Jennifer Sellers

If you see yellow in the whites of your cat’s eyes, take action immediately. This yellowing — known as jaundice — could be an indicator of liver disease and must be taken seriously.

What Causes Liver Disease in Cats?

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The liver has a lot of jobs to do in a cat’s body. Some of its work includes metabolizing fats, proteins and carbohydrates, and storing vitamins and minerals. In all, it has more than a thousand duties. And because of its numerous tasks, the liver is prone to damage from a variety of systems within the body. Here are some of the more common causes of liver disease in cats:

• Fatty liver syndrome, which can be caused by rapid weight loss
• Bacterial or viral infections
• Lymphoma
• Poisoning
• Heart disease
• Birth defects
• Advanced age