Pets, especially cats, can be great friends and their presence can improve their owner's mood. Several studies have shown that cats are capable of building intense intimacy, especially with the elderly and people with disabilities.
However, cat owners also need to be careful. The reason is, cats can carry harmful germs that cause disease and have the potential to transmit them to humans. Therefore, it is very important to understand the signs of a sick cat in order to be more alert.
Symptoms of Sick Cats
When you are sick, cats will usually show certain characteristics. These traits are easy to spot, but they can also seem normal. In order not to be confused anymore, here are the characteristics of a sick cat:
Behavior change
Sick cats can be recognized by their behavior. Some cats can become suddenly quiet, hide often, or aren't as active as usual. Meanwhile, some other cats may become fussier, stickier, or demand more attention from their owners.
Fatigue or look powerless
When sick, a cat also usually shows signs of being tired, weak, or not energetic. It can also show other signs and symptoms, such as:
Sitting in a bent position
Sleep more and don't want to play
Nervous
Not lifting his head properly
Tilts head frequently
Vomiting and not wanting to eat
The next signs of a sick cat are vomiting and not wanting to eat. Cats vomiting is often the result of a mild stomach upset, food poisoning, food allergies, or motion sickness.
However, vomiting in cats can also be a sign of more serious conditions, ranging from inflammation of the pancreas, kidney disease, intestinal blockage, drug side effects, inflammatory bowel disease, to liver disease.
If your cat keeps vomiting and won't eat or drink for days, take her to the vet immediately so she can be given proper treatment.
Dehydration
Sick cats are also often dehydrated. This generally happens because he does not want to eat and drink or diarrhea and vomiting a lot. When dehydrated, the cat will appear very weak and tend to sleep a lot.
Also, to see if your cat is dehydrated, try gently grasping the skin near the shoulder blade, pulling it up and away from its body, and then releasing it. The cat's skin should immediately return to its place. If not, it indicates that he is dehydrated.
Weight loss
Weight loss in a cat can also be a sign that he is sick. To check it, you have to frequently feel along the ribs and spine.
If your cat seems to be losing weight, it could be a sign of certain diseases to watch out for.
Difficulty moving
Not only weight, you also have to be sensitive to paying attention to the movement of your cat. If he seems to have difficulty moving, can no longer jump, or changes the way he jumps, your cat may have a supply problem. What's more, if the cat suddenly can't use its hind legs.
In addition to the characteristics of a sick cat above, cats can also show other symptoms, such as drinking more, diarrhea, red or watery eyes, bloody urine, crying when urinating, fever, frequent body licking, or hair loss.
When exposed to a flea infection , cats can also appear to be scratching their bodies frequently, appear scaly or irritated on the skin, and often look fussy and uncomfortable.
Those are some of the signs of a sick cat that are important to recognize. However, sometimes some cats can also show these characteristics even though their condition is actually healthy.
Therefore, to make sure whether your cat is healthy or not, you should check its condition to a veterinarian, yes. You also need to take your beloved cat to the doctor as a routine check-up or check-up at least 2 times a year.
Inform your veterinarian about any changes that occur in your cat, so that their health can be continuously monitored and cat diseases can be detected early.
Your vet may also recommend a vaccine to protect your cat from viral or bacterial infections.