.

Eye and mouth problems -- Check your cat's eyes for pupils of uneven size, 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 is often an indication of disease.

Ulcers in the mouth, bad breath, and loose teeth are signs of disease. Pallor of the gums and lips is a sign that your cat may be anemic.

Hair and skin problems -- Poor coat or problem skin can be a sure sign of cat illness. In fact, the coat and skin of your cat can be used as a measure of overall health.

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.

These are a few of the major categories of cat health problems. Keeping alert to your cat's routine, and being sensitive to any of the possible above problems is an essential part of cat care.

About the Author:

Kurt Schmitt writes about cat health and offers this list of over 70 cat illness symptoms Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.