To prevent our cat from surprising us overnight with a problem, we must be attentive to certain signs or behaviors that can make us suspect that something strange is happening in them.
What are the symptoms in a sick cat?
These are the symptoms that we must watch out for in our cats, so that if something changes in them, we know them as soon as possible and we can go to the vet to solve the problem.
1. Quantity of food and way of eating
Regardless of the type of food you give your cat, you must know the daily ration that corresponds to it.
In this case we can have two situations:
- start eating more , so we would think that your tendency would be to gain weight and we should check that you do not end up having an obesity problem. But this is not always the case, there are some diseases such as hyperthyroidism and lymphoma, among others, that can cause an increase in appetite in the cat along with weight loss.
- start eating less or stop eating altogether , and you will lose weight. Sometimes this weight loss is not so obvious. In fact, some cats can lose up to 10% of their weight in a relatively short period, a drop, although it seems little in grams, quite worrying, especially if they have not been put on a diet for some reason of being overweight.
A 10% decrease in a 4 kilo cat is 400 grams, which if we extrapolate it to a 60 kilo person would lose 6 kilos without doing any type of diet.
So it ‘s important to monitor the food they eat, and even monitor the cat’s weight at home. This can be done with the personal scale or by purchasing a baby scale to get the most accurate weight.
2. Quantity of water
Cats are carnivorous animals that ingest most of their food water through their prey . In domestic cats, if we do not provide wet food, they will not have that need to drink water, so we generally have to trick them by placing different water points around the house, even using fountains so that when they see the running water it is more attractive to them and they want to drink.
For this reason, any suspicion of increased water intake must be monitored . Many diseases, such as diabetes or kidney disease, among others, will make them drink more water.
3. Type and amount of pee
The cats that live with us at home usually pee the same size every day. If we see that they stop peeing or start to be smaller, we can think that something strange is happening. A cat should never stop peeing, if this happens or if they pee smaller, even if they pee outside the litter box it can indicate anything from a urinary obstruction to cystitis.
On the other hand, if a cat begins to pee bigger, it may be because it is consuming more water, so it will need to pee more, or because it is making more urine . In any of these situations, being something different from normal, you should go to the vet.
4. Type and quantity of feces
Cat feces, once made and covered, should not smell. At the moment, as in any other species, they will have a characteristic smell, but once they are covered, they will no longer. If we see an increase in the number of times that he goes to the litter box to defecate, even if he does not do anything afterwards, or in the number of feces that we have to collect daily, it is a sign of alterations at the digestive level.
At the other extreme we would have constipation, a cat should not go more than 24 hours without defecating . There are many causes of constipation, and the main thing is to detect it early to prevent it from developing into a megacolon.
5. Breath
The respiratory rate in cats should be less than 30 breaths per minute . Cats do not pant like dogs do to eliminate heat, so if we see our cat breathing fast, with its mouth open or making an effort, even using excess of the abdomen to breathe, you should go to the vet urgently. Yes, it is true that a cat after running a lot and getting upset can have a specific moment of panting, but before considering it as something normal, you should ask the veterinarian about that specific case.
6. Teeth and mouth odor
One in 3 cats over the age of 3 has dental problems, and most of the time they are not visible to the naked eye. So in order to see it, you have to
- take a good look at their mouths , to see if they have tartar or periodontal disease
- watch how they eat , in case they show pain when eating
- look at the smell of the mouth in case it worsens.
In any of these situations you should go to the vet
7. Mood
People who live with cats know perfectly the character of each of their cats, for this reason, any change in character, behavior or mood can indicate illness . Cats that are generally less social may begin to approach for a snuggle, while more affectionate cats may hide and avoid contact.
Another of the signs that we must observe is its mood, a listless cat, not very active or that does not respond to external stimuli should be taken immediately to the veterinarian.
8. Body temperature
The normal body temperature of the cat is much higher than that of people. It is generally between 38 and 39.2ºC, for this reason we will always notice them hotter than us. The best and only way to tell if your cat has a fever is to use a thermometer to take his temperature . Currently there are microchips that allow taking the temperature in a less invasive way than doing it by taking the rectal temperature.
