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The Most Common Cat Diseases and Their Symptoms

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: June 5, 2018
The Most Common Cat Diseases and Their Symptoms

If you have chosen to have a cat you want to know everything about their care, hygiene, and probably what are the most common cat diseases and their symptoms.

In order to prevent the most common cat diseases, get your cat vaccinated and make sure you take good care of them. Most of the common diseases that they can contract are treatable. It is important to be able to recognise them through the common symptoms so you can get help from your vet if necessary. For this reason, at OneHowto we explain what are the most common cat diseases and their symptoms.

You may also be interested in: The Symptoms of Glaucoma in Cats

Most common cat diseases: allergies

In the same way as we suffer from seasonal allergies, cats can also suffer from different types of allergies. The symptoms can include:

  • Respiratory problems: sneezing, coughing, phlegm and difficulty breathing.
  • Skin problems: excessive and persistent itchy, watery eyes.

If you think your cat is be suffering from an allergy you must first work out what causes this ailment in order to get rid of it.

Most common cat diseases: pneumonia

Another of the most common cat diseases is pneumonia, a condition that inflames the bronchi and the pulmonary alveoli. It is caused by a virus causing your cat to have watery eyes, abundant phlegm, coughing, and mouth ulcers.

The Most Common Cat Diseases and Their Symptoms - Most common cat diseases: pneumonia

Most common cat diseases: flu

Even if your cat has been vaccinated, they can still catch the flu virus, another common cat disease. You'll know quickly if your cat has the flu because you'll notice symptoms such as:

  • Watery eyes
  • Coughing and sneezing frequently
  • They seem to have a stuffy nose and phlegm.

If you think your cat has been infected with the flu it is best that you take them to the vet to deal with specific and suitable antibiotics for your cat breed.

Most common cat diseases: conjunctivitis

Another common cat disease is conjunctivitis. Like humans, cats can suffer from this eye disease that can impair their vision and health.

You can tell if your cat has conjunctivitis by looking closely at their eyes. If you notice that they seem bleary, very watery, and have red and swollen eyelids, then your cat is showing symptoms of conjunctivitis.

The Most Common Cat Diseases and Their Symptoms - Most common cat diseases: conjunctivitis

Most common cat diseases: cataracts

Cataracts in cats can be congenital or picked up, but whatever the cause, you will notice quickly if your cat suffers from them because you will see that the inside of their pupils are white. Also, if you notice that your cat begins to move strangely or bumps into the furniture, take them to the vet for a check-up.

This may happen because the cataracts impair your cat's vision or could even make them blind. You will know they have them if you notice that your pet is disoriented, scratches their eyes a lot or doesn't react to light.

Most common cat diseases: gastrointestinal problems

Usually, smaller cats can suffer from gastrointestinal problems due to a virus, parasite or bacterial infection or because your cat has eaten rotten food. Within these viruses or parasites we can distinguish ringworm and tapeworm.

The symptoms your cat would have include: vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, weakness, and listlessness. If your cat has these symptoms, take them to your vet urgently because they can dehydrate quickly and this puts their life in danger.

The Most Common Cat Diseases and Their Symptoms - Most common cat diseases: gastrointestinal problems

Most common cat diseases: otitis

Otitis is another common cat disease that causes inflammation in the ear canal and is very painful. Moreover, otitis in cats can have very serious consequences such as causing the eardrum to burst.

This can happen due to the presence of parasites such as mites, fungi or bacteria. If you notice that your cat has a brown discharge from the ears take them immediately to the vet.

Caring for a cat

To prevent your cat from catching these common diseases, it is important that you take special care of your pet and their needs.

You should take care even in most simple aspects of your cat's life such as their feeding, and looking after their fur, their dental hygiene and remember that your animal will be at a higher risk of disease during certain seasons of the year. Therefore, at OneHowto we help you know how to care for a cat in winter.

The Most Common Cat Diseases and Their Symptoms - Caring for a cat

If you want to read similar articles to The Most Common Cat Diseases and Their Symptoms, we recommend you visit our Pets category.

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1 comment
Anna Picket
Cats can get pneumonia? From personal experience I know how awful that can be. Lots of rest is a big help, but how do you make a cat rest if he doesn't want to? I'll have to be on the lookout for any of these diseases in my cat. It's been a long time since I was a pet owner, but I want to do this right.
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