Cat Health Problems

by Michael Broad · June 1, 2012

Cat health problems is a very large subject. Please either scroll down to search manually or please use Google custom search by clicking here and use the search box at the top of the page. This is very effective. Also use Use Ctrl+F to search for text on this page. It saves time searching. Depress the keys together. A search box appears bottom left or top right of screen. Type in the word and it will be highlighted.

This page does not contain all the articles on feline health hence the need to search.

See visitors’ experiences

The buttons below take you to some key cat health topics:

Cat health problems pictures.
Click on the image icons below for more information.

cat health

Above: This photo (montage) has been used with permission for teaching/educational purposes at PoC and the pictures were provided by Cuyahoga Falls Veterinary Clinic (new window).

See a vet to check. How do I know if my cat has a respiratory infection? Click here. How do I know if my cat has FeLV? Click here. How do I know if my cat has a urinary tract infection? Click here

Contents – Cat Health Problems

The Most Common Illnesses or pet insurance company sets out their list of the most common cat illnesses.

Feline Viruses — An overview page setting them out with links to more.
URI — Upper Respiratory Infection – colds, flu etc. including Feline Herpes Virus
FLUTD — Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease – wide spectrum of lower urinary tract diseases.
Feline IBD — Probably caused more often than not by unnatural commercial cat food – raw diet cures it, perhaps.
Diabetes — Feline diabetes is on the rise and could be due to the increase in dry cat food.
Distemper — This is a very serious disease that makes your cat very ill and can be fatal. If the cat is pregnant, it can be transmitted to the fetus. It can cause damage to the cerebellum of the brain resulting in Feline Cerebellar Hypoplasia (uncoordinated cat).
FIP — Feline Infectious Peritonitis – Another serious illness with high fatality rate.
FIV — Feline Immunodeficiency Virus – causes immune deficiency and kills like HIV. How do cats get it?
FLV — Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) – A devastating feline infectious disease. See also on a separate page: Adoptable FeLV Cats. Please spread the word.
Hyperthyroidism — In older cats, average age of 13 years, causes increased metabolism.
Hypothyroidism — The under production of thyroid hormone
Miscellaneous — A short discussion on a range of health issues with links.
Newborn Kitten Care – written by an experienced cat rescuer, cat caretaker of long standing and author.
Cancer
Things we are involved in doing
Skin – Hair – Parasites – Allergies
Head – Brain – Upper Respiratory – Heart
Body Fluids etc.
Pancreas – Kidney – Liver
Other potential/actual problems
Injury
Miscellaneous
Reference material

Cancer

Cat Skin Cancer (link opens a new window)
Cat Health Cancer – A brief overview on this subject.
Cats Cancer and Passive Smoking – We can get cancer by passive smoking, so can cats, of course.
Feline Brain Tumor – rare
Feline Fibrosarcoma – A cancer of the skin that is made notable by its association with cat vaccinations resulting in cat vaccination recommendations.
Feline Leukemia Symptoms – This really means the symptoms of the feline leukemia virus (FeLV).

People believe that cat health is an important factor in choosing a cat breed. Some breeds are inherently more healthy than others.

Cat health poll results

{return to contents}

Things we do or are involved In

Checking cat’s pulse – a useful check on general health and a diagnostic tool
Adoptable FeLV Cats. Visitors can advertise cats on this linked page.
After Hours Emergency Cat Care
Aggressive cat behavior – this is largely to do with us.
Buying from a Maine Coon breeder – caveat emptor is the rule.
Cat Aggression – a lot of this is to do with us.
Cat Antibiotics – can cause an allergic reaction.
Cat Biting Tail – are we in part to blame?
Cat Boredom – we should try and alieviate this as it will promote better health.
Cat Declawing – overview
Declawing Cats– a most important subject – this is an umbrella page with lots of links to more articles and thoughts – more to come though….
- Complications of declawing – please read this if nothing else
- Declawed all four paws and no teeth
- American Veterinarians are Unethical Towards the Cat – the same as the above but slightly different angle. The same form available as above.
- Declawing: A Physical Therapist Assistant’s Perspective***This is a very informative article indeed and it covers areas that are rarely dicussed by the vets who declaw.
Cat Eating Grass – we should ensure our cat can do it.
Cat Losing Teeth – we need to check and clean!
Cat Pregnancy – Not a health problem normally but health related, hence listed (opens a new page)
Cat Cloning
Cat Cremation Urns
Cat Diabetes Treatment – first hand experiences.
Cat Drinking Beer – jokey yes, health issues? Yes possibly.
Cat First Aid Kit
Cat Flea Treatment
Cat Games to Play – cat games are important for the health of indoor cats.
Cat Giving Birth – we should leave alone!
Cat Health Book – my recommendation. If you are considering getting one book on cat health get this one. It is well written and well indixed.
Cat Hoarding – an illness or cat love combined with low standards.
Cat Illness Diagnosis – we can do some but we need to know our limits and we need good reference books.
Cat Litter Crytals – highly effective + cost effective?
Cat Obesity
Cat Poison – this is about car engine antifreeze. Some people use it deliberately. This page has developed poorly – see the comments. See also: Plants poisonous to cats.
Cat Scratch Disease – This is a human condition rarely caused by a cat but is listed here nonetheless. Also Cat Scratch fever symptoms and Cat Bites Signs of Infection.
Cat Seizure – a concise list of causes. A vet must see the cat.
Cat Temperature – what is it and how to take it.
Cat Vaccinations – these are sometimes over prescribed and can be dangerous.
Cat Water Bowls – concerns health indirectly.
Cat Weight Chart
Cat Whisperer – this is about us more than the cat!
Cat Years to Human Years
Changes in Older Cats
Clogged Tear Duct of a Cat – this is not automatically our fault but often is. That is why it is under this heading.
Over the Counter Pet Drugs – care needed obviously. These are drugs for people.
Dental Gel for Cats – We should try and clean our cat’s teeth, but can we?
Deworming Your Cat
Dog Eating Cat Litter – what!? About dogs but affects cats.
Dogs Eating Cat Food
Donor Cat Adoptions – adopting cats that are blood donors (opens new window).
Diabetic Cat Food
Diabetic Cat Food
Dry Cat Shampoo – not sure about these.
Dwarfism in the Dwarf cat
Fattest Cat in the World – this is cat obesity.
Feline Acne Treatment
Feline Lymphoma and Secondhand Cigarette Smoke
Feline Miliary Dermatitis – most often caused by flea bites.
Feline Pain Relief – Rarely if ever should we administer it without a vet’s advice.
Flea Treatments Can Kill – yes, true and a major reason is because we failed to read the instructions on the box.
Giving a Cat a Pill – authorised and non-authorised ways!
Herbs for a Cat – cats like herbs other than catnip plus they can be therapeutic.
Humans Transmitting Disease to Cats – concerns H1N1 virus.
Hip Dysplasia in Cats – breeders can reduce it in purebred cats.
How to Calm a Cat? – all about environment.
House Plants Safe For Cats – five popular ones chosen + pics.
Indicators of a Healthy Cat
Kitten Development
Kitten Growth Chart
Lazy Cat – are cats really lazy or are we making them inactive?
Milk Thistle for Cats – claimed liver disease natural treatment.
Microchipping for pets – Are there health problems associated with this procedure?
Neutering cats – I’m pleased with this page. It covers the terms, the operation and some religion…..
Melamine in Cat Food – cat poisoning – There was a huge pet food recall in the USA in 2007. It was put down to melamine in cat food (and dog food). Read more about this.
Outdoor Cat Problems – there is a divide. The cat keepers sometimes upset the cat haters. The cat is in between.
Removing Ticks from Pets
Toxoplasmosis and its Prevention in Cats and People
Toxic to Cats – a lot of what we do can be toxic to cats.
Tenectomy or tendonectomy on cats – more unethical behaviour by the illustrious American veterinary surgeon.
Testing Cats for Deafness
The Cat Flea: biology, ecology and control
The Signs of a Healthy Cat – quick check.
Top poisonings in cats
Urinary Tract Infections | Natural Cure
Vitamin Supplement for the Senior Cat
Whiskas Cat Milk

{return to contents}

Skin – Hair – Parasites – Allergies – more cat health problems

Symptoms exhibited by a cat with a food allergy – it is useful to know this because allergy symptoms are vague
Bobcat Fever – this is a tick transmitted blood borne parasite that has a 95% fatality rate but which can be cured throuh committed treatment.
Cat Asthma – another version on this subject (opens new window).
Cat Body Odor
Cat Dry Skin – another look at this cat health problem. Don’t presume that a cat scratching himself indicates dry skin. It is more likely to be fleas or some other skin condition.
Cat Saliva – does more than we think.
Cat Hair Loss – Causes discussed in some detail.
Feline diseases causing hair loss – a list
Cat Hairballs – I say this is a domestic cat problem. Lists all the remedies.
Cat Heartworm – What is it?
Cat Mites– ghastly, highly irritating, microscopic, spider-like things.
- Cat Ear Mites – Dark gungy wax is the evidence plus irritation.
Cat Skin Rashes – Possible causes discussed.
Cat Parasites – An overview page pulling the various posts together.
Cat Deworming – treatments for internal parasites.
Cat Parasite – the revolting tick.
Cat Skin Problems – wide ranging list of possible causes.
Feline Acne or allergic to the plastic bowl?
Feline Dandruff – A bit like human dandruff, I say, with some differences.
Feline Dry Skin
Feline Mange – A relatively rare condition.
Hypoallergenic Cat Food – probably best to make your own.
Feline Allergies – Allergies from food, fleas and inhaled allergens are discussed and more.
Feline Asthma – This may be caused by a range of allergens including food and is usually manageable.
Hair loss – a simple cat health tip
Itchy kittens and excessive grooming – written by Jo Singer
Lungworm in Cats – When it’s wet and warm there are more infections, the life cycle is fascinating…..
Tapeworms in Felines – These horrible things clamp onto the inside wall of the small intestine – fleas play a role sometimes.
Removing Ticks from Pets

{return to contents}

Head – Brain – Upper Respiratory – Heart – more cat health problems

Arginine is Critically Important For Cats
Brain Trauma in a kitten causing stunted growth, perhaps.
Buspar for Cats
Cat Cough – All but the simplest causes and shortest durations of cat cough should be dealt with by your veterinarian.
Cat Dementia – On the increase? Maybe it is, as cats like humans are living longer. We should recognize the signs and be gentle.
Cat Drooling – usual causes discussed.
Feline Oral Diseases – Common mouth diseases affecting cats
Cat Gum Disease – A cat’s teeth are a potential weak spot and we should be ever vigilant.
Cat Heart Murmur Symptoms – a pretty full discussion on this.
Cat Losing Voice – link opens in new window.
Cat Pink Eye
Cat Teeth – from the point of view of anatomy and health.
Conjunctivitis in a Kitten – a submission from a visitor on a very ill kitten.
Deaf cat – A cat has great senses and can cope well even when deaf.
Deafness in Cats – concise and comprehensive inc. a bit about dogs.
Heart Failure In Cats – concise.
Feline Blindness – reasons, explanations.
Feline Conjunctivitis – most common disease.
Feline Calicivirus – common cause of URIs
Feline Endocrine Alopecia – This is rare and can be confused with excessive grooming due to behavioral problems.
Feline Vestibular Disorder – affects balance and poise.
Feline Stroke – We know about human strokes, the feline version is similar with different symptoms.
Feline Hyperesthesia – An unusual disease and one that my cat might suffer from in a very mild form.
Feline sneezing – Sneezing can be unimportant and transient or important and long lasting requiring a visit to the veterinarian.
Feline Eye Disease – A long, compact list in summary form of eye diseases
See URIs for more/overview.
Siamese Cat Health Problems (click on this link) – A discussion relating to this cat breed focusing on the Modern Siamese cat.
Signs of Cat Mouth Disease – we should pick this up fairly early on.
Cat trembling – The causes of trembling and something slightly different: tremors.

{return to contents}

Body Fluids etc. – more cat health problems

Hypercalcaemia in cats – treatment of a Ragdoll
Blood In Cat Stool – five reasons listed.
Cat Anemia – a visitor askes about their cat and I answer by researching the causes.
Cat Constipation – Here is a comprehensive look at a quite commonly encountered problem. It covers home treatments. We all need to know the consistency of our cat’s feces….!
Cat Vomiting Blood (opens a new window)
Cat Vomiting – A discussion on the various causes of cat vomiting and what we might do. This is pretty comprehensive I think.
Feline Chronic Dehydration – This condition can be due to prolonged vomiting and/or prolonged diarrhea.
Feline IBD – caused by horrible modern cat food?
Feline Mastitis – inflammation of the cat’s breasts
Treating Cat Diarrhea – We can treat to a certain degree. The limits are spelled out here plus more.

{return to contents}

Pancreas – Kidney – Liver – more cat health problems

Cat drinking a lot of water?
Feline Fatty Liver Disease – The cause is unknown but the remedy is, but it needs commitment and dedication from the cat keeper.
Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC) – The information provided is about prevention of cat cystitis.
Feline Kidney Stones – Kidney stones are rare but crystalline stones in the urinary tract are less so.
Feline Kidney Disease – Chronic renal disease can be managed but what is the best way and what is the best diet? The conventional and modern is discussed on this page. You might also like to read about the very prevalent (most common..) Feline Polycystic Kidney Disease
Feline Pancreatitis – A rare condition it can be a killer but the symptoms are indistinct and diagnosis hard.
Low Magnesium Cat Food
Symptoms of Feline Diabetes – Just the symptoms.

{return to contents}

Other Potential/Actual Cat Health Problems – more cat health problems

Causes of hearing loss in cats
Distended Abdomen
Cat Paws – just a description and picture of paws and claws.
Cat Rabies Symptoms – Cat rabies is present in most countries (not UK) and in Asia more so due to low levels of vaccination. Eating cat meat can mean getting rabies.
Cushings Disease in Cats – This is an endocrine disorder — an inbalance of hormones.
Elderly Cat Health Problems – illness specific to old age plus general issues are discussed.
Fading Kitten Syndrome – This is similar to is similar to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SID).
Feline Aids
Feline Anemia – The main reason not enough blood being produced – why?
Feline Weight Loss – Undereating – why? – undernourished – a different thing.
FIP in specific cat breeds
Lockjaw – this is a bacterial infection causing tetanus, a very serious disease which can be fatal.

{return to contents}

Injury – more cat health problems

Cat Abscess – Cat fights are a typical source of injury, infection and cat abscess.
Cat Wounds – Some stuff on dealing with them.
Feline Hypothermia Treatment – What do we do when our cat gets very cold?

{return to contents}

Miscellaneous Cat Health Problems

Cat shaking rear legs when walking – full range of possible causes
Cat Losing Weight – main reasons listed.
Genetically Linked Diseases opens in new window. This looks at diseases that are inherited with certain cat breeds. (opens in new page). This is quite a comprehensive list. See also: Persian Cat Health Problems [link]. Siamese Cat Health Problems [link].
Hip Dysplasia in Cats – breeders can reduce it in purebred cats.
Maine Coon Cat Health
See cat illness symptoms – a list of symptoms linked to a description of the possible illness.
See cat illness prevention – some thoughts about minimizing the occurrences of common and expensive cat illnesses.

{return to contents}

Form

Yes, people all over the world have knowledge through first hand experience of cat health. I hope you can find time to share it. Please scroll down to see submissions

What Other Visitors and I Have Said

Please click on any one of the very many links below to see some interesting contributions from other visitors to this page and some articles by me…

Constipated cat or cat in heat? My cat has suddenly started to wince, cry, meow quite a lot over the last 24hrs, she crouching close to the floor, keeps rolling over, rubbing her face …

My Kitten Got Burned i was playing with a lighter looking at the flame because i like fire and i guess my kitten did to because he jumped on the table where i had the lighter …

Are clumping litters safe for my cat? The answer to this question leads us to that eternal battle between money and health – the financial profits of the litter manufacturers versus the health …

Choosing A Veterinarian As is the case for all professionally qualified people, there are the good veterinarians, the average ones and the poor ones. Superimpose that with varying …

Senior Cat Care Tips Older cats need a little attention from us as they are more likely to become ill . And an old cat’s behaviour is more likely to lead to neglect from us….

Robotic Cat Disease This is a new disease, a mystery disease that can affect the roaming, outdoor domestic cat who lives in Scotland; more particularly between Aberdeen and …

My Savannah Cat Has Asthma My purebred Savannah cat Aurora recently was diagnosed as having asthma. The vet said she had little white spots on the x-ray. She said treatment for …

Veterinarian recommends 100% dry food diet – advice please I have a cat.. A Ragdoll rescue cat. He is indoor all the time, unless on leash with me walking about. 4 years old now. Happy and playful.

Has eaten …My cat went walkabout and came back ill We moved into a new home and within 5 days my little man ran out the door and was gone for 8 days. I have had him back for 3 days now he is thin, sleeps …

Cat Panting Have you seen a cat panting? My late and sweet lady cat, Missie, used to pant when she was stressed going to the vet. She did not like being inside a car …

I WISH WE COULD CHANGE MORE TO HELP OUR CATS! Why aren’t cats sterilized in the same way as humans? The methods employed for humans are less invasive. I am totally against de-clawing any cat & will …

Concerned that my cat is vomiting, drooling, antisocial Hi, My girlfriend and I just returned from an over the night trip to visit her parents when we noticed our cat (Zorro) did not immediately come to greet …

Why string is not a good toy for a cat String is not a good toy for a cat because it can cause injury in much the same way that playing fetch with a stick can cause injury to a dog.

Cat vaccination – an example This is an example of what can go wrong with respect to cat vaccination. It resulted in litigation – a court case or law suit, which at the time of writing …

Veterinarian’s recommendations. Do we follow them? Of course we do, but not blindly. Here is why. Your vet might well recommend that your cat has his teeth cleaned. They will probably need cleaning. He …

Feline fibrosarcoma – making him comfortable My cat Chester is approx 15 years old. He was diagnosed in September 2010 as having Feline Fibrosarcoma. He has a large (about the size of a baseball)…

My Siamese cat has an infected, swollen salivary gland and is in pain Fluffy came to me six yrs ago from a Navy couple who left him and his mom and auntie in two different homes. They didn’t tell me Fluffy, the champion …

Cat’s paw pads are raw The other day I noticed my hyper cat Henry was hiding a lot and hardly saying anything much less socializing with my other cats. I found it strange …

Milo Helps Me I have a sad but heart warming story to tell you. My uncle has passed on to a much greater place in heaven. When I had gotten the call from my mom I knew …

Is wet cat food and fish bad for a cat? Milo and I are still doing great. Milo surely had a great christmas in Dec!! She surely had not been forgotten wow! Well I had given her many gifts …
Our cat is lethargic, drools and is weak Just a few days ago our cat started acting odd. She is normally a very vocal and energetic cat but now she has become very lethargic with an on/off fever….

My cat fell off a bed as if she was drunk My cat is possibly around 7 years old. Yesterday she jumped onto my bed and walked on it for a while and as she turns around she falls off the bed almost.

Why is my cat not eating? My cat is very old and terminally ill with a number of illnesses including renal failure and heart problems. She has eaten quite well until recently. Now,…

Weird Lump on my Cat’s Cheek There is a strange golf ball sized lump on my cat’s right, cheek, we have no clue what it is or how it might have happened, I have been researching on …

How to prepare my cat for the big move Good morning everyone! Milo and I are planning on moving to a completely different county in the beginning of next year. My biggest concern …

Has an injection to my cat caused paralysis? Hi..I got a very sad story that my baby Blanca has been living since almost 6 weeks by now. She is 8 yrs old white half Persian half angora cat. 6 …

My cat howls and urinates on my bed or clothes Ramses (male) howls whenever I am not in his site. It doesn’t matter if I am home or not. He will search the house if I do not call to him. If I leave …

My cat has an allergic reaction – help please My cat had miliary dermatitis
for a long time before I was finally able to get her to a vet and get it diagnosed and treated. Recently we moved from …

My cat has a limp and a droopy tail. Please help. I have a question to post in regards to my 15 year old male neutered domestic shorthair cat, Larry. Approximately two months ago, my cat started behaving …

Truth about Toxoplasmosis and Cats People who dislike cats often refer to how cats are a health hazard in respect of spreading and transmitting toxoplasmois to people because cats are the …

Giving Liquid Medicine To A Cat A friend of mine in the United States, Sylvia, asked about the best way to give liquid medicine to a cat. We know that pills can be difficult to administer …

Low Cost Spay and Neuter Clinics Low cost spay and neuter clinics provide a wonderful service because a lot of people who keep cats will resist spending money on veterinarian bills in …

Found kitten with swollen belly and a red anus – Advice Please I got a new kitten. One of my other kittens found her on our backyard porch. We finally got her in the house but we don’t know where or who she came from….

A Cat Story From Mumbai in India Since 1976, when I owned my first dog, a Spitz named “Blondie”, I have been a regular visitor to the “Veterinarian”, in Mumbai city. Since 1976, the …

Mumbai’s Oldest and Most Heavily Guarded Cat Mumbai’s oldest and most heavily guarded cat lives at American Library (American Centre) at Marine Lines in Mumbai. This was a long pending article …

Do you put a 19 year cat through an operation to remove a lump inside her? This is a dilemma I have. My lady cat is 18-19 years old. I am told by the veterinarian that she has a lump inside her. She diagnosed this by feeling her….

My cat broke her 2 top canine teeth, and I don’t know what to do! My cat broke her 2 top canine teeth, and I don’t know what to do! My sister wants to take her to the pound but she recently had kittens and I feel that …

How old should a kitten be before being spayed or neutered? Hi, I would like to know how old a kitten/cat needs to be before it can be spayed.

White male blue eyed deaf cat (mutated breed) going blind? I have a male white deaf blue eyed cat. Michael is approximately 7 years old. Around his eyes there is a lot of tear staining. But recently over the …

72% of veterinary patients are dogs and 28% are cats – Discuss Did you realise that American people take their cat to the vet far less often than people take their dog to the vet despite the fact that there are more …

Valium Cat Is your cat a “valium cat”? I ask because I have just seen a video of Russell Brand being interviewed on American TV. He is a British comedian who seems …

Cost To Neuter A Cat What is the cost to neuter a cat as at 2011 in the USA and UK (European example)? Here is my answer. For the sake of clarity, neutering is castrating the …

My Cat Was Bitten By A Dog My cat Jess was bitten by a dog and has a tear in her muscle underneath her belly. Can this repair itself or does she need an operation? [Hi….

Dehydrated Cat A dehydrated cat might have a loss of skin elasticity, dryness of the mouth, thick saliva and, in advanced cases, sunken eyeballs and shock. A cat …

My cat is licking her rear excessively My 11 year old speyed female cat is constantly washing her bum. It started a few months ago and I can’t get her to stop.

Acid Reflux In Cats? I have a ten year old male Siamese. He has always loved his food and still eats well – balanced diet of pouches plus a certain amount of dried food. He …

Something Around Cat’s Butt On Sides This stray cat is hanging around the house. I checked to see sex and there is something on both sides of her butt, looks like little rice bits is this …

Diet Pills For Cats? My domestic short hair cat had anal gland problems that led to surgery to remove the sacs that secrete normal fluids while expelling stool. Since the …

Cat Bee Sting The treatment for a cat bee sting is the same as for stings and bites generally according to Drs Carlson and Giffin in their excellent, Cat Owner’s Home …

My cat is continually gagging and is ill – Please help My cat is displaying behavior that clearly shows she is sick. But even after many tests at the vet no one has any idea why. Her name is Miss Cookie, she …

Friskies Dental Diet Cat Food Friskies dental diet cat food was dropped in 2010 as far as know, based on internet research. Why was this popular product dropped when it gets a fantastic …

Cat Giving Birth I am pleased to say that I have a video of a cat giving birth. It happens to be a wildcat, a serval called “Dea” and she gives birth to three kittens at …

Cat On The Bed A cat on the bed next to you at night can be hazardous to your health so says a scientist, Bruno Chomel of the University of California-Davis. He is a …

Cat Losing Teeth You have a cat losing teeth? If you have kept your cat
for a considerable time, I think you should be ashamed of yourself, really. Please don’t leave the …

Cat Cremation Urns I would like briefly to discuss cat cremation urns. Clearly this is a sensitive subject fraught with difficulty but one we all have to face – the passing …

Feline Dry Skin Is there such a thing as feline dry skin? People search
for it on the internet – hence this article. But how do they know or think that their cat’s skin …

HELP MILO IS LOSING WEIGHT!! Hi friends… Milo is doing good but I am worried that Milo is losing too much weight. She is eating good and drinking good and is playful at times also …

Harp Therapy for Cats Harp therapy for cats is not as cat crazy as it might sound. Music is relaxing and harp therapy has been used as a “healing instrument” in relation to …

Giving A Cat A Pill Giving a cat a pill can be tricky as we all know. And there are a lot of websites that explain how it is done. I won’t read them! I’ll just explain what …

Cat has a bug that looks like rice coming out of butt My 1yr old inside female cat has something coming out of butt. They look like rice they are like off white color. I need to know WHAT this is and can my …

Lethargic cat with dry mouth and loss of appetite These are some pertinent details: Cat 8 years old, not eating for 2 days now. Sleeping more than usual and not usual playful self. Dry mouth I need …

How to Calm a Cat? How to calm a cat? The answer is to create an environment
for the cat in which he or she can express natural innate drives and desires supported by a calm …

Cat licking mouth excessively with occasional gagging “Pirate” is 11-13 years old (we adopted him from the shelter). He has all his vaccinations up to date. He’s been sleeping more than usual the last …

Megacolon In Cats Megacolon in cats is not listed in the index of probably the best book on cat health care, Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook by Drs Carlson and Giffin …

Cat drinking a lot of water? This is almost invariably about kidney malfunction/failure…. “Cat drinking a lot of water?” is something that comes up as a query on the Internet….

Patience and the Cat I am prompted into writing this by Phil who commented on the article about how long it takes for a cat to get used to another cat . The overriding principle …

Cat Grooming with GROOMIT and KONG ZOOM GROOM Please can you recommend the best way to use this type of cat comb (Groomit Deshedding Pet Brush)? She is long-haired and has never been super-keen …

My cat is lethargic and not going to the toilet as often We were adopted by a stray cat 5 months ago…a bit wild but over the months she has become a real family pet. We have done the vet thing. She has …

Feline Urinary Tract Infection | Natural Cure There is a commonsense and natural way to deal with feline urinary tract infections and inflammations. I was prompted to write this because my recent …

The Death of a Beauty On Wednesday, October 27 I was visiting a friend at a lumber yard in Washington state. I had brought my dog and he was running around the yard as we …

Sick Elderly Cat – Out Of My Mind! Hi, one of my cats is ill and I don’t know what to do! My cat is about 12 years of age, he has started to loose an alarming amount of weight. He lost …

Common Cat Illness She suffered from the most common cat illness until I fed her cooked fish with added water (see below). The most common illness to befall the domestic …

My Cat May Have FIP – Please Help! They say my cat could have FIP. She is one year old and only 5 pounds and isn’t gaining any weight either. She started off sneezing constantly and having …

My Kitten has a cloudy eye and is aggressive My nine month old kitten (long haired domestic cat) just starting today has become extremely aggressive…trying to bite and scratch and won’t let you …

Feline Miliary Dermatitis The skin disease feline miliary dermatitis is most commonly caused by flea bit allergy. It is a skin disease that is caused by an allergic reaction to …

Cat’s Taurine Requirement The cat is the only species that can suffer from taurine deficiency. This is because of the cat’s high “metabolic demand for taurine” and its ability …

R.I.P. Sadie It is with a heavy heart and tear-filled eyes – my precious baby Sadie crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Friday, September 24th at 11:45pm. She was a fighter …

Geriatric Cat Care Geriatric Cat Care. Feeding Geriatric Cats. We are living longer and so are our cats. This is due to improvements in the control of infectious …

My mother’s cat came home yesterday with his tail hanging down My mother’s cat came home yesterday with his tail hanging down, seems like something has happened to it. Thanks
for any advice. Gill [Hi …

Toxoplasmosis and Its Prevention in Cats and People This article is based on a paid
for research paper dated 1972 of similar title and authored by J.K.Frenkel and J.P. Dubey. It was published by The Journal …

Removing Ticks From Pets When I first encountered ticks on our animals, ignorance on my part and a certain squeamishness meant that I went to the vets to deal with it. I know, I …

My cat has an upper respiratory infection and loss of appetite, please help Hi, I have a 12yr old male cat who has just spent 2 nights at the vets on a drip. He has been home a couple of days but will not eat or drink anything …

The Amazon Prize Number 2 This is another little competition, following on from the one earlier in which the prize was a couple high quality cat scratching posts. There were …

Please help. My cat grooms vigorously and shakes a leg at the same time! I have adopted 2 seven year old long haired cats who are brother and sister. They are very human orientated and lovely cats who are indoor mostly. When …

Necessary procedure versus declawing and feline calici virus I would like to tell you about my cat Ozzie. We have been through an awful lot with him since his diagnosis of feline calici virus (FCV) last year….

Feline Hypothyroidism Feline hypothyroidism is thyroid deficiency. It is rare in cats. It most commonly occurs after operations on the thyroid gland or treatment
for hyperthyroidism….

Normal Cat Pulse The normal cat pulse for an adult cat runs at a rate of 140 to 240 beats per minute. However, a resting cat might have a pulse rate of 80. The pulse is …

Severe Bacterial Infection and Anemia During her wellness visit, the vet found a large mass around Sadie’s kidneys and she lost more weight. After blood tests, Sadie was diagnosed with …

Vestibular Disease Causing Inappropriate Elimination? Our 13 year old cat was diagnosed with vestibular disease about 5 weeks ago. She has made substantial improvements, but continues to take medication for …

Can certain cat foods cause feline acne? Hello..We have 2 cats, one is a purebred Abyssinian and the other is a rescue – mostly Siamese with what we think may be Ragdoll . The Abyssinian …
Toxic to Cats August 2010: A lot of things are toxic to cats or it seems that way. I wonder if more things are toxic to cats than humans. I don’t think so. We just …

Strange crinkly feel when stroking my cats head!! I adopted a stray cat a couple of years ago…or rather she adopted me, and I have been feeding, cleaning and looking after him. Yes, it’s a he…but I …

Need Help With The Vet’s Bill? A lot of people need help with the vet’s bill. A lot of people are put off from going to a vet because of the bill. Insurance is one answer but I don’t …

Grooming Matted Cat Fur Grooming matted cat fur is a reactive process and far worse that taking long term proactive steps.

Generally speaking grooming matted fur is not required …

My Cat Has Lost Appetite and Weight with Labored Breathing I certainly could use some advice from you fine people. I have read a lot of the articles provided on this website, but much of it was too generalized …

My cat pees inside the box but poops outside it. Help Please! I have a female cat that looks almost exactly as the one shown above. Her name is Helen. She loves to be petted and to explore outside, although rarely …

Non Toxic Antifreeze It is really time, in fact beyond time, when something should be done about bloody car antifreeze. It does not have to be poisonous to cats. It is easy …

My Cat Lost His Claws Please Help Over night my cat, Ace, lost all but one claw on his front paws. I was able to located 3 out of the 7. Ace is an 8 year old, indoor, neutered cat. No …

Pigmentation On My Kitten’s Nose My kitten is now 4 months old and a couple of weeks ago I noticed that a dark spot had appeared on her nose. I took her to the vet and he said that it …

My cat seems to be paralysed on one side My cat can’t stand up. He seems to be paralyzed on one side. He is 16 years old and has always lived indoors. He seemed to be alright yesterday. He …

Cat Behaviorist Is there a cat behaviorist in the UK? If there is do we care? That sounds a bit off hand but I am not sure whether cat behaviorists are any use. I don’…

Cats addicted to liver are in danger Cats addicted to liver are in danger of suffering from Hypervitaminosis A. Hypervitaminosis is the result of excessive vitamin A intake. One function …

Amitriptyline For Felines Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant (a TCA). It is taken by people
for a variety of reasons one of which is to alleviate depression, another is …

Feline Herpes Virus In the cat world viral infections of the repiratory system are one of the most common infectious diseases. They also lead to secondary bacterial infections,…

Treating Overly Fearful Cats Has anyone tried treating overly fearful cats or if their cat is timid has anyone tried to condition their cat to be less timid and therefore less fearful …

Pica In Cats Pica in cats means eating non-nutritional objects. Pica can affect any animal including the human animal. It affects dogs more that cats 1 . The condition’…

Cat Drooling and Dementia After having read your symptoms of cat disorders, I do believe my cat has hyperthyroidism. Plus on top of it she drools a lot. After she came home from …

An Unpleasant Vet Experience I haven’t been here because I’ve been back to work and have been spending all my spare time with my cats. I wanted to share my latest vet experience with …

The cat I saved is ill and I can’t afford a veterinarian About 22 months ago an elderly widowed woman, a neighbor of mine, who’s as poor as me and who had a stroke, and who lost her husband not so long ago told …

Twelve year old male cat started dropping small stools Hi…my 12 year old male cat who is generally healthy and vet serviced every year, has recently started dropping small round stools uncontrollably. He …

Trim Cat Claws It is time for me to trim cat claws. I am ashamed to admit that my old lady cat has an ingrown cat claw. This happened because I became distracted and …

Clauz – World’s Fattest Cat 1950 According to the Danish version of the 1970 Guiness Book of Records, the fattest cat known at that time was Clauz, a tabby tom living in San Francisco …

Superfecundation in Cats Hello fans of PoC. I would like to share with you some pictures of my CPL foster kittens (see below – sorry they aren’t very good). Right from when …

Feline Vestibular Disorder This page explains feline vestibular disorder which is well searched
for on the internet. It is a disorder that affects the vestibular system of the cat….

Cat with Blood and White Pus from Swollen Shut Eye My black and white shorthair cat, Felix, had his eye swollen shut a few days ago. It seemed to be getting worse. Last night, some blood came out of …

Ticks on Cats and Humans In certain parts of the world and at certain times of the year ticks on cats are more frequently encountered. For instance ticks are mostly found near …

Cat weight loss with increased hunger – vet puzzled Snowball is 21, an indoor cat, and weighed 18 pounds until recently. About 2 months ago he began loosing weight and his hunger increased. I took him …

Anesthesia And Cats The purpose of this post is not to provide medical information on anesthesia and cats but to prompt us to think about the risks and downside in relation …

Stray and Feral Cat Illnesses In my neighborhood there are many stray cats, and one in particular a black male cat seems real ill, sometimes he has funk coming out of his eyes. Anyways …

Can Cat Fleas Bite Humans? Can cat fleas bite humans ? The answer is, yes . Although, this is a bit academic, I think, because how often do you think you have been bitten by …

Cat Grief People ask whether there is such a thing as cat grief. There are no easily accessible scientific studies, that I can find, which deal with this subject….

ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Has anyone had a bad experience with ASPCA pet health insurance? I ask because it seems that a good number of people have, which led me to write this …

Do You Trust Your Veterinarian? Yes, do you trust your veterinarian? If you don’t you will feel vulnerable when you make that vet trip. The venerable Dr. Jon who owns and runs the website,…

Why Does My Cat Eat Plastic? Hi. We have had our cat Ybot (pronounced eeboat)
for about 5 years. We also have 2 other cats though Ybot was here before them. Ybot is very intelligent,…

Are Cats Color Blind? The answer is no but their ability to see colour is limited. The cat’s retina is made up of two types of light sensitive cells; rods and cones. The rods …

Calico Cat Behavior Calico cat behavior has been described by a well known cat commentator as, “ sassy, spunky, and very independent. On the other hand, calicoes are sweet,…

Cat First Aid Kit I regret not having made up a cat first aid kit. Strictly speaking every cat caretaker should have one. I bet not many people have even got a human first …

Cat Crying What is cat crying? ANS: A cat that meows continuously. REASON: The cat is probably in pain 1 . There are other reasons, however. When this happens …

Treatment For Frostbite In Cats Frostbite affects the extremities, obviously. These are toes, ear flaps and tail, for example. The fur on these areas is less thick as well. A frostbitten …

Kitten Weight Kitten weight gain is important. Healthy domestic kittens weigh in the order of 110 – 125 grams at birth on average. This weight should double in 7 – 9 …

Kitten eats non clumping crystal litter and has discharge from urethra One of a litter of Ragdoll kittens “tasted” a mouthful of that new crystal, non clumping litter that several companies now make. It was a one time occurrence….

How Do You Calm Your Cat? This page presents some ideas on calming our cat. There are a lot of people searching for information on aggressive cats but far fewer searching for the …

Automatic Litter Box Review Date: 2nd April 2010: I thought it would be useful to do an automatic litter box “review of reviews”. What I mean is to combine reviews that are fairly …

How big should my cat’s litter box be? I have the answer (or supposed answer) to this question from a competitor’s website and why not? I must admit that I hadn’t given it a thought until I …

My puppy has just eaten my cat’s poo and my cat has FIP This story begins with a question. Not a rhetorical want. I would love some answers anytime soon. My puppy has just eaten my cats poo. The problem …

Indoor or Outdoor Life for a Cat? In a perfect world, living in safe, comfortable homes while going outside to experience the wonders of the wild would be the best life for our treasured …

Cat Urine Odor Removal and Poor Cat Ownership Cat urine odor removal and poor cat ownership are linked. As a person who has created a website I have to find out what people search for so that I can …

Bored Cats are Unhappy Cats Yep, this is controversial. I say that bored cats are unhappy cats. And I say that it is much harder to keep a cat from becoming bored if the cat is permanently …

Living With A Disabled Cat Living with a disabled cat can lead to a closer bond between cat and person than is usual. Disabled cats cope because they have a bundle of tools and skills …

Cat Urinary Problems My cat, Bigfoot, has been to emergency with urinary problems. Bigfoot woke me up much earlier than usual this morning, begging to go out, fussing like …

My cat has matted fur. How do I go about grooming matted cat fur? My cat has matted fur. How do I go about grooming matted cat fur? She is a medium long haired cat and is old with a bit of excess weight. She always gets …

Do you use flower essences for cat emotional states? Bach Rescue Remedy is quite a popular product for humans. I have used it on occasions to slow me down a bit and found that it does work. There are many …

I Gave My Cat A Bath This is in response to the page ” How to wash a cat ” the same day that was published I took Chilli for a walk in his walking jacket, it was cold outside …

Cat Massage This article is about humans massaging cats. My girlfriend does cat massage on my lady cat. She seems to like it but I have never assessed it. I think …

Is my cat missing my husband from whom I am separated? My cat who is about 10 to 11 years old has gone off her food for almost a week now. She has done this before, but not for so long. Since I separated from …

Cat Has Black Gums A number of people who keep cats are concerned that their cat has black gums. My cat, Charlie, has black gums or a better description is that part of his …

Will Rat Poison Kill A Cat? The answer is yes but not always and there are antidotes if caught in time. Here is some detail from two perspectives (a) the type of poison and treatment …

Cat Prozac Am I being silly when I say I am concerned about the trend towards giving cats and dogs Prozac? I mean Prozac wasn’t heard of until fairly recently and …

Feline Acne Has Returned! Last year Chilli got a horrid case of Feline Acne. I’d read about it in the past, but I never imagined it happening to my own cat… Anyway, what happens …

Cat Allergen Fel D1 This is reverse cat health. It’s about human health problems caused by a cat. It is a Wikipedia article extended and reworked (and reproduced under their …

Vet Prices Are Too High Has anyone ever gone to the vet to do something basic and walked out with a giant bill? How annoying, unfair, and down-right ridiculous is it?! As cat …

Hypoallergenic Cat Breeds There are no hypoallergenic cat breeds on the basis that the term “hypoallergenic” is used to mean a cat that does not produce an allergic reaction in …

Petition Banner – you can get it here As most of the PoC regulars will know, Ruth aka Kattaddorra needs you to sign a petition to help ban the barbaric declawing of cats in the USA. If you …

Bad Vets? This is a short story by a visitor about a bad vet or at least on this occasion he or she was bad, and oh, my, is this poor….cat taken to vet. I …

My Cat Won’t Eat My cat is 3 years old and has been healthy. Now, he has lost considerable weight and will not eat. He will rarely drink water, then lays down by the …

Cat Biting Tail The cat biting tail problem is not that unusual (and I am talking about a cat biting its own tail, by the way). It looks like the cat needs a psychiatrist….

Anyone Have Any Views On Vaccinosis? I have heard a few stories as of late about cats dying after being given booster injections. Just wondered if anyone else has any comments about this? I …

Cat Walking With Toes Bent Under Can anyone please tell me why my cat starting walking with her toes bent under. She never used to do this. Her walking got progressively worse until …

My Cat Was Bit By Another Cat My cat was bit by another cat and his foot is all swollen up and some bleeding. He is not walking on this foot today. We just noticed it yesterday and …

We Lost 4 Cats In One Week by Mothball Poisoning I’m writing this account of what happened to two of the most beautiful cats I’ve ever owned with the hope no one has to repeat this experience. Whiskers …

Cat jumping on bed and causing injury due to sharp claws! My cat is nearly 18 and due to not seeing very well, when she jumps up on me in the night, she digs her claws firmly in to stop falling off, often getting …

Cat Swine Flu People search for cat swine flu because there is a bit of talk about cats getting swine flu. It means swine flu in cats . I’ll call it “cat swine flu”…

Bad Breath in Cats Bad breath in cats is a sign of mouth disease. The most common causes are Stomatitis, Gingivitis, tooth decay and tartar. Stomatitis is a sore mouth….

Hymalayan Cat With Heavy Breathing Hello all. I have a 15 yr old Hymalayan that has enjoyed good health all his life but now his breathing has gotten heavy. He hasn’t changed his daily routine …

Two Elderly Passive Smoking Cats According to Michael’s article ‘Passive Smoking Affects Pets’ I am completely unfit for keeping cats. Actually as a smoker I am in the same league as people …

Cat Passing Blood We have a female cat that has been spayed and it is about one years old. Every morning it has a wee in the bath but is also passing blood. Is it a healthy …

Cat Bites Signs of Infection Before I talk about cat bites signs of infection I would like to put cat bites into perspective. A cat that is adequately socialised (raised to behave …

I am Losing My Maine Coon Cat Max Max was born on October 5th, 2000. He is a purebred Maine Coon and was de-clawed and neutered prior to my adopting him. He was a big cat at maturity,…

My Friend’s Cat Licks Unframed Photos My friend’s cat licks unframed photos why is she doing this?… thanks for the question . This might sound a bit weird but I think it is not. It is probably …

Nine Year Old Silver Persian Loses Weight My silver persan who is nine years old lost has around 1.5 kg weight in the last weeks. He does not eat any food or at just a bit. He drinks water and …

Kitten with Severe Anemia and Low Temp Hi,I just today had to put my 5 month old kitten to sleep. He had been tested early on for HIV and leukemia and came back negative; also negative
for parasites….

Large Cat Gains Weight Then Loses It Slowly Our cat, Paw, was a big, gregarious, ridiculously happy cat, but not very bright. In November, about two months before his ninth birthday, I added canned …

Ragdoll Cat Skin Scabs My 5 year-old Ragdoll cat has developed skin scabs that appear all over, especially the neck area. They get better when flea treatment is applied, but …

A victim of FIP Last year I lost my Ivanhoe, who succumbed to FIP (feline infectious peritonitis) just 11 months old. He was a purebred Somali that I had high expectations …

Claw Caps Not Really Any Better Than Declawing… The picture is snipped from a recent article in the periodical issued by the Danish cat shelter “Inges Kattehjem”. I hope they don’t mind me borrowing …

Conjunctivitis in a Kitten I took in a pregnant outdoor cat. She had her litter in my Fla. room. They were all beautiful and seemingly healthy and active. They are now 6 wks. old …

My Cat has Dilated Pupils I have a beautiful long haired tabby/ tortoiseshell cross 1 year old but her right eye pupil is wide open and does not dilate, the left eye is similar …

Cat Diarrhea Please help with any advice possible on cat diarrhea. I have a one year Persian, who since I bought him, has had loose stools. At first, I thought it could …

Can My Cat Catch Swine Flu? Can My Cat Catch Swine Flu? The answer is almost certainly, no. The feeling I get from listening and reading is that the experts are not completely sure….

Irradiated Cat Food You know, I had never heard or given a moments thought to irradiated cat food . I had never heard of it until I bumped into it on the internet and …

Cat Food Recall List This cat food recall list is current as at April 2009. It concerns the USA and the source is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The list is long …

My Cat was Bitten by a Snake My cat, (I call him Turkey) was bitten by a copperhead snake last summer and barely made it thru. He really was starting to put on some weight and be healthy….

Cat Headache? My lovely little year old kitten has suddenly gone off her usual food -likes new stuff- but the weird thing is the way she rests her head… she places …

Cat Aggression Cat Aggression See: Methods and References (new window)
for the philosophy behind presenting medical information and references used. Any cat in …

Cat Insulin Shots Some people administer cat insulin shots . I am no vet but I do have a biology qualification and as far as I am aware the pancreas and the liver work …

Successful Cat Pill Story My 15 year old tortoiseshell, Sadie, has hyperthyroidism and requires 1/2 pill each morning. After trying liquid form, medicated treats and even pills …

A Ragdoll Cat with Sensitive Stomach (gluten intolerance) My female Ragdoll cat developed a very sensitive stomach (was this Celiac Disease ?) as soon as she was put on the Science Diet Adult cat food. She …

Hepatic Amyloidosis in Siamese & Oriental Cats I was informed of Hepatic Amyloidosis in Siamese & Oriental Cats by a visitor (Lisa Lyons) to this website who lives with beautiful Oriental Shorthair …

My Cat Eats Too Much Persian Kitten Matata will be 8 months on 29-11-2009 and he is a “Eating Machine”. Matata copies each and every behaviour of his dam Matahari including …

Cat Suffering From Stress? Lola Belle is 3 yrs old and
for the past few days she hasn`t been herself. She is anxious and nervy, has messed in the house more than once, if she has …

My Cat Has Hair Loss at End of Back and Beginning of Tail I have a 3 yr. old Maine Coon female cat. I have noticed that she has lost the hair at the middle of her back down onto the beginning of her tail. She …

Healthy Cat Weight Generally, a healthy cat weight is between 9 and 12 pounds
for a male cat and between 7 and 10 pounds
for a female cat (book No 5– See: Methods and References …

Why Does My Cat Keep On Wanting Food? Hi, My cat is called Tom. He is 4 years old and he eats in the morning and in the evening. However, he is on a wet food diet only due to the fact he had .

My Cat Got Burned Advice Please My cat got burned when she jumped up on the kitchen counter. She’s a right devil like that. I’ve told her but she won’t listen. Well, it is more a scolding …

Diabetic Cat and Eyes My 20 yr old cat is having eye problems. He is diabetic and I administer insulin once a day. He is also on diabetic diet. He has had eye infections …

How can I tell if my cat is in pain? There is acute pain brought on by trauma and chronic pain due to long term health issues. The word “chronic” in medical language means persistent and long …

Cat Flea Dirt A nice picture of cat flea dirt. For cat caretakers who might not be sure what they are looking for when checking for evidence of fleas on their cat (or …

Little white worms and bleeding on butt Hi! My name is Annie. I just rescued a 1 week old kitten who’s mom died. I looked for info on how to help him survive. I started feeding him milk replacement,…

Advice please – my cat rips her fur out She licks right down the small of her back and then rips chunks of fur out and eats her fur or spits it out. When we consulted a veterinary clinic all …

Cleaning Cat Ears Emphatically we can say that cleaning cat ears routinely is not required or even a good idea. The general advice is leave them alone. See Cat Ear …

Veterinary hospital, pet shop, boarding, dog clinic in Thane, India Planet Animal Hospital is unique in India in combining an animal hospital, boarding facilities and a pet shop. And it is open 24/7. That probably makes …

Cat Scratch Fever and Pregnant Women On the internet there is quite a lot of ignorant re-cycling of anti-cat propaganda based on distorted scientific ideas. There are two diseases that constantly …

Lactose Intolerance In Cats Lactose is the sugar in the milk of mammals. Kittens consume lactose as a source of carbohydrates through their mother’s milk (colostrum). After weaning …

My cat makes a hacking noise My cat is about 7 yrs old, male, fixed. Indoors. He is fed a diet of dry food only. He recently started doing this hacking noise that looks like he’…

Emergency Kitten Formula Home made emergency kitten formula can be used temporarily although the experts say that commercially available milk formulas are the best substitutes …

My Persian Cat Is Limping — Please Help My Persian 4 month old kitten is limping and seems to be in pain when I touch or hold her left leg, although sometimes she is so active and doesn’t seem …

How To Prevent Cat Hair Loss Feline hair-loss is actually quite common, however patchy fur usually signifies some sort of problem with your cat. If a cat loses large amounts of …

Constipation and weight loss along with a foul smell Toby found us 3 yrs ago in our backyard and never left. He gets along well with my other 2 female cats and he is the only one out of them that goes outside….

Please help me to diagnose my cat’s lumps My cat has reoccurring black lumps that come and go. The first one was very small and we assumed it was a wart or pimple. It eventually disappeared but ..

Cat’s Fur Peeling Away My neighbor has a long haired cat whose fur peels away, like a pelt. What causes this? It’s the strangest thing I’ve ever seen…. Elsie Answer:…

Stray feral cat with growth on bottom He has been coming round my house for the past year and last week I can see he has a growth on his bottom. I cannot touch him or pick him up but I am concerned …

My 16 year old cat is losing weight My cat, Katrina, is 16 yrs old. She has been loosing weight more each month. She eats only wet cat or dog food. She has also lost two front teeth this …

Recliner Chairs and Kittens This is a short post on the hazard that recliner chairs pose to kittens and cats. I am particularly concerned for kittens because they are able to crawl …

Mineral Oil Cured Cat Constipation After spending $600 (USD) to treat my 20 year old cat’s major constipation, I finally gave her small doses of mineral oil mixed up with her wet food. After …

Cat Has Permanent Glowing Green Eyes Hi, over the last year my neighbors cat has been wandering into my house and playing with my cross Pitbull/Shar-Pei dog. I know this is a confident cat….

My cat has developed sensitivity to clicking sounds causing twitching My cat has developed very sensitive hearing to clicking sounds causing him to twitch and today he had what could be described as a small fit. I was …

Cat Detox I’ll be honest; the concept of “detox” sounds a bit commercial to me. It sounds like the pharmaceutical companies made it up so that they could sell more …

Cat Flea Pill The complicating factor in respect of a cat flea pill is that there are pills
for dogs and cats only and there are pills for cats and dogs. In addition …

Cat Throwing Up Today my tomcat started throwing up repeatedly white foam and with bits of green slime in it. He isn’t interested in eating and I don’t know what to do …

Are my cats suffering? How may I stop it? I have 5 indoor cats, all of them are presenting what seems to be sinus trouble. 2-3 years ago, they were all scratching ears and shaking their heads.

Cat Weight Chart
People want to see a cat weight chart to assist them in checking whether their cat is the correct weight and if not to see if their cat is fat or …

HELP!! My cat goes limp and then is excessively thirsty and hungry. My cat Sneaker is 16 years old and is getting near his time i believe, he has been having very odd attacks where he is laying in pain and his hips, legs,…

Feline Hyperthyroidism Feline hyperthyroidism is a disease caused by the excessive production of the hormone, thyroid ( thyroxin ) by the thyroid gland. This gland is in the …

Cat Claw Sheaths Cat claw sheaths can look like a complete claw and I can remember one nice visitor thinking that her cat had lost his claws because she could see claw …

My cat has a loose stool and is vomiting – is he sick? I have a male cat. He’s fixed, and about 6 years old. Lately I have noticed that he has loose stool and been vomiting. There are times he can not make …

My Cat Belanna Has A Bump Under Her Chin My cat Belanna has a bump under her chin – looks normal, but when I was petting her, she meowed and cringed from possible pain.Is it a scratch under …

Cat Gas Cat gas sounds like a rather crude titlefor a delicate subject. Cat flatulence is a bit more scientific – or passing wind! The reason that I am writing …

Indicators of a Healthy Cat There are some quick initial indicators of a healthy cat that are useful to know. Although, to be honest, if we are close to our cat (as we should be) and …

Evamist Can Harm Cats 25th August 2010 – United States: Evamist is a spray that delivers a low dose of estrogen through a woman’s skin and thence to the bloodstream, to reduce …

Newborn kitten’s eyes not opening after 14 days My nan has a cat that gave birth to 5 beautiful kittens 2 weeks ago. That same day, 3 died. There were two left. They were healthy and feeding well. Unfortunately,…

My cat is sneezing, has runny eyes and is off his food and drink Male tuxedo cat about 6 yrs. old. We have had him for 2yrs. He was fine until about a week ago. He started to sneeze. Then he stopped eating and drinking….

Feline Hypertension My vet never warned me about hypertension in older cats. Most Vet computers are not programed to recommend routine blood pressure checks for senior cats….

My Maine Coon Occasionally Sneezes Blood I have a male Maine Coon about 1 1/2 years of age and is strictly an indoor cat, and although he is not at all distressed, he occasionally sneezes blood …

Feline Conjunctivitis Feline conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is a clear mucous membrane consisting of cells and underlying basement membrane …

Feline Brain Tumor Feline brain tumors are rare. Lymphosarcoma is the most common tumor of the central nervous system. The brain is part of the central nervous system. Different …

Cat Aids Transmission Risks It is said that cat aids transmission risks can be managed. Cat aids is FIV or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. It causes immune deficiency and kills …

Taurine Deficiency In Cats Taurine deficiency in cats is associated with several clinical anomalies. I have several pages on HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, a heart disease) in …

Cat Acupuncture Some visitors might like to consider cat acupuncture as an alternative or complementary treatment for illness. It is a very well established form of medical …

My Kitten has a Slightly Swollen Rectum I have just purchased a pedigree kitten. He is 17 weeks old, full of life and fun but his bottom is slightly protruding. It’s a normal colour with …

Feline Leukemia Test “Feline leukemia test” is a search term on the internet so people clearly want to know about it. The source of the information below comes from a book …

Signs Of Feline Leukemia Before setting out the signs of feline leukemia a little background information may help. I am also making the presumption that people searching for information …

Relaxation Therapy for Cats Relaxation therapy for cats is available and we can be trained to do it ourselves. Personally I have never thought about it as an alternative therapy although …

Sphynx Cat with URI and FLUTD and Lameness I have two Sphynxes. First I took my cat, Seth, to the vet because he had difficulty walking on his front leg. After X-rays and a full blood count the .

Constipated Cat Please Help Hi it’s been very interesting to read all your input. I have a short hair black domestic cat who is constipated. Unfortunatley I am out of work and can’…

Cat Eye Crust How do I remove the crust around the corners of my cat’s eyes? which are commonly found on long-hair cats …see pictures. Hi, thanks for the question …

My Cat Has Rapid Breathing My normally very lively cat is nonreactive and groggy and her breathing is extremely rapid and her breaths are light. Also her head seems very heavy and …

Ultrasound Testing for HCM and PKD at a Cat Show Here is a short video of ultrasound testing
for HCM and PKD at a cat show. The show was the April 2009 TICA Thunderkatz show near Oklahoma city. I must …

Antidote to Paracetamol Poisoning in Cats There is an antidote to paracetamol poisoning in cats. Some people take overdoses of paracetamol. An antidote has been developed and is available at (some?…

Two kittens one ill My son brought me two kittens for Easter 6 weeks old concerned about the brother his eyes are watery they look like they are irritated he has sneezed a …

Cats and Chocolate It’s Easter. Piles of chocolate. We love chocolate but cats and chocolate are a recipe for disaster. The same goes for dogs. Easter is a time for celebration …

Strange Hairloss in Small Patches in Older Cat Our Xena is twelve years old and developed this strange hairloss. I raised her by bottle since she was abandoned in Pisa Italy. She grew in to a beautiful …

Refusal to Eat and Weight Loss My 4 year old Persian male refused to eat as of 2 days ago and has lost some weight. He was very playful, now he is very quiet and his movements are slow….

Cat vomited a Lot of liquid and now is sneezing My kitty girl is 14.5 years old. She was recently diagnosed with the beginning stages of renal failure. She was just fine this morning, up on the bed …

Homeopathy for Cats What is Homeopathy for cats ? Vets who practice it are probably few and far between. Homeopathy was devised and developed by Samuel Hahnemann (10 April …

Feline Infectious Peritonitis Prevention I am not sure is there is something in this but it seems that Feline Infectious Peritonitis prevention may be possible by eliminating external stresses….

Most Common Illnesses

I am confining myself to common illnesses (the most frequently encountered cat health problems) as the subject is too wide and to complex for a person who is not formally trained. Recognizing these illnesses allows us to better assess the most likely illness and take prompt and accurate action. There is no substitute of course for professional advice. It is possible, however, for the layperson to get an indication of illness by checking your cat’s pulse (opens in new window ). (Update: as this wesbite grows I have added one or two other cat health problems to the list of contents above).

{return to contents}

One problem with using the Internet to find out the most common illnesses is that most if not all the authors of the cat websites will have used the Internet to research cat health problems, so it becomes very incestuous and circuitous (circular). However, having followed that circuitous route, I qualified the results with a visit to a respected website on cat and animal health, the Cornell University College of Veterinarian Medicine and also by reference to these books, Veterinary Notes For Cat Owner by Trevor Turner DVM, The Veterinarian’s Guide to Your Cat’s Symptoms by Garvey DVM, Houpt DVM, Wallace DVM, Hohenhaus DVM, Pinkney DVM, Randolph and Your Cat by Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM). When I put together information from these sources I conclude that the following are probably the most common illnesses:

URI – Upper Respiratory Infection – colds to you and me – an infectious disease – viral infection – but URI includes an infection by a specialized bacteria, Chlamydia and secondary bacterial infections
FLUTD – a medical disorder. The disorder is Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease or FUS (Feline Urologic Syndrome), also called UTIs – urinary tract infections. Urinary Tract Infections | Natural Cure.
Diabetes – a medical disorder that some think is in part due to a cat’s diet
Feline Distemper – Feline Panleukopenia – an infectious disease
FIP – Feline Infectious Peritonitis – an infectious disease
FIV – Feline Immunodeficiency Virus – an infectious disease
FLV – Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) – an infectious disease
Hyperthyroidism (in older cats) – a medical disorder

Update: Since drafting this page I have added various posts on cat health issues on a subdomain Blogger site. These health issues are common and based on searched for topics. A list of these can be seen here.

Update 2nd Nov. 2010: Pet health insurance provides information on the ten most common cat illnesses. UTIs are one of the most common cat health problems.

{return to contents}

URI

These infections are caused by one of 4 viruses (2 mild and 2 severe). The viruses are:-

calicivirus (severe)
rhinotracheitis (RHV) (severe) – feline herpes (see Feline Herpes Virus for more on this)
pneumonitis (mild)
reovirus (mild)

What are the signs of this infection? They are sneezing, runny eyes and nose (like a human cold). Of the two mild viruses the lesser is pneumonitis. Reovirus may lead to a mild fever. Antibiotics are given as protection against secondary (bacterial) infection. Eye drops are also given. What can we do to alleviate the symptoms of the cat cold (actually to describe it as a “cold” is probably because it can be a lot worse) – not much!

{return to contents}

Humans cannot catch flu from cats. The more severe infections result in high fever, extremely thick eye and nasal discharges. There may be open sores and ulcers on the mouth. RHV can cause the cornea (front of the eyes) to become ulcerated. The sense of smell is diminished, which when combined with the ulcers leads to under eating and becoming thin. This leads to dehydration and weakness and becoming more ill. It can be fatal especially in the young. This is not like the common cold, being far more serious. Another sign is the swelling of the lymph nodes under the chin. The severe infections can be carried after recovery and be spread.

Secondary infections can occur. It is useful to remind ourselves as to the difference between cat colds and bacterial infections (opens in new window) . An infection by Chlamydia can be mistaken for cat flu as it causes conjunctivitis. A Chlamydia infection is a URI and it causes pneumonitis.

Cats can be immunized against these infections.

Updates 20th Sept. 2010: These are some pages on the subject of URIs:

{return to contents}

FLUTD

This covers a wide range of lower urinary tract disorders (diseases) from mild Cystitis to total blockage and is a very common cat health problem. A common disorder is a blockage in the urinary system (urethra or bladder) which may cause a bacterial infection (UTI – Urinary Tract Infection or Inflammation) due to the immobile urine being a good medium for bacteria to multiply. The blockage is often caused by the formation of crystals and stones. The infection can be presented as Cystitis (bladder inflammation). The infection can also lead to kidney failure and be fatal.

The most common cause of the blockage is not certain. Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM believes it is due to diet (see below). The crystals are magnesium. Magnesium crystals are formed in an alkaline solution (low pH). The pet food manufacturers added acid (high pH) to the food and lowered the magnesium content (opens in new window ) to reduce crystal formation. Elizabeth says that this misses the point.

She says that it is dry cat food that results in alkaline urine and crystal formation. Since the introduction of dry cat food there has been an increase in UTI a modern cat health problem. She recommends wet cat food. Dry cat food also requires the cat to drink more and they often don’t. I have personal experience with my cat of this, which caused Cystitis. Once fed watery fish the problem disappeared. Stress can exacerbate FLUTD – e.g. Separation Anxiety. See also Blood in Cat Urine (opens a new window)

4th Nov. 2010: Update: Feline Urinary Tract Infection | Natural Cure

{go to contents}

Diabetes

This is one of the cat health problems that is on the increase and a disease occurs in about one quarter of one percent of cats, quite a high figure. The symptoms are similar to those of humans. 5-20% of cats, with diabetes, have type-1 diabetes and the remainder have type-2. Type 1 needs treatment with insulin.

In type-2 diabetes prompt treatment can cure the condition. The most obvious symptom is excessive thirst and urination. You will notice this. The appetite is either very good or absent. My cat had early signs of diabetes caused by eating a dry food diet recommended by a vet. The diet also caused cystitis (or contributed to it).

Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM in her book Your Cat says that a dry cat food diet, which is high in carbohydrates is a major cause of diabetes in cats. She also says that dry cat food can cause other cat health problems such as obesity. She recommends wet cat food. Of course raw home made cat food with proper supplements such as Taurine is perhaps best.

Feline Distemper

Feline Panleukopenia. This is a serious viral disease. The virus in very contagious. The virus can be carrried by humans on their feet for example. The condition is most common in kittens prior to vaccination. The cat will be very ill. The symptoms are: gastrointestinal symptoms, diarrhea, dehydration, high fever, severe depression and vomiting. The white blood cell count will be low (see a full page dedicated to feline distemper symptoms)

Bacterial invasion can take place and without proper white blood cell protection the bacterial infection can spread and infect the bloodstream leading to death. Cats can be immunized against this disease. Read about a cat rescuer’s experiences of panleuk.

{go to contents}

FIP

This disease is caused by the feline coronavirus. It is not highly contagious (one vet says it is simply not contagious). It is thought that cats with FIP are infected early in life and the virus lies dormant for months to years. It is futher believed that a combination of the virus and cat’s antibodies cause an inflammatory reaction damaging tissue.

A range of conditions result. In young kittens effusive or “wet” FIP is the more common condition. The lining of the chest and abdominal cavities become inflamed and a watery fluid builds up accompanied by fever, vomiting, anorexia and diarrhea. It is usually fatal.

In older cats the more common form of FIP is “dry”. In this from chronic granulomatous inflammation destroys an organ that has been infected. A wide range of symptoms are present including jaundice, bain swelling and more. Visible symptoms could be breathing problems, lameness and fading kitten syndrome.

The prognosis is poor as there are no specific therapies. This a one of the cat health problems for which there is a controversial vaccine.

Somali cat (long haired Abyssinian) dies of FIP

See more on Feline FIP (opens in new window )

Update July 2010: A discussion on the prevalence of feline infectious peritonitis in specific cat breeds and a short post on Dry FIP (new window).

{return to contents}

FIV

This is a cat retrovirus that is contagious (but not highly contagious) to cats but not dogs. The common form of transmission is through bites in cat fight, usually male cats. There is a long incubation period before symptoms are seen. FIV will kill most cats eventually. It causes serious immune deficiency and bone marrow suppression (white blood cell production). It is the cat equivalent of human AIDS.

There is no vaccine and no specific treatment. There is though some discussion about the benefits of colloidal silver treatment. A new cat should not be introduced into a household without testing for FIV in the existing cats. However, as transmission of this disease is through sex and penetrating bites the risk of transmission can be greatly controlled.

Update 19th Sept. 2010: See more on Feline Aids

{go to contents}

FLV – FeLV

This is a very serious illness. The virus is a retrovirus, the same type that causes HIV in humans. Neither dogs nor humans can catch it. It is not highly contagious but cats living together can transmit the disease.

There is a long time between infection and symptoms (years sometimes – I discuss the symptoms (opens in new window ) and here. Infection results in a range of “syndromes”. These include leukemia, which is cancerous lymphocytes in the bloodstream and lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes).

The virus also results in immune deficiency leading to an inability to protect the body and bone marrow supression (white blood cell and platelet production is compromised), which has the same effect.

As treatment is poor the best action is prevention of this cat health problem. FLV can be detected by a sensitive test. New cats shouldn’t be introduced into a new household before the other cats are tested. There is a controversial vaccine. Read more about adoptable FeLV cats here.

Two diagnostic tests are available, the ELISA and IFA tests. I discuss these in some detail and provide information about a home test kit too.

{return to contents}

Hyperthyroidism

This is a disorder of the endocrine system. The organ concerned is the thyroid gland. It produces too much thyroxine and tri-oidothyronine in an uregulated manner. The reason is the presence of a tumor in the gland. 98% of the tumors are benign (non-cancerous).

This cat health problem arises on average at 13 years of age. No case has been diagnosed in a cat under 6 years of age. See: Elderly cat health problems.

The cat’s meatabolism increases. The cat suffers weight loss and increased appetite. The cat grooms less and looks messy. Other symptoms could be, hyperactivity, nervousness, panting, vomiting and diarrhea. Increased thirst and urination can be present. This condition can be confused with renal disease. Another disorder of the endocrine system is Cushing’s Disease in cats.

Update 8th December 2010: A concise page on the subject of feline hyperthyroidism — Iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism — Transdermal methimazole treatment for hyperthyroidism.

{go to contents}

Miscellaneous

Some cat health problems can be assessed initially by the keeper. As I have mentioned a cat owner can take a cat’s pulse (opens in new window ) to ascertain if your cat is possibly feeling unwell. In the section about diabetes I referred to the importance of cat food to promote health. The convenience of dry cat food keeps it on the shelves but it could be argued that it also has a negative impact on a cat’s teeth causing cat teeth neck lesions (opens in new window ) . Some cat food manufacturers promote dry cat food as good for cleaning your cat’s teeth. Is this correct? (opens in new window ) . If you feel it necessary to try and clean your cat’s teeth and vets seem to be saying we should (although I don’t really see it as practical) you could try cat dental gel. This is another post on the subject of cleaning a cat’s teeth.

Living indoors continuously as some do and with other pets can be stressful. One cause of stress is being separated for long periods from the human keeper. This may cause cat separation anxiety. Dr. Bachs Holly remedy can help. It can also help deal with a cat’s anger and jealousy (opens in new window ) .

Cat skin rashes (opens in new window ) can be due to a defective immune system or environmental factors. Sometimes your cat may be allergic to an ingredient in her food. This can be analysed by the use of hypoallergenic cat food (opens in new window ) .

Taurine is an essential amino acid and a supplement in cat food. It has been argued that rice in cat food can impair the metabolism of the Taurine (opens in new window ) . Rice is frequently added to cat food.

Cat parasites are never far away. A common one affecting dogs more than cats is the tick. Although not a worm, cat ringworm is not uncommon and it can be transferred to humans (zoonotic). It is a fungal infection of dead skin. Cat sneezing can be caused by various conditions.

Another fairly common condition is ear infections. It may be possible to alleviate the condition in a natural way.

{return to contents}

Common Dog Health Problems Symptoms & Natural Dog Remedies – The complete veterinary-approved list of common dog health problems symptoms and natural dog remedies. Organic Pet Digest focuses on the right combination of conventional and natural dog care to give your dog the best chance for recovery.

{go to contents}

Some terms briefly explained in respect of cat health problems:

Virus – tiny organisms consisting of a genetic blueprint of DNA or RNA and a protein container. They depend of getting into an animal’s cells to multiply and make protein. Feline Viruses.

Infectious Disease – a disease caused by the presence of what is called a “pathogenic microbial agent”. These are viruses, bacteria and fungi for example.

Medical Disorder – this describes a condition where the body does not function normally. This term is interchangeable with “disease” and “illness”.

Granulamatous – inflammation consisting of localized nodular (nodes, lumps) inflammation

Retrovirus – a virus composed of RNA but not DNA. This virus can integrate into the DNA of the host cell. A human example is HIV in humans.

Lymphocytes – these are small white blood cells which help to prtect the body from disease.

Endocrine System – a system of small organs that work together and which produce hormones. Hormones alter the rate at which paticular reactions take place.

{go to contents}

Cat health problems – Sources:

Your Cat by Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM
The Veterinarians’ Guide to Your Cat’s Symptoms by Garvey DVM, Houpt DVM, Wallace DVM,
Hohenhaus DVM, Pinkney DVM, Randolph.
Veterinary Notes
for Cat Owners by Trevor Turner BVet Med, MRCVS and Jean Turner VN
Wikipedia
Various online medical dictionaries
Cornell University College of Veterinarian Medicine website
Pictures of cats website
Robinson’s Genetics 4th Ed.

Images: Books: by Ian Wilson (Flickr)

Cat Health Problems to Home Page

Please comment here using either Facebook or WordPress (when available).

Note: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified.

Tags: cat health cat health care cat health diagnosis cat health issues cat health problems cat health symptoms genetic disorders

Michael Broad

Hi, I'm a 74-year-old retired solicitor (attorney in the US). Before qualifying I worked in many jobs including professional photography. I love nature, cats and all animals. I am concerned about their welfare. If you want to read more click here.

John says:
March 29, 2015 at 9:18 pm
Alright the information was useful…he seems to like the wilderness blue not as much as his old food….I did not try weenie him off as it is a high protein and grain less food and Iwas told when switching to a grain less for it is better to give them all of the food instead of a mixture.I will just leave him on this for now I donot want to upset his stomach with too many different foods…I think I will try to implement some wet food into his diet….I talked to a few people and people seem to be against the wet cat food along with a lot of pet stores but I haven’t gotten a straight answer as to why..do you have any o ideas on why people seem so against the wet food?
Reply
- Michael Broad says:
  March 30, 2015 at 6:55 am
  John, I’m very surprised to hear that some of the people that you talked to were against wet cat food. I’m not surprised that a lot of the pet stores are against it because it is easier for a pet store to store dry cat food. I honestly believe that the people who are against wet cat food are incorrect and I say that from many years of thinking and working on the subject. Here are is a post about dry cat food which may help but in any case I wish you the best of luck. A book called “Your Cat” by Elisabeth Hodgkins is interesting and is about the health affects of dry kibble.
  https://pictures-of-cats.org/cat-food-recipe.html
  This is a link to many articles.
  Reply
  - John says:
    April 3, 2015 at 6:05 pm
    I am really leaning towards wet cat food now and becoming increasingly worried about my cat…he’s an f7 savannah and I know he needs a high protein diet..so as you know I switched him to wilderness blue and he’s has since become constipated he’s defaced once or twice since last weekend his stomach feels quite bloated and I have also learned of lots of people’s pets be comming quite sick and surpassing toxicity limits…I have thrown out the food and just about everything is closed today idk what to do I thought I was on the right path with him now I am lost on what to feed my savannah and I’m becoming scared and worried for him
    Reply
  - John says:
    April 3, 2015 at 6:30 pm
    On another note reading about savannah is that they need a higher protein and calorie counot where as wet food has 80% water…a raw diet seems to be ideal but the risks scare me away from that…would I be better to switch him to another grain free dry food and just leave him a bowl for him to nibble at as usual and just give him a couple spoones of canned food during the day maybe a couple of crickets or something? Also Ive heard that fish foods contain IEBD or something like that from pollution in the water that is thought to be linked with hyperthyroidism In whales and vats. There is also a chemical I heard that is used to seal canned wet food thats used to seal the can that is thought to do the same (more evidence supports the fish theory) upon finding this information again I find myself very confused and in the unknown abit what is best for my cat, and at that after hearing about the blue recalls and sick pets I’m unsure which companis to turn to
    Reply
John says:
March 29, 2015 at 8:37 am
Hey I’ve searched this site for everything in the last 6 hours it’s time I make a post I have a cat his name is Simba he’s a savannah…he is almost 2 years old now and acts relatively normal I mean to his standard….he’s an interesting cat to say the least. Anyways I should get to the point he seems to bleed after his poop not too much a good dab tor two though and it is quite mucusy this has been going on since I got hI’m at 3 months old *(and yes I’ve taken him to the vet for this) he does not be El top often that I’ve noticed but still he usually has to squeeze out brown mucas after his poop..I l have heard it could be his diet being friskies. as he was around other animals and refused to take his food. I have just recently switched him well as of today to wilderness blue indoor..really I’d like to know if I’m looking in the right direction I’m worried about him
Reply
- Michael Broad says:
  March 29, 2015 at 9:57 am
  Hi John, please read the whole comment before clicking on links. I have a page on blood in a cat’s stools:
  https://pictures-of-cats.org/blood-in-cat-stool.html
  You say he seems to bleed after pooping. It is not clear that there is blood in the stool. I wouldn’t mind knowing what the vet said.
  I don’t think this problem is related to the Savannah cat. It could happen to any cat. You don’t say whether he was on Friskies dry cat food but I presume he was because wilderness blue indoor is dry food.
  I’d take him off dry cat food altogether and put him on top quality wet. I have a page on the best wet cat foods in the USA:
  https://pictures-of-cats.org/best-canned-cat-food.html
  I feel fairly confident this is a dietary problem but I am not a vet. I presume too that he is well in himself and shows no other signs of being unwell. Good luck and I am sorry you could not find the answer after 6 hours searching 😉 .
  Reply
  - John says:
    March 29, 2015 at 3:23 pm
    thanks…when I took him to the vet he basically told me nothing was wrong with him and that other than the stool he was cry healthy..yes he was on the friskies hard food…I’ve heard a lot of on and off contravention about the dry/wet food battleI had him on hard because when I got him I heard a lot of negativety towards the wet food but I mean I’m hearing just the same about dry…I just just got him the wilderness blue. could that be the solution? Should I continue switching him to the wilderness or do you think I should just go for wet food right away?
    Reply
    - Michael Broad says:
      March 29, 2015 at 3:43 pm
      I would switch but use dry for night-time grazing and high quality wet for the mainstream diet. Make sure it is good quality. The general feeling these days is that dry cat food contains too much carbohydrate and too little protein. It is not natural enough and being dry there is not enough water in it and the cat does not drink enough water to compensate.cats can become dehydrated slightly and possibly hypoglycaemic sometimes. You can’t notice these things but they may be occurring.
      The general feeling today is that a high-quality wet food and even well-prepared raw cat food is the best diet for a domestic cat with perhaps a few treats and some dry cat food also perhaps when required.
      The key to what is a good diet is to ask ourselves what a mouse is made up of. The mouse is made up of about 70% water, about 25% protein and the rest is plant material in the mouse’s stomach.
      Good luck. The change in diet should be done fairly steadily and gently and you may have to try different wet foods. Your cat may take time to adjust and all cats have preferences as to what sort of wet food they prefer. This means you have to try different types to find one he likes.
      Reply
Addie says:
March 31, 2014 at 5:23 am
I’m not that much of a online reader to be honest but your sites really nice, keep it up!
I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back in the future.
Cheers
Reply
- Michael Broad says:
  March 31, 2014 at 5:25 am
  Thanks Addie.
  Reply
David says:
August 15, 2013 at 8:07 am
My cats has recently be found with cancer of the stomach and he had it removed but some of the cancer remains inside him so he isn’t going to make it but we have found that his skin has be turning black? It started on the paw and now it’s bblack and now its starting to start on his tummy? What does this mean?
Reply
- Michael says:
  August 15, 2013 at 9:46 am
  Hi David. Obviously your vet will clarify. As an unqualified person with some knowledge of cat health, it may be that what you are seeing are melanomas – a malignant neoplasm – a brown or black pigmented cancer of the skin. I am not sure. When skin goes black it is either dead or cancerous; that is my crude assessment. Please see a vet and be prepared for possible bad news. Good luck to you both.
  Reply
Jammie Smith says:
January 17, 2013 at 2:18 pm
My cat is 11 1/2 years old. I have been to the vet many times and they seem to not know what is wrong with my cat! He had an infection, first, so they treated that…once they started to treat that he started to go downhill! Infection was never gone and they decided to do surgery to get rid of his bad teeth, thinking that was the cause of the infection. Once he came home from the vet, after surgery, he wasn’t eating/drinking. I called them and he stayed overnight. My poor Siamese cat! They never even helped him out! I brought him home the next day and started to syringe him with food/water to help him eat. He began to eat on his own and started to drink water within a couple of days. I got a second opinion after that. The next vet didn’t know what to think. Started another round of antibiotics, but that didn’t help he is still loosing weight. Went from 9 pounds and is now currently to 4.8 pounds. I need help! Got another opinion and this vet thinks he has cancer, no blood test or anything to prove this. I need to have him gain weight and feel things will turn around once he does. I am not sure on how to have him gain weight though. I give him soft fancy feast canned food. Can anyone help me??
Reply
- Michael says:
  January 17, 2013 at 4:24 pm
  Hi Jammie. So sorry to hear about your Siamese cat’s health. I am going to presume that you are American and that you have an American, modern Siamese cat. Please tell me if I am wrong. I am not a vet or anything. If I am correct, I have read about health issues with purebred American Siamese of about the age of your cat. The problems are indeterminate. They are probably immune system related. The immune system is malfunctioning due to inbreeding.
  That is a pretty wild assertion and I don’t know if I am anywhere near the mark but all I know is I have heard about this sort of thing before. You might try a super high quality wet cat food that is highly palatable which may get your cat eating and putting on weight. I am using Hills a/d and Hills wet cat food in pouches in the UK for a very sick cat and she eats well. You can probably get the same thing in the USA if you are in the USA.
  If 2 vets are scratching their heads the cause of the general illness cannot be clear. This points to immune system failure for me but I must stress that I am a layperson not a veterinarian. You should know that of all the cat breeds the Siamese has the highest number of genetic diseases of all the purebred cats. This is due to poor breeding. See Siamese cat health problems.
  Reply
- Immuneiq says:
  July 13, 2013 at 9:06 am
  Hi Jammie I read your post “My cat is 11 1/2 years old. I have been to the vet many times and they seem to not know what is wrong with my cat! He had an infection, first, so they treated that…once they started to treat that he started to go downhill! Infection was never gone and they decided to do surgery to get rid of his bad teeth, thinking that was the cause of the infection. Once he came home from the vet, after surgery, he wasn’t eating/drinking. I called them and he stayed overnight. My poor Siamese cat! They never even helped him out! I brought him home the next day and started to syringe him with food/water to help him eat. He began to eat on his own and started to drink water within a couple of days. I got a second opinion after that. The next vet didn’t know what to think. Started another round of antibiotics, but that didn’t help he is still loosing weight. Went from 9 pounds and is now currently to 4.8 pounds. I need help! Got another opinion and this vet thinks he has cancer, no blood test or anything to prove this. I need to have him gain weight and feel things will turn around once he does. I am not sure on how to have him gain weight though. I give him soft fancy feast canned food. Can anyone help me??”
  Are you still struggling with this issue? If so, I can reply to you here or faster via email if you still need help, at answers@immuneiq(com) – Cynthia”
  Reply
hcg-drops.ca/ says:
July 6, 2012 at 1:16 am
Hmm it appears like your blog ate my first comment (it was extremely long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I had written and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I too am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new to everything. Do you have any points for newbie blog writers? I’d really appreciate it.
Reply
- admin says:
  July 6, 2012 at 6:46 am
  Hi, sorry your comment was lost. A WordPress widget may have assessed it as spam when it clearly was not. I get tons of spam comments all of which are automatically listed for deletion. I can’t check them all so I may have missed yours – sorry. That is one aspect of blogging that you will have to deal with! I would choose WordPress which is more complicated to set up than Google Blogspot. But Google Blogger is very good. Both are good. A non-blog platform that is good and free is Google Sites. It is good because Google favours it so it the pages get ranked more highly. It is free as well. Non-blog websites are very similar to blog websites so either is as good as the other in my opinion.
  The key to successful website building is to work hard! You have to compete with all the others. That means writing a lot, making it good and useful and keep on going through the good and bad times. It is not easy and I would not recommend it unless you have stamina and commitment.
  Good luck.
  Reply
hcg weight loss walmart says:
July 4, 2012 at 1:20 am
Howdy! I know this is kinda off topic however I’d figured I’d ask. Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest authoring a blog post or vice-versa? My website addresses a lot of the same subjects as yours and I believe we could greatly benefit from each other. If you are interested feel free to send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you! Fantastic blog by the way!
Reply
- admin says:
  July 4, 2012 at 3:43 am
  Hi
  Thanks for contacting me in a comment on the cat health page. I am busy right now repairing the site after moving it! Hard process. But I am happy for you to put a couple on links in an article to promote your site. You can drop the article in the form on this page:
  or email it to me.
  I don’t do link exchange any more. I tried emailing you without success.
  Reply
admin says:
June 24, 2012 at 5:50 am
Thanks for the comment. I had never heard about colloidal silver until I built this site. Never used it either. Why don’t you email me some details about how you make it and your success stories and I’ll publish it?
There is a page on FIV and colloidal silver on this site:
https://pictures-of-cats.org/FIV-cats-colloidal-silver.html
and Elisa is using it for Sealy:
https://pictures-of-cats.org/Sealys-Treatment-Using-Silver-Biotics-And-Raw-Honey.html
Reply
Colloidal Silver says:
June 24, 2012 at 2:45 am
I make my own colloidal silver & cured a feral cat of feline herpes who is now 8 yrs. clean, & now 13 yrs. old happy and healthy after many trips to the vet and tons of antibiotics that didn’t work for a year. Check into it, it works for my cats, family, flowers/veg. Have tested myself on many ailments. Look it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply

Vitiligo Youtube | Leucoderma Treatment
September 7, 2012
[…] youtube? What does it mean to say anything that deals with vitiligo youtube in an unique way? vitiligo images in children I’m type of hard core. We’ll take advantage of vitiligo youtube but this will be […]
~ MILK ~ | Fine Cats & Kittens
November 20, 2012
[…] the nutrients she wants from cat food. Cats like milk but milk for cats should be given with care. Milk for cats to Cat Health Problems Posted 12th September 2008 by M Labels: cat food cat health […]
Home treatment for cat constipation | Pictures of Cats
November 21, 2012
[…] From Home treatment for cat constipation to cat health problems […]
pictures of skin cancer in cats | FilesDrag - Search Engine for Shared Files
December 1, 2012
[…] pictures-of-cats.org […]
Relaxation Therapy for Cats | Pictures of Cats
December 10, 2012
[…] Cat Health […]
Cats Obsessed with Food Phenomenon | Pictures of Cats
December 23, 2012
[…] are many reasons, some of which are very subtle and some are health related (i.e hyperthyroidism) as to why a cat wants to eat more than he needs. However, is there an underlying primary reason or […]
Cat weight loss with increased hunger – vet puzzled | Pictures of Cats
February 3, 2013
[…] Cat Health […]
Cat Fancy Magazine | Pictures of Cats
February 7, 2013
[…] on cat health issues such as […]
Flea Treatments Can Kill | Pictures of Cats
February 14, 2013
[…] To Cat Health Problems […]
My Cat Has Hair Loss at End of Back and Beginning of Tail | Pictures of Cats
June 16, 2013
[…] My Cat Has Hair Loss at End of Back and Beginning of Tail to Cat Health Problems […]
cat pictures to color | Lovely Photos
January 26, 2014
[…] Cat health problems | pictures of cats Covering cat health problems in depth inc. personal experiences – most common illnesses – genetically inherited disease – serious illnesses and more.. […]