Common Illnesses In Cats - Get To Know What Ails Your Pet | Cats

By MarjorieGreer
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Cats get sick too but not that often. They experience some common ailments that may disrupt their health for a short period of time. Usually, having a well balanced diet as well as a thorough grooming can help alleviate these ailments and sometimes prevent it from happening. If you notice your cat to change its normal routine, going for a check up with your local veterinarian is highly suggested. It is usually one of those normal cat sicknesses although sometimes, it may be something more.

Hair balls or knotty hair is a common ailment observed even among cats with somewhat short fur. Regular brushing could prevent or minimize the cause of such hairballs. With medium and long furred cats, it is a must; not only to prevent the problem of knotty hair but also in the prevention of many other common cat ailments. Another big problem it poses is the possible after effects of cats swallowing their own dead and broken hairs in the process of constant washing of their bodies that they very often engage in. Regular brushing can also help in keeping your cat looking well groomed and in poise.

To avoid the occurrence of hair balls, add a teaspoon of fish oil or cod liver oil to their food at least after a week. This allows the ingested hair to pass freely and easily through the gastrointestinal tract. Bran and canned pumpkin can also help. If you have a feral cat, he may be able to have a solution to hair balls and other ailments by chewing on grass and other plants.

The biggest enemies of the cats are the fleas who create havoc in their lives by causing immense distress to them mentally and emotionally and spreading diseases apart from being itchy and allergic. Regular grooming and use of flea collars are recommended for the combat of the flea menace and their resultant ailments. There are many environmental safe powders and sprays to be applied on their furs for the control of fleas besides giving a pleasant odor to your cat. If your cat is highly infested with fleas, then you may ask your vet for some flea inoculations too.

A cat scratching badly inside its ears is a positive indication of a large scale presence of ear mites or a heavy buildup of wax inside the ears, both of which can cause much pain and agony to your cat. A veterinarian may easily spot these in his examination of the cat and prescribe medicines that could be easily administered to greatly relieve the cat of its agony and pain. Early detection and prompt treatment for mites and wax is very important to prevent long term damage to its health including the impairment of its hearing.

Cats are also affected with mental and emotional distress, usually created by trauma from a change such as moving or relocating. It may be hard for your adult cat to adapt to the new surroundings. There are even cases of cats traveling back to their original homes by foot regardless of its distance. One thing you have to understand about cats is that they take their territory seriously and will fully protect their property. Humans do not recognize the fences that they build to protect their territory. It is only cats who can tell from their markings of urine and fecal matter.

Like humans, some of their major ailments too start with minor symptoms and could be easily averted through alertness and prompt treatment at the early stages itself. Therefore a visit to your veterinarian would be well worth your trouble at the slightest visible signs of departure from your cat's normal behavioral patterns such as for instance brooding, vomiting, loss of appetite or changed patters in eating habits and eating times, so as to save your cat from much pain, agony and sometimes death itself.

About the Author

About the author: Marjorie Greer can help you with any cat related problems. For Cat Care Advice get her free report on cat health and training

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