The Signs of a Healthy Cat
|
 |
| Reasonably
healthy stray cat - photo: Jason Armstrong (Flickr) |
What are the signs of a healthy cat? Good cat caretakers will know when their cat is not right and possibly ill but it can be a bit tricky as cats conceal illness and compensate. I have kept this concise and a summary.
The major reference source for this article is the excellent: The Cat: Its Behavior, Nutrition and Health
by Linda P Case.| Criteria |
Sign |
| Skin
and fur |
We
know that a healthy cat that is not overweight has a nice shiny well
groomed coat. The skin should be pliable and elastic and free from any
abnormaliities. See e.g. Symptoms of Feline Diabetes (new window) |
| Mucous
membrane (mucosa1) |
Not
pigmented these should be light pink and glistening. See e.g. Conjunctivitis
in a Kitten and Feline Anemia (new window). |
| Eating |
Normal
and regular. See e.g. My
Cat Has Lost Appetite and Weight with Labored Breathing and Feline Weight Loss (new window). |
| Body
condition/weight |
Correct
weight range for cat of certain type and age. Healthy
Cat Weight |
| Body
temperature |
Correct
- see cat
temperature |
| Pulse |
Correct
- see normal
cat pulse |
| Respiration |
Correct
- approx. 20 - 40 inhalations per minute. See e.g. Himalayan
Cat With Heavy Breathing and My
Cat Has Rapid Breathing |
| Elimination |
Urine
elimination is regular and stool good. See e.g. Blood
in Cat Stool and Feline
Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC) |
Note:
1. Mucosa: "the inner layer of mucus produciing cells that lines the repiratory, gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts." (Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook - glossary of terms page 585). They are at several places contiguous with skin: at the nostrils, the mouth, the lips, the eyelids, the ears, the genital area, and the anus. (Wikipedia authors).
The signs of a healthy cat to home page
