The disease got its name Bobcat fever, as bobcats are the main reservoir for the disease. However, Bobcats are totally immune to the disease and it only affects other cats. Symptoms of the disease start to show up within 5-20 days of the tick bite.
Lethargy, inappetance, high fever, dehydration, icterus (jaundice), enlarged liver and spleen, lymphadenopathy, pale mucus membranes, respiratory distress, tachycardia or bradycardia, and tick infestation are some of the signs you and the vet can look out for while diagnosing the animal.
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The disease can kill the cats within a day of contraction, while some cats have been known to survive the disease and become immune to it afterwards. Susan Nelson says, “Their appetite is going to decrease. They may feel very hot to you as they will tend to run a high fever early in the course of the disease. with the disease progressing breathing problems, dehydration and the whites of their eyes or the inside of their ears might start looking yellow as they start getting jaundiced. Their body temperature will start to drop as they near the end stages of the disease.”