is my cat sick?

I am unsure if my cat is showing signs of illness or if I am being overally pedantic. My cat is a fairly silent cat, she doesn't meow much unless for food in the mornings to wake me up, even her purr is barley audible; her previous owner mentioned that her purr was almost silent.. anyway she has been acting a bit odd latley, originally I thought it was because she wanted to go outside (used to be an outdoor/indoor cat but is now an indoor cat), its only until the other night it clicked that she may in fact be unwell? here are her 'symptoms' (from last night + some ongoing)

-(last night) meowing at me at night time very loudly then when I go to give her affection she will shy away from my hand and not let me touch her // was sitting in a hunched position, tail twitching and purring very very loud- it crossed my mind it could be a self-soothing type of purr?

- increase appetite. She will meow and meow for food nearly 2 hours after her meals or constantly throughout the day. she never used to but id originally thought she was just getting greedy or comfortable in her new house. She has also put on weight, noticeably

- starting pooping outside of the litter box for the last few days even with a fully clean litter box


-just seems a bit off but again I'm not sure if I'm overreacting

Basically, I just want to know if these sound like a reason to be worried.. or more worried than i already am. Is this sounding like an illness that some of you may no about based on the symptoms. Should I take her to a vet??

I would take her to the vet.  If she is an older kitty some of her symptoms sound like hyperthyroidism but only blood work and a vet exam can tell you what is wrong. 

Thank you very much. I will organise this for the next possible appointment this week coming. By any chance do you know the approximate cost for a general check up and blood test? I am from Australia but an idea of what to expect would be appreciated even if it may vary from country to country as I am a student And was unable to find such information online..

*** i just did a quick research on hyperthyroidism and agree that her symptoms do possibly reflect this, she is 6 turning 7 and is also suddenly very active at random intervals, moreso than normal. I will relay these symptoms to the vet. Thank you so so much. No matter what the price, I need to make sure my kitty is okay!

I'm going to guess that just like in the US vet prices in different parts of Australia vary, but I'm going to tag a few members from Australia for you .

@Tammat mani


I do agree with the vet visit and it's good you are bringing her in. Cats do hide pain at times so it can be difficult to determine if ther eis an issue. No one knows your cat better than you though, so if you are questioning things, time for a vet visit

Hi @kittyandkate

I take my cats to The Cat Clinic in Mt Gravatt but they have two others.  A general consult is about $67, $79 on a Sunday.  It's really too hard to give specific prices for blood tests as they all differ.

I think the AWL has a lot cheaper fees but they are all the way down on the Gold Coast which means more petrol costs and cat travel stress.  I think other vets will be less as well, but I really like to use a clinic that just works with cats.  But of course there are great vets who deal with other animals, and if it is a thyroid condition they really should be able to deal very well with it.  You can always call your closest vet for a chat and some idea of cost.

I think it's a really good idea to take her in.. let us know how you go!

Thank you all for your help, I am taking her to the vet this Friday will let you know what the vet says

Hi All,
Just thought I'd update, my Kittems does not have hyperthyroidism like we thought, the vet said she is in perfect health besides being on the heavy end of a healthy weight range so she's actually on a bit of a diet! I also got her microchiped and vacations up to date - side note, we called her old vet and her previous owner did not have her microchiped AND NEVER VACCINATED!! Can you believe that!? I had been told she wad up to date on both so that was a huge shock and relief to get sorted. Thank you all for your advice, I'm happy to report she is a healthy not-so-little furball! [emoji]128522[/emoji][emoji]128522[/emoji][emoji]128522[/emoji]