Cat health

The health of domestic cats is a well studied area in veterinary medicine.

Topics include

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Infectious diseases

An

Viral diseases in cats can be serious, especially in catteries and kennels. Timely vaccination can reduce the risk and severity of an infection. The most commonly recommended viruses to vaccinate cats against are:

• Feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1), a viral cause of feline viral rhinotracheitis, a respiratory infection of cats.
• Feline calicivirus (FCV), a common viral cause of respiratory infection in cats.
• Feline parvovirus, which causes
  feline panleukopenia
  (FPV), more commonly known as feline distemper.
• Feline leukemia virus (FeLV), a retrovirus.
• Rabies, a fatal disease transmitted by the bite of an infected mammal. In the United States, cats make up 4.6% of reported cases of rabies infected animals.^[2]

Viruses for which there are no vaccines:

• Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), a lentivirus and genetic relative of HIV.^[3] There is no approved vaccine for FIV in North America.^[4]
• Feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV), a mutation of feline enteric coronavirus (FECV/FeCoV) that causes feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a fatal incurable disease.

See: Global spread of H5N1#Felidae (cats)

Bacterial

• Chlamydia felis

Fungal

• Ringworm
• Cryptococcus
• Malassezia pachydermatis

Parasites

External parasites

• Ear mites and other mites can cause skin problems such as mange.
• Ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes often carry multiple blood-borne diseases.

Internal parasites

• Heartworm
• Hookworm
• Roundworm
• Toxoplasma gondii
• Cytauxzoon felis

Genetic diseases

Domestic cats are affected by over 250 naturally occurring

• Persians
• Feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Heart valve dysplasia
• Heterochromia
• Luxating patella
• Portosystemic shunt. Found in Persians and Himalayans
  .
• Flat-chested kitten syndrome

Skin disorders

Skin disorders are among the most common health problems in cats and have many causes. The condition of a cat's skin and coat can be an important indicator of its general health.

• Cheyletiellosis is a mild dermatitis caused by mites of the genus Cheyletiella. It is also known as walking dandruff due to skin scales being carried by the mites.
• Feline acne
• Feline eosinophilic granuloma
• Flea allergy dermatitis
• eczema
  )
• Mange
• Nutritional skin disorders

Tumors and cancer

• Bladder cancer
• Bone cancer
• Intestinal cancer
• Liver cancer
• Lymphoma in animals
• Mammary tumor
• Mast cell tumor
• Nose cancer
• Skin cancer
• Soft tissue sarcoma
• Stomach cancer

Other diseases

• Anal sacs impaction
• uncoordinated motion. The animal often falls down and has trouble walking
  . Tremors increase when the animal is excited and subside when at ease.
• A corneal ulcer is an inflammatory condition of the cornea involving loss of its outer layer. It is very common in dogs and is sometimes seen in cats.
• Diabetes
• Feline hyperaldosteronism
• Feline hyperthyroidism
• Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures. Epilepsy in cats is rare likely because there is no hereditary component to epilepsy in cats.
• Feline asthma
• Feline hepatic lipidosis also known as Feline Fatty Liver Syndrome, is one of the most common forms of liver disease of cats.^[6] The disease begins when the cat stops eating from a loss of appetite, forcing the liver to convert body fat into usable energy.
• cystitis
  . The term feline urologic syndrome is an older term which is still sometimes used for this condition. It is a common disease in adult cats, though it can strike in young cats too. It may present as any of a variety of urinary tract problems, and can lead to a complete blockage of the urinary system, which if left untreated is fatal.
• Feline odontoclastic resorptive lesion
• Feline spongiform encephalopathy
• Polyneuropathy
• Pyometra
• spaying if the patient has a family history of the medical condition. There is no known scientific study to prove that uterine unicornis is a hereditary genetic disorder. In some cases, the patient may also be missing a kidney on the same side as its missing uterine horn. This phenomenon is also called unilateral renal agenesis
  .

Some common and preventable forms of zoonosis^[7] are as follows:

• Toxoplasmosis
• Giardia
• Cat-scratch disease
• Rabies
• Ringworm

Preventive medicine

Vaccinations

Vaccinations are an important preventive animal health measure. The specific vaccinations recommended for cats varies depending on geographic location, environment, travel history, and the activities the animal frequently engages in. In the United States, regardless of any of these factors, it is usually highly recommended that cats be vaccinated against rabies, feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1), feline calicivirus (FCV), and feline panleukopenia virus (FPV). The decision on whether to vaccinate against other diseases should be made between an owner and a veterinarian, taking into account factors specific to the cat.

Detection of diseases

Feline diseases such as

Parasite medication

Once-a-month topical products or ingestible pills are the most commonly used products to kill and prevent future parasite infestations.

Diet and nutrition

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Veterinarians commonly recommend commercial cat foods that are formulated to address the specific nutritional requirements of cats, although an increasing number of owners are opting for home-prepared cooked or raw diets.

Although cats are

Pica is a condition in which animals chew or eat unusual things such as fabric, plastic or wool. In cats, this can be fatal or require surgical removal if a large amount of foreign material is ingested (for example, an entire sock). It tends to occur more often in Burmese, Oriental, and Siamese breeds.

Food allergy

Phenolic compounds such as those in TCP are harmful to cats.^[11]

Malnutrition

Malnutrition in cats is currently uncommon due to complete and balanced diets being formulated and fed.^[12] Yet it can still occur if the cat's food intake decreases beyond what the food can provide, if interactions occur between ingredients or nutrients, if mistakes are made during formulation or manufacturing, and if the food is stored for a lengthy amount of time.^[12] If a cat becomes malnourished, a deficiency of energy, protein, taurine, essential fatty acids, minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium), vitamins (A, D, E, thiamine, niacin, biotin), and trace elements (iron, copper, zinc, iodine, selenium) can occur, causing a multitude of deficiency symptoms.^[13]

For information about a correct cat diet, see Cat food.

Central retinal degeneration

One of the cat diseases caused by malnutrition is central retinal deficiency, a dysfunction in cats that can be hereditary as well.^[14]

The

Retinal degeneration can be caused by a taurine deficiency, which is why many cat foods are supplemented with taurine.^[16][17] Central retinal deficiency is irreversible, but its effects can be significantly hindered if a diet supplemented with adequate amounts of taurine is provided. Vitamin deficiencies in A and E can also lead to retinal degeneration in cats.

Obesity

Neutering and overfeeding have contributed to increased obesity in domestic cats, especially in developed countries. Obesity in cats has similar effects as in humans, and will increase the risk of

Non-therapeutic surgical procedures

• Spaying and neutering
• Onychectomy (declawing)

Dangers in urban environment

• High–rise syndrome
• Vehicles

Toxic substances

The ASPCA lists some common sources of toxins^[18] that pets encounter, including: plants,^[19] human medications and cosmetics,^[20] cleaning products,^[21] and even foods.^[22]

Some houseplants are harmful to cats. For example, the leaves of the Easter Lily can cause permanent and life-threatening kidney damage to cats, and Philodendron are also poisonous to cats. The Cat Fanciers' Association has a full list of plants harmful to cats.^[23]

Even

Many human foods are somewhat toxic to cats; theobromine in chocolate can cause theobromine poisoning, for instance, although few cats will eat chocolate. Toxicity in cats ingesting relatively large amounts of onions or garlic has also been reported.^{[citation needed]}

Cats may be poisoned by many chemicals usually considered safe by their human guardians,^{[citation needed]} because their livers are less effective at some forms of detoxification.^[31][32] Some of the most common causes of poisoning in cats are antifreeze and rodent baits.^[33] Cats may be particularly sensitive to environmental pollutants. ^[34]

Ethylene glycol (antifreeze) poisoning

Cats can succumb quickly from