When cats become sick, they can’t tell us with words. Instead, cat parents need to be vigilant, keeping an eye out for any symptoms that could point to illness. It also helps to stay ahead of the curve by giving them preventative medication like Advantage Multi for cats. This useful chart breaks down cat symptoms by area of the body, then tells you what each symptom could mean.
Our cat symptom checker is a good place to get started identifying what could be wrong with your cat, but always contact your veterinarian for final diagnosis and treatment solutions.
- Itching, redness, discharge, or odor:
Ear infection, ear mites, allergies, wax buildup, tumor - Swelling:
Ear cancer, abscess, hematoma - Hearing loss:
Deafness
- Discharge, redness, or swelling:
Eye infection, allergies, conjunctivitis (pink eye), upper respiratory infection, corneal disorders, dry eye, feline infectious peritonitis, feline AIDS, leukemia, distemper, glaucoma, eye defects, eye injury - Clouding:
Eye infection, eye defects, corneal disease, tumor - Jaundice (yellowing):
Liver disease, feline infectious peritonitis, infection, heart tumor, stem cell disorders
- Bleeding:
Injury, foreign object stuck in nose, infection, tumor, parasites, clotting disorder, cancer - Sneezing or discharge:
Bacterial, fungal, or viral infections (especially feline herpes virus and feline calicivirus), upper respiratory infection, allergies, feline infectious peritonitis, feline AIDS, leukemia, chlamydia, bordetella
- Abnormal gum color:
Heart disease, heart failure, anemia, cancer, distemper, feline AIDS, leukemia, kidney disease, poisoning, upper respiratory infection - Bad breath:
Gingivitis, gum disease, mouth ulcer, cavities, tumor, gastrointestinal problems, liver disease, kidney disease, retained deciduous teeth - Bleeding
Gingivitis, mouth cancer, ulcer, tumor, jaw fracture - Difficulty breathing or coughing:
Pneumonia, anemia, heartworm disease, upper respiratory infection, hyperthyroidism, feline infectious peritonitis, heart problems (disease, failure, murmur, or cancer), poisoning, bronchitis, asthma, lung cancer, fungal infections, hernia, foreign object in throat - Difficulty swallowing:
Dental infection, mouth infection, hyperthyroidism; tonsil, thyroid, or throat cancer; tonsillitis, sore throat, foreign object in throat - Drooling:
Rabies, upper respiratory infection, feline AIDS, mouth, tonsil, or tongue cancer, tooth fracture, kidney disease, ulcers, gum disease, cavities, heat stroke, epilepsy - Vomiting:
Swallowing something indigestible, rushed eating, distemper, intestinal parasites, allergies, heartworm disease, infection, poisoning, tonsillitis, inflammatory bowel disease, leukemia, kidney disease, liver disease, pancreatitis, epilepsy
- Pain:
Urinary tract or intestinal obstruction, bladder rupture, trauma, poisoning, feline infectious peritonitis, liver disease, cancer - Swelling or distention:
Foreign body in gastrointestinal tract, tumor, hernia, heart disease, feline infectious peritonitis
- Blood in urine:
Urinary tract infection, kidney disease, cancer, diabetes, feline urinary tract disease, fungal infection - Frequent, painful, or strained urination:
Urinary tract infection, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, bladder stones, feline urinary tract disease, liver disease, kidney disease, cancer - Incontinence or going outside of the litter box:
Aging, kidney disease, urinary tract infection, feline urinary tract disease, bladder stones, congenital defect of the uterus, spinal cord injury
- Blood in stool:
Stomach or intestinal bleeding, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, poisoning, parasites, infection, ulcer, leukemia - Constipation:
Dehydration, hairballs, tumor, colitis, feline urinary tract disease - Diarrhea:
Food allergies/intolerance, heartworm disease, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney disease, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, hyperthyroidism, parasites, cancer, pancreatitis
- Chewing, licking, scratching, flaking
or redness:
Parasites, allergies, dry skin, skin irritation, infection, kidney disease, pain, anxiety, boredom - Hair loss:
Hyperthyroidism, parasites, allergies, skin irritation, ringworm, alopecia, ulcer, infection
- Aggression:
Rabies, poisoning - Disorientation or loss of balance:
Rabies, vestibular disorder, hypoglycemia, high blood pressure, liver disease, brain injury, brain parasites, epilepsy - Increased thirst:
Kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, liver disease, diabetes, bacterial infection, poisoning - Lack of appetite:
Upper respiratory infection, heartworm disease, pancreatitis, hyperthyroidism, feline infectious peritonitis, feline AIDS, kidney failure, cancer, liver disease, intestinal problems, parasites, pneumonia, distemper, toothache, recent vaccination - Lethargy, weakness, depression, or hiding:
Heart disease, heart failure, heart murmur, heartworm disease, cancer, feline infectious peritonitis, feline AIDS, feline herpes, kidney failure, lyme disease, anemia, pneumonia, infection, arthritis, hip dysplasia, poisoning, tumor, pancreatitis, diabetes, liver disease, distemper
- Shaking:
Ear mites, ear infection, kidney stones - Swelling:
Allergies, insect bite - Tilting:
Rabies, vestibular disorders, meningitis, tumor
- Fever:
Bacterial, viral, or fungal infection, distemper, upper respiratory infection, feline infectious peritonitis, injury, tumor, pancreatitis - Lameness or limping:
Injury, arthritis, infection, lyme disease, hip dysplasia, cancer, muscle disorder - Paralysis:
Spinal cord injury, rabies, heart disease, heart failure, tumor, poisoning - Seizure:
Poisoning, head injury, kidney failure, liver failure, epilepsy
If you prefer your information less jazzed up, and a little more scannable, below is all the same information contained in the Cat Symptom Checker Tool above in a neat table format.
The Cat Symptom Checker Table
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COMMON SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES |
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Ears |
Itching, redness, discharge, or odor: Ear infection, ear mites, allergies, wax buildup, tumor Swelling: Ear cancer, abscess, hematoma Hearing loss: Deafness |
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Eyes |
Discharge, redness, or swelling: Eye infection, allergies, conjunctivitis (pink eye), upper respiratory infection, corneal disorders, dry eye, feline infectious peritonitis, feline AIDS, leukemia, distemper, glaucoma, eye defects, eye injury Clouding: Eye infection, eye defects, corneal disease, tumor Jaundice (yellowing): Liver disease, feline infectious peritonitis, infection, heart tumor, stem cell disorders |
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Mouth |
Abnormal gum color: Heart disease, heart failure, anemia, cancer, distemper, feline AIDS, leukemia, kidney disease, poisoning, upper respiratory infection Bad breath: Gingivitis, gum disease, mouth ulcer, cavities, tumor, gastrointestinal problems, liver disease, kidney disease, retained deciduous teeth Bleeding: Gingivitis, mouth cancer, ulcer, tumor, jaw fracture Difficulty breathing or coughing: Pneumonia, anemia, heartworm disease, upper respiratory infection, hyperthyroidism, feline infectious peritonitis, heart problems (disease, failure, murmur, or cancer), poisoning, bronchitis, asthma, lung cancer, fungal infections, hernia, foreign object in throat Difficulty swallowing: Dental infection; mouth infection; hyperthyroidism; tonsil, thyroid, or throat cancer; tonsillitis; sore throat; foreign object in throat Drooling: Rabies, upper respiratory infection, feline AIDS, mouth, tonsil, or tongue cancer, tooth fracture, kidney disease, ulcers, gum disease, cavities, heat stroke, epilepsy Vomiting: Swallowing something indigestible, rushed eating, distemper, intestinal parasites, allergies, heartworm disease, infection, poisoning, tonsillitis, inflammatory bowel disease, leukemia, kidney disease, liver disease, pancreatitis, epilepsy |
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Nose |
Bleeding: Injury, foreign object stuck in nose, infection, tumor, parasites, clotting disorder, cancer Sneezing or discharge: Bacterial, fungal, or viral infections (especially feline herpes virus and feline calicivirus), upper respiratory infection, allergies, feline infectious peritonitis, feline AIDS, leukemia, chlamydia, bordetella |
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Head |
Shaking: Ear mites, ear infection, kidney stones Swelling: Allergies, insect bite Tilting: Rabies, vestibular disorders, meningitis, tumor |
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Skin and Hair |
Chewing, licking, scratching, flaking, or redness: Parasites, allergies, dry skin, skin irritation, infection, kidney disease, pain, anxiety, boredom Hair loss: Hyperthyroidism, parasites, allergies, skin irritation, ringworm, alopecia, ulcer, infection |
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Urinary |
Blood in urine: Urinary tract infection, kidney disease, cancer, diabetes, feline urinary tract disease, fungal infection Frequent, painful, or strained urination: Urinary tract infection, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, bladder stones, feline urinary tract disease, liver disease, kidney disease, cancer Incontinence or going outside of the litter box: Aging, kidney disease, urinary tract infection, feline urinary tract disease, bladder stones, congenital defect of the uterus, spinal cord injury |
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Bowel |
Blood in stool: Stomach or intestinal bleeding, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, poisoning, parasites, infection, ulcer, leukemia Constipation: Dehydration, hairballs, tumor, colitis, feline urinary tract disease Diarrhea: Food allergies/intolerance, heartworm disease, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney disease, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, hyperthyroidism, parasites, cancer, pancreatitis |
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Abdominal |
Pain: Urinary tract or intestinal obstruction, bladder rupture, trauma, poisoning, feline infectious peritonitis, liver disease, cancer Swelling or distention: Foreign body in gastrointestinal tract, tumor, hernia, heart disease, feline infectious peritonitis |
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Behavioral |
Disorientation or loss of balance: Rabies, vestibular disorder, hypoglycemia, high blood pressure, liver disease, brain injury, brain parasites, epilepsy Increased thirst: Kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, liver disease, diabetes, bacterial infection, poisoning Lack of appetite or weight loss: Upper respiratory infection, heartworm disease, pancreatitis, hyperthyroidism, feline infectious peritonitis, feline AIDS, kidney failure, cancer, liver disease, intestinal problems, parasites, pneumonia, distemper, toothache, recent vaccination Lethargy, weakness, depression, or hiding: Heart disease, heart failure, heart murmur, heartworm disease, cancer, feline infectious peritonitis, feline AIDS, feline herpes, kidney failure, lyme disease, anemia, pneumonia, infection, arthritis, hip dysplasia, poisoning, tumor, pancreatitis, diabetes, liver disease, distemper |
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Other |
Fever: Bacterial, viral, or fungal infection, distemper, upper respiratory infection, feline infectious peritonitis, injury, tumor, pancreatitis Lameness or limping: Injury, arthritis, infection, lyme disease, hip dysplasia, cancer, muscle disorder Paralysis: Spinal cord injury, rabies, heart disease, heart failure, tumor, poisoning Seizure: Poisoning, head injury, kidney failure, liver failure, epilepsy |
Contact your veterinarian if your cat is showing any signs of illness. Many health conditions require immediate veterinary attention. It's also a good idea to buy a checkup kit for cats for home testing.
More on Cat Health
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All About Cat Examinations - What to Expect at a Vet Visit
This information is for informational purposes only and is not meant as a substitute for the professional advice of, or diagnosis or treatment by, your veterinarian with respect to your pet. It has, however, been verified by a licensed veterinarian for accuracy.