Cats are hunters, which is why they cannot show weakness in nature. If the animals are injured or in pain or suffering in some other way, they behave accordingly inconspicuously. It is therefore not so easy for cat owners to find out that their pet is suffering. It is all the more important to observe your own cat carefully and know which symptoms and behavioral changes you should look out for. Below we will show you how to recognize that your cat is suffering and what you can do about it.
The behavior of a suffering cat
While we humans can verbally express that we are not feeling well, cats remain silent . They could draw attention to their pain by meowing, but in nature such conspicuous behavior would scare away prey. Basically, a cat has to be feeling pretty bad before it expresses its suffering through a change in behavior. If it does this, it usually remains quiet and withdraws , appearing tired and worn out . If your house cat is usually cuddly and playful, but now prefers to lie in its hiding place and does not like to be touched, it is probably not well.
If you try to stroke the animal in this state or encourage it to play, you will probably provoke a negative or even aggressive reaction . If the cat is in great pain, it may extend its claws or bite when you try to stroke it. Therefore, handle your cat very gently and carefully if you sense that it is suffering or in pain. Even if you instinctively feel that your petting would do the animal good, cats want peace and quiet . Don't be irritated by the fact that your darling is purring. In this case, that doesn't mean that the cat is feeling good. On the contrary, it is trying to calm itself down by purring .
Any behavior that deviates from your cat's norm should alert you. Withdrawal, sensitivity to touch, aggression, crouched posture or limping indicate that the animal is suffering. In addition to behavior, you can also look out for other symptoms that give a more precise indication of why your cat is suffering.
Symptoms and causes of the suffering
If you notice that your cat is pulling away in an unusual way, you should look out for other visible signs. These include external injuries and wounds as well as changes in the animal's overall appearance . Since cats have thick fur, injuries are not always immediately noticeable. If the animal allows you to pet it, you can gently stroke its body and feel for anything unusual. Torn-out sections of fur can also be a clue.
Not only missing fur, but also a dull and matte coat color indicate that something is wrong with your pet. Various diseases or nutritional deficiencies could be the cause. In this case, a veterinarian will carry out various tests to determine more precisely.
If you have the feeling that your cat is eating less or not eating at all, this is a clear indication that the animal is not well. This could be due to a food allergy , an infectious disease or another illness, as well as fear or stress. Injuries to the mouth and throat area are also often the cause. If this is the case, cats usually also have a noticeably unpleasant bad breath.
If your cat is breathing very shallowly, this could be a sign of circulatory problems . Dizziness is also unpleasant for cats and can lead to nausea. There are many reasons for poor circulation. The animal may have been exposed to high heat for a long time or not drunk enough . But shallow breathing can also be caused by infectious diseases, pain, malnutrition or other illnesses.
A suffering cat will also often have dilated pupils . So pay attention to the animal's eyes if you are unsure how it is doing. If the room is bright and the cat has not been chasing a toy or something similar with its eyes, its pupils should be a normal size. If they are noticeably dilated, this is an indication that the animal is tense or afraid.
The behavior and symptoms of a suffering cat are very subtle. It takes a closer look to determine how the animal really feels. The better you know your pet, the faster you will notice that something is wrong. If the suffering lasts longer than one or two days - depending on the accompanying symptoms and their severity - you should visit a veterinarian who will examine exactly what is wrong with your animal and initiate appropriate treatment.
Treatment
If your cat is suffering, you should first give it some rest . If its condition does not improve after a day, have the exact cause determined. A vet can examine the cat for injuries or, for example, take an x-ray to check for internal injuries. Blood, urine and stool samples can also be used to diagnose other illnesses. The more accurate the diagnosis, the better the treatment.
Depending on what is wrong with your cat, different treatment methods are possible. If your cat is suffering from a gastrointestinal disease , simply switching to a light diet can be helpful. The same applies to metabolic diseases such as diabetes or kidney failure . A diet tailored to the disease can often alleviate the animal's suffering.
If the cause of the pain is the cat's teeth, the culprits will be removed. If your cat only has tartar , the vet will remove that as well. Dental hygiene should not be neglected in cats either, as dental diseases can have a negative effect on the heart, liver and kidneys .
If your cat has problems with its musculoskeletal system and, for example, has difficulty walking or jumping, exercise therapy can help. This can be done actively by carefully encouraging the animal to do hurdle training, slalom or climbing under the supervision of a physiotherapist . But it can also be done passively by the therapist by moving the limbs.
Depending on the cause of the suffering or illness, various medications can also be used. If the cat is in great pain, giving painkillers is helpful. In the case of metabolic disorders, medication is usually used to maintain the metabolism. Serious illnesses such as cancer or feline AIDS are treated with medication, on the one hand to stop or slow down the spread of the disease , and on the other hand to help limit the animal's suffering.
If no treatment works and your pet continues to suffer without any prospect of improvement, you should also consider putting the animal out of its misery . In this case, seek extensive advice from a vet and get a second opinion. Deciding to put an animal down is very difficult. However, the cat's well-being should always be the priority. For the cat, a life full of pain is torture, which is why the last step is to take it away.
In any case, it is important to recognize the animal's suffering as early as possible and to act quickly . Otherwise, suffering and pain can become anchored in the animal's memory and become chronic . Treating chronic pain is much more difficult than treating acute pain.
