It can be a scary situation when your cat gets sick. There are a wide range of cat illnesses that you should be aware of as noticing symptoms early often leads to a better prognosis. This website will present a wide range of feline diseases that you should be on the lookout for as a cat owner. The following is a brief overview of a few common cat illnesses.

UTI (Urinary Tract Infection)

Sometimes your cat may start to make more frequent trips to his litter box. If he also has trouble passing urine, then your cat may have a urinary tract infection. Two more common symptoms of a UTI are blood in the urine and yelping while in the litter box. If caught earlier, a UTI can be treated with antibiotics.

Distemper

One of the next common cat illnesses is distemper, also referred to as feline panleukopenia. This feline disease, which is caused by a virus, is spread through contaminated food, water, and litter boxes. If your cat has distemper, he will appear lethargic and may refuse to drink and eat. Distemper may also cause severe diarrhea and vomiting. This feline disease is usually fatal unless treated early.

Peritonitis

Feline infectious peritonitis is also caused by a virus and is common in homes with two or more cats. The most common symptom is a swollen abdomen. Other symptoms include weight loss, loss of appetite, and fever. Feline infectious peritonitis is one of the most serious cat illnesses as it is almost always fatal.

Diabetes

Diabetes is also one of the common cat illnesses. This disease occurs when your cat’s body fails to produce enough insulin to maintain ideal blood sugar levels. If your cat has diabetes, he will drink excessively which in turn causes excessive urination. He may also also have an increase appetite. Treatment consists of a change in diet and insulin shots.