How to tell if your cat is sick

A good indication that a cat has a temperature, is that its ears are hot. A rectal thermometer is needed in order to take a precise temperature reading, which should be 38-38.5°C. Unless you have been taught how to do this properly, you should let your vet do it.You should check your cat regularly to make sure it is in good condition. Early signs of conditions such as mite infestation or fleas will prevent more serious problems developing later. A good time to check you cat is when you are both relaxing together. If you cat shows any signs of ill health or discomfort you can go through the checking points described above. Then you can take your cat to the vet should you need to, and give a detailed report of what you have found. The cat's coat will tell you about its health. If the cats diet is good and in general good condition, the coat should be gleaming and free from dandruff. The cats eye's should be clear and bright, with no discharge, redness or blinking. The tissue around the cats eye should be pink and not red. The cats nose leather should be cool and slightly damp.

Cat: Car Sickness

Cats generally become sick in the car because they are frightened, not because they have real motion sickness. It is necessary to reassure your pet that these fears are groundless (which might be hard depending on how you drive). You need to get your cat used to the car by taking trips that are short enough that your pet does not exhibit the typical signs of car sickness- drooling, vomiting, etc. It may be necessary to start out by just sitting in the car together and giving your pet a treat after a few minutes. Then take very short rides followed by a treat - even if you can only make it to the end of the driveway. Gradually increase the length of the trips until your cat enjoys the car rides.

If you don’t want your cat to be a regular rider in the car, but find it necessary on occasion, you can use tranquilizers to control the nervousness with good success in most pets. Your vet will have one that usually works well for him or her.

Some pets really have motion sickness. It is possible that dramamine will work for cats if this is the case, but even in these cats tranquilizers like acepromazine that also have anti-emetic (anti-vomiting) properties that usually work well.

Almost all pets can be conditioned to ride in the car without vomiting or extreme nervousness. Be patient and take the time to teach your pet not to fear car rides. In the long run, it will make life easier for both of you.