Cat Illnesses

Cats are members of the family 'Felidae' and are part of the human homes, since time immemorial. Cats are small, agile carnivores who have a very keen sense of hearing and night vision. These elusive felines have an excellent memory and they learn by observing and experience. If you really love and care for your cat, you would be able to detect slight change in its behavior, immediately. The change usually is a sign of an illness. If you get yourself acquainted with the symptoms of common diseases that might affect your adorable pet, you will get answers to many of the cat health questions, lingering in your mind.

Common Cat Illnesses and Symptoms

Eye Problems

• Neonatal Conjunctivitis: Neonatal conjunctivitis is the eye problem in kittens, which leads to a crust, sealing their eyelids. Sometimes, bulging eyes can be noticed. Boric acid eyewash will be helpful to clean the eyes.
• Glaucoma: If the pressure within the eyeball increases, the cat may suffer from glaucoma. Squinting, redness of the pupil can be noticed. One pupil may appear larger than the other. Medication in early stages of cat illnesses, help avoid complications.
• Cataracts: The eye lens of the cat becomes opaque and the light can not reach retina. This can lead to glaucoma if left untreated. Lens transplant surgeries are quite common now.

Parasites

• Roundworms: Intestinal parasites or cat worms are common in young cats. Roundworms are found in small intestine and they can be life-threatening when there is intestinal blockage. Loss of appetite or diarrhea, protruding abdomen, vomiting are some of the symptoms. De-worming medication can be given for 3-5 days orally.
• Tapeworms: There are chances of ingestion of infected fleas while grooming or chances of eating an infected rodent which generates tapeworms in cats. They can be seen in the stools of the cat. They live in small intestine, leading to diarrhea and other digestive problems.

Loss of Appetite

Loss of appetite, also known as anorexia in cats, requires immediate medical attention. This can occur due to many reasons like stomach problems, parasites, diabetes, leukemia, etc. It may be accompanied by vomiting. It can also be a side effect of some previous medication. There can be other digestive problems like inflammatory bowel diseases in cats which can lead to loss of appetite. In order to cure this condition, increase vitamin B in cat food. Cat appetite stimulants are also available in market. Offer good smelling food like tuna and sardines.

Increased Appetite

Increase in cat appetite is generally seen in old cats because of polyphagia, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, pregnancy or Cushing's disease in cats. Most cats are able to control or regulate their own diet.

Vomiting

The hairballs, known as trichobezoars is the main cause of vomiting in cats. Cats are always seen busy grooming themselves. As they have very soft fur, hair get ingested and if the digestive system fails to ingest the excessive hair, it leads to vomiting. Feline pancreatitis, gastric and intestinal diseases, heartworms in cats, hyperthyroidism, poisonous substances like toxic plants, cleaning agents, fertilizers are some of the other causes of vomiting.

Hair Loss

Alopecia or hair loss in cats is mainly due to mange in cats, flea bites, cat skin allergies and thyroid problems. Psychological factors such as change of environment, addition of a new pet in the house are also responsible for bald patches on cat skin. You should consult your vet immediately.

Arthritis

If there is stiffness in limbs, if the cat is limping, if the cat is finding difficulty in grooming or climbing and jumping, if the cat is avoiding covering feces or urine with the sand, then it can be due to arthritis. Though this illness in cats is not a curable condition, the vet can suggest proper arthritis treatment for cats.

A normal healthy cat is expected to live for around 15 to 20 years. The average life expectancy of the outdoor cats is about 4-5 years. I can imagine how heart wrenching it must be for you to even think about the life expectancy of your cat. I hope your cat has a healthy and stress-free life. If you know the symptoms of common cat illnesses, diagnosis can be done at an early stage of the disease. Prompt diagnosis and treatment help avoid worsening of the situation and help increase the life expectancy of your beloved pet.