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3 Categories of Cat Illness Symptoms

By: Kurt Schmitt. 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.

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.

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.

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 makes frequent but unsuccessful trips to the litter box, or is howling or crying out while attempting to use the box, she may have some physical problem that needs attention. Also, a common sign of trouble is the act of scooting across the floor while dragging the rear end.

Inappropriate elimination is very prevalent and has any number of physical and behavioral causes. If you notice that your cat is not using the litter box, always assume a physical cause may be at work. 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.

Pale lips and gums is a sign of disease which may indicate anemia. Other symptoms of cat illness may include bad breath and ulcers of the mouth.

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.

A poor or oily looking coat is a sign of illness. If you notice that cat has stopped grooming, it's a sure sign of a problem.

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.