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If your cat isn’t feeling good, you can imagine it’s hard for her to clearly communicate that to you. To make it easier, then, you have to be very observant. Here are a few major areas of cat illness and symptoms to which you should be alert.

Since a radical change in your cat’s behavior can be a sign of trouble, you’ll want to note your cat’s typical routine. Cats are very good at hiding discomfort and signs of illness, but if you notice a change in behavior, look more closely to see if there’s a physical cause.

Urination and defecation — Cats are subject to a number of issues and illnesses involving defecation and urination.

Cats my experience FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease). This is actually the name for a group of problems that may involve crystals, stones, inflammation, or infection. Some of these urinary tract problems can be life threatening.

Cats self-groom regularly, but excessive licking in the anal or groin area can be a sign of illness. If your cat is urinating more often than normal, this can be a sign of an illness such as diabetes.

Treatments are available for hairballs/constipation, and include store bought hairball remedies as well as veterinarian prescribed treatments such as lactulose.

Constipation over the long term may lead to a serious bowel condition known as megacolon. Impacted anal glands may present and will require treatment.

If your cat is howling or crying out while using the litter box, or makes frequent but unsuccessful trips to the box, she may have some physical problem that needs to be looked at. Also, a common sign of trouble is scooting across the floor while dragging the rear end.

If your cat is not urinating or defecating or is missing the litter box, contact your veterinarian immediately. Inappropriate elimination is common and is the number one cause that adult cats are brought to shelters. It has a number of physical and behavioral causes. You should address any medical problems first.

Other problems to look for are blood in urine or feces, including black tarry stools. If your cat has diarrhea, it may lead to dehydration, which can be fatal.

Eye and mouth problems — Check your cat’s eyes for pupils of uneven size, cloudiness, or discharge. The nictating membrane, or haw, is a “third eyelid” that you will sometimes see when a cat’s eyes are open. This is often an indication of disease.

Pale lips and gums is a sign of disease which may indicate anemia. Other symptoms of cat illness may include bad breath and ulcers of the mouth.

Hair and skin issues — The coat and skin of your cat can be used as a measure of her overall condition of health. Problems with the coat or skin can be a sign of illness.

Certain cat illnesses will manifest as poor or oily looking coat. In addition, if a cat stops grooming, it’s a sure sign of trouble.

Also look for excessive dryness or flaking, skin growths, hair loss, and any kind of swelling or skin eruption. Parasites on the skin are usually easily spotted. Check your cat at least once a week.

These are a few of the major categories of cat health problems. Keeping alert to your cat’s routine, and being sensitive to any of the possible above problems is an essential part of cat care.