You probably love your cat just as much as the next guy/gal who has one – it’s easy to understand why too – what’s not to love about those cute, fuzzy little rascals? A cat is a living thing though, and just like other living things, it gets sick from time to time. As a responsible owner, you must be very diligent in finding out as much as you can about the various conditions that can potentially affect your cat, and know how to react in case the animal’s health is endangered.
Some of the most common problems you’re going to encounter owning a cat will be related to its gastrointestinal tract. Cats have a sensitive digestive system, so it’s not rare to see your cat with diseases and conditions like diarrhea; you must know how to approach the most common ones immediately and then contact your vet as soon as possible, and also learn how to spot the potentially really dangerous ones compared to conditions that will most likely pass quickly and harmlessly.
Another cat disease related to the digestive system, though manifested in the urinary tract, is cystitis – that unpleasant infection that affects humans as well and makes it painful and difficult for the animal to urinate. In most cases it can be treated easily with some prescribed antibiotics, though make sure you consult your vet first – and make absolutely sure to visit them again for a follow-up inspection to make sure everything’s fine.
Hairballs are another good example of commonly occurring gastrointestinal problems in cats, though they’re certainly nothing to be worried about in most cases – a cat will form hairballs in its digestive tract naturally quite often and its organism will expel them harmlessly. In the worst case you may have to clean up some vomit but it’ll certainly be nothing to worry about unless the hairball becomes really large and causes serious issues to the cat’s stomach.
Allergies are also something cats are naturally prone to, though not as much as us humans. A rather unpleasant potential effect of an allergy in your cat can lead to the development of asthma, which can give your cat attacks later on, sometimes serious enough to kill it. This makes asthma – and allergies in general – a serious cat disease that requires your immediate consideration if you want the animal to live safely and for long.