Thread by @ellle_em, So cats in general are really good at hiding illness/pain. Unlike dogs [...]

So cats in general are really good at hiding illness/pain. Unlike dogs who tend to be...demonstrative when they experience discomfort, cats will try their hardest to hide it until they can't any longer...and unfortunately, by that time it's often too late to get help

But there are some key things to look for that can let you know a cat is ill and needs help:

firstly, if your cat's eating/drinking habits change it can mean they're experiencing pain/sickness

If a cat stops eating, or eats noticeably less than usual, or drinks noticeably more than usual something could be wrong. There could be mouth/teeth/jaw issues, or digestive problems, or kidney dysfunction. Paying attention to eating/drinking habits is super important

Second: a cat's litter box habits can give you a lot of information about how they feel. Not just in terms of like, whether or not their stool is loose or compacted but also if they're peeing more than usual, or less than usual.

Cats are prone to kidney disease, and one of the first signs can be peeing outside the litter box (when previously that wasn't a problem). Male cats are also prone to urinary tract blockages which can be deadly if not caught in time

If cats experience pain when urinating/defecating, they may choose to do their business somewhere outside the litter box. If your cat starts doing this make sure to get them to a vet before worrying about behavioral issues--it could be a sign of illness

Third: if your cat is suddenly grumpier than usual, it could be a sign of problems. A cat who normally likes to play stops playing: could mean they are in pain or feeling poorly. A cat who normally sits on your lap sits somewhere else: same thing

The change can be small--like I said, cats don't often like to advertise when they're ill. But if you just feel like something is off please listen to your gut; sometimes it's just a feeling that means the difference between life and death for a cat

Fourth: their fur can reflect changes in their health. A cat in pain may not groom as attentively as normal and their fur will start looking less shiny and well-kept. Or a cat may start losing little patches of fur if they have fleas/other parasites

Signs of illness can be so small but there are ways to detect them. Every so often make sure you just run your hands over your cat to see if there are any weird lumps or bumps that weren't there before. Know your cat & their preferences so if those preferences change

you'll be aware.

I'm tweeting about this because I noticed this morning one of my cats, Gastly, wasn't eating with her sister. She always eats with her sister. But today she wasn't interested in the food and I got her in to the see the vet.

She has a fever and an infection

She should be ok. She got antibiotics and medicine to bring down the fever. She had bloodwork done and she was able to come home.

But if I hadn't noticed she wasn't eating, who knows what could have happened.

THAT ALL BEING SAID

I want to reiterate that cats are really good at hiding illness and we all can miss signs. If your cat had a health problem & you weren't able to tell you honestly, honestly shouldn't beat yourself up over it because cats are pros at not acting sick

All we can do is our best and sometimes, unfortunately, our best just isn't enough.

So while it's so important to learn how to recognize small signs and symptoms, it's also important to understand sometimes it's just not possible & it doesn't mean you're a bad cat owner

"hemlo am gastly am would rather die than go 2 vet"

"humam am no let gastly die. am angy"

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