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Keeping Cats Healthy-Home Monitoring for Health
There are ways you can keep tuned in to your cat’s health at home—what can you do?
- Check that the cat keeps a normal body weight
Sudden loss or gain of weight can be a telltale sign that the kitty’s health is not what it should be. Bad teeth, diabetes, cancer, digestive problems and many other problems can all interfere with normal intake and processing of foodstuffs.
Strategy : Weigh your kitty on the bathroom scales once every few weeks. Stand on them while holding the cat, then weigh yourself without the cat, and subtract to find the difference (this will be the cat’s weight). Write this on your calendar and if any changes (>1 lb) occur in a normal adult cat, check in with your veterinarian. NOTE: a change in a pound or two is not a big deal for a person, but look at the percentages when dealing with cats. If a 10 pound cat loses 2 pounds—that is fully 1/5 th of the entire body weight! That would be like a 100 pound person losing 20 pounds!
Note that weight gain is equally significant in that range—creeping obesity is a real problem in today’s cats. Fat cats are hard to diet, so best not to ever go there…
- Check the cat’s food and water intake
Though this can be a real challenge in a multi-cat household, monitoring food and water intake is one of the best ways to pick up on early problems in cats. A sick cat is not a hungry cat. A sick cat could very well be a thirsty cat! Measuring a set volume during a set time interval is the perfect way to keep track. For example, you may offer one cup fresh water every morning, and a series of small measured meals of one quarter cup at the same time every day. With life being as hectic as it often is, meal times may not be standardized, but we can still control the volume of food and water going into the dish.
Before you discard and refill the dishes, measure remaining food and water if the leftovers are more or less than usual.
- Check the litter box daily
Just a few minutes a day spent cleaning and checking the box will keep you on top of elimination problems. Healthy cats should have both urine and bowel movements in the box every day. Male cats are especially important to track for normal urination since they are more likely to develop blockage of the urinary outflow tract, a potentially life-threatening condition. Red discoloration, increase or decrease in volume, and lack of urine spots are all red flags. Bowel movements should not be loose or liquid, and apart from the usual odor, should not have unusual smells or coloration. Unusually hard and small, or larger hard fecal balls should also be noted. Removing the soiled material from the box daily is a good strategy for the fastidious cat since some cats will soil outside of the box if it is too dirty!
- Check the cat by petting her
Running your hand over the cat in the direction of the fur (or carrying out a daily grooming session) will help you to get used to what is normal for the hair coat, body condition, and allow you to check for developing lumps and bumps. Cancer lesions in cats are usually malignant (nasty) rather than benign (as in dogs) so careful monitoring and early reporting of new and growing lumps to the veterinarian is an important preventive health strategy. That few minutes of contact time will also help you know whether your cat is responding in the usual way. A sick cat may not want to come for their daily petting, may resent petting, or seem dull or lethargic in their response to your affection. These are all easy signals to look for when keeping an eye on your cat’s health!
These simple steps can help you keep in tune with your cat’s health at home!
Disclaimer: This website is not intended to replace professional consultation, diagnosis, or treatment by a licensed veterinarian. If you require any veterinary related advice, contact your veterinarian promptly. Information at Cathealth.com is exclusively of a general reference nature. Do not disregard veterinary advice or delay treatment as a result of accessing information at this site.
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