Mellow Yellow – Not!

October 28, 2025

Jaundice in Cats

Nancy Kerr

The song “Mellow Yellow”¹ by Donovan and the “Mellow Yellow”² dairy commercials from the 1980s are examples where yellow is a good thing; however, yellow and cats are generally not a good combination. While it is normal for cats to have some yellow staining on their hindquarters from going to the litter box or on their front legs or paws from grooming, etc., yellow anywhere else can be an indication of a serious issue called jaundice.

Jaundice is also referred to as icterus. Both words mean the same thing and describe “the yellow pigmentation of the skin, the yellowing of the whites of the eyes and of the other mucous membranes in the body. The word ‘icterus’ is derived from the Greek word ‘icteric,’ which describes the medical condition when a person has yellowing of the skin. The word ‘jaundice’ is derived from the French word ‘jaune,’ which means yellow.”³

What is Jaundice?

“The yellow pigment in the body known as ‘bilirubin’ is produced when the red blood cells in the bloodstream are broken down. This normally happens to the red blood cells at the end of their natural life (around 120 days), and the resulting bilirubin is normally processed in the liver.”³

“If this process is not happening as it should, then bilirubin levels rise in the blood and urine. When jaundice is present for any length of time, it will discolor tissues and become visible as jaundice on most body surfaces, including the skin. Since most of a cat’s skin is covered by fur, jaundice is most easily seen in the gingivae (gums), the sclerae (white part of the eyes), and the pinnae (ear flaps). Jaundice may be difficult to detect in cats that have pigmented (dark) gums or skin.”⁴

Causes of Jaundice

1. Destruction of red blood cells. The process of red cell destruction is known as “hemolysis.” It can occur within blood vessels (intravascular hemolysis) or in the spleen and liver (extravascular hemolysis). Hemolysis causes hemolytic anemia, which is different from blood-loss anemia—a result of bleeding from an injury.
2. Liver disease. Any disease or condition that damages or destroys liver cells can cause jaundice.
3. Obstruction of the bile duct. Bile is stored in the gall bladder and transported into the small intestine by the bile duct. If bile becomes abnormally thick, gallstones form in the gall bladder, the gall bladder or bile ducts become inflamed, or the liver becomes swollen so that the bile ducts are constricted, bile flow will become obstructed.⁴

Symptoms of Jaundice

In its early stages, jaundice may not show any symptoms, and visible yellowing may not be noticeable. A blood sample, however, would show the increased bilirubin in the blood stream. As things progress, those levels increase in the blood stream and the yellowing becomes visible and obvious.

As well as the outward visible signs of jaundice, most cats will also feel unwell and may experience sluggishness, loss of appetite, and frequently vomit. The following additional symptoms may appear: “yellowish discoloration of the skin, fever, abdominal pain, loss of appetite (anorexia), paleness, change in color of urine and feces (orange colored), increased frequency (polyuria) and volume of urine, increased thirst (polydipsia) and consumption of water, mental confusion in advanced cases, weight loss and bleeding (especially in cats with advanced liver disease).”⁵

Diagnosing Jaundice

The veterinarian will get a history of the cat, current medications, etc., and then do a physical examination. If the cat appears yellow–yellow ears, yellow skin, yellow eyes, and yellow gums and tongue–the simple answer may be to say that the cat has jaundice. However, jaundice is a condition that is a byproduct of a bigger issue that needs to be resolved.

In less severe cases, where this yellow pigmentation is not extreme or present, the diagnosis may be made after examining a blood sample using a total bilirubin blood test. In cats with jaundice, total bilirubin will be elevated.

The veterinarian may also perform urine tests to help determine the cause of the jaundice. If they find that the cat is an outdoor cat, they may consider treating for heartworms. They may look in a different direction if other symptoms are present, such as “excessive thirst, drinking and urination, and they will want to examine the cat’s liver and kidneys.”⁶

“If liver disease is suspected as the cause of the jaundice, to make a precise diagnosis of the type of liver disease, a biopsy of the liver may be recommended, either as a fine needle aspirate (to collect liver cells) or a trucut biopsy (to collect a section of liver tissue). These may be done through the skin under ultrasound guidance (with or without sedation) or a full laparotomy (surgical operation) may be carried out, under general anesthesia.”³

Sometimes the veterinarian will perform liver function tests. These tests measure the way some chemicals are processed by the liver, getting a clearer picture of how the liver is working. The veterinarian may do additional blood tests to help identify a problem with either the hepatic system (liver) or bloodstream and identify an underlying cause.

Depending on early findings, the veterinarian may also order X-rays, an ultrasound, a liver biopsy, or refer to a specialist. Other tests may include “a Coombs test (identifies whether red blood cells are being destroyed because of the cat’s immune system) or serologic tests to see if the cat has contracted feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), toxoplasmosis, or feline leukemia virus (FeLV).”⁶ Additional blood work may consist of a “complete blood count, or CBC. This measures several important factors in the cat’s blood, such as the number of platelets, white and red blood cells. Going beyond the CBC, labs run the packed cell volume or PCV. This tells the veterinarian the proportion of red blood cells in the blood. If the cat is anemic, the veterinarian investigates, determining whether the cat has hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells).”⁶

Treatment

“Treatment will vary widely depending on the cause of the jaundice. In many instances, medications will be used to improve liver function (if this is the root cause) or to slow the destruction of red blood cells if the problem lies in the bloodstream.”⁵

“Veterinarians don’t treat jaundice by itself. Once they find the cause of the jaundice in a cat, they treat that condition, which means the jaundice will eventually resolve. For instance, if the cat has a viral or bacterial infection, the veterinarian prescribes antibiotics or steroids, which allows the cat’s immune system to lower its response to the bacteria or viral body. For cats diagnosed with FIV or FeLV, supportive care that allows their immune system to handle the infection will be given.”⁶

Veterinarians will administer activated charcoal to remove toxins if a cat has ingested a poison. To deal with hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver), the cat will be placed on high-quality nutritional support consisting of a high-protein, high-calorie diet. If liver cancer has been diagnosed, the cat will need surgery and chemotherapy. An obstruction of the biliary tract means the cat will undergo surgery to clear the obstruction.

“Cats with hepatitis are given corticosteroids that reduce liver inflammation. If the cat is experiencing pain, it will be given pain medications. The veterinarian may opt to prescribe SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine), which helps to give the liver support by boosting glutathione, which is an antioxidant. Other nutritional supplements may include ursodeoxycholic acid. The cat may also receive vitamin K or silybin, which supports liver function. This antioxidant helps the liver to rid itself of toxins and drugs. Anemic cats receive blood transfusions.”⁶

Prognosis

The prognosis for a cat with jaundice depends on the underlying cause of the jaundice. The sooner the cause is identified, the better the chances of a positive outcome for your cat. With appropriate treatment, many of the possible causes will have a good outcome; however, causes such as liver cancer cannot be cured. The cause of jaundice will also influence a cat’s life expectancy, with some cats living for many years, while others may have a shortened life.

Many cats will recover within days to weeks once the source of the jaundice is identified and a treatment plan is created, while others with more serious conditions will probably require more time, such as weeks to months to recover. “Some cats with serious liver disorders can require weeks of intensive treatment to be on the mend.”

Sources

1. Accessed 08/13/2025, Mellow Yellow by Donovan Lyrics Meaning – Unpeeling the Layers of a Psychedelic Classic – Song Meanings and Facts Accessed 08/13/2025, https://youtu.be/QzP0GM8YHt4?si=Qhmc5Wp_cDvlSyGi
2. Pete Wedderburn, DVM | Fact checked by Jackie Brown, Jaundice (Icterus) in Cats: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment, 01/25/2024, Accessed 08/13/2025, https://cats.com/jaundice-icterus-in-cats
3. Courtney Barnes, BSc, DVM; Malcolm Weir, DVM, MSc, MPH; Ernest Ward, DVM, Icterus (Jaundice) in Cats, Accessed 08/13/2025, https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/icterus-or-jaundice-in-cats
4. Sandra C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVP, Yellow Skin (Jaundice) in Cats, 12/15/2021, Accessed 08/13/2025, https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/digestive/c_ct_jaundice
5. Hannah Hollinger, Jaundice in Cats, 11/16/2016. Accessed 08/13/2025, https://wagwalking.com/cat/condition/jaundice