Is my cat sick? Try this at-home exam

Regular visits to the veterinarian are essential to keeping your cat healthy. You can keep tabs on how your cat is doing between vet visits with nose-to-tail checkups at home.

Get in the habit of running your hands all over your cat's body whenever they are cuddling with you or you're grooming them. This is the best way to discover problems before they become serious. Call your veterinarian if you find any that concerns you.

Do this easy cat health exam

1. Spend some time on your cat's skin

While petting your cat, feel for any lumps, scratches, scabs, swelling or any other irregularities all over their body, including their underside. Dandruff and oily or missing fur can indicate skin or internal problems. Part the fur to look for fleas; specks that look like black pepper are actually "flea dirt" (flea feces that contain your cat's digested blood and turn red when wet). Monitor any lumps, especially if they appear on or near a vaccination or other injection site. 

2. Examine your cat's ears

The hairless part of your cat's ears should be clean and odorless. If your cat is having problems, they may shake their head a lot and scratch their ears. Check for flaking, scabs, foul odor or discharge. If you see a black, gritty substance inside, they probably have ear mites, which are parasites that cause severe itching and are contagious to other cats.

3. Spy into your cat's eyes

Look for bright, clear evenly focused eyes. If you see redness, discoloration or discharge, squinting or the emergence of the third eyelid, your cat may have a problem that requires a call to your veterinarian. It is possible that these signs indicate the presence of a foreign body such as a foxtail. In these cases, veterinary care should be sought immediately since foreign bodies can do significant damage to the eye(s) and to vision. 

4. Make time for your cat's mouth

Healthy gums are pink, pale or bright; red gums may mean something is wrong with your cat. Drooling and pawing at the mouth are cause for concern as well. Brown streaks and tartar build-up on the teeth may indicate a dental problem. Bad breath may also be a symptom of a GI problem, so it is important to investigate the source of bad breath with your veterinarian. The same symptoms may indicate the presence of a foreign body such as a foxtail in the mouth. It is important for a veterinarian to remove a foreign body in the mouth ASAP.

5. Don't be shy—get nose-y with your cat

A cat's nose should be clean. Depending on their activity level and the temperature of their surroundings, their nose may be cold or warm. If your cat paws at their nose or sneezes frequently, or if you see mucous or other discharge, contact your veterinarian. The same symptoms may indicate the presence of a foreign body such as a foxtail in the nose. It is important for a veterinarian to remove a foreign body in the nose ASAP.

6. Take a look under your cat's tail

Look under their tail. If you see what looks like grains of rice or spaghetti, you are looking at signs of parasites—some of which may be spread to you or other pets. Your vet can give you medication to rid your cat of these unwanted guests. Scooting can be a sign of full or impacted anal glands (yes, cats do have them).

7. Focus on your cat's feet

Most cats don't like to have their feet touched. If yours doesn't mind, look for stuck-on litter, torn claws, cuts, swellings or or signs of possible infection such as redness, unpleasant odor, wound weeping, presence of pus and tenderness. Also check your cat's claws regularly to see if they need to be trimmed; untrimmed claws can inadvertently scratch you, get caught on carpet and furniture and grow into the paw.