Is Your Cat Healthy?

At a glance, it is helpful to be able to tell if your cat is enjoying the benefits of good health. You need to be able to recognize the signs both of wellness and of potential health issues in order to best care for your pet.

The most valuable preventive medication for any cat is vaccination and booster shots. Cats should have a full veterinary check-up at least once a year, some need more.

Below is a handy checklist to help give a quick snapshot of your cat's wellbeing:

Signs of Cat Health

• ears clean, pink & free of ear mites or dark debris
• bright eyes
• nose clean, damp and free of discharge
• mouth clean with pink gums, teeth tartar free
• shiny fur
• good appetite
• normal weight (adults about 4 to 10 pounds)
• well-formed stools
• purring
• alert
• playful & energetic

Signs of Sickness

• runny eyes (although this is "normal" in most Persians)
• dry, hot or runny nose
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• loss of appetite
• lacklustre fur
• dull eyes, obstructed or semi-closed (third eyelid across the eye)
• coughing, sneezing
• pitiful crying
• lethargy, listlessness
• restlessness
• scratching
• head-shaking

What excrement/stool colours may indicate and requires immediate veterinary attention:

• white: serious bowel infection (can be fatal)
• bloody/red blood: distemper (panleukopenia)
• black: bleeding high in bowel
• mucous/slimy: serious bowel irritation
• yellow: bacterial imbalance in bowel
• orange: abundance of bile in stool