Overview
Meningitis is an illness which can occur in cats due mainly to bacterial or viral infections. Meningitis affects the central nervous system, and it causes the tissue which surrounds the brain and spinal cord to become inflamed. Meningitis is a very serious condition, and if your cat is exhibiting any of the symptoms of this disease it is important that you take your cat to a veterinarian immediately. Early diagnosis and medication can lead to a successful treatment.
Symptoms of Feline Meningitis
Symptoms of meningitis include fever, stiffness, painful spasms in the back, a stiff neck, and extreme sensitivity to touch. A high fever can cause decreased appetite and lethargy. Stiffness of the muscles normally occurs in the legs and neck; the cat’s gait may become very stiff and the legs may refuse to bend. The stiff neck that often develops in cats with meningitis is sometimes so extreme that the head becomes tilted to the side and the chin is turned towards the back. When someone touches the cat the skin may jump, the cat may become aggressive, or the cat may yelp in pain.
Advanced cases of meningitis can cause severe depression, blindness, paralysis which seems to move through the body, seizures, confusion, and agitation. Advanced meningitis can also cause a condition called ataxia in which the cat is unable to coordinate movements; the cat may begin to go in uncontrollable circular motions, stand up then stumble off to the side when trying to walk, or stand and walk with the legs spread out too far apart.
Symptoms of meningitis are also similar to other diseases and conditions. In order to successfully diagnose meningitis a series of tests and examinations will need to be performed.