Just like you as a human, your cat can also suffer from various diseases.
Very often the diseases are harmless, but in most cases a medical treatment must be carried out.
Here is a small overview for you so that you can better assess the disease of your cat and if necessary clarify by a doctor.

Abscess

Abscesses are often found in the head area of cats. They are painful swellings. When the abscess opens to the outside, pus empties from the abscess cavity.

Possible Causes

Bacterial infections
Injuries ( bite wounds )

Anemia

Anemia is also known as anemia. It causes listlessness and loss of appetite in cats. Your cat will appear listless and lacking energy. The tongue and the gums of your cat are pale. If the disease persists for a long time, the coat becomes dull and shaggy.

Possible Causes Of Anemia

Blood loss.
Parasite infestation.
Poisoning.
Kidney or liver disease.
Malnutrition.
Infectious diseases.

Seizures

When your cat has a seizure it is usually unconscious for a few seconds or even minutes. A mild seizure may be indicated by drowsiness or uncontrolled twitching of the legs. In some cases, cats may also foam at the mouth.

Possible Causes Are

Epilepsy Head injury.
Poisoning.
Rabies.
Aortic thrombosis.
Aortic thrombosis is characterized by sudden onset of pain. Paralysis of the hind legs, cold hind legs or disturbed sensitivity of the hind legs can also indicate aortic thrombosis.
If your cat usually has pink pads, you can also recognize aortic thrombosis by the discoloration of the pads. Often they will be purple or blue in color.

Osteoarthritis

Your cat lies down more than usual and is also much calmer. Because of her severe pain, she brushes herself much less and gets shaggy fur as a result. Paralysis may also occur.

Possible Causes:

Chronic joint inflammation such as – deformities, sprains, wear and tear, or free cartilage particles in the joint.

Peritonitis

Your cat often has a poor appetite and is fatigued. Depending on the type of inflammation, a chafed abdomen may be visible. Your cat may have a fever and her defecation may be painful.

Possible Causes

Heavy parasite infestation.
Viral or bacterial infections.
Injuries.

Pleurisy

The cat is breathing very heavily and suffers from loss of appetite and drive.

The 10 Most Common Cat Diseases

Parasite Infestation

The parasites like fleas, ticks, lice, worms and many more, infest cats as well as other living creatures. However, you can protect your cat from parasite infestation with a worming treatment.

Respiratory Diseases

The best known is probably the cat cold, which is characterized by sneezing and fever. But there are also like us humans bronchitis and asthma in cats.

Skin Diseases

Especially in furless animals, skin inflammation and rashes are very common.
A cat can also get allergic skin inflammations, acne or eczema.

Gastrointestinal Diseases

Cats have a very sensitive digestive system and are therefore very picky about their food. If they have ingested parasites or something else wrong with their food, diarrhea or vomiting will occur quickly. Again, as in humans, gastritis or ulcers are possible.
The fatal cat disease FIP is also transmitted via intestinal viruses.

Wounds/Skin Injuries

In the case of wounds or skin injuries, cats with little or no fur are more often affected, because they have no protection. Cats are very curious and often climb through narrow bushes or gaps. Because of this, free-roaming cats are more often affected by such injuries.

Dental Diseases

You should make sure that your cat does not develop tartar. If you discover tartar on your cat, have it removed. Like humans, cats need to keep their teeth clean. Remember, cats can get cavities too!

Eye Diseases

Infectious diseases, for example cat cold, often affect the eyes of your cat. Cats can get glaucoma or cataracts just like humans. Cats can also become blind.
Usually, however, mainly older animals are affected by this cat disease.

Bladder Diseases

Cats can also suffer from bladder infections, bladder stones or infections in the urinary tract.

Kidney Diseases

Especially older animals often suffer from kidney stone diseases. It is very dangerous that this disease is detected late. The cat disease has no or hardly any symptoms in the beginning by which one could recognize kidney stones.

Ear Disease

Unfortunately, an inflammation of the middle ear or deafness can affect a cat. Many infectious diseases attack the ears and respiratory tract.

Fatal Cat Diseases

Here are three well-known examples of cat diseases that unfortunately often or always lead to the death of the cat.

FIP

FIP stands for “Feline Infectious Peritonitis.” This is an inflammation of the peritoneum. Often very young animals or animals from 14 years of age are affected. Unfortunately, the disease always ends fatally. The cat disease often breaks out in animal shelters or breeders, because it often affects male cats and cats in large numbers living together in a small space. There is a vaccination against this cat disease, however, it does not provide 100% protection.

Feline Epidemic

The technical term for feline epidemic is “Panleukopeni”. Especially small, young cats die from this dangerous infectious disease. This dangerous cat disease is caused by parvovirosis pathogens. However, you can protect your cat from feline epidemic with vaccination. Cats and dogs can infect each other with the pathogen. You should have your cat vaccinated against this cat disease as early as possible to protect it.

Kidney Disease

Kidney disease often affects older cats and males. The dangerous thing is that these kidney diseases are detected late. Unfortunately, they are usually fatal. For this reason, the animals should be regularly examined by a veterinarian. It is recommended that cats 8 years and older should go for an annual check-up. Younger cats every two years.

How Do I Recognize Cat Diseases?

If your cat stops eating, becomes thin, or loses a lot of fur, you should take notice. Common signs of cat disease are deviations from daily routines, movements, and eating habits. Also, if your cat sleeps more than usual and no longer seeks your body, a doctor should be consulted.
Which cat disease is contagious?

Cat Cold And Cat Epidemic

Viral or bacterial cat diseases, such as cat cold or cat epidemic, are often transmitted by direct contact with the pathogen.
However, we can also carry these diseases into the home with our shoes. Therefore, we should also have our domestic cat vaccinated. The symptoms can usually be treated well. Cats suffer a lot from these diseases. Cat cold is not contagious for humans. Cat epidemic, on the other hand, unfortunately, usually ends fatally.

Feline AIDS And Leucosis

For several reasons veterinarians are advised to neuter his animal. It is not only the reason of unwanted reproduction, but the transmission of cat-Aids. In the case of cat fights or a cat bite during the sexual act, it can come to the transmission of the incurable cat disease cat AIDS. This means that neutering a cat is basically part of preventive health care. The leukosis or leukemia of cats (FeLV), is transmitted just like the cat AIDS from animal to animal. For example in territorial fights. Both cat diseases are transmitted by saliva or nasal secretions.

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease. The cat can carry the pathogens in itself, but it does not necessarily have to fall ill with it. You yourself can get infected with it when cleaning the cat’s litter box. For most people it is not dangerous, but in pregnant women this disease can cause miscarriages or deformities. If the parasites are ingested through raw meat, such as tartar, virtually any living creature can become infected.

Rabies

The known disease that can be transmitted to humans is rabies. In Germany, rabies, which can be transmitted by foxes, has been eradicated. For example, if you bring an animal from another country and it is infected with rabies, it can definitely transmit the disease to humans. So if you would like to bring an animal from abroad, you should first take it to the vet to treat it with worming or vaccines in the worst case.
However, your cat can also get infected with rabies when catching bats. This is because rabies has not yet been eradicated in bats.

What To Do If Your Cat Is Sick

If you notice symptoms in your cat, you should definitely consult a veterinarian. Cats need different medicines than we humans do, so you should definitely refrain from giving your cat home remedies. Also the healing methods with Bach flowers should be clarified with your veterinarian beforehand.