Many owners believe that a healthy cat’s nose should be moist. In fact, this is not the only way to judge whether a cat is healthy, and it is also unscientific to use it as a basis for judgment. Cats' noses will naturally dry out when they are sleeping or in hot weather. Let's learn how to judge whether a cat is healthy.

1. Cat Health Standards

1. Eyes: The eyes are bright, do not shed tears, do not have any secretions, and the left and right eyes are the same size.

2. Ears: Ears are clean and erect (except Scottish flat-eared cats), with little or no earwax and no other foreign matter. A healthy cat should be sensitive to the owner's call or other sounds in a quiet state, and its ears will swing back and forth after hearing the sound. Sick cats or deaf cats have weak or no response to sounds.

3. Nose: The front of the nose should be moist and cool, without excessive secretions. When the nose is dry, it indicates that the cat may be suffering from a thermal disease (such as an infectious disease). However, cats’ noses are dry when they sleep.

4. Oral cavity: The area around the mouth should be clean and dry, free of saliva and food, and free of bad breath. The gums, tongue, and palate should be pink, and the teeth should be white or yellowish, with no missing teeth.

5. Skin and coat: The skin is soft and elastic, the skin temperature is neither cold nor hot, and it is gentle and comfortable to the hand. The coat is thick, soft and shiny, with no bald spots and no redness or lumps on the skin. Free of lice, fleas and other parasites.

6. Anus: The anus and external genitalia should be clean and free of secretions, and the nearby coat should not be stained with fecal matter. If it is extremely dirty, it may indicate diarrhea or reproductive system diseases. ​​​​​​

2. How to choose a healthy cat

A healthy cat should have bright eyes, shiny fur, and an alert quality; she should also have a good appetite, be able to groom herself well, and be able to communicate with her owner. There is no best place to find a healthy cat. These places can be shelters, catteries (breeders), neighbors, friends, pet clinics and hospitals.

The key to choosing a healthy cat is the cat’s personality. Even with kittens, you can tell their character from their behavior. For example, pick up a kitten and see if she is relaxed or nervous? Then hold her in your arms like a baby, and observe the kitten's reaction. If you want a loving cat and the cat you're testing won't let you hold her for even a second, then you should reconsider your options, or be prepared to spend time and energy gaining your cat's trust and training her to relax. .

The period between two and seven weeks is a critical period for a kitten to develop her sociality. Kittens who are held regularly and played with other cats during this period can become well-socialized adults. When you plan to adopt a cat, ask about the cat’s childhood experiences and their impact on the future.Getting along with each other is essential.

The second step of the test is to touch the cat's ears, gently open her mouth, and touch her tongue. Likewise, cats who are willing to be touched by you generally trust you more. Try putting her down and walking away to see if the cat is still interested in you? Does it follow you? I believe that there will be some chemical reaction between a certain cat and a certain person. To test whether a cat is alert, naughty and lively, you can throw a small toy or paper ball to see the cat's reaction.

Even for a perfectly healthy kitten, her health costs during the first year will be higher than those for an adult cat. Kittens’ immune systems are not fully developed yet, so they are susceptible to disease. Kittens also need more health checkups during their first year than adult cats. These include immunization, viral and fecal testing, and spay/neuter surgeries.