by Michelle Graf

Created on: February 26, 2010

One of the most frustrating and frightening things about being a pet owner is having a sick pet.  They cannot tell us with words where it hurts or that they feel bad, and how serious it is.  Paying attention to your cat's normal behaviour and recognizing deviations in that behaviour is the best defense against discovering a potentially serious illness too late.

Fever is often a sign of illness in both humans and cats.  Cats, however, have a higher normal body temperature, about 102.5 degrees F, compared to our 98.6 degrees F.  As a result, cats usually feel warm to our touch, especially in their extremities.  The only true test of fever in a cat is by taking their temperature.  Rectal thermometers are inexpensive, but can be uncomfortable for your pet.  Ear thermometers are much simpler, and with their instant read features can be a lot less wear and tear on the person holding the cat for you.  If you suspect your cat has a fever and do not have a pet thermometer, have your vet check their temperature for you.

Low grade fevers are often signs of minor infections, and are generated by the body's own healing response.  Cats are particularly susceptible to urinary tract and respiratory tract infections.  Respiratory tract infections also produce a number of other symptoms such as runny eyes, stuffed nasal passages, and decreased appetite. 

Urinary tract infections may not produce visible symptoms until they are quite severe; symptoms include passing blood, difficulty in producing urine, urinating outside of the litter box.  Urinating often causes pain, but cats are often reluctant to show any sign of being in pain.  Certainly any uncharacteristic meowing or howling while using the litter box needs to be investigated further.  Your vet can easily determine if the cat has a urinary tract infection by taking a urine sample.

Some parasitical infections can cause low grade fevers as well.  Again, fecal samples are valuable tools for your vet to determine if your cat has parasites.  A worm preventative can be given which will quickly get rid of any nasty bugs in the cat's digestive tract.

In some cases, even low grade fevers can be signs of serious illness.  Feline leukemia, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and Feline Infectious Peritonitis may cause low grade fevers.  All of these conditions are often fatal, and can be contagious to other cats.  For this reason, even low grade fevers should be investigated by your vet, especially when accompanied by weight loss and/or decreased appetite.

High fevers (in cats, a high fever is defined as over 105 degrees F) are very serious and warrant immediate veterinary intervention.  Because cats lack the ability to cool their body temperature through sweat, even a day or two with a high fever can cause severe dehydration, brain damage, and ultimately, death.  The sooner a veterinarian can determine the cause of the fever, the sooner treatment can begin and the danger passes.

It is very important NOT to administer fever reducing drugs designed for humans to a cat.  Aspirin and acetaminophen are very toxic to cats and can cause serious illness or death.  Your veterinarian will determine if a fever reducer is necessary, and prescribe a medication designed and safe for the cat.

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