Parasites

By and large, the parasites that cats suffer are worms (hook worms, round worms or tape worms) or single-celled organisms (toxoplasma, giardia, isospora) that live in their intestines. They are so common that at any given time, nearly half of all cats have them.

Round worms are the most common parasite in cats and definitely the most benign. Two orders of this parasite occur in cats: Toxascaris leonina and Toxocara cati. The adults of each type are cream colored, three to five inches long and live in the cat's intestine. Fertile eggs produced by the adult females are passed in the infected cat's feces; several days (or even several weeks) later, those eggs develop into the infective larva stage, continuing the infection cycle. Toxocara cati eggs are also passed along in the milk of lactating cats.

There are rodents that have round worm larvae in their tissues; cats allowed outdoors may contract the parasite hunting these small mammals. The other source of contamination is the ingestion of eggs, which is how kittens become infected soon after birth. In those cases, it is possible for kittens to become infected soon after birth. Many effective treatments are available from your veterinarian; prompt diagnosis vital, particularly in kittens, who can quickly succumb to the condition if it is left untreated.

Hook worms

Hookworms (Ancylostoma and Uncinaria) live in the intestines of adult cats. They thin worms, under half an inch long and as slender as thread. Once a cat is infected with this parasite, if it is left untreated the hook worms will live as long as the cat does.

Infection occurs by ingestion, or when larvae penetrate a cat's skin. Once inside, they migrate through the body until they reach the intestines, their final home, where they mature into adult worms.

If the infestation is severe, anemia can occur due to blood loss from the intestines where the worms attach themselves. Blood in the feces will turn the cat's droppings black and tarry; like all anemia, death can occur if the condition remains untreated.

Roundworms are easily diagnosed and treated. Future infestations can be prevented by good sanitation and daily cleaning of the litter box. Care must be taken when performing these tasks, as hook worms can spread to humans through the skin.

Tapeworms

Cats get tapeworms from infected fleas, which they swallow during grooming, or by eating an infected rodent. These parasites can usually be seen at the base of the tail and around the rectum. They are roughly the size of a grain of rice, about a quarter of an inch long and flat. When they are dry, they look more like sesame seeds. The adult tapeworm lives in the cat's intestine. It has a long flat body that looks like a tape that is actually comprised of a series of segments filled with eggs and a small head that attaches onto the intestine. Segments farthest from the head mature first, break off and pass through the cat.

Controlling the flea population on your pet and keeping the cat indoors away from wild rodents will effectively remove the possibility of infection. Many medications successfully treat this infestation.

Isospora

At some point in their lifetime, virtually every cat will become infected by this micro-scopic, one-celled organism. They cause coccidiosis, relatively benign in adult cats but a serious threat to kittens.

Cats ingest this parasite, which passes through the feces of infected cats into the soil, where it matures, which can happen in as little as six hours.

In kittens, this parasite can destroy the lining of the intestine and cause diarrhea with often contains mucous. Prompt diagnosis by your veterinarian is vital and effective treatments are available. Good sanitation practices can effectively eliminate this organism.

Giardia

This parasite is most common in multi-cat environments, since it is spread cat-to-cat through fecal contact. Immune to chlorine and resistant to freezing, these are hardy parasites that cause acute chronic diarrhea. Diagnosis is difficult since it requires microscopic examination of the cats' feces to confirm presence of the cyst, but infected cats do not pass the cysts in every bowel movement or every day. There are several medications available to treat this condition, but it is not uncommon to run into resistance — these might be one-celled, but they are tough.

Toxoplasmosa

Cats rarely get toxoplasmosis, the disease caused by this parasite, but they are most assuredly the organism's main host. Cats ingest this parasite in any of three stages; once inside the cat they settle in the small intestine. Several weeks later they start producing eggs, which the cat passes through its feces. Your veterinarian has several forms of successful treatment available.

Pregnant women are advised to avoid dealing with litter boxes because of this parasite's likely presence in fecal matter deposited there; this parasite spreads to most warm blooded species with ease.

Common physical disorders

While specific breeds of cats can be at risk for a variety of heritable disorders, overall all cats are at risk for the following five common ailments.

Urinary tract infection (UTI)

This condition commonly occurs in cats and presents identically to the same problem in humans. The cat may cry out in pain when it tries to urinate; it may attempt to urinate without success; it may be feverish and it may show some blood in its urine. As with people, the treatment is antibiotics. Prompt diagnosis is vital, since the infection can spread to the kidneys.

UTIs form the backbone of the food debate among cat fanciers. Many believe that dry food diets contribute to the condition and advocate a lifetime of wet (canned) food use as a preventive measure.

Upper respiratory infection

Much like the common cold in terms of symptoms, this condition is rare in house pets but common in feral cats. Yet another reason to keep house cats indoors at all times is the fact that this viral infection spreads from cat to cat outdoors.

Symptoms are runny nose, lack of appetite, raspy breathing, coughing and sneezing combined with overall lethargy. This is not the same cold people suffer, and is not contagious to humans.

Your veterinarian will put the cat on antibiotics to avoid complications, but otherwise like all viruses it will simply have to run its course.

Feline distemper (panleukopenia)

This virus plagues kittens, but any cat of any age can catch it. Highly contagious, it is very difficult to keep the disease from spreading in a multi-cat environment. Infected cats will appear lethargic, dry skinned, may begin losing their hair and cats of any age can die from this virus. Now that a vaccination is available, all cat owners should protect their pet from this illness.

Chronic kidney failure

This is a common condition in aging cats, who begin to suffer the condition as their kidneys cease to function efficiently. Initially, they will need additional water to dilute and process the toxins not being treated by their failing kidneys, but ultimately they will not be able to survive the amount of toxins and their deleterious effect.

Lack of energy, listlessness and/or vomiting can be signs of this condition; sadly there is no cure. Pet dialysis is available in many large animal care clinics and veterinarian's offices and this procedure can extend the animal's life. It works identically to the process in humans with kidney disease: toxin-laden blood is removed, purified, and returned to the patient. This is an expensive treatment and may or may not be covered by your pet medical insurance policy. You doctor can also make a cat more comfortable at this end of life stage.

Diabetes

Cats suffer diabetes in just the same way people do and the condition is identical. Diabetics are not producing enough insulin to regulate blood sugar and will need either a special diet, drugs or insulin injections to live with the condition.

As in people, symptoms may include excessive thirst and increased hunger without weight gain. Once diagnosed, your veterinarian will determine the correct treatment. Severe diabetes will require daily insulin injections; your doctor can train you to administer this vital treatment.