How do cats get sick?

[marge]

With my Sammy on the mend from what looks like a flu like thing, how did he get sick? He had a fever and was lethargic etc. I mean with humans we get bugs from each other, did he pick it up for another cat? I am baffled. Humans also get it from stress etc. Is my cat upset about something maybe? Excuse the dumb questions I just don't understand what happened.

 

[scamperfarms]

Not a dumb question and i know i cant answer for sure. but i think they can get sick the same way we do. soemtimes when we are stressed or for other reasons are system is not as good as it should be..and we pick something up. Sickness travels by air..and all sorts of ways..so there are any number of ways he coulda gotten sick. I know we just finnished with URI's in this house...no fun.

 

[coaster]

It could have been a virus latent in his body that became active as a result of stress; it could have been something brought in from outside.

 

[jeanw]

I agree with the others - there are any number of ways a cat can get sick. It could be stress, a compromised immune system, a latent virus, something he ate that he shouldn't have, caught something from another cat, something in the air, the weather, etc, etc.

Cats hide their illness so well that they are sometimes very sick before we know anything is wrong. That's why it's important to always be watching their health.

Hope Sammy is 100% well very soon.