It’s tough when your cat is suffering from a disease, and taking care of it can be difficult if you are new to having a cat as a pet. If you are confused about how to help your cat out while it’s sick, you don’t need to panic, as in this post, you will learn how to care for a sick cat if this has happened with you for the first time.
Taking It To A Vet
If you sense that your cat is not doing well and suspect that it might be going through a disease, other than self-diagnosing the disease, it’s better to take her to a vet and get her checked. Apart from further instructions that you need to consider while grooming your cat, your vet will also advise you on what foods you should avoid giving to your cat and how you should carry on her diet for better recovery.
Pamper Her
While your cat is sick, it is important to pamper her and take care of her. You can brush her fur coat and caress her while doing that to make her feel loved and appreciated. If your cat has an accident, it might be traumatized as well, which is why making her feel loved can be a great way to shake off the fear, stress, or trauma inside her head. Bathing your cat can also be great, but you’ll have to ask your vet about it before bathing her.
Don’t Force Your Cats To Eat
Cats do what they want to do, which is why you cannot forcefully groom them, bathe them and determine when and what to feed a sick cat. If your cat is sick, do not force food upon it, as it simply won’t eat and will act rather repulsive. You can keep trying, but you shouldn’t force anything. You can try different tricks to create hunger in your cat’s stomach; for example, you can cook nice aromatic food which your cat likes and will be attracted to. Or, you can use strong ingredients in your cat’s food that it can smell and might make it deserve food. Check its condition for the first 24 hours and see whether it eats anything. If you have no luck feeding her in the first 24 hours, immediately take your cat to a vet, as they will guide you on how to feed the sick cat.
Suggested reading:
Self-Diagnosing
Vets can be expensive. Even though you should ultimately take your cat to a vet if it has an accident or has fallen sick, it’s always nice to self-diagnose to have a direct approach towards your cat’s recovery and take care of her accordingly. Here are some common diseases that cats face, and here’s how to identify them:
Diarrhea
If your cat has been vomiting for the past 24 hours and can’t eat anything, your cat might probably be suffering from diarrhea or an upset stomach. In such situations, you should immediately call a vet and describe the situation to him/her. Try giving your cat one tablespoon of boiled chicken or white fish and check whether or not it can eat it. If it does eat it, then keep feeding her that in the same quantity every two hours. If this diet works, keep your cat on this diet for at least 2 days. Once your cat starts recovering, start mixing other foods according to the vet’s guidelines. If cats with diarrhea skip meals, it is crucial to call a vet if this is happening for more than 24 hours.
Skin Problems
This is a very common problem that cats go through, and this happens due to many reasons, such as:
- Parasitic Infections
- Fungal Infections
- Bacterial Infections
- Viral Infections
- Acne
- Allergies
- Sun Damage
- Skin Cancer
- Drug Reactions
- Fur loss caused by excessive stress
- Dermatitis
- Trauma
To detect skin issues in your cat, stay attentive and keep observing your cat’s body while grooming her. Most of these issues are caused by fleas and other parasites in your cat’s fur coat that cause your cat’s skin to be itchy and prone to various skin diseases. This is why it is important to keep brushing and bathing your cat, especially if it belongs to a longhair breed. If your cat is feeling itchy, all you have to do is apply an ice pack to the itchy areas. Also, try stopping your cats from licking themselves.
Cat Flu
Cats catch flu when they get exposed to rain or through or when they get exposed to viruses. Symptoms of cat flu are pretty similar to the symptoms of a typical cold. Cats usually get ulcers on their moth during flu, and there can also be a lot of discharge in their eyes. Wipe the discharge using lukewarm water, or you can use Olbas Oil in a vaporizer. However, cats often catch pneumonia when exposed to rain, and it can be fatal for cats. So, to protect your cat from such diseases, go to a vet as soon as you witness these symptoms.
Medication
Once a disease has been diagnosed in your cat, it’s time to give it the medicines prescribed by the vet. Give the cat the necessary medication according to the instructions provided by the vet, as they know the correct way to do so.
Lighten Up Its Mood
Cats take up stress and get traumatized quite easily whenever they get sick or get injured. They can get so paranoid that even after getting healed, they won’t be as active, playful, or friendly as they were before. This is why you should spend more time with your cat when it gets ill or injured. Try playing with it, groom it, and caress its fur coat. It is vital to make your cat feel loved in such difficult times.
Suggested readings:
- Read our guide about cat grooming
- Is it necessary to vaccinate my cat?
- Common health problems in cats and how to identify them
We hope that this post helps you understand how to help a sick cat if this is your first time as a cat owner.
5 comments