Is Your Cat in Good Health?
By Sally Endaer
In general, cats are healthy animals. They do not get sick often at all. However, once they are sick, it can be hard to tell. Cats often do not show symptoms of being sick until they are quite ill. However, if you train yourself to look for changes in behavior, and other, subtle differences, then you will be able to tell much earlier that your cat is sick.
Please remember that although most health issues in cats can be easily prevented through the use of good, high quality cat food, as well as regular veterinary appointments, sometimes, your cat will simply get sick-no matter how well you take care of it. The best thing you can do if the cat is sick is to take them to the vet for help.
Before I go into the different signs of a sick cat, I just want to briefly say that it can be difficult to diagnose at home, because many of these signs can be normal as well. You just need to know your cat well and be able to tell that there is something wrong. However, if you do see one of these symptoms and you aren't sure, bring your cat to the vet just in case.
1. Vomiting/Diarrhea - Most cats have this at some point simply because they ate something bad and their body is reacting to it. However, if this occurs for an extended period of time, or they are getting dehydrated from it, then it may be a sign of sickness.
2. Sneezing/coughing - Sneezing usually means that your cat has a cold, although sometimes this means other illnesses as well. If your cat is sneezing or coughing, you should bring it to the vet.
3. Inappropriate elimination - Basically, this means going outside of the litter box. Although this can be a behavioral problem, often it is an issue like a urinary tract infection and must be taken care of quickly.
4. Increased Vocalization - If your cat is meowing a lot more than usual, then this may be a sign that they are in pain or unhappy.
5. Increased/Decreased drinking/eating - Any drastic change in eating or drinking behavior can be a sign of an ill cat.
6. Decreased Grooming - When a cat is sick, they may stock grooming themselves as often as they usually do. If your cat's coat begins to look ragged, he may be sick.
These are the most common signs of a sick cat. You know your cat best, if it seems to be changing behavior, or anything seems out of place, then you should take them to the vet. Every cat displays illness differently.
Sally write about cats and kittens on her website, Kitten Advice.
Wildlife Photography Awards 2011
Animal Portraits winner: Mystical Deer by Mark Smith. Fallow deer (Dama dama) in Richmond, Surrey, England.
Animal Portraits highly commended: Windy Day by Steward Ellett. Red squirrel (Sciurrus vularis) Formby Point, Merseyside, England.
Red Fox by Matt Binstead. (Vulpes vulpes) British Wildlife Centre, Lingfield, Surrey, England.
Urban Wildlife winner: Champagne Starling by David Biggs. European starling (Sturnes vulgaris) Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England.
Urban Wildlife highly commended: Tabby Cat with Blackbird Nestling by Doug Mackenzie Dodds. (Turdus merula) Reading, Berkshire, England.
Urban Wildlife highly commended: Flower Power by Damian Waters. Brown hare (Lepus capensis) Wirral, merseyside, England.
Urban Wildlife highly commended: Gulls Fighting in London by Matt Smith. Black headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) Westminster Bridge, London, England.
The Congregation by James Smith. European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Blackpool, Lancashire, England.
Animal Behaviour winner: Grey Heron Walking on Water by Andrew Parkinson. (Ardea cinerea) Derbyshire, England.
Puffin Fighting on Inner Farne by Glyn Thomas. Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) Inner Farne, Farne Islands, Coast of Northumberland, England.
Standing Room Only by Philip Kirk. Herring gull (Larus argenatus) Seahouses, Northumberland, England.
Blue Tit Taking Feather by Paul Sawer. (Parus caeruleus) Peasenhall, Suffolk, England.
Camouflaged Fallow Stags by Neil Bygrave. (Dama dama) Parkland Deer, Devon, England.
Dunlin Tug-of-War by Andrew Parkinson. (Calidris alpina) Shetland Islands, Scotland.
Wildlife in My Backyard winner: Busy Wasp on Blackberries by Rana Dias. Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) Horley, Surrey, England.
Wildlife in My Backyard highly commended: Jay Taking Off by Ron Coulter. (Garrulus glandarius) Buckinghamshire, England.
Wildlife in My Backyard highly commended: Squirrel with a Conker by Thomas Hanahoe. Grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) Potton, Bedfordshire, England.
Habitat winner: Hare in Morning Light with Hoar Frost by Ian Paul Haskell. Brown hare (Lepus europaeus) in Norfolk.
Diamonds in the Deep by Mark N Thomas. Diamond sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) at Jackdaw Quarry, Over Kellet, Lancashire.
Hidden Britain highly commended: Ladybird on Rose by William Richardson. (Harmonia axyridis) London, England.
Grey Seal Behaviour by Robert Bailey. Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) Farne Islands, England.
Young British Wildlife Photographers - winner of the Up to 11 Years category: Frog Checking Its Frogspawn by Walter Lovell (age 8). Common frog (Rana temporaria) Painswick, Gloucestershire, England.
Young British Wildlife Photographers - winner of the 12 to 18 Years category: Red Fox Yawning After His Afternoon Nap by Oliver Wilks (age 16). (Vulpes vulpes) Warnham Local Nature Reserve, West Sussex, England.
Young British Wildlife Photographers - 12 to 18 Years category highly commended: Feed Me! by Ella Cooke. Great tit (Parus major) Buckinghamshire, England.
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