LaPerm Cat health: the main diseases of the cat breed


LaPerm diseases, the most common pathologies in this breed of original fur cat . Let’s find out together which ones can hit him.

When you are deciding to buy or adopt a cat, in particular a specific breed, you must first of all find out about the total care that the animal needs.

By care we mean, both how to feed the animal and how to take care of its hygiene.

But essentially what is seriously important is having the right information about his health.

Therefore it is essential to learn to recognize or prevent LaPerm diseases before it even arrives in our home.

In the next paragraphs you will find everything you need to know about the most common diseases in this cat breed .


Diseases of LaPerm

Bebopscrx, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The LaPerm is an extraordinary breed of cat, very dynamic and very affectionate, with a rather calm, adult temperament.

Endowed with good health but not immune to certain pathologies. The LaPerm cat can develop the diseases of any other cat but if kept well cared for can live safely up to 15 years of age and beyond.

The LaPerm is a medium-sized cat whose weight does not exceed kg, has a strong and muscular body. For this breed there are two varieties of hair: short and semi-long.

Despite having a strong and muscular body, it is subject to some specific pathologies, namely:

  • Obesity and diabetes : It might seem rather strange to talk about obesity in a cat like the LaPerm, since as we mentioned it is a very active animal, also described as an excellent climber and jumper. However, despite its athletic and agile body, this cat, if it does not follow a suitable diet (possibly made of dry food), if not carefully controlled, can easily find itself in a critical situation regarding obesity in cats. This breed needs daily physical exercise and it is essential to provide them with various toys that allow them to do physical activity (for example: scratching posts and high shelves to climb);
  • Hypertrophic myocardiopathy : That is the thickening of the heart muscle. This pathology can cause heart failure leading to severe arrhythmias, pulmonary edema, arterial thrombosis, etc. Through an echocardiographic examination, it is possible to make the correct diagnosis, to be confirmed most of the time at least once a year. Once the diagnosis has been obtained, the veterinarian can establish a drug therapy that can change the cat’s health for the better;
  • Deficit pyruvate kinase: This disease in animals generally severe anemia. It is a hereditary disease that determines a rather low life expectancy (death occurs within a year) or in a few cases, depending on the evolution of the disease, higher (generally, about ten years). To understand if the cat in question is a carrier of one of the two alleles that develop pyruvate kinase deficiency, it is possible to do a DNA test.

Other diseases common in all breeds

Of course, although it may be a robust and healthy breed, like other felines it can suffer from frequent diseases in cats.

The following are the main diseases that can affect any cat including LaPerm:

  • Allergies : The cat can suffer from allergies that can have very different origins
  • Abscesses : Infection due to deep wounds, we can see them on the paws, behind the tail or on the muzzle of the animal. Treatable with antibiotics;
  • Poisoning : A very serious condition for which action must be taken as soon as possible, trying to understand what triggered it;
  • Conjunctivitis in cats : Inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eye;
  • FeLV: It is known as feline leukemia, it affects the bone marrow and is caused by a virus from the Retrovirus family, including the one responsible for FIV itself. It is transmitted by exchange of blood and saliva, even if not direct, and there is no cure other than the possibility of preventing the disease with vaccination;
  • FIV: It is a feline immunodeficiency syndrome similar to human HIV, transmissible through saliva and blood. It is not curable and there is no vaccine but, if intercepted in time, it can sometimes allow a considerable survival;
  • Mycosis : It is a disease caused by fungi. It causes redness, scabs and other symptoms that lead to scratching constantly, with the risk of spreading the infection to other parts of the body. It is transmitted by direct contact and the cat may not show symptoms but be a healthy carrier.
  • Obesity and overweight: Obesity in cats is mainly due to an incorrect diet and therefore not very suitable for the animal. A fairly frequent problem, especially if the cat lives at home, as wrong eating habits are transmitted to him;
  • Otitis: It is the inflammation of the epithelium that covers the ear canal and the auricle. It often occurs when the cat has low defences;
  • Periodontitis: A disease of the cat’s mouth and is common especially in older cats and if treated in time it can be fatal for the animal;
  • Cold: it is a light respiratory disease but which in any case must be treated to avoid complications and also be attacked by secondary diseases of the respiratory tract;
  • Mange : It is caused by a mite of which there are several species and subspecies that behave in different ways. It is transmissible to other animals and to humans, there are several types and has symptoms similar to eczema: itching, scabs, patchy hair loss. This disease is also called scabies;
  • Toxoplasmosis: An infectious disease caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which finds its final host in the feline where it can reproduce.

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