September is Happy Healthy Cat Month, and it’s a great time to pay a little extra attention to your cat’s everyday habits. Cats are famously good at hiding discomfort, so health problems aren’t always obvious at first.
Sometimes the earliest signs are small. Maybe your cat is grooming a little less, drinking more water, leaving more food behind, or sleeping somewhere unusual. Those changes don’t always mean something is wrong, but knowing what’s normal for your kitty makes it much easier to spot when something shifts.
In this post, we’ll look at seven common cat health issues that can be surprisingly easy to miss. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of how to keep a close eye on your feline friend and know when it’s time to seek veterinary care.
1) Skin and Coat Changes
Your cat’s coat can tell you quite a lot about how they’re feeling. A healthy cat will usually have a smooth, clean coat that reflects their normal grooming habits. If the fur starts looking greasy, dull, flaky, or unkempt, it’s worth paying attention.
You may also notice dandruff, thinning fur, bald patches, small scabs, or areas your cat keeps licking or chewing. These changes can be linked to allergies, fleas and other parasites, skin infections, stress, nutritional issues, or other health problems.
Changes in grooming matter too. Cats that aren’t feeling well may groom less than usual, while cats with itchy skin or stress may groom too much.
This can be especially easy to miss in long-haired cats because their coats can hide changes underneath. Running your hands gently over your cat’s body every so often can help you notice dry skin, lumps, sore spots, or changes in coat texture that aren’t obvious from across the room.
For more on supporting feline skin and coat health, check out our post 7 Signs Coconut Oil Could Make a Big Difference for Your Cat.
2) Digestive Problems
Cats occasionally vomit, and anyone who shares a home with one has probably encountered a hairball at some point. But frequent vomiting shouldn’t automatically be written off as “just something cats do.”
The same goes for diarrhea, constipation, straining, unusually hard stools, or changes in how often your cat uses the litter box.
Digestive changes can be connected to something fairly simple, such as a sudden change in diet, but they can also be associated with food reactions, parasites, inflammation, or other health problems.
Pay attention to patterns. One isolated episode may not be cause for concern, but repeated vomiting or ongoing stool changes deserve a closer look.
Hairballs are another reason cats may vomit, particularly if they swallow a lot of fur while grooming. If they’re becoming a regular occurrence, our guide to Coconut Oil and Coconut Fiber for Hairballs takes a closer look at why hairballs form and how to support healthy digestion.
It’s also important to keep an eye on your cat’s appetite. If they suddenly start eating much less, refuse food, or seem interested in eating but walk away from the bowl, it’s worth checking in with your vet.
If vomiting is the main concern, check out our previous post, Why Is My Cat Vomiting? for a closer look at some of the common causes and warning signs.
3) Dehydration
Cats don’t always drink as much water as we might expect. Their ancestors got a large amount of moisture from their prey, so modern cats can still have a relatively low thirst drive.
That makes hydration something worth keeping an eye on, especially if your cat eats mostly dry food.
Signs of dehydration can include dry or tacky gums, low energy, reduced appetite, or changes in urination. Not getting enough water can also contribute to constipation. Some signs can be subtle, so it helps to notice what your cat’s normal drinking and litter box habits look like.
It’s also important to notice the opposite problem. If your cat suddenly seems much thirstier than usual or is producing much larger urine clumps, that can also be a sign that something has changed.
Keeping multiple bowls of fresh water around the home can encourage drinking. Some cats also prefer fountains or wider, shallower bowls, so it can be worth trying different options to see what your cat likes.
4) Dental Problems
Dental problems are easy to miss because cats can be surprisingly good at eating even when their mouths hurt.
Bad breath is one sign to watch for, but there are others. Red or swollen gums, drooling, dropping food, chewing on one side, pawing at the mouth, or suddenly preferring softer foods can all suggest something is uncomfortable.
Sometimes the signs are even less obvious. A cat with dental pain may simply eat more slowly, become less enthusiastic about meals, or stop crunching treats they used to enjoy.
Cats can develop plaque, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and painful conditions such as tooth resorption. Because so much of the mouth is hidden from view, regular dental checks are an important part of routine veterinary care.
It’s worth taking a quick look at your cat’s mouth from time to time if they’ll comfortably allow it. You don’t need to perform a full dental exam at home. You’re simply looking for anything noticeably different.
For more everyday oral care tips, check out our guide to Taking Care of Your Pet’s Teeth and Gums.
5) Weight Loss or Weight Gain
Weight changes often happen gradually, which makes them surprisingly difficult to spot when you see your kitty every day.
Weight gain tends to get more attention, but weight loss can be even easier to miss. This is particularly true with fluffy or long-haired cats because their coat can hide changes in body condition.
A cat can look roughly the same from across the room while slowly losing muscle over their back, hips, or hind legs.
There are several simple things you can watch for:
- Feel the ribs. You should be able to feel your cat’s ribs without pressing hard, but they shouldn’t feel extremely prominent.
- Check the spine and hips. Increasingly prominent bones can be a sign of weight or muscle loss.
- Watch the shape from above. Changes around the waist can sometimes be easier to see from this angle.
- Pay attention to appetite. Weight loss despite a normal or increased appetite is particularly worth discussing with your vet.
- Weigh your cat regularly. Even an occasional weigh-in can help you spot gradual changes that are hard to notice visually.
Unexplained weight gain deserves attention too. Extra weight can put more strain on your cat’s joints and may make grooming and movement more difficult.
We take a closer look at dietary fat, calories, and healthy body condition in our recent post on coconut oil, weight, and insulin sensitivity in pets.
The important thing is knowing your cat’s normal body condition and noticing when it starts to change.
6) Changes in Litter Box Habits
The litter box might not be anyone’s favorite part of living with a cat, but it can give you some useful clues about their health.
Changes in how often your cat urinates or has a bowel movement can matter. So can changes in the amount of urine, stool consistency, straining, blood, or suddenly going outside the litter box.
It’s easy to assume that a cat peeing outside the box is being difficult or making a point. In reality, litter box changes can sometimes be connected to urinary problems, constipation, pain, stress, mobility issues, or other health concerns.
Take note of the size and number of urine clumps when you scoop the box. You don’t need to keep a spreadsheet, but having a rough idea of what’s normal can make a change much easier to spot.
Repeated trips to the litter box, straining to urinate, crying while trying to urinate, or producing little to no urine need veterinary attention. This is especially important in male cats because urinary blockage can become an emergency.
7) Subtle Changes in Behavior or Activity
Sometimes the first sign that a cat isn’t feeling well has nothing to do with food, water, or the litter box. They simply seem different.
A normally social cat may start spending more time alone. A cat that usually races up the stairs may begin taking them slowly. Your cat might stop jumping onto a favorite windowsill, play less often, sleep in different places, become more irritable, or suddenly seem much clingier.
These changes can be easy to put down to age or personality, especially when they happen gradually.
Pain is a good example. Cats don’t always limp or cry when something hurts. They may simply stop doing the things that have become uncomfortable.
Remember, no one knows your cat’s normal behavior better than you do. If something feels different and stays different, it’s always worth paying attention.
How Can You Keep a Closer Eye on Your Cat’s Health?
Happy Healthy Cat Month is a useful reminder that keeping cats healthy isn’t only about reacting when something is obviously wrong. A lot of good cat care comes down to noticing the small things.
Pay attention to your cat’s appetite, weight, water intake, coat, grooming, litter box habits, activity, and behavior. You don’t need to monitor every detail every day. The goal is simply to know your cat well enough that changes stand out.
Regular veterinary checkups matter too, even when your cat seems perfectly healthy. Because cats are so good at hiding discomfort, routine exams can sometimes catch changes before they become obvious at home.
The more familiar you are with your cat’s normal habits, the easier it is to spot when something shifts. And when you notice those small changes early, you’re in a much better position to help your cat stay happy, comfortable, and healthy.
