Cat Owner's Manual › Chapter 8: Cat Health Care › Cat Checkups at Home ›

List: Cat Checkups at Home

Mouth: Teeth should be white, with no cracks, discoloration, or tartar deposits. Gums, tongue, and the insides of the cheeks should be uniformly pink, with no swelling or irritation. The cat's breath, though perhaps slightly "fishy," should not be noxious.

Nose: There should be no discharge or ragged, congested breathing. Constant sneezing is a sign of possible malfunction.

Eyes: A healthy cat should have clear eyes that don't bulge or appear cloudy, red, or irritated. The third eyelid should be barely visible in each interior corner. A prominent third eyelid is a sign of illness.

Output Port: Be sure this area is clean, dry, and free of bumps and welts.

Ears: The interiors should be clean, odorless, and free of dark-colored discharge. There should be no tenderness, pain, or itching. The cat should not continually scratch its ears or shake its head.

Weight: If you cannot feel the cat's ribs, the unit may be overweight. If the ribs are very pronounced, the feline could be underweight. Be advised that the gain or loss of a half pound in a week is reason for a veterinary consultation.

Paws: Check condition of claws (if present), and make sure the pads are clean, without cracks, and otherwise in good condition.

Skin: Run your fingers over the cat's body. Check for irritated spots, bumps, or places where the feline reacts negatively when touched. Also, use a comb to examine the skin for "flea dirt" (excrement from fleas that resembles grains of pepper). Skin should be free of odor, grease, scabs, flakes, and other irritations.

Coat: Check for bald spots, dullness, and/or excessive, unwarranted shedding. Contact your veterinarian if your cat stops grooming entirely, as this is often a sign of malfunction.

expert tipEXPERT TIP: Felines are programmed to conceal pain and discomfort, so getting an accurate reading on their health can often be difficult. For this reason it is important to carefully observe your cat's normal behavior—everything from how it walks to how it interacts with you. This can serve as a baseline with which to compare suspicious changes.

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Chapter 8: Cat Health Care

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this is such awesome info on cat checkup at home... i do it once in a while to make sure my cats doing fine :)

purred by ishma qadir on Jun 9, 2008 AT 10:15 am PDT
1 person found this comment helpful.
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We very much appreciate this site. Very helpful content. Thank you again

purred by Valerie Gairns on Aug 14, 2008 AT 10:24 pm PDT
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Quirk BooksThe Cat Owner's Manual is a basic guide to cat care.
The book was written by a celebrated veterinarian and an acclaimed author. It provides cat owners with well-researched and helpful information presented in a lighthearted manner. The creators chose to write the book in a style similar to what you'd find in "operating instructions" for a car or computer. Of course they--and we--respect the fact that our beloved pets are not products or machines!