Symptoms of a Sick Feral Cat

Feral cats are highly susceptible to illness due to their lifestyle. A feral cat's life span is significantly shorter than a house cat's. If you have feral cats around your home that you feed, you will probably not realize they are sick until it is too late. You probably cannot get close enough to the feral cats to notice subtle changes and won't know they are ill until the sickness has progressed.

  1. Weight Change

    • Feral cats are usually slim because of their high activity level and inconsistent food availability. Unless you are feeding the feral cat regularly, he is hunting and scavenging for food. A significant weight loss in a feral cat is a sure sign he is sick. In most diseases feral cats are likely to acquire, such as feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and hepatitis, weight loss is a sign the cat is near death. You can tell if the cat has lost a significant amount of weight if you can see the outline of its ribs and hip bones.

    Heavy Breathing

    • If you see a feral cat breathing heavily while standing or lying down, he is probably sick. Breathing can be seen by watching the side of the cat's rib cage moving up and down. A healthy cat's breathing is not noticeable, but if a cat's rib cage is moving up and down heavily, he may have a respiratory infection or lung function failure due to a disease that has progressed.

    Inactivity

    • If you see a feral cat lying in an open area for long periods of time, he is probably sick. Feral cats have instinctive survival tactics, and being out in the open for a long time leaves a feral cat open to attack by another animal. You will notice most feral cats are seen only when they are traveling. When sleeping or resting, feral cats take care to make sure they are not easily visible. A feral cat lying in the open is probably too sick to move.