Signs of Cat Disease
It is important to recognize when your cat doesn’t feel well and when a problem is potentially serious to get veterinarian help quickly. This chart will help you identify the possible cause of your cat’s sickness , but it is only a guide. Often, a symptom can have more than one cause and an adequate diagnostic can only be done by a qualified veterinarian.
Symptoms | Possible Cause |
Vomiting | |
The cat vomits a sausage shaped hairball. | Hairball |
Slight vomiting. No other symptoms. | Upset stomach; parasites; lactose intolerance |
Brown or yellow liquid, accompanied by diarrhea and lethargy. | Feline Enteritis; poisoning |
food and Drink | |
The cat seems to be thirsty but refuses to drink. | Infectious feline enteritis |
Excessive thirst | Kidney disease; feline leukemia; diabetes |
The cat seems hungry but only eats small portions | Hairball |
Weight | |
Sudden weight loss accompanied with increase in thirst and urine. | Kidney disease |
Gradual weight loss, increase in appetite and thirst, hyperactivity. | Hyperthyroidism |
The abdomen appears distended, but the back appears thin. | Infectious feline peritonitis; tumor |
Eyes | |
Third eyelid is visible. | General sign of disease; parasites |
Clear and thick mucous, sneezing, lethargy, lack of appetite. | Cat flu; sinusitis |
Ears | |
Persistent scratching, shaking the head, brown earwax in the ear canal. | Ear mites; ear ulcers |
Large blood blister in the ear canal. | Hematoma |
Mouth | |
Drooling; swollen gums; tartar; brown teeth; difficulty eating. | Gingivitis |
Drooling; reluctance to eat; bruising on the mouth; difficulty breathing. | Something is caught in the mouth; poisoning; flu |
Abnormally pail gums. | Anemia; if the cat is wounded it may be shock |
Chronic gingivitis, weight loss and recurring infections. | Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) |
Nose |
|
Sneezing | Cat flu; allergy; grass seed in the nose; sinusitis |
The nose is wet; sneezing; lethargy; loss of appetite. | Cat flu |
Skin and Fur | |
Patches with broken or no fur. | Ringworm; hormonal disease |
Severe inflammation; possibly with pus; depression; reluctance to eat. | Abscess |
Small inflammation, with a white or green cap, the cat appears normal. | Ticks |
Itching, small black spots on the fur. | Fleas |
Pink rashes on the skin. | Allergy to fleas |
Anal Area | |
Persistent licking of the anal area. | FLUTD |
Dirty with feces. | Diarrhea |
White “rise grains” visible in the hair around the anus or in the droppings. | Tapeworm |
