Sick Cats

Cats will hide the fact that they are sick until they feel so bad that they can no longer hide it. When you see that your cat is ill, the safest thing to do is call your vet asap.

With a dog, you can usually tell when he doesn't feel well but a cat still has the strong predator/prey instinct and knows in the wild that the weak do not survive. Because of this, they will use all their strength to fight showing the signs of illness until they do not have enough strength to keep up the pretense.

My first cat once became very ill because of a buildup of hairballs. I was only 19 years old and did not know anything about cats. Luckily I took her into the vet and they were able to get her to clear the hairballs without having to do surgery. Now I know to give my cats hairball remedy at least once a week and to watch the litter box for signs of any problems.

Cats have a fascination with eating strings, rubber bands, dental floss or thread which can sometimes cause an accordian effect in the intestines which is extremely serious and needs surgery to be corrected.

If you see your cat going into the litterbox frequently or straining to urinate, it could be a sign of urinary tract infection. In a male this can be extremely life threating because their urethra is so small it can become easily blocked.

All cats will occasionally throw up a hairball but when you see that your cat is not feeling well, you need to watch him very, very closely. If he doesn't improve within a short time, then you should call your vet. No one wants unnecessary medical bills but it would be much worse to lose your cat.