It’s extremely difficult to tell if a cat is suffering from sickness or ill health. As felines are masters at hiding how they feel, pet owners need to be more vigilant checking for signs and symptoms of serious medical conditions.
It is of vital importance to familiarise yourself with the normal behaviours of your cat/s. If you know your cat well, it becomes relatively easier to detect any unusual patterns or abnormalities in your feline companion.
Time is of the essence when it comes to treating cat diseases. Rare cat diseases and contagious cat disease are acute in nature and may deliver a host of complications if left untreated or when treatment is delayed.
Listen to how they meow
Cats communicate with humans using their “meows”. Whilst some are vocal with their needs, there are also cats that will not make a sound even when they are in terrible pain or distress. With this in mind, it is extremely vital to detect any changes on how they communicate their meows to you.
For instance, if your cat is typically “chatty” or vocal with their needs, sudden silence may signal that they are suffering from a disease or illness. Consequently, a quiet cat that suddenly becomes noisy is signal that your cat needs attention or may be in pain due to illness.
Change in eating and sleeping patterns
Cats typically sleep up to 16 hours a day. When your cat spends more than 16 hours of sleep and decline to eat or play, that is clear signal that he or she may be sick. If your cat stops eating for more than two days, there is definitely something wrong with his or her state of health. When cats stop eating, their liver makes use of its fatty reserves resulting in weight loss and other symptoms. Make sure to seek medical assistance when you observe significant changes in his or her feeding and sleeping patterns.
Hair Loss
Bald patches and rashes on your cat’s skin can mean development of serious medical conditions. excessive loss of hair or ugly hairballs are also signs that you cat may be suffering from contagious diseases.
In conclusion, it is necessary to observe your cat’s actions and behaviours on a daily basis. To prevent complications and to provide prompt treatment, remembering these pointers will help in saving your cat’s 9 lives.
For more information about cat care, click here. To book an appointment for your fur babies, call us at 07 3353 6999.