Signs of a Healthy Cat: A Weekly Checkup Checklist
Cats are experts at hiding discomfort, so a quick, regular home check helps you catch changes early. Run through this checklist about once a week; knowing your cat's "normal" makes problems easier to spot.
Not veterinary advice. This guide shares widely accepted care information. For diagnosis, dosing, or anything unusual with your pet, call your veterinarian.
Eyes
- Healthy: bright, clear, and fully open; pupils equal in size.
- Watch for: discharge, redness, cloudiness, squinting, or the third eyelid staying visible.
Ears
- Healthy: clean, pale pink, with little to no odor or wax.
- Watch for: dark crumbly debris (a sign of ear mites), redness, head-shaking, scratching, or bad smell.
Nose and mouth
- Healthy: nose can be moist (a little clear discharge is fine); gums pale pink; teeth reasonably clean; breath not foul.
- Watch for: nasal discharge, sneezing, drooling, red or swollen gums, tartar, or very bad breath (dental disease is common in cats).
Coat and skin
- Healthy: glossy, smooth, and free of mats, dandruff, and bald patches; skin not red or scabby.
- Watch for: dull hair, excessive shedding, hair loss, itchiness, or lumps/bumps.
Body and weight
- Healthy: you can feel the ribs with light pressure and see a waist behind the ribs; steady weight week to week.
- Watch for: sudden weight loss or gain, or a pot-bellied appearance.
Appetite, thirst, and litter box
- Healthy: normal appetite and water intake; formed, brown stools; urine passed normally in usual amounts.
- Watch for: refusing food, increased thirst/urination (can signal kidney disease or diabetes), diarrhea, constipation, or — especially in male cats — straining in the box with little output, which is an emergency.
Behavior and energy
- Healthy: alert, interested, grooming normally, sleeping and playing in a familiar pattern.
- Watch for: hiding more than usual, lethargy, reduced grooming, vocalization changes, or uncharacteristic aggression.
When to call the vet
One off-day may be nothing, but contact your vet if you notice changes that persist more than a day or two, or anything sudden — especially not eating, repeated vomiting, breathing changes, or litter-box straining. A weekly check takes two minutes and builds a picture of what's normal for your cat.