Our question this week was:

Dear Doctor,

My cat seems to be sleeping more. I can't feel if she is sick. It is so frustrating as a pet owner. I wish I could just ask her if she feels okay or not.

How can you tell?

Regards,

John B.

Baltimore, MD


Answer

Thanks for your question. It is difficult to tell if cats are sick. Just by their nature of survival and their ability to hide their illness to help protect themselves from predators, they are very good at not acting sick in the early and even advanced stages of illness.

Signs you should look for is any abnormality in your cats behavior. If she is less active, eating less, drinking more or less, any change in her urination or defection patterns, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, weight loss, or overall less activity.

We have an article that might be useful: How to tell if your cat is ill

Best of luck,

Dr. Jon


I will choose five questions a week and will publish the answers. Please note that not all questions will be answered. If your cat is experiencing a medical problem or having an emergency situation, please contact your veterinarian immediately.


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