My cat breathes slightly faster than usual but is very energetic and keeps meowing, though its ear canals and body temperature are a bit higher than normal.

A rise in your cat’s ear temperature isn’t necessarily a fever—it may just be local warming from ear canal inflammation. If the ears show redness, increased discharge, or itching, take the cat to a vet for a secretion smear test.

If the ear canals look clean, use a mercury thermometer to measure the cat’s rectal temperature: coat the thermometer with petroleum jelly, insert it slowly about one-third of the way into the rectum, and wait 3–5 minutes. A reading above 39.5°C means the cat has a fever; try physical cooling first, and if that doesn’t help, visit a vet for a fever-reducing injection.