Cats are good actors: can they fake diseases?

It is not uncommon for diseases to be faked among people. This also happens in the world of cats. Especially if they like to be dramatic and like to act, they also fake diseases. You rightly ask yourself why they do it. Often the reason is as simple as the question. The supposedly sick cat wants your attention.

There is nothing wrong with paying more attention to your cat. But you are reinforcing her behaviour and making your own behaviour out to be misconduct. This is not your fault. Often you don’t notice the acting until you have saved or rescued the cat. For example after a visit to the vet and because the vet could not detect any symptoms.

Repeat offender

Once your cat has learned how to get you to take care of her, she will pretend to be sick more often. And that’s not good. So you should definitely correct your misbehavior afterwards. You can do this by punishing her with less attention and devoting yourself to other things instead, or turning your attention to many other cats at the same time. Please note that you must never take your full attention away from your rescued cat. It is important that your cat is never excluded. If you have given medication to your healthy cat you should check with your trusted veterinarian to see if the medication is safe.

Prevention with toys

And in order to avoid your cat pretending to have a disease in the future you should definitely get some toys that your cat can use alone. She is always busy and doesn’t even get any stupid ideas. As long as she can keep herself busy on her own, she will not lack attention.

We help you

To find out if your cat is possibly really ill, you can search for the common symptoms on sickcat.net. We already have a large directory of common symptoms. And if you are ever unsure please always consult your vet. In case of doubt, the doctor will be able to tell better whether your cat is really sick or just faked an illness.

It is better to go to the doctor, better safe, then sorry.