Abdomen (painful) | |
Abdomen (swollen) | - Ascites
- Bloat
- Constipation/megacolon
- Cushing’s syndrome
- Intestinal blockage
- Intestinal worms
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- Pyometra – Uterine infection.
- Ruptured bladder
- Tumours of the liver, spleen, kidney, intestine.
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Aggressive behaviour | Painful conditions including: Other: |
Alopecia (hair loss) | Pruritic (itchy): Nonpruritic (non-itchy): |
Anal bleeding | - Constipation
- Polyps
- Hookworm
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Cancer
- Colitis
- Infection
- Blood clotting disorders
|
Anal scooting | - Constipation
- Tumour
- Worms
|
Anorexia (not eating) | |
Ataxia (unsteady gait) | - Brain trauma
- Chocolate poisoning
- Ear infection
- Meningitis
- Neurological disorder
- Pelvis fracture
- Poisoning
- Spinal trauma
|
Bad breath (halitosis) | |
Bald spots | - Abscess
- Ringworm
- Food allergy
- Flea allergy dermatitis
- Miliary dermatitis
- Feline acne
- Folliculitis
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Topical medications (reaction)
- Vaccine (reaction)
- Hyperthyroidism
- Cushing’s syndrome
- Eosinophilic granuloma complex
|
Black tarry stools (melena) | - Vitamin D toxicity
- Stomach ulcers
- Foreign object
- Ingestion of blood
- Blood clotting disorders
- Cancer
- Trauma
|
Blindness | |
Bleeding (excessive) | - Thrombocytopenia (low platelets)
- Hemophilia
- Poison/venom (snake, anti-coagulant rodenticides, cycad seeds)
|
Blood in the stool (bright red) | - Constipation
- Intestinal parasites (giardia, cryptosporidium, worms)
- Bacterial infection (salmonella, e.coli etc)
- Dietary indiscretion (consumption of a hard object such as a bone fragment)
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Colitis
- Cancer
- Rectal, anal and colon polyps
|
Blood in the stool (dark/tarry) | - Gastrointestinal ulcers
- Foreign body
- Ingestion of blood (nosebleed, bleeding in the lungs, dental bleeding)
- Blood clotting disorders
- Aspirin poisoning
- Tumours
- Vitamin D toxicity
- Trauma
- Infection
|
Blood in urine (hematuria) | - Kidney stones
- Kidney tumour
- Glomerulonephritis
- Trauma
- Bladder stones
- Bladder tumour
- Bladder infection
- Urinary tract infection
- Idiopathic (no known cause)
- Portosystemic shunt
|
Breathing (rapid) | |
Claws (thickened) | - Hyperthyroidism
- Old age
- Acromegaly
|
Coma | - Chocolate poisoning
- Meningitis
|
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 | |
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 | - Blockage (hairball or foreign object)
- Chocolate poisoning
- Colitis
- Diet: There are several diet-related possibilities. A sudden switch in your cat’s food can cause diarrhea. Food allergies and food intolerances may also cause diarrhea. Cows milk or dairy products being a common cause as many cats are lactose intolerant. Other foods may also cause a food intolerance in your cat.
- Drugs or toxins (plants, poisons etc).
- Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
- Hyperthyroidism
- Infection: Bacterial (Salmonella, Campylobacter), viral (FIV, FeLV, Panleukopenia, Rotavirus), protozoal (Giardia, Cryptosporidium), parasitic (cat worms).
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Neoplasia (lymphoma, carcinoma, and others)
- Pancreatitis
|
Dilated pupils | |
Drinking (increased thirst) | |
Drooling | |
Dull hair coat | |
Excessive blinking | |
Eye discharge | - Blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid)
- 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 | - Blastomycosis
- Pyothorax
- Lungworm
- Diaphragmatic hernia
|
Fading kitten syndrome | - Blood type incompatibility
- Congenital defect
- Environmental temperature (too hot or cold)
- Maternal neglect
- Dehydration
- Inadequate nutrition during birth
- Viral, bacterial or parasitic infection
|
Fever | |
Frequent urination | - Bladder stones
- Cystitis
- Diabetes
- Acute or chronic kidney failure
- Kidney stones
- Urinary tract infection
|
Gums (colour) | |
Hair loss | |
Head tilt | |
Head shaking | - Ear mites
- Ear infection or inflammation
- Polyps
- Demodicosis
- Feline scabies
- Foreign object in the ear
- Allergies
- Insect bites and stings
|
Hunger (increased) | - Not feeding enough
- Hyperthyroidism
- Acromegaly
- Cushing’s syndrome
- Insulin-producing tumour
- Diabetes
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
- Pregnancy
- Lactation
- Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
- Intestinal parasites
- Certain medications
|
Hyperactivity | |
Hypersalivation | - Heinz body anemia
- Poisoning (cane toad, arum plants, organophosphate, synthetic pyrethroids, durana erecta, tobacco, macrocyclic lactone antihelmintic)
- Pyothorax
|
Inappropriate urination | |
Increased heart rate | |
Increased thirst | |
Increased urination | |
Itchy anus | |
Itchy ear | |
Itchy skin | |
Lethargy | |
Limping | - Arthritis
- Arterial thromboembolism
- Bone cancer
- Broken bone
- Calicivirus
- Declawing pain
- Joint dislocation
- Foreign body (glass, splinter etc)
- Insect bite or sting
- Spinal cord or nerve injury
- Lyme disease
- Laceration
- Sprains
- Nail injuries
- Overgrown claws
- Paw pad injuries
|
Nasal discharge | - Upper respiratory infection (cat flu)
- Nasal polyps
- Bacterial infection
- Fungal infection
- Nasal tumours
- Head trauma
- Foreign objects in the nasal cavity
- Allergies
- Cleft palate
- Cheyletiellosis
- Tooth root abscesses
- Pneumonia
|
Nosebleeds | - Blood clotting disorders such as hemophilia
- Ingestion of poisons (rat poison, aspirin). It is possible for cats to either directly consume rat poison or to indirectly become poisoned by killing and/or eating a rodent that has ingested rat poison itself
- Foreign body (such as grass seed)
- Trauma (running into something, hit by car etc)
- Anemia
- Cancer
- Dental abscess
- Infections (bacterial, viral, fungal) which can cause ulceration
- Liver failure
- Kidney failure
- High blood pressure
- Polycythemia
|
Painful abdomen | |
Painful urination | - Cystitis
- Bladder infection
- Urinary crystals
- Kidney stones
|
Panting | |
Paralysis | - Aortic thromboembolism (saddle thrombosis)
- Poisoning (tick, botulism, macadamia, ciguatoxin, tetrodotoxin)
- Stroke
- Trauma
- Tumour
- Slipped disc
- Viral infection
- Toxoplasmosis
- Meningitis
|
Photophobia (sensitivity to light) | |
Pupils dilated (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
- Tumours
|
Rapid/shallow breathing
(tachypnea) | - Anemia
- Pneumonia
- Metabolic acidosis
- Hernia
- Tumours
- Airway obstruction
- Pleural effusion
- Pulmonary edema
- Pain
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Heart failure
- Hypovolemic shock
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
|
Scabby ears | - Pemphigus
- Ringworm
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Allergy (food, contact, inhalant, insect, flea allergy dermatitis)
- Sunburn
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Frostbite
- Hypothyroidism
|
Scabs (neck) | - Flea allergy dermatitis
- Abscess
|
Scabs (back) | - Flea allergy dermatitis
- Abscess
|
Seizures | - Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
- Brain tumour
- Feline ischemic encephalopathy
- Head trauma
- Heatstroke
- Meningitis
- Portosystemic shunt
- Bacterial or viral infection
- Kidney failure
- Liver disease
- Certain medications
- Poisoning (cane toad, organophosphate, metaldehyde, synthetic pyrethroids, strychnine, mycotoxins, tobacco, lead, cyanobacteria, chocolate, cycads, duranta erecta, yesterday today and tomorrow plant)
- Vitamin deficiency
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Glycogen storage disease
- Vitamin D toxicity
|
Straining to urinate | |
Swollen abdomen | |
Swollen breast and/or nipple | - Lactating
- Pregnancy
- Galactostasis
- Feline mammary hypertrophy
- Mammary hyperplasia
- Mammary cancer
- Mastitis
|
Swollen chin | - Insect bite or sting
- Abscess
- Feline acne
- Oral cancer
- Dental abscess
- Rodent ulcer
- Allergy
|
Swollen eye | - Conjunctivitis
- Foreign body in the eye
- Entropion (eyelid folding inwards)
- Allergies
- Viral or bacterial infection
|
Swollen lymph nodes | - Infection
- Inflammation
- Allergy
- Cancer
|
Swollen paw | - Foreign object
- Declawing complications
- Ingrown claw
- Abscess
- Plasma cell pododermatitis
- Burns
- Frostbite
- Cuts and abrasions
- Paracetamol poisoning
- Insect bite or sting
|
Tremors | |
Vomiting | Food/Diet Related: - Eating too fast
- Rapid change in the diet. If you are going to switch brands or type of food, gradually introduce the new type over a few days
- Eating inappropriate foods such as old or mouldy food, food inappropriate for cats etc.
- Food allergies
- Food intolerance
- Foreign object. Bones, wool etc.
- Ingestion of toxins such as antifreeze, aspirin, poisonous plants etc.
- Parasites
- Intestinal worms
Medical-related: |
Vomiting blood | - Foreign body
- Ulcers (stomach, esophagus)
- Aspirin poisoning
- Inflammation (stomach, esophagus)
- Blood clotting disorders
- Infections
- Tumours (stomach, esophagus)
- Certain medications
- Intestinal worms
- Swallowed blood (from mouth, nose, esophagus)
|
| | - Anaphylaxis
- Asthma
- Cat flu
- Foreign body lodged in airways
- Hairballs
- Heartworm
- Lungworm
|
Weakness | |
Weight loss | - Anemia
- Bacterial infection (Bordetella)
- Blastomycosis
- Certain medications
- Coccidiosis
- Dental or mouth pain (gingivitis, tooth abscess, stomatitis)
- Feline diabetes
- Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)
- Gastrointestinal disease
- Glomerulonephritis
- Hemobartonellosis (Feline Infectious Anemia)
- Heartworm
- Histoplasmosis
- Hypercalcemia (high blood calcium)
- Inflammation
- Injury or trauma
- Intestinal obstruction
- Ingestion of poison
- Kidney failure
- Neoplasia (abnormal cell growth)
- New or unpalatable diet
- Pancreatitis
- Portosystemic shunt
- Pyometra
- Stress (some possible causes of stress include; moving house, loss of a companion, new pet/person in the house, hospitalisation, being boarded)
- Viral infection (Feline Herpesvirus, Feline panleukopenia virus, Calicivirus, FeLV and more)
- There are many more possible causes of anorexia that haven’t been covered here.
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