Cat diseases

The 56 diseases and health problems vets see most often in cats, explained without alarmism: how they show, how they are treated, whether they spread, which breeds are more at risk and what treatment costs. To help you understand, not to diagnose: that is your vet's job.

Is it an emergency?

Go to the vet now if your cat is breathing with its mouth open, if a male cat cannot pass urine, if it is dragging its back legs, if it has touched a lily or swallowed a human medicine, or if it has not eaten for more than a day.

56 diseases

Kidneys and urinary tract Acute kidney injury The kidneys stop working within hours or days because of a toxin, a blockage or an infection. Emergency Poisoning and accidents Antifreeze poisoning The ethylene glycol in antifreeze tastes sweet, and a teaspoonful can be fatal. Emergency Skin and coat Bite abscess A pocket of pus that appears days after a fight, because the canine teeth push bacteria under the skin. Kidneys and urinary tract Chronic kidney disease A slow, irreversible loss of kidney function and the classic disease of older cats. Inherited breed conditions Congenital deafness in white cats Many white cats, especially those with blue eyes, are born deaf in one or both ears because of the same gene that gives them their colour. Inherited Eyes Conjunctivitis Inflammation of the membrane around the eye and the most common eye problem in cats. Contagious Eyes Corneal ulcer A wound on the clear surface of the eye. Emergency Hormones and metabolism Diabetes mellitus Similar to type 2 diabetes in people and closely linked to obesity. Parasites Ear mites Tiny mites that live in the ear canal and produce dark wax like coffee grounds. Contagious Heart and circulation Feline arterial thromboembolism A clot formed in a diseased heart breaks loose and blocks the artery that carries blood to the back legs. Emergency Respiratory system Feline asthma Chronic inflammation of the airways that causes coughing and attacks of breathlessness. Skin and coat Feline atopic dermatitis An allergy to things in the environment such as house dust mites or pollen. Respiratory system Feline brachycephalic syndrome A group of problems that come from a very flat face: narrow nostrils, watery eyes, crowded teeth and a higher risk in hot weather. Inherited Infectious diseases Feline calicivirus A very widespread respiratory virus that, as well as sneezing, causes ulcers in the mouth and on the tongue. Contagious Mouth and teeth Feline chronic gingivostomatitis Very painful inflammation of the gums and mouth, out of proportion to the amount of tartar. Kidneys and urinary tract Feline idiopathic cystitis Inflammation of the bladder with no infection or stones, closely linked to stress. Infectious diseases Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) A slow-moving virus that gradually weakens the immune system. Contagious Infectious diseases Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) A disease that appears when feline coronavirus, which is very common and harmless in the gut, mutates inside the cat. Parasites Feline leishmaniosis The same disease that is such a concern in dogs also affects cats in Spain, though less often. Infectious diseases Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) A retrovirus spread mainly through saliva which, in cats with progressive infection, causes anaemia, immunosuppression and lymphoma. Contagious Infectious diseases Feline panleukopenia Infection with feline parvovirus, which wipes out the immune defences and the lining of the gut. EmergencyContagious Infectious diseases Feline viral rhinotracheitis (herpesvirus) The most common cause of a “cold” in cats. Contagious Skin and coat Flea allergy dermatitis The most common skin allergy in cats. Parasites Fleas The most common external parasite in cats, indoor cats included. Contagious Skin and coat Food allergy An immune reaction to a protein in the diet, almost always one the cat has been eating for some time. Poisoning and accidents Heatstroke Body temperature rises above 40–41 °C (104–106 °F) and starts to damage the organs. Emergency Digestive system Hepatic lipidosis When a cat, especially an overweight one, stops eating for a few days, the liver fills with fat and stops working. Emergency Poisoning and accidents High-rise syndrome Injuries from falling off balconies or out of windows. Emergency Heart and circulation Hypertension High blood pressure in cats almost always comes with another disease, especially kidney or thyroid disease. Hormones and metabolism Hyperthyroidism Too much thyroid hormone because of a benign tumour of the gland. Heart and circulation Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Thickening of the heart wall and the most common heart disease in cats. Inherited Digestive system Inflammatory bowel disease Chronic inflammation of the gut that causes vomiting, diarrhoea or weight loss for weeks. Tumours Injection-site sarcoma An aggressive and uncommon tumour (in the region of one to ten per ten thousand vaccinated cats) that can appear where an injection was given. Parasites Intestinal parasites Roundworms, tapeworms and protozoa that live in the gut. ContagiousZoonotic Poisoning and accidents Lily poisoning Lilies are among the most toxic things a home with a cat can contain: pollen licked off the paws or the water in the vase is enough to damage the kidneys. Emergency Digestive system Linear foreign body Thread, ribbon, tinsel or hair ties that a cat swallows and that bunch up the intestine like an accordion. Emergency Tumours Lymphoma The most common cancer in cats. Tumours Mammary tumours In female cats, the great majority of mammary tumours are malignant. Digestive system Megacolon and chronic constipation The colon widens and loses strength, and faeces build up and harden. Hormones and metabolism Obesity More than 20 % above ideal weight. Bones and joints Osteoarthritis Wear and tear of the joints, very common in older cats and greatly underdiagnosed because the cat does not limp: it simply stops jumping. Digestive system Pancreatitis Inflammation of the pancreas, which in cats is almost always chronic with vague signs. Poisoning and accidents Paracetamol poisoning Cats cannot get rid of paracetamol and there is no safe dose: a single tablet can kill. Emergency Mouth and teeth Periodontal disease Plaque and tartar that inflame the gums and destroy the bone holding the teeth in place. Poisoning and accidents Permethrin poisoning One of the most common poisonings in cats: applying a spot-on treatment meant for dogs. Emergency Kidneys and urinary tract Polycystic kidney disease An inherited disease in which the kidneys fill with cysts that grow over the years until they cause chronic kidney disease. Inherited Eyes Progressive retinal atrophy An inherited disease in which the retina gradually degenerates until the cat goes blind. Inherited Inherited breed conditions Pyruvate kinase deficiency An inherited defect of the red blood cells, which have a shorter life and break down. Inherited Skin and coat Ringworm A fungal infection of the skin and coat, common in kittens and long-haired cats. ContagiousZoonotic Bones and joints Scottish Fold osteochondrodysplasia The same mutation that folds the Scottish Fold’s ears also affects cartilage throughout the body. Inherited Inherited breed conditions Spinal muscular atrophy in Maine Coons An inherited disease of the Maine Coon in which the nerve cells that move the back leg muscles die. Inherited Tumours Squamous cell carcinoma A tumour that appears on unpigmented skin (ear tips, nose, eyelids) of white cats that get a lot of sun, and also in the mouth, where it is more aggressive. Mouth and teeth Tooth resorption The cat’s own body gradually destroys the structure of a tooth. Infectious diseases Toxoplasmosis A parasite that a cat can shed in its faeces for only a few weeks in its life, usually when young. Zoonotic Kidneys and urinary tract Urinary obstruction A male cat’s urethra becomes blocked by a plug of crystals and mucus or by a stone, and he cannot urinate. Emergency Kidneys and urinary tract Urinary stones Mineral stones in the bladder or, less often, in the kidney.

From A to Z

Educational content from Michipedia. It does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a vet. No medicine doses, on purpose. Costs are a guide for Spain in 2026.