Signs a cat may be ill

Cats hide illness, so the first signs are often small changes in eating, drinking, toilet habits, sleep, grooming, movement or mood. Learn what is normal for your cat, then act on change. Some signs, such as straining to urinate, open-mouth breathing or no food for a day, need a vet at once. For anything that lasts more than a day or two, ask your vet.

Why cats hide it

In the wild a sick cat is easy prey, so cats learn to look well even when they are not. A pet cat often does the same. By the time an illness is clear, it may have been present for weeks. You are the person who knows your cat best. Your notes can help your vet find the problem sooner.

This guide describes signs. It does not diagnose. Many different illnesses cause the same signs, and only a vet can tell them apart.

Know your cat's normal

Spend a little time each week noticing:

• How much and how often your cat eats.
• How much it drinks.
• How often it uses the litter box, and what it leaves.
• How much it sleeps, plays and sits in its usual spots.
• How it looks: coat, eyes, nose, weight.
• How it moves: jumping, climbing, using stairs.
• Its mood: how it greets you, how it talks, where it likes to be.

A weight record is the simplest tool. The weight and body condition tracker helps you log changes, and the body condition score gives a way to judge shape.

Signs to watch for

Eating and drinking

• Eating less, leaving food, or eating more with weight loss.
• Drinking much more than usual, or hardly drinking.
• Dropping food, chewing on one side or pawing at the mouth.
• Vomiting that is more than occasional.

Toilet habits

• Straining, going back and forth, crying or licking the genitals, with little or no urine.
• Urine outside the litter box, or blood in the urine.
• Larger clumps than usual, or a very clean box.
• Diarrhea, constipation, black or bloody stool.

Behavior and mood

• Hiding more, or withdrawing.
• Less play and less interest in people.
• Restlessness, pacing, or crying at night.
• Aggression in a cat that is usually gentle.
• Sitting hunched, or sitting by the water bowl.
• Sleeping in new places, or sleeping more.
• Confusion, or getting lost in familiar rooms.

Appearance and body

• A dull, greasy or unkempt coat, or over-grooming, bald patches or scabs.
• Weight loss or gain, a swollen belly, or lumps.
• Discharge from the eyes or nose, sneezing, squinting, or a visible third eyelid.
• Bad breath, drooling, or red gums. Pale or yellow gums or eyes are urgent.
• Limping, stiffness, trouble jumping, or crying when touched.
• Dry, tacky gums, sunken eyes or lethargy, which can be signs of dehydration.

Breathing

• Open-mouth breathing, panting at rest, or fast, noisy or effortful breathing.
• Coughing or wheezing.
• A cat crouched with its neck stretched out.
• Blue or gray gums.

What to do when you notice a change

1. Do not wait for several signs. One clear change is enough.
2. Write it down. Note what changed, when, and how often. A short video of a cough, limp or odd behavior helps your vet. Note what your cat eats, drinks and does in a day.
3. Check the basics. Look at the food bowl, water and litter box. Look at your cat's eyes, nose, mouth and body for anything obvious. Do not force your cat's mouth open.
4. Weigh your cat. A change of even a small amount in a small animal can matter.
5. Call your vet. Describe the signs and ask how soon the cat should be seen. Follow their advice.
6. Do not give medicine. Many human medicines, including common pain relievers, are poisonous to cats. Do not give any treatment unless a vet tells you to.
7. Keep the cat calm and warm. Provide water and a quiet place, and keep other pets away.
8. Bring information. Take a list of current food, treats, supplements and medicines, and any records.

Signs that need a vet now

Go to a vet or an emergency clinic at once if your cat has any of these:

• Straining to urinate, or little or no urine. This is an emergency, especially in a male cat. See urinary blockage.
• Trouble breathing, open-mouth breathing or blue-gray gums.
• Collapse, seizures, or inability to stand.
• Not eating for a day or more. Cats that go without food can develop a serious liver condition called hepatic lipidosis.
• Repeated vomiting, or vomiting blood.
• Known or suspected poisoning, including lily, antifreeze or human medicine.
• A bad injury, a fall, a car accident or heavy bleeding.
• Sudden loss of use of the back legs, with pain and crying.
• A kitten that is cold, limp, weak or will not nurse.
• Swollen belly with pain.
• Yellow gums, skin or eyes.
• Straining in the litter box with no stool, and vomiting.

Signs to report within a day or two

Book a visit soon if your cat has:

• Sneezing, runny eyes or nose, or a cough that lasts. A cat with an upper respiratory infection often recovers, but kittens, seniors and cats that stop eating need help sooner.
• Eating less, or drinking more, over several days.
• Weight loss.
• Diarrhea for more than a day.
• Limping or stiffness.
• A lump, sore, or wound.
• Changes in the coat or skin.
• Bad breath or drooling.

Regular check-ups

Healthy cats should see a vet at least once a year, and seniors more often. A wellness exam checks weight, teeth, heart, lungs, joints and more, and can find problems that show no signs at home. Ask your vet what tests suit your cat's age and health.

Common mistakes

• Waiting to see if it goes away, when the cat has not eaten.
• Blaming age. Slowing down is not always just age. Pain and illness are treatable.
• Treating at home with human medicine or an old prescription.
• Searching for answers online and skipping the vet.
• Assuming that a cat that purrs is fine. Cats can purr when they are ill.
• Not weighing the cat.
• Dismissing vomiting as hairballs without checking how often it happens.

Summary

• Cats hide illness, so track eating, drinking, toilet habits, weight, mood and movement.
• Act on change, and write it down.
• Straining to urinate, trouble breathing, collapse, no food for a day or more and poisoning are emergencies.
• Do not give human medicine.
• Annual check-ups find problems early.