Barn Cats: Your Best Friend in the Barn

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Serious dental disease is common in older cats, and can lead to weight loss due to discomfort from eating. Gum disease and infections can cause fever and systemic illness.

Younger Cats

Even when fully vaccinated, young cats can be susceptible to infectious diseases, especially upper respiratory infections and eye infections. Signs of infection include lethargy, discharge from eyes and nose, and sneezing or coughing.

Young cats often will get involved in some inter-cat hostility and skirmishing. A puncture wound from a tooth or claw will result in the development of a pocket of pus several days later, known as an abscess. In addition to making the cat ill, an abscess can be quite messy, as any experienced barn cat owner can attest.

Look for a painful swelling anywhere on your cat's body, which may be accompanied by lethargy and a loss of appetite, usually a result of fever.

More vigilant cat owners may want to keep a digital thermometer on hand to check rectal temperatures of any of their cats that seem ill.  Getting a rectal temperature on an independent-minded cat can sometimes be challenging; consider it to be a two-person job. (Wear gloves or body armor, depending on your cat's personality.) Any body temperature greater than 102.5 degrees Farenheit indicates a fever, unless your cat is overly stressed by the ignominy of the procedure.

Other Diseases to Watch For

Male cats, due to their anatomy, are susceptible to a blockage of their urinary system that quickly can become life-threatening due to back-up of toxins in the bloodstream. Initially, these cats will show subtle signs of illness that might not be noticed by their owners.

Like their male counterparts, female cats can have urinary tract issues. They are susceptible to urinary tract infections. Signs of urinary tract infection in female cats also include frequent attempts at urinating, which may only produce small amounts of bloody urine.

If you see any type of urinary straining, call your veterinarian immediately.

The benefits of having a barn kitty far outweigh any drawbacks. Get a barn cat and get rid of the rat poison. Any mice in your barn will rue the day that your cat takes up residence. Cat owners should be wary as well: When you do enter the barn, be prepared for sneak attacks from the loft, or, in mellower fellows, the static rub of an affectionate feline against your pant leg. /G

– Freelance writer, emergency verterinarian and pet-owner Dr. Jon Geller lives with his family in Fort Collins, Colorado.

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