How to Lower a Cat’s Fever

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This article was co-written by Brian Bourquin, DVM. Brian Bourquin is a veterinarian and owner of the Boston Veterinary Clinic, a veterinary and pet care clinic with two campuses in the South End/Bay Village and Brookline, Massachusetts. Boston Veterinary Clinic specializes in basic veterinary medicine, health care and preventive care, critical and emergency care, soft tissue surgery, and dentistry. This clinic also offers specialty services in behavior modification, nutrition, acupuncture pain therapy, and laser therapies. Boston Veterinary Clinic is an AAHA-accredited veterinary hospital (American Association of Veterinary Hospitals). Brian has over 19 years of experience in the veterinary industry and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cornell University.

There are 27 references cited in this article that you can see at the bottom of the page.

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For humans as well as cats, fever is not necessarily a bad condition. This is just a normal immune response that helps the body recover from illness by destroying bacteria that cannot tolerate high temperatures. Furthermore, the heat increases blood flow to damaged tissues for normal recovery. However, in some cases fever can be dangerous. If your cat has a fever, you can fix it so they can recover faster. Alternatively, you might also consider using medication to speed up your cat’s recovery.

Table of Contents

Reduce fever at home

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Recognize symptoms of fever in cats. The body temperature of a healthy cat ranges from 38.1 degrees Celsius to 39.4 degrees Celsius ^{. [1] X PVET Research Source 14th Edition 2012 (Philippine Veterinary Medicine Yearbook): Medicomm Pacific Inc.} If it is not possible to accurately measure your cat’s body temperature, you can identify the following symptoms of fever: ^{[2] X Research Source}

Anorexia
dull
Lack of activity
Weaken
Lots of hair loss
Avoid contact with other cats
Rapid or shallow breathing
Trembling
Less grooming
In many cases fever can be caused by an underlying illness, so be on the lookout for other symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, or swollen skin. Based on these signs, you can identify the disease in your cat.

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Measure your cat’s body temperature. The symptoms allow you to guess that the cat has a fever, but the only way to confirm this is to measure the body temperature with a thermometer. You can take the temperature in your rectum or ear canal. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Preparing instruments. You will need a thermometer, lubricant (lubricant or KY), alcohol, tissues, and cat food.
If using a mercury thermometer, you need to shake it many times until the mercury inside drops to the 35 degrees Celsius mark. For electronic thermometers, just turn on the power button. You can use a special pet thermometer to measure the temperature of the ear canal.
If taking a rectal temperature, you will need to lubricate the thermometer.
Hold the cat with one hand, or ask someone else to hold it. Lift their tails up.
Insert the thermometer into the anus about 2.5 cm. Hold the mercury thermometer in place for 2 minutes. Unplug the electronic thermometer when it beeps.
Wipe the thermometer clean with an alcohol-soaked paper towel.
Reward your cat for stress relief.
If your cat has a fever above 39 degrees Celsius, you need to take them to the vet immediately. High fever can cause organ damage. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Examine the cat’s body. Gently press and rub their body with your fingers. (This method is called palpation. ) ^{[5] X Source of Study} Determine if there is damage, such as fractures, swollen lymph nodes, sores, festering wounds or tumors . All of these causes can lead to an increase in body temperature. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Sometimes you may or may not feel a broken bone inside your cat’s body. Broken bones are often swollen or bruised. If you press on the injured area, the cat will feel pain. Be careful when examining their bodies. ^{[7] X Research Sources}
If the lymph nodes are enlarged, you will feel them in the lower jaw and near the cat’s shoulder. In addition, the hind legs and groin may also have swollen lymph nodes. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
When you detect one of these signs, you need to take your cat to the veterinarian immediately for prompt medical treatment.
If you don’t notice any of these symptoms, the fever may just be a normal immune response. In this case, you should follow these steps unless the high temperature continues for more than 24 hours. Then you should ask your veterinarian for advice and treatment as soon as possible.

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Fever reducer for cats. A cat’s body expels heat through sweat glands in its feet and breath. You can cool them down to lower their body temperature. Bring your cat into a cool, dimly lit room and lay a stone or tiled floor so they can stretch out and transfer heat to the tiled floor. You can also apply some of the following methods: ^{[9] X Research Source}

Turn on a fan on the floor to blow air into the cat’s body.
Apply ice packs to their body or feet.
If the cat doesn’t object, you can slightly moisten their body. Use a washcloth or spray bottle to moisten the coat. The steam that rises will lower the cat’s body temperature.

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Give your cat plenty of water to drink. Fever can be caused by a lack of water, and can also lead to dehydration. It is important that you always provide them with clean water. If your cat can’t drink water on its own, you can use a booster pump (needles not included). ^{[10] X Research Source} Cats that drink enough water will bring down their fevers quickly (this is why veterinary clinics often give fluids to cats). ^{[11] X Research Source}

When cats are feverish, they often don’t want to get up and move, so you should place a bowl of water near their nest. You can use a sponge dipped in warm water to wipe their gums.
In addition to water, you can give your sick pet Gatorade or a children’s electrolyte solution. This helps restore the electrolyte balance in the cat’s body, especially when they are vomiting or have diarrhea. ^{[12] X Research Source}^{[13] X Research Source} You can give your cat Gatorade with a pump.
If your cat refuses to drink from a pump, you can freeze the water or Gatorade. Cats will prefer to lick the ice cubes instead of drinking it (and the cold will also help lower their body temperature).
Never give your cat milk! Cats are very sensitive to lactose, so milk can make fever worse and cause nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. ^{[14] X Research Source}

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Make sure your cat is eating and drinking normally. Fever often causes cats to lose a lot of energy and become weak. They probably won’t eat solid food. You should replace it with a softer food such as soft scrambled eggs ^{[15] X Research Source} or minced canned tuna ^{[16] X Research Source} .

If your cat doesn’t eat solid or soft foods, you can use a pump to give your cat a milk substitute (available at pet stores). This is a food for sick cats or nursing orphan kittens. Use a syringe (without needle) with a capacity of 5cc to 10cc.
Bring the tip of the syringe to the inside of your mouth, close to your cheekbones. Cats and dogs often have a reflex to swallow anything that passes through this area.
If your pet is unable to eat anything, you should consult your veterinarian about a high-calorie liquid supplement. Cats can absorb this supplement until it recovers to eat solid food again. ^{[17] X Research Source}

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Supplements with B vitamins and energy for cats. You can boost your pet’s appetite by including vitamin B-complex and energy foods in their meals. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

Vitamin and energy supplements such as Nutri-Plus Gel (5ml daily for 5 days) can combat fatigue and nutritional deficiencies.
An example of such a B-complex vitamin is Coforta. This variety is high in cyanocoblamin (3) and is essential for energy conversion. Inject 0.5 ml to 2.5 ml under the skin or muscle of the cat once a day for 5 days:
- For small cats weighing 1kg or less, 0.5 ml
- For cats from 2 to 6 kg, 1 ml
- For large cats from 7 to 9 kg, 2.5 ml
- If your cat’s weight fluctuates within these ranges, you should estimate the appropriate dose or follow your veterinarian’s instructions, in case of uncertainty a small dose should be used.
Never give a cat a supplement containing the following ingredients, which can be toxic to cats: ^{[19] X Research Source}
- Garlic or onions
- Calcium
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin C

Reduce fever with medicine

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Take your cat to the vet. In case your cat’s condition does not improve after 24 hours of home treatment, you should take him to see a veterinarian. Prolonged fever can be caused by a dangerous illness. Your veterinarian will examine and test to determine the cause of the fever. ^{[20] X Research Source}

Provide the cat’s recent medical history. You can include travel history, contact with other animals, recent immunizations or other treatments, allergies, and anything else you think might be causing the fever. in cats. ^{[21] X Research Source}
Some causes of fever in cats include: ^{[22] X Research Source}
- Bacterial, viral or fungal infections
- Injuries on the body
- Autoimmune disease
- Dead tissue
- Tumor or cancer
Treatment will depend on the cause of the fever. Your veterinarian will need to conduct tests to determine the cause of the fever. Some common tests include blood and urine analysis. ^{[23] X Research Sources}

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Use antibiotics if recommended by your veterinarian. In the case of a fever in your cat caused by a bacterial infection, you need to treat this infection. Usually antibiotics are enough to reduce fever in pets. Antibiotics are generally safe for cats with fever, but you should not give them yourself. You need to contact your veterinarian to check and prescribe antibiotics for your cat. Antibiotics are usually effective against one strain of bacteria and are not effective against others. Your veterinarian will advise on the most appropriate medication for your pet. ^{[24] X Research Sources} The most common and safest antibiotics commonly prescribed by veterinarians include: ^{[25] X Research Sources}

Ampicillin and Amoxicillin (20 mg/kg body weight). These two are available in suspensions and are sold at “human” pharmacies.
Marbofloxacin (2mg/kg) is available in tablet form. However, it is difficult for you to determine the dose because of the small size of the pill.
Doxycycline (5mg/kg) is available in the form of agar, and the preparation is available with a veterinarian’s prescription. This preparation is Vibravet, which comes with a plastic tube for precise dosing.
The time for cats to take antibiotics is always one week (7 days). Always give them the full dose, even if the cat’s health has recovered better. If you shorten the time you take the medicine, the infection may recur and become resistant to the effects of the antibiotics. ^{[26] X Research Sources}

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Refer to Meloxicam. Known as Metacam, it is an antipyretic with similar effects to Tpfedine. Many countries have approved the use of this drug. However, not all studies confirm the level of safety when given to cats. ^{[27] X Research Source}^{[28] X Research Source} Use only under the direction of a veterinarian. The recommended dosage is 0.05 mg/kg of meloxicam for cats daily, taken with or after meals. A 5 kg cat needs to drink 0.5 ml of Metacam. ^{[29] X Research Sources}

Note that meloxicam is produced in two forms: for dogs (1.5 mg/ml) and for cats (0.5 mg/ml). You need to give your cat the proper form to avoid overdose.
Meloxicam should only be used in cats who are not dehydrated. Otherwise, it will cause impaired kidney function due to reduced blood flow to the kidneys and there is a risk of kidney failure.

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Use aspirin only for veterinary purposes. Aspirin is not a fever reducer for cats. This type can cause dehydration, vomiting, and other dangerous symptoms. Use extreme caution when giving aspirin to cats if recommended by your veterinarian and only in appropriate doses. ^{[30] X Research Source}

For cats, the recommended dose is 2.5 mg/kg every 48-72 hours. Use small doses of children’s aspirin in the form of 50 mg or 75 mg tablets.
Give your cat aspirin with food and water. If cats take aspirin while hungry, they will feel uncomfortable
When absorbed through the stomach lining, aspirin breaks down into salicylic acid. However, a cat’s stomach does not have the necessary enzyme to break down salicylic acid. At that time, this acid concentration remains high for a long time. Cats taking high doses of aspirin or supplements can become poisoned. Therefore, it is extremely important to monitor the dosage while giving the medicine to the cat.

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Realize that cats cannot absorb certain medications intended for humans. Antipyretic treatment in cats is different from other animals because their physiological functions are not the same. Cats lack a liver enzyme called glucoronyl transferase, so they can’t break down many drugs that are safe for humans. In many cases, drugs that are safe for dogs are dangerous for cats. ^{[31] X Research Source} Do not give your cat any medicine intended for humans unless prescribed by your veterinarian. Otherwise they can get hurt or even die. ^{[32] X Research Source}^{[33] X Research Source}

Advice

If your cat refuses to eat or drink, you need to take them to the vet. Most likely they need medical help.
Do not give your cat aspirin unless your veterinarian prescribes the correct dose. This animal is extremely sensitive to aspirin. If you take the wrong dose, your cat will get sicker. ^{[34] X Research Source}

Warning

Contact your veterinarian if your cat’s body temperature exceeds 39 degrees Celsius, or if they remain shivering for more than 24 hours.
Be careful not to aggravate the condition. You need to be very careful when giving your cat medicine intended for humans, because too much of it can cause poisoning. Follow your veterinarian’s dosage instructions.
If you are in doubt whether the medicine is safe for your pet, you should exercise caution. Consult your veterinarian about medications to give your cat.

Steps

Reduce fever at home

Reduce fever with medicine

Advice

Warning

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