A couple people have e-mailed me, asking whether their cat may have a fever, and if so, what can be done about it.
Why Do Cats Get Fevers?
Cats get fevers just as humans do. A fever means that the body has risen its temperature in reaction to an illness or disease. It can indicate a viral illness or an infection. The fever is cause by pyrogens in the blood which have appeared in response to the illness or infection. They let the body know that there is something it needs to fight.
Note: Fevers are a great way to tell if a cat is sick, because felines don’t normally show very many signs that they are not feeling well.
How Can I Tell if My Cat Has a Fever?
There are a few different signs you can look for to be able to tell whether your cat may have a fever. Often, the cat will be acting quite lethargic. Fell the cat’s ears. If they feel very warm to the touch, then the kitty likely has a fever.
Note: If you notice your cat laying on a tile floor, or in the bathtub, he likely has a fever. He is trying to cool himself off by laying on the cool tiles.
If you are pretty sure the cat has a fever, you will want to try to take his temperature. This is not an easy task and should not be done alone. If you are uncomfortable doing this, you should bring the kitty to the vet and have them do it instead. You can use a pediatric rectal thermometer
If the cat’s temperature is over 106, bring him to the vet immediately.
I recently found a cat ear thermometer on Amazon
How Can I Treat the Cat’s Fever?
Once you have brought the cat to the vet, he will treat the illness causing the fever. This does not mean that you cannot do anything to make your kitty more comfortable in the meantime.
Do not give your cat human fever reducers, like Tylenol. These can kill your pet.
Most fevers are due to minor viral infections. Often, these will simply go away on their own. You still ought to go to the vet to get treatment and possible fluids to prevent dehydration. Dehydration is the leading cause of death in cats, so you will likely want to watch him closely to make sure he is hydrated. If you do not normally feed him wet food, you may wish to switch to it for this week, as the cat will get a lot more fluid from wet food than dry food.
