Cat symptoms

Overview: Abdominal pain is often a sign of an underlying emergency. Cats may hide their pain well.

Common Signs: Hunched posture, vocalizing when touched, and localized swelling.

Action: If your cat is “guarding” their stomach, contact a vet immediately.

Overview: True anorexia is a complete refusal to eat. In cats, this can lead to Hepatic Lipidosis (Fatty Liver) within 48-72 hours.

Note: Check for dental pain or stress if they seem hungry but won’t chew.

Overview: Seeing pink or red-tinged urine in the litter box is a common sign of Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC) or UTIs.

Urgency: If a male cat is straining and cannot pass urine, this is a life-threatening emergency.

Overview: Hiccups are common in kittens and usually caused by eating too fast. In adults, persistent hiccups can signal asthma or swallowed hairballs.

Overview: Flaky skin can be caused by low humidity, poor grooming (common in obese cats), or parasites like ‘walking dandruff’ mites.

Overview: Known as ‘bruxism’, this usually indicates oral pain, such as tooth resorptive lesions or nauseated states.

Critical Warning: If a cat presses their head against a wall or corner for no reason, seek emergency veterinary care. This signals a serious neurological issue or toxin exposure.

Overview: Unexpected weight loss despite a good appetite often points to hyperthyroidism, diabetes, or intestinal parasites.

Signs: Excessive lip-licking, drooling, and sniffing food then turning away.

Overview: Sudden weakness can indicate anemia, heart issues, or severe dehydration. It is rarely “just tiredness.”

Causes: Insect stings, fungal infections (Cryptococcosis), or physical trauma.

Overview: White foam often occurs when a cat vomits on an empty stomach. If persistent, it suggests gastritis or kidney issues.

Urgency: Known as ‘hematemesis,’ this can appear as bright red or like ‘coffee grounds.’ Seek veterinary attention immediately.

Overview: Chronic vomiting (more than twice a month) is not normal for cats and requires investigation into hairballs, diet, or systemic disease.

Overview: Inflammation of the large intestine. Symptoms include straining to poop and mucus in the stool.

Overview: Loose stools can result from food changes, stress, or parasites. Chronic diarrhea can lead to severe dehydration.

Overview: Snoring is often normal in ‘flat-faced’ (brachycephalic) breeds like Persians, but sudden snoring in other breeds can signal polyps or respiratory infection.

Overview: While occasional gas is normal, frequent flatulence usually indicates a food sensitivity or malabsorption issue.

Signs: A feverish cat is often lethargic, has a warm nose/ears, and may shiver. Normal temp is 100.5°F–102.5°F.

Overview: An extreme reaction to flea saliva. A single bite can cause intense itching and scabbing, usually at the base of the tail.

Overview: Differs from an allergy. Usually causes digestive upset rather than skin issues. Often triggered by beef, fish, or dairy.

Causes: Upper respiratory infections (Cat Flu), dust, irritants, or foreign bodies like grass seeds in the nose.

Overview: Lethargy is a “non-specific” sign, meaning it accompanies almost every illness. It is the most common reason to visit a vet.

Critical Warning: If a cat’s paws or ears are ice-cold and they are lethargic, they may be in shock or heart failure. Seek emergency care.

Overview: While ears are radiators for body heat, very hot ears combined with lethargy usually indicate a fever.

Signs: Clear discharge is usually viral; yellow or green discharge indicates a bacterial secondary infection.

Critical Warning: Gums should be bubblegum pink. White or pale gums signal severe anemia, internal bleeding, or shock.

Overview: Pacing can be a sign of cognitive dysfunction (in seniors), anxiety, or hyperthyroidism.

Overview: Regurgitation is passive (no retching, just food “falling out”). Vomiting involves active abdominal heaving.

Overview: Often called ‘Psychogenic Alopecia.’ Cats lick until bald due to stress or skin allergies.

Signs: Sounding like a “honk” or snort. Less common in cats than dogs; often caused by nasal irritants.

Signs include: Hiding more than usual, changes in litter box habits, unkempt coat, and pupil size changes.

Overview: While many are cysts, any new lump should be tested by a vet to rule out injection-site sarcomas or mast cell tumors.

Overview: Stress can manifest physically as cystitis (bladder inflammation) or skin issues.

Types: 1. Dyspnea (labored), 2. Tachypnea (fast), 3. Panting (open mouth). Open mouth breathing is always an emergency in cats.

Signs: Dilated pupils, ears pinned back, tucked tail, and “crouching” even when walking.

Overview: Gagging often looks like vomiting but without production. It can signify a foreign object in the throat or hairballs.

Overview: Tremors can be caused by low blood sugar (in kittens) or toxicity (like Permethrin flea products meant for dogs).

Overview: A temporary color change in kittens born to a mother with a high fever or stress during pregnancy. It disappears as they age.

Overview: Bright red (Hematochezia) is usually lower GI inflammation. Black, tarry stool (Melena) is an upper GI emergency.

Overview: Brown/clear crusties are often normal. Yellow or green discharge suggests a bacterial infection or corneal ulcer.

Overview: Cats have a higher baseline temp than humans. If they feel hot AND are hiding/not eating, they likely have a fever.

Overview: Laryngitis, polyps, or in senior cats, Laryngeal Paralysis.

Causes: Overgrooming, Ringworm (fungal), or mange mites.

Overview: Usually caused by impacted or full anal glands. Cats may also ‘scoot’ their bottom on the floor.

Causes: Weight (obesity), breed anatomy, sleep position, or airway obstructions.

Overview: Normal excitement or temperature changes cause blood flow shifts. ‘Lentigo’ (freckles) is also common in ginger cats.

Overview: Extremely foul odor often points to Giardia (parasites) or poor quality fillers in cat food.

Overview: Kittens are fragile. Diarrhea can be caused by worms or a quick change in milk/food. See a vet immediately for kittens.

Overview: Some cats are naturally quiet. However, a sudden loss of voice can indicate an upper respiratory infection.

Overview: Known as ‘Polydipsia.’ Often the first sign of Kidney Disease or Diabetes.

Overview: Fleas are the #1 cause, followed by food allergies and environmental atopy (dust/pollen).

Overview: Pain, fever, and nausea are major triggers. Cats lose interest in food if they can’t smell it (nasal congestion).

Overview: Frequent trips to the box with small amounts = inflammation/pain. Large amounts of pee = metabolic issues like kidneys.

Overview: Chronic sneezing is often caused by Feline Herpesvirus-1.

Overview: Genetics, “runt” status, or early-life malnutrition/parasites can stunt growth.

Overview: Muscle wasting (Sarcopenia) in the hindquarters is common in aging cats with arthritis or kidney issues.

Overview: Often just stomach fluid. If it happens often, it could be a sign of hairballs or early-stage kidney disease.

Overview: “Scarf and Barf”—eating too quickly. Can also be a food allergy or a physical blockage in the stomach.

Overview: Can be ‘Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome.’ The skin ripples and the cat may suddenly zoom around or bite themselves.

Overview: Conjunctivitis or a corneal scratch. Squinting is a sign of extreme eye pain in cats.

Overview: Usually normal (after a nap or near a heater). Only worry if the nose is cracked, crusty, or bleeding.