How Can You Tell When Your Cat is Feeling Ill?

Cats, just like people, have off-days. Most of the time, it's nothing to worry about. Since cats don't malinger, however, it is sometimes difficult to know when they are really ill and in need of medical attention. Here are some common symptoms you may notice from time to time and ways to differentiate between "quiet" days and true illness.

Lack of Appetite: If your cat usually consumes his food with gusto, you will surely notice when he picks at it with little interest or refuses food entirely. Some cats, particularly when they are younger (I've noticed that this tendency seems to wane as they get older) will fast for a day or so. This is not a sign of illness as long as it doesn't last more than a couple of days and the cat seems fine otherwise. Usually they will make up for lost time when they go back on feed.

Vomiting and/or Diarrhea: For the short-term, give the gut a break by feeding meat baby food with a little chicken broth. Adding a little slippery elm bark tea will soothe an inflamed gastrointestinal tract, putting kitty back on the road to good health in short order. You don't want him to become dehydrated, though, so if this doesn't work pretty quickly, call your veterinarian. If you see blood, call the vet right away.

Lethargy: Also part of "quiet" days, not a concern as long as it doesn't last more than a day or two.

Hiding: Usually always a sign of trouble. If she is also not cleaning herself and starting to look unthrifty, you should probably take a trip to the vet.

Non-Receding Third Eyelid: An apparent nictitating membrane (third eyelid) could mean eye irritation or something more serious. Eye irritation probably won't affect both eyes, however, and the cat will otherwise act fine, except for rubbing its eye, etc. Otherwise, your cat needs to see the vet, as this symptom is usually the harbinger of something serious.

Limping/Pain: If your cat is an outdoor one, this could mean an injury. Gently check him over; be careful, though--a cat in pain may lash out. A tender bump, along with symptoms like lethargy, hiding and lack of appetite may mean your cat has an abscess. Never attempt to treat this yourself; kitty needs medical attention. Once again, lots of blood means a trip to the vet, pronto.

Straining in the Litter Box: Almost always a sign of urinary problems, less often a symptom of consitpation. If the cat is male, don't delay--Feline Urological Syndrome ("plugged cat") can be fatal in just a few hours!

Shaking/Crying: Yep, to the vet. Don't try to puzzle this one out!

Our pets count on us to make sure they are happy and healthy. A tall order, to be sure, and vigilance is key. It's the least we can do for them, am I right?

Vomiting in Cats

Like people, cats vomit occasionally. There are basically two types of vomiting in cats: The type where the cats still wants to eat, and the kind where the cat is anorexic. As you may have guessed, the former is much less of a concern than the latter. Let's take a look at the possible causes of each.

Some cats tend to vomit only occasionally, while with others, it seems as if almost every day you're stepping in a yucky pile of vomited goo. When we had Min and Sweet Pea, Min was the "puker", while Pea zealously held onto every morsel she consumed. Until the end of his life, it was never a health issue until it heralded other, more ominous problems. With our present passel, Goldie is the upchucker, tending to vomit hairballs fairly consistently, despite being the cat that receives the most grooming. Besides hairballs, other causes of occasional but not worrisome vomiting are: Eating grass and other inappropriate things outside, eating too fast, eating dry food without drinking water, and something I've found with males in particular, vomiting clear stomach fluid after an overnight fast.

More troublesome are cats that vomit, often repeatedly, and are also refusing food. In this case, vomiting is a symptom of something more serious, not a response to some of the scenarios listed above. Especially in older cats, this can mean things like kidney failure, heart problems, liver or pancreatic disorders and/or cancer. It is very important not to let a cat fast for more than a couple of days, since cats can develop irreversible kidney damage. Dehydration, with all its attendant problems, should also be avoided.

If your cat is having a bout of upset tummy, withhold all food and water for about 8 hours. Kitty will be starving by then, but ease back into feeding by giving a small bowl of meat baby food such as chicken, lamb or turkey. Cream of Wheat is also a good choice (all my cats, past and present, loved/love it). Remember, just a little bit! If all is well, feed baby food once or twice more, gradually adding in her regular canned food.

If vomiting continues, try giving kitty approximately 1ml (cc) of milk of magnesia using a plastic syringe or eye dropper. Do this where it will be easy to clean up the mess! Usually, one or two doses of MoM will do the trick without causing diarrhea. If not, or your cat has no interest in food, has a fever and/or other symptoms, you'll need to get to the vet ASAP.

Just so You Know: Vomiting blood is always a sign of serious trouble and should be checked out by a veterinarian.
Chat later!