A Full View

Your cat's body is constantly repairing itself, but there are times when these mechanisms are inadequate, and intervention is needed to maintain good health.

When this happens, it is important to recognize what die problem really is. Answering these questions help to clarify what can or should be done.

Nature or Nurture?
Genetics play an important role in feline medical conditions. A cat may carry a genetic predisposition to an inherited disease, which is then triggered by environmental factors.

This is thought to be the case with many lower urinary tract conditions. Some conditions have also become concentrated in certain pedigree breeds.

Do Design Changes Cause Problems?
Through selective breeding we have enhanced the luxuriousness of the coat in some cats, and flattened the face in others.

These may be attractive design changes but they may increase the risk of medical conditions, for example, skin irritation or upper respiratory tract infections.

What Role Does the environment Play?
In their natural environment, unrelated cat; seldom meet each other. In the congestion of the human environment, cat-to-cat encounters are far more likely.

Infectious microbes have taken full advantage of this environmental change, and the result is a range of "emerging" infectious diseases.

What are Signs and What are Symptoms?
Signs of illness are what you see as an observer. For example, difficulty breathing is a consequence of blocked nasal passages, lung, or chest damage. While cats also have symptoms, which describe how they feel, we can only guess at what they are.

Is a Sign the Illness or the Defense?
A cat with an upper respiratory tract infection; or with allergies may sneeze. Sneezing, however is not part of its illness; sneezing is part of the cat’s defense.

It helps get rid of the irritation in its nose. From an evolutionary viewpoint, microbes have; taken advantage of this defensive measure and use it as a method for spreading themselves.

Cats, like us, have a variety of these natural defenses, which they use to fight infection. For example, a fever is beneficial: it helps destroy certain germs. Fasting is also beneficial: it may starve some germs of vital nourishment. These defensive measures may themselves cause problems if they are excessive.

How does the Illness Defeat Defenses?
Think of infectious diseases as the enemy, always looking for any weakness in a cat's defenses. Some microbes, such as feline immune deficiency virus (FIV), have learned how to neutralize the cat’s immune system.

Others adapt, such as bacteria that are challenged by antibiotics and evolve to become resistant to certain antibiotics.
 
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