Cat Symptoms Checker

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  • A quick guide to your cat’s symptoms. Scroll to the particular symptom to get suggestions on a possible cause.

    Abdomen (painful)

    Abdomen (swollen)

    Aggressive behaviour

    Painful conditions including:

    Other:

    Alopecia (hair loss)

    Pruritic (itchy):

    Nonpruritic (non-itchy):

    Anal bleeding

    Anal scooting

    Anorexia (not eating)

    Ataxia (unsteady gait)

     

    Bad breath (halitosis)

     

    Bald spots

    Blindness

     

    Bleeding (excessive)

    Blood in the stool (bright red)

     

    Blood in the stool (dark/tarry)

    Black and tarry feces (melena) is caused by blood that originated in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The dark colour of melena is due to digested blood in the feces

    Blood in urine (hematuria)

    Breathing, rapid (tachypnea)

    Claws (thickened)

    Coma

    Constipation

    • Dehydration
    • Reluctance to defecate due to behavioural issues.
    • Obstruction of the colon
    • Dietary
    • Drugs and medications
    • Painful defecation
    • Neurological
    • Hypothyroidism
    • Pelvic injuries
    • Metabolic/hormonal
    • Idiopathic

     

    Coughing

     

    Crying

    • Hunger
    • Estrus
    • New kitten: If you have just obtained your kitten it may meow excessively for the first few days. Leaving it’s mother and siblings and moving into a new house with new owners is a huge change to your kitten.
    • Loss of a companion: Cats are sensitive creatures and form close bonds with their owners and other pets in the household. If there are changes to the family dynamics, such as a separation, or the loss of an animal, this may cause your cat to meow more than usual.
    • Moving house: Again, this is a big change for your cat and may result in it becoming more vocal.
    • Attention seeking: Excessive vocalisation may be a result of your cat is feeling lonely or not receiving enough attention from his owner.
    • Outside influences: A neighbourhood cat coming onto your cat’s territory.
    • Old age: Some old cats may meow excessively. This usually happens when they begin to lose their cognitive functions.
    • Medical problems: If your cat is sick or in pain it may result in excessive vocalisation.
    • Nocturnal behaviour: Cats by nature are nocturnal, and may meow more during the night.

    Decreased appetite

    • See anorexia

    Dehydration

    • Vomiting and or diarrhea
    • Sickness: A sick cat may go off his food and water and therefore not receive enough fluids and become dehydrated.
    • Increased urination: Medical conditions such as diabetes and renal failure in which the cat urinates more often may cause dehydration.
    • Heatstroke
    • Lack of available, fresh drinking water.
    • Shock
    • Blood loss
    • Fever

     

    Diarrhea

    Dilated pupils

    Drinking (increased thirst)

     

    Drooling

    Dull hair/coat

    Excessive blinking

    Eye discharge

    • Blepharitis
    • Blocked tear ducts
    • Feline upper respiratory infections (cat flu)
    • Conjunctivitis (inflammation of the conjunctiva)
    • Dry eye
    • Allergy
    • Keratitis
    • Epiphora (excessive tear production)
    • Foreign bodies in the eye
    • Trichiasis (rare in cats, eyelashes growing from the eyelid and rubbing against the cornea causing irritation)
    • Trauma
    • Uveitis (watery discharge)

    Excessive tearing (eye)

    Exercise intolerance

    Fading kitten syndrome

    • Blood type incompatibility
    • Congenital defect
    • Environmental temperature (too hot or cold)
    • Maternal neglect
    • Dehydration
    • Inadequate nutrition during infancy
    • Viral, bacterial or parasitic infection

    Fever

    Frequent urination

     

    Gums (colour)

    Hair loss

    • See alopecia

    Head tilt

    Head shaking

     

    Hunger (increased)

    Hyperactivity

    Hypersalivation

    Inappropriate urination

     

    Increased heart rate (tachycardia)

    Increased thirst

    • See drinking

    Increased urination

    Itchy anus

    Itchy ear

     

    Itchy skin

     

    Lethargy

    Limping

    Nasal discharge

    Nosebleeds

     

    Painful abdomen

    • See abdomen

    Painful urination

    Panting

    Paralysis

    • Aortic thromboembolism (saddle thrombosis)
    • Poisoning (tick, botulism, macadamia, ciguatoxin, tetrodotoxin)
    • Stroke
    • Trauma
    • Cancer
    • Slipped disc
    • Viral infection
    • Toxoplasmosis
    • Meningitis

    Photophobia (sensitivity to light)

    Pupils dilated (see dilated pupils)

    • See dilated pupils

    Pupils (fixed)

    Pupils (odd/different sized)

    • Anterior uveitis
    • Corneal ulcers
    • Certain drugs/medications
    • Glaucoma
    • Head trauma
    • Horner’s syndrome
    • Iris atrophy
    • Spastic pupil syndrome
    • Oculomotor nerve paralysis
    • Stroke
    • Cancer

    Rapid/shallow breathing
    (tachypnea)

    Scabby ears

    Scabs (neck)

    Scabs (back)

    Seizures

     


    Sneezing

    Straining to urinate

     

    Swollen abdomen

    • See abdomen

    Swollen breast and/or nipple

    Swollen chin

     

    Swollen eye

     

    Swollen lymph nodes

    Swollen paw

     

    Tremors

    Vomiting

    Food/Diet Related:

    Vomiting blood

    • Foreign body in the gastrointestinal tract
    • Ulcers (stomach, esophagus)
    • Aspirin poisoning
    • Inflammation (stomach, esophagus)
    • Blood clotting disorders
    • Gastroenteritis
    • Tumours (stomach, esophagus)
    • Certain medications
    • Intestinal worms
    • Swallowed blood (from mouth, nose, esophagus)


    Wheezing

     

    Weakness

     

    Weight loss

    Author

    • Julia Wilson, 'Cat World' Founder

      Julia Wilson is the founder of Cat-World, and has researched and written over 1,000 articles about cats. She is a cat expert with over 20 years of experience writing about a wide range of cat topics, with a special interest in cat health, welfare and preventative care. Julia lives in Sydney with her family, four cats and two dogs. Full author bio