For any given pet owner finding out that their pet is sick can be quite frustrating. For example, getting to know that a cat has a fever requires one to use a thermometer. Its normal temperature ranges from 101 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 to 39.2 degrees Celsius). Any more than that it might be a fever. Although a fever might help your cat fight infections and diseases, temperatures above 106 degrees Fahrenheit might actually be damaging to your cat’s organs.
Causes of cat fever
- Bacterial, viral, or fungal infection
- Medication
- A tumor
- Traumatic injury
- Diseases
- poisoning
Signs of fever in cats
- Loss of appetite: Your cat might have trouble eating and even vomiting and diarrhea at times. If this persists make sure to visit the vet as soon as possible.
- Depression: The cat might look unhappy and even avoid any human contact.
- Body weakness: The cat will probably have problems with movement from one place to another and mostly lie at one place or corner to prevent frequent movement.
- Behavior change
- Panting
- Rapid heartbeat
- Decreased grooming
As I said earlier, fever might actually be helpful to kill bacterial and all other infections by stimulating the Immune system to slow down the growth of bacteria and fungi. However, you need to be extra careful to monitor these changes so as to avoid it being fatal. Some medication might actually cause your cat to have a fever so if your cat had previously visited the vet make sure to get in touch with them. Make sure the vet checks if it is normal or if they can change the medication into a less aggressive one.
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How to take the temperature of your cat
First, make sure you have a proper thermometer, either a pediatric rectal thermometer or digital thermometer which is safer than a glass thermometer. Also, it is advisable to have someone who would help you restrain your cat and keep the cat calm as you check their temperature. You should also lubricate the tube that you will place into your cat’s anus. Don’t force it through the anus since you might end up hurting your cat. After the digital thermometer beeps pull it out and read the reading.
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Just make sure to keep an eye on their symptoms so as to know when your cat is fine or when he needs immediate medical attention.