Cancer

Cancer is a class of diseases in which cells grow uncontrollably, invade surrounding tissue and may spread to other areas of the body. As with people, cats can get various kinds of cancer. The disease can be localized (confined to one area, like a tumor) or generalized (spread throughout the body).

Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a condition in which the body cannot properly produce or respond to the hormone insulin. This results in elevated levels of the sugar glucose in the blood, which is the main source of energy for the body.

Like the human body, the cells in a cat’s body need sugar in the form of glucose for energy. However, glucose in the blood requires insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, to “unlock” the door to cells. Insulin attaches to cells and signals when the time is right to absorb glucose. By absorbing glucose, cells in fat deposits, the liver, and the muscles get vital fuel while lowering levels of glucose in the blood.

In Type I diabetes,  blood glucose concentrations are high because of a decrease in insulin production. In Type II diabetes, glucose levels are high because cells in the body do not respond appropriately to insulin. In both Type I and Type II diabetes, cells cannot access the nutrients they need even though there is plenty of sugar in the blood, because insulin can’t transport the sugar from the bloodstream into the cells that need it. 

Cats with diabetes most commonly suffer from the Type II form of the disease. It is estimated that between 1:100 and 1:500 cats will be diagnosed with diabetes during their lifetime. 

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is one of the most common and consequential infectious diseases of cats around the world. In infected cats, FIV attacks the immune system, leaving the cat vulnerable to many other infections. Although cats infected with FIV may appear normal for years, they eventually suffer from immune deficiency, which allows normally harmless bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi found in the everyday environment to potentially cause severe illnesses. Though there is no cure for FIV, recent studies suggest that cats with FIV commonly live average life spans, as long as they are not also infected with feline leukemia virus. 

Feline Leukemia Virus (FelV)

Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) is one of the most important infectious diseases of cats worldwide. Affected cats can develop anemia (a low red blood cell level), cancers, and/or suppression of the immune system. The disease worsens over time and is usually fatal. The virus can infect domestic and wild cats (such as lions). Widespread testing and vaccination efforts have helped to reduce the prevalence of the disease over the past 30 years, and in 2010 approximately 3% of the cats in the United States were infected. There is increased risk for the disease among outdoor cats, unneutered males, and cats with other diseases (especially respiratory disease, mouth diseases, and abscesses).

Feline leukemia virus is transmitted between cats via infected saliva and urine. Direct contact with these body fluids, mutual grooming, shared litter boxes and food dishes, and fighting (bite wounds) all expose uninfected cats to the virus. To become infected, cats typically require prolonged, repeated exposure to the virus. Mother cats can also transmit the virus to their kittens while they are in the womb and through breast milk. It is likely that the transmission from a mother to her kittens is the greatest source of infection. Young kittens have the highest risk for catching the virus, whereas adults may have some inherent protection. However, cats of all ages can catch the virus and develop the disease.

Heartworm

Heartworm disease in cats is very different from heartworm disease in dogs. The cat is an atypical host for heartworms, and most worms in cats do not survive to the adult stage. Cats with adult heartworms typically have just one to three worms, and many cats affected by heartworms have no adult worms. While this means heartworm disease often goes undiagnosed in cats, it’s important to understand that even immature worms cause real damage in the form of a condition known as heartworm associated respiratory disease (HARD). Moreover, the medication used to treat heartworm infections in dogs cannot be used in cats, so prevention is the only means of protecting cats from the effects of heartworm disease. 

High-Rise Syndrome

While cats are famous for their ability to land on their feet, the reality is they don’t always stick their landing. High rise syndrome refers to the common set of injuries that cats may sustain when they fall from high places. This condition is seen more often in warmer weather, but high rise syndrome can occur anytime a window or balcony door is left open.

Cats love to sit on windowsills and watch the birds fly by. If a window is open too wide or if they push on a loose screen, they can fall out. Cats might also fall if they are startled by a vacuum or other loud noise.

In the 1980s, the Animal Medical Center became the first to report on high rise syndrome when, over the course of five months, AMC treated 132 cats who had fallen from buildings. Although 90 percent of the cats survived, many of the cats sustained serious injuries, including chest trauma, head/facial injuries, and limb fractures.