Expert: Jessica - 5/5/2010

Question
I had a 6 year old cat who died early this year, he became ill and passed away, He had muscle weakness, he urinated on himself, he became thin and shaky, he had poor coat condition, his eyes were watery and the iris completely changed color it wasn't jaundice there was no yellowing of the mucus membrane or whites of the eyes, and toward the end he generally got better until he passed away. I thought it was because he was old but I have my doubts now...I also recently found out my other cat may have leukemia.

What could my cat have been sick with?

Answer
Hi Shannon.  I think leukemia may be a likely cause of your other cat's death considering all of his symptoms.  The changes in his eyes that you describe are consistent with a condition called uveitis, frequently seen in cats infected with the feline leukemia virus.  It's found even more commonly in cats with a condition called FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis).  This may also be the cause of your cat's death.  This disease is much less common than leukemia, but cats who are infected with leukemia are more likely to become infected with FIP, so we frequently see the infections go hand-in-hand.  Both conditions are ultimately deadly in nearly 100% of cases, and both can cause a general wasting process resulting in loss of muscle tone, poor coat condition, lethargy, loss of appetite, etc.  If you experience any similar symptoms with your other cat, however, I would suggest to get him to the vet.  Sometimes these signs don't add up to such a bad scenario and could just indicate a bacterial or protozoan infection that can be treated with antibiotics and an eye ointment.

Best wishes!

Jessica