Paw Sattva
Opening your PawSattva space
Paw Sattva
Opening your PawSattva space
Cats are naturally good at hiding weakness, so illness may begin with something very small: sleeping somewhere unusual, skipping breakfast, grooming less, or suddenly avoiding a favourite jumping spot.
The most useful rule is simple: know what is normal for your cat. A change from that normal can be more important than any single symptom.
A cat that suddenly spends much more time under the bed, behind furniture or away from people may be stressed, painful or unwell. The important question is whether the behaviour has changed.
Loss of appetite deserves attention in cats. A cat that suddenly stops eating should not simply be left for several days. Prolonged food refusal can become medically serious, especially in overweight cats.
If your cat refuses food for around a day, or sooner if they are a kitten, elderly, weak or otherwise unwell, contact your veterinarian.
A noticeable increase in thirst can occur with several conditions, including kidney disease and diabetes. Drinking less can also contribute to dehydration. Watch the pattern over several days.
Watch for increased or decreased urination, blood, constipation, diarrhoea, crying in the tray, frequent visits or urinating outside the box.
A cat that repeatedly strains to urinate but produces little or no urine needs urgent veterinary attention. Urinary blockage is particularly dangerous in male cats.
When a cat feels painful, weak or generally unwell, grooming may decrease and the coat can become greasy, dull, matted or untidy. Repeated licking of one area may point towards pain, itching, skin disease or stress.
Cats sleep a lot even when healthy. Look for a change in behaviour: no longer greeting you, ignoring toys, avoiding interaction or showing much less curiosity than usual.
A normally affectionate cat may suddenly avoid touch. Irritability, growling when handled, unusual aggression or becoming unusually clingy can all occur when a cat does not feel well.
Reluctance to jump, moving slowly, stiffness, limping, crouching or changing sleeping locations may be subtle signs of discomfort, especially in older cats.
An occasional isolated vomit may happen, but repeated vomiting, persistent diarrhoea, blood, weakness or inability to keep food or water down deserves veterinary assessment.
Gradual weight loss can be difficult to notice because you see your cat every day. Consider weighing your cat regularly. Unexplained weight loss should not be ignored, even if appetite seems good.
Look for eye or nasal discharge, repeated sneezing, squinting, drooling, difficulty chewing, unusually bad breath or visible mouth discomfort.
Breathing should normally look quiet and effortless. Open-mouth breathing, obvious effort, collapse, blue or grey gums, or markedly rapid breathing at rest are warning signs that need urgent veterinary attention.
Cats rarely announce that something hurts. They tend to whisper it through changes in appetite, litter habits, grooming, movement and behaviour.
When you know your cat's normal routine, you become much better at noticing when something is wrong. If a change is sudden, persistent or accompanied by serious symptoms, contact your veterinarian rather than waiting for the cat to look obviously sick. 🐾
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