We all love our furkids as if they were our children, and nothing is worst when your child gets sick.
It does not help that cats are masters of disguise - i.e. they are very good at hiding if they are not feeling well, and it may be days until we realize something is amiss.
How can we tell if our furkid is feeling under the weather and needs to see a vet?
I have come up with an easy to remember “MEOW system”.
M - Monitor
E - Eating Right
O - Outlook
W - Watch & Act
1. M - Monitor input & output
a) Litter Habits
Is your cat still using the litter box properly?
Is he pooping normally? Is he having soft / diarrhoea stool, or extremely smelly stool?
Is his stool of a weird color?
Is he not pooping at all or only 1-2 tiny hard pieces?
Is there blood in his pee or poo? Are there white worms or white looking seeds in his poo?
Is he not using the litter box but peeing elsewhere instead?
Does he keep entering the litter, scratching it, trying to go, straining but exiting the litter multiple times? This could be a sign of constipation or a UTI, which can be very dangerous to the cat and needs to be treated immediately.
b) PU / PD
PU/PD stands for Polyuria and polydipsia, which are medical terms used to describe excessive urination and excessive thirst respectively. Polyuria is the production of an abnormally large amount of urine, while polydipsia is excessive thirst or drinking too much water. These symptoms can be caused by a variety of medical conditions, including diabetes, kidney disease, and urinary tract infections.
A 4kg cat should drink around 200-300ml of water per day, depending on age, diet, activity level, and overall health. If your cat is suddenly emptying the water bowl more or you have to keep topping up water, or peeing more frequently, it is definitely a cause for concern.
2. E - Eating Habits
a) Over eating
Is your cat just being greedy or does he seem hungrier than usual?
Is he eating more but not gaining weight, and may even be losing weight instead?
Is he gobbling up his food as if he is starving?
Is he eating all his food at a go, which he doesn't usually do?
Eating more can be a sign of diabetes. As explained by petmd.com, “Because insulin helps the body to use sugar for energy, lack of insulin also means that the body's organs will not receive enough energy. This will make your cat feel hungry all the time, and though it will eat a lot more food, it will not gain weight.”
b) Undereating / Lack of appetite
Is your cat not interested in his usual meals?
Is he being picky or is something wrong?
Is he throwing up his meals?
Try changing the flavour of the canned food or offer him a different brand, and monitor if his interest perks up.. If he is still not eating, bring him to the vet.
He could be having a dental issue, an iron deficency or something else is wrong with him.
3. O - Outlook / Overall Appearance & Behaviour
Is your cat quieter or more lethargic / resting more than usual?
Is he less interested in his food or the things he usually likes to do and wants to be left alone?
Is he more needy or more vocal than usual?
Are his eyes watery, dull, is the 3rd eyelid showing?
Are his gums pale? Is he drooling or displaying any signs of pain?
Is his coat matted, dry, dull or is his fur shedding more than usual?
3. W - Watch & Act
As mentioned, cats are Masters of Disguise and often, you won't know that they are sick until it's too late. Due to this, you will need to keep a close watchful eye on your cat for any signs of improvement or deterioration.
If he has had diarrhoea for 2 days and suddenly perks up and his poop firms up, it is likely he was just having an upset tummy or getting over a bug, like we humans do. However, if signs of illness persists more than 2 days, please send your cat to the vet ASAP.
Not eating and drinking can lead to dehydration and cause other problems so it i important to act fast.
I have seen some pet owners who took too long to act or send their cat to the vet and by then, it is irreversible or more complications occur. This leads to your pets suffering unnecessarily, more medical conditions and higher medical costs.
Your pet cannot bring itself to the vet.
Only you can.
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