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Keeping Your Cat Healthy
The old saying aside, cats only have one life, and they are afflicted by injury and disease just like all other living beings. One of the best ways to safeguard feline health is to know what is normal for your cat, and to be on the lookout for physical and behavioral changes at all times. You can do this by incorporating a mini-physical exam into your grooming routine; by keeping track of how much your cat eats and drinks and how often she visits the litter box; and by noticing if her demeanor changes. Taking these simple steps will enable you to catch most illnesses in their early stages, when they may be most curable.
In addition, schedule regular veterinary checkups. Your veterinarian will tell you how often your cat needs to come in for well-pet visits, which will include vaccinations, based upon your cat's age and state of health. Of course your vet will also see your cat when any rnedical problems arise. The more observant you are and the better your communication with your veterinarian,   the healthier your cat is likely to be.   Most certainly, you can extend the life of your cat far beyond what would otherwise be expected by following simple preventative health care measures for your cat.

The Mini-Physical Exam

It's a good idea to give your cat a mini-physical examination as part of the weekly grooming session. Make the home checkup an extension of the normal physical attention you pay your cat and he will not even know that he is being "examined". It doesn't matter where you perform the exam, as long as both you and your cat are comfortable. If your cat usually isn't allowed on the kitchen table or counter, don't examine him there, as it may be confusing and stressful.


Skin and Coat

Weekly grooming provides a good opportunity for evaluating the health of the skin and hair. Pass your hands over your cat's body, feeling for swelling, asymmetry, or sensitive areas. Call the veterinarian if you discover patches of hair loss, the black flecks that signal the presence of fleas, scabby areas, or skin bumps.

With your cat facing away from you, gently lift the tail and take a quick peck at his rear end. If you see tan-colored, rice-size objects, you are probably looking at packets of tapeworm eggs which require veterinary treatment. Next, use a moist paper towel to clean away any feces. In longhaired cats in particular, feces can get caught in the fur and, if' trapped against the skin, can cause serious problems. If the hair has become matted, you will need to use blunt-tipped scissors. Be very careful cutting out mats or, better yet, take your cat to a veterinarian or professional groomer, who can use clippers to remove the mats.

Taking Your Cat's Temperature
A cat's temperature is important information to have before a veterinarian is called. Taking the temperature reading of a cat may seem a formidable task to the uninitiated, but if done calmly, gently, and with confidence, it can become routine. Use a human rectal thermometer (never a thin-walled oral one). Shake it down to at feast 96ºF and lubricate it with K-Y jelly or petroleum gel. A flexible, electronic digital type is easier to read and safer to use with no fear of breakage and mercury poisoning. The Vicks Comfort-Flex, or B-D Digital Thermometers are fast (60 sec) and accurate to +/- 0.2ºF. Both are excellent choices and reasonably priced (~$10).
A second person can hold the cat gently on a counter, allowing it to grasp the edge with its front paws, which decreases the opportunity for injury as well as giving the animal a sense of security. The assistant can hold the cat's head comfortably with one hand and the front legs at the elbows (never the feet) with the other. A soft voice in calm conversation with the cat is soothing.
If there is no assistant, stand the cat on a counter and, holding the tail upright with one hand and gently gripping the cat's body with that elbow, insert the thermometer with the other hand.
If the cat resists, it may be necessary to roll-wrap it in a towel. Use a towel large enough to cover all four feet and wrap completely around the cat more than once. Leave the head and the anus exposed.
Place the thermometer with slow and gentle but steady pressure against the anus. Do not hurriedly force the thermometer into the anus or you may injure your cat. At first, there will be firm resistance from the rectal muscles, which will relax with continued gentle pressure. Patience and time are necessary in this maneuver. Insert about one inch and leave for one to two minutes if a glass rectal thermometer is used, or 60 sec (or until you hear a "beep") if you are using a flexible, electronic thermometer.
If it is not possible to get a rectal temperature, a less accurate estimate can be taken by holding the thermometer in the armpit (under foreleg) or in the groin between the hind legs, which are held together for two or three minutes. Do not place a thermometer in a cat's mouth. Absolute disaster will result if the thermometer is placed between the lips and teeth or anywhere in the mouth. Cats bite down on anything placed in their mouths, including a finger. The response is a defense mechanism to destroy a possible threat.
A normal temperature in the cat should range between 100.4ºF and 102.5ºF, with 105ºF being a danger sign. Temperatures over 108ºF can be immediately life-threatening if caused by heatstroke or heat exhaustion (which requires cooling in a cold-water bath). The cat is not as susceptible to brain damage as the human is from extremely high fevers from other causes.
The thermometer should be wiped clean before reading and the results recorded on paper, not left to memory. With the glass thermometer, it is customary to report temperatures to the closest tenth of a degree.  However, a flexible, digital thermometer is highly recommended over glass thermometers.

Subtle Signs of Illness
Cats are notorious for their ability to appear healthy when they are actually sick. How can owners detect illness early? Get in the habit of giving your cat a weekly mini-physical examination, and always be on the lookout for the following, often subtle, signs of illness.
Lethargy or excessive sleepiness
This common sign of sickness is sometimes difficult for owners to recognize, as healthy adult cats may sleep up to 16 or 18 hours a day. Get to know how much sleep is normal for your cat.
Change in appetite or water consumption
Keep track of how much your cat normally eats and drinks so that any variation can be detected easily and early.
Change in grooming behavior
An ill-kempt, oily coat can indicate illness. Conversely, cats that groom too often may have a nervous skin condition.
Weight loss
This sign often goes unnoticed, especially in longhaired cats. Owners who regularly groom their cats may notice the ribs and backbone becoming more prominent. Those who regularly weigh their cats are sure to see a change. A sudden loss of one pound in a cat that normally weighs ten pounds is cause for concern.  Subtle weight gains and losses are difficult to notice in a cat you see every day - especially in long-haired cats.   Sudden weight loss is almost always a certain sign of water loss and dehydration which are early symptons of feline diabetes and chronic renal failure, especially if the cat eats primarily dry food. A human pediatric scale is one of the best investments you can make in your cat's health care program. 
Change in litter box habits
Cats that start visiting the litter box more frequently, or that repeatedly urinate or defecate outside the box, may be suffering from a disease of the lower urinary tract or large intestine. Cats that strain to urinate may have a urethral obstruction; such cats are in grave danger and need immediate veterinary attention.  Frequent and/or increased urination are typically signs of feline diabetes and chronic renal failure.
Change in behavior
House soiling and aggression are both behavioral problems that can sometimes be prompted by a physical illness.  Hiding, lethargy, and any changes in behavior should prompt an immediate trip to the vet.