Common Cat Diseases

If you own a cuddly cat at your home, then you should be aware about common cat diseases, its symptoms and the preventive measures. Your cat may become sick due to various ailments. Cat diseases may range from kitty cold to some potential fatal disorders. Some of the common diseases found in cats are rabies, allergic dermatitis, dental disease, diabetes mellitus, food allergy, kidney disease, urinary tract disease, liver disease, feline panleukopenia, Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV), Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP).

Common Cat Diseases

Some common cat diseases are listed below:

• Rabies: Rabies is a viral infection transmitted through a bite of an infected animal. This infection directly affects central nervous system. An infected cat may develop fever spikes and erratic behavior. Some of the major symptoms of cat rabies are excessive drooling, snapping at imaginary objects, dilated pupils, abnormal changes in cat’s appetite, exaggerated response to any stimulus and aggressive, violent behavior. In the last stage, cat may develop paralysis and respiratory failure, which may result in death.


• Upper Respiratory Infection: This type of infection may prove fatal in cats. Some of the symptoms of upper respiratory infections in cats are runny nose and eyes, fever, reddened eyes, sneezing and decreased appetite.


• Feline Panleukopenia: It is also known as feline distemper. In this disease, cat’s white blood cell count drops drastically. This condition can affect a cat’s immunity. As a result, cat becomes more susceptible to several infections. Its symptoms are loss of appetite, diarrhea and vomiting. It is a highly contagious viral disease, which is transmitted through human contact, contact with infected cats, paws, hair and food bowls.


• Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV): FIV is transmitted through bites of an infected cat. Some general symptoms of FIV are oral infections, persistent diarrhea, appetite loss, respiratory problems and chronic and non-responding infections.


• Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP): In most cases, FIP is fatal to cats. This virus exists in two forms such as wet (involves abdominal fluid) and dry form (not involving abdominal fluid). Both forms of FIP may give rise to symptoms like lethargy, fever, diarrhea, vomiting and loss of appetite.


• Feline Chlamydia: It is a type of bacteria, affecting the cats. It infects cat’s eyes leading to conjunctivitis. General symptoms of feline Chlamydia are cough, sneezing, anorexia, running nose, pneumonia, breathing problem, fever and watery eyes.


• Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV): It affects a cat’s immune system and can give rise to numerous forms of cancer and other related diseases. It may transmit during the catfights. Other possible causes for transmission of this disease are sharing of food, water bowls and contacting the urine, feces and saliva of an infected cat and from mother to kittens in the womb.


• Parasites: Cats are infected by various types of parasites. External parasites such as fleas, ear mites are found on the skin or fur and in the ears. These parasites can cause sever itching. Some common intestinal parasites found in cats are hookworms, ringworms and tapeworms. Coccidia, living in the lining cells of cat’s intestine, can cause diarrhea, dehydration and even death, if left untreated.


• Lower Urinary Tract Disease (LUTD): LUTD is a group of diseases associated with urinary system of the cat. It can cause pain, bleeding and increased urinating frequency. Some of the common symptoms of LUTD are frequent urination, blood in urine and inability to urinate. Other associated symptoms are decreased appetite, dehydration, vomiting, depression and even death.


• Feline Diabetes: Many cats suffer from diabetes, which is an endocrine disorder. This disorder is more common in obese cats. Symptoms of cat diabetes are voracious appetite, significant increase in water intake and weight loss in spite of increased intake.


• Skin Diseases: Skin disorders in cats are divided in four categories such as immune related, infectious skin diseases, hereditary and developmental skin diseases and cutaneous manifestations of internal diseases. Some of the most common cat skin diseases are alopecia, cheyletiellosis and acne.
  Alopecia is caused by general illness, endocrine disturbances and local infections. This disease leads to hair loss, bald patches and reddened or inflamed skin. Cheyletiellosis is due to skin mites. It is a highly contagious disease causing constant itching. It can lead to scaling and flaking of skin.

Prevention of Cat Diseases

You can protect your cat from various common cat diseases. Most infections in cats such as rabies, FIV, URI and FIP can be prevented by vaccination. To prevent skin infections and parasite, you should keep your cat’s skin clean. Avoid sharing of your cat’s food bowl with other cats. If you notice the symptoms of any type of infection in your cat, then immediately consult the veterinarian. These infections can be treated with prescribed antibiotics. In most infections, cats suffer from the loss of appetite. However, you should make your cat to eat and drink in a sufficient quantity, so that the treatment would work more effectively.

Now with this information about common cat diseases, you can easily manage the health problems of your cat. Try to protect your cat from these diseases as much as possible. Take good care of its health, so that it will remain healthy and playful.