Cats are mystery creatures, and as such, they like to keep you guessing. At times, your beloved cat may shun you and pretend to be exceedingly interested in his own grooming. At other times, she may jump into your lap and start to purr contentedly.
Even your kitty’s health problems may remain mysteriously undetected. With a little vigilance, you can spot and correct these sometimes invisible dilemmas:
1. Periodontal Disease. By age three, most cats show evidence of gum disease. Tartar builds up, and bacteria accumulated under the gum line will continually flush into the pet’s system, leading to heart, kidney and liver issues. Your best prevention is to introduce the routine of brushing teeth with your young kitten. Starting later works too, but may require a bit more patience.
2. Feline Oral Resorptive Lesions. Tooth resorption is a puzzling condition that is associated with bacteria and dental disease. It occurs when cells in the body ‘misfire’ and cause developing adult teeth to break down and be resorbed into the blood stream. Owners rarely realize their cats are uncomfortable until the diseased teeth are removed, their kitty suddenly acts like a kitten again.
3. Obesity. A fat cat doesn’t happen overnight. Feline obesity sneaks up on you through overfeeding and inactivity, affecting roughly half of all cats. While many owners find a nicely rounded cat cute, being overweight leads to problems like diabetes, hepatic lipidosis, various cancers and arthritis. Your cat depends on you completely for her diet and exercise opportunities. Talk to us about the best approach.
4. Litterbox Problems. Your cat may try to cover it up, but follow your nose. Your cat can’t hide symptoms like increased urination, abnormal defecation or completely missing the box. Any of these tell-tale signs may signal a bigger problem or disease. Talk to us about your observations.
5. Hairballs. Cats are created to groom themselves, digest hair and eliminate it without issue. Lethargy, reduced appetite, gagging and hairballs may be symptomatic of gastrointestinal problems or disease caused by a hairball that you can’t see. Give us a call, and let’s set up an appointment for an examination.
Now that you recognize the clues, hopefully you’ll detect your cat’s stealthy health challenges. Today’s prevention can go a long way to solving tomorrow’s health conundrums and helping your enigmatic cat live a long and healthy life. Call us, and let’s get started.
