Why is my cat loosing weight?

Our question this week was:

We adopted a neutered stray cat a year ago & last time he was at the vet he put on 2 lbs. He was on the thin side so this was good. The vet estimated his age to be around 8. Lately he has been losing weight but has no other health issues. He does go outside too. Any advice? He’s a bit of a fussy eater but other then that he’s fine & very friendly. Thanks so much for your help!

Laura Kornak

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. You wrote that your cat has lost weight but seems to act and feel good. There are LOTS of causes for weight loss in cats. Some cats will loose weight if you start letting them outside as they tend to burn more calories (I don’t know if this is the case).

I always assume that there is a possible underlying cause for weight loss that is NOT normal. I never want to overlook a problem so tend to look for a problem. If everything is normal – that is great but if things are not normal, then I can treat problems when they are often more treatable.

Cats can act fine and still be sick. Cats are so good at hiding that they are ill that they commonly do not show signs of illness until late in the disease.

I’d recommend that you take him to your vet for evaluation. An article that might be helpful to you is Weight Loss in Cats.

This article discussed many possible causes for this problem.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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