8 Common Cat Diseases: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention Tips for a Healthy Feline

Common cat diseases

Cats do have an attitude of their own. However, once you decide of getting one, you need to take care of him as your own family member. Cats need extra human interaction as its personality and behaviors are different. Cats are affected by their surroundings and home environment as they could be disturb and stressed easily. 

Before becoming a pet owner of a cat, you should have full knowledge of how to keep one. For your safety and that of your cat, you must be aware of the diseases that could be harmful to you both. 

In this post, we would highlight some common cat diseases that you should be aware of before taking a cat as a pet. We would also explain cat diseases that cause death so that you should know their symptoms and be mindful of the time when you should take them to a vet. 

8 Common Cat Diseases their symptoms, Treatments and Preventions:

1. Rabies:

It is one of the most common cat diseases and its symptoms are commonly found in domestic cats in the US. It is even more dangerous for humans as it is easily transfer to their pet owners. Rabies is primarily cause by the bite of a rodent if your home has one. The rats and rodents are the prime culprits in this regard as bites and ingestions of wild animals like  these attack the nervous system of cats.

This common indoor cat illness has symptoms like leg paralysis, breathing difficulties, extreme saliva, fever, low coordination, changed behavior, problems in swallowing, and seizures. Cats can show highly aggressive behavior when they suffer from this deadly cat disease and its conspicuous symptoms.

There is no specific treatment for this disease, however, prevention is quite easy. Keep your cat indoors and keep a strict check on rodents along with carrying out a regular home inspection when you need to call the rodent control team. 

2. Cat scratch diseases:

Young cats are at high risk of getting cat scratches that are caused by bacteria. This bacteria is transfer from outdoor or stray cats that carry flea infestation. The illness is transfer to humans easily, especially children and adolescents are at high risk who like cuddling cats more. This common cat disease spreads through bites of an infected cat, flea bites, and transfusion.

The bacteria are rapidly spread through the cat’s saliva, especially via licking. A peculiar thing about this sudden illness in cats is that it does not show clear signs of bacterial infection unless any human gets sick. 

3. Cat tapeworm:

Another most frequent but sudden illness in cats is the tapeworm. Tapeworms live in your cat’s small intestine and could be as long as two feet! You would know the treatment for this cat disease has worked when you know the tapeworm has broken into parts and expelled. It is almost impossible to see full-length tapeworm.

It is not unusual for a cat to swallow fleas and get infect, which is quite visible in your cat’s stool in the form of cream-colored dried pieces of the worm or stuck under the cat’s tail fur. This cat disease’s treatment is only possible once you visit the vet. He would give an injection or medication so that the entire worm is pass out through the stool. 

4. Diarrhea:

A very common indoor cat illness is diarrhea. Diarrhea can happen from eating anything that does not suit a cat’s tummy. Roundworms or hookworms might develop in the stomach, causing bacteria and viruses that result in bloody stool, stool with worms, nausea and vomiting, weakness, stomach ache, and progressive weight loss.

It is consider common for cats to have diarrhea, however, it is not normal. It won’t take much time before this common disease transforms into a cat disease that can cause death if proper treatment is not given on time. Clean water and plenty of it could solve a great part of the problem at home. Still, if you see this common indoor cat illness and its symptoms, you should not wait more than 12 hours to take him to the vet. 

5. Eye problems:

You would be surprised to know that eye problems in cats could be fatal. In serious cases, it can become a deadly cat disease whose symptoms you should know before owning a pet cat. It would be good for you to know when to take the cat to the vet. Some of the common eye problems that cats suffer from include glaucoma, entropion, eyelid mass, eye inflammation, corneal damage, pink eye or conjunctivitis, and cataracts.

you can give your cat when initially you start observing any signs like redness in the eyes, swelling, eye discharge, excessive sneezing and nasal discharge, eye rubbing, etc. Washing the eye discharge with warm water and cotton/tissue could also help for a while if the cat gets irritation from time to time. Wait no more than 12 hours and instantly consult a vet.

6: Tickborne diseases:

Tick-borne germs can not only make your cat sick but also affect your health. The disease spreads fast through the cat’s saliva and when the ticks transfer from their skin to yours. Cats can have a fever, weight loss, unwillingness to eat, tiredness, and anemia as a few forms of tick borne disease symptoms.

This cat disease has only one treatment, A qualified vet prescribed an antibiotic course. There are painkillers and IV fluids that the cat needs to take if the symptoms get severe.

7. Feline Leukemia Virus:

It is a major cat disease that causes death. It spreads through urine, the cat’s nose discharge, and even saliva. Sharing food with cats and touching their litter boxes should be avoid. For that, you must always make use of gloves before serving them food, washing their feeding utensils, and cleaning their litter. Other kittens when staying in contact with the infected cat, are more likely to spread the disease to adult or older cats too.

This common cat disease has symptoms like prolonged fever, loss of appetite, swollen nymph nodes, excessive weight loss, affected gums that turn pale, infected mucus membranes, inflammation and redness in gums, and problems in the urinary bladder and upper respiratory tract. The most terrifying fact about this disease is that any sign could be an indication of this illness.

It can never show up in either several weeks or even years sometimes. Keeping your cat vaccinated according to her regular schedule and getting her checked regularly with the vet are the two most important things that you can do as precautions. Keep her living environment clean and don’t let her mingle with street cats that live in dirty surroundings and are carriers of fleas and similar diseases. 

8. Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD):

It is one of the predominant diseases in cats. It is similar to UTI infections in humans, however, in feline UTI, the symptoms and treatment are seen the other way. The most common symptoms are blood in urine, pain in urination, and increased need for urinating.

Just like humans, water intake creates a huge difference in this disease’s treatment. In serious cases, cats require therapies and placement of narrow tubes with the sterile solution into the cat’s urethra. To avoid further complications, antibiotics are a mandatory part of the vet’s prescription. 

Conclusion

Finally, cats are susceptible to a wide range of ailments, both infectious and non-infectious. Feline upper respiratory infection, feline urinary tract illness, feline leukemia virus, feline immunodeficiency virus, and feline panleukopenia are some of the most common cat diseases. Vaccination, frequent check-ups, and a nutritious diet are essential for keeping cats healthy and preventing illness spread.

Early identification of cat diseases and treatment is also critical for a favorable outcome. As a cat owner, you must be aware of the signs and symptoms of common cat ailments and seek veterinarian care if necessary to protect your feline companion’s health and well-being.