Since cats have a strong ability to adapt to the environment and physical discomfort, it is generally not easy for owners to notice that their cats are anemic; the cases received by veterinarians are often acute hemolysis or massive bleeding, otherwise the anemia is severe. Only serious livestock owners notice. Most anemic cats will have pale skin and mucous membranes, including the nose, mouth, and gums. ​​​​​​

Some cats with acute hemolysis will develop jaundice. Jaundice refers to the yellowing of mucous membranes and even skin. Sometimes the appearance of jaundice indicates primary or secondary liver disease. Other symptoms commonly seen in anemic cats include: fever, small bleeding spots or spots on the skin and mucous membranes, swollen lymph nodes, etc. If you notice similar symptoms, it’s best to take your cat to the doctor as soon as possible.

Testing methods The recovery of many anemic cats lies entirely in early detection and early treatment. When anemia is suspected in the early stages, the cat can be taken to the hospital for examination. The veterinarian can immediately conduct a clinical examination to determine whether the cat is anemic. For example, veterinarians will do a test called hematocrit, taking a small amount of blood sample and centrifuging it to see the ratio of cellular components to non-cellular components in the blood, as well as the ratio of red blood cells in the blood. Generally speaking, cat blood contains about 40% cells and 60% non-cellular parts.

Another test is the reticulum count, which measures the number of young red blood cells. This technique counts how many reticulites there are in 100 red blood cells. If the result shows a high proportion of reticulombs, , indicates that the bone marrow is rapidly producing red blood cells, and then compared with the hematocrit test results, you can know whether the cat has symptoms of anemia and whether it is regenerative or non-regenerative.