A thinning cat is a sign that may indicate that your cat is in the early stages of an illness. This is a symptom that you have to pay attention to in order to be able to solve the problem quickly. Fortunately, the solutions are not lacking and we will see in this article how to find the cause of the thinness of the cat which progresses day by day, and above all, I will present to you all the solutions so that your cat regains a normal weight.
Cat losing weight: The normal weight of a cat
Cats generally maintain the same weight throughout their lives from when they are fully grown, but there are certain stages in their life when they may experience weight variations:
- Stage of growth: During the first months of life, cats must gain weight at a considerable rate, since at six years old they already have almost their adult body.
- Aging stage: From around 7-8 years old, cats can suffer from age-related pathologies which will affect their weight by reducing it.
- After sterilization: Cats after this procedure reduce their energy needs, so they will gain weight if we feed them in the same way as before surgery.
During these periods, we can weigh our cat at home regularly to monitor the evolution of its weight and make sure that everything is normal. To understand the data we collect, it is important that we consider proportion. If our 3 kg cat has lost 300 grams, even if it seems little, in reality he will have lost 10% of his total weight. It would be as if a 70 kg person had suddenly lost 7 kg.
The causes of weight loss in cats
Before thinking of a disease that could explain your cat’s thinness, we must know that even if everything is good in the cat’s diet, he may simply not like it and that is why he refuses to eat. It’s hard to force him to eat something he doesn’t like because for him, if the food doesn’t look good it can put him in danger.
Make the changes gradually to find the food that is causing the problem. It may not be the food itself but its composition, which may contain an element that it does not like. It will then be necessary to give him another type of food and therefore to adapt his diet.
It even works for sick cats that need a specific diet. If they don’t want to eat it, it is better for them to continue with their usual food than to completely stop the old food that they find repugnant.
You can also use certain nutritional supplements suitable for cats, to increase the flavor of their food and make it tastier to their eyes. Sometimes the taste or smell of food just doesn’t suit them.
What to do?
Try to find the food that is causing the problem, if it is a specific ingredient present in a food, it will be very difficult to find it and only the veterinarian can find the source of this problem and indicate a more suitable food. .
Mouth problems
Cats can suffer from mouth diseases such as gingivitis, i.e. inflammation of the gums, tartar, etc. These pathologies are usually accompanied by intense pain that will cause the cat to stop eating and thus lose weight. In some, cats drool a lot due to this type of problem.
These cats may beg for food or eagerly approach the feeder, not even being able to open their mouths. They need urgent veterinary care. An oral problem can also be suspected when the cat leaves small fragments of food on its plate.
What to do ?
Visit the vet so you can fix any dental issues before your cat loses its teeth. It is vital to get there quickly to avoid any aggravation.
Digestive problems
There are diseases that affect the digestive system that can lead to weight loss and, generally, more or less frequent diarrhea or vomiting. These are pathologies such as inflammatory bowel diseases, malabsorption, food intolerances or allergies, etc.
What to do ?
You have to find the source of the problem in your diet, such as a new food or a new brand. Sometimes it’s a very specific ingredient. Here too, the veterinarian will be of great help if the source is difficult to find.
Cancer and infectious diseases in cats
The appearance of tumors can also be the cause of weight loss in a cat, this is one of the signs of the early stages of the disease. More common in older cats, in them only weight loss is already a reason for veterinary consultation, precisely because early treatment improves the prognosis.
Immunodeficiency and feline leukemia are incurable viral diseases and can present with many different symptoms. They affect the immune system and promote the appearance of tumours. They can make the cat lose weight.
What to do ?
In any case, an older cat should be taken to the vet if it shows abnormal symptoms.
The stress
In addition to physical causes, a stressed cat may lose weight. Sometimes it will be because he finds an obstacle to access the feeder, for example, another cat he is fighting with or someone disturbing him.
Stress triggers in cats are multiple, as these animals are very sensitive to any change in their routine. Some will be obvious, such as a move, the arrival of a new family member, construction, etc. On the other hand, others will pass unnoticed.
It is important to discover the trigger to solve the problem and each time you make a change that affects the cat, we must introduce it gradually to minimize stress.
What to do ?
Cats hate changes , reassure him so he can get used to it. If it’s not a change, maybe he’s bored or scared of something. It is vital to find the cause of the stress to solve it.
Intestinal parasites
Parasites such as ticks and tapeworms can absorb all the nutrients the cat ingests, causing the cat to lose weight even if it eats a lot more. Intestinal parasites have the unfortunate tendency to multiply until the death of the animal they inhabit. You can check for them in the cat’s stool and around its anus.
What to do ?
Only treatment from the veterinarian can get rid of it permanently. As I told you, the parasites, without treatment, will not stop feeding on the nutrients that your feline ingests and they will end up killing it, the cat not being able to nourish its body.
Special cases
A cat that loses weight does not always do so in the same context. Here are all the particular cases of a cat that loses weight.
Cat losing weight but eating
It is normal to worry when the cat stops eating because it is at first a sign of illness, but it is also necessary to worry if it continues to eat. Failure to act quickly is a mistake that can delay the visit to the veterinary clinic when the disease is already at an advanced stage. Some of these diseases are:
Diabetes Mellitus: Affects middle and older aged cats, usually overweight. It is due to a deficiency in insulin, which raises the level of glucose in the blood. In addition to losing weight, even if they eat, it can be noticed that they drink a greater amount of water and, therefore, the amount of urine they eliminate also increases.
Hyperthyroidism: Common in cats over ten years old. In this disease, there is an increase in the secretion of thyroxine excreted by the thyroid gland. This increases the metabolism and therefore the cat increases its activity and loses weight even if it eats.
Cat losing weight and drinking a lot
The appearance of these two symptoms together should always be cause for concern as they are usually associated with chronic kidney disease, which is more common in older cats. It is not curable but it is treatable.
The kidneys can be damaged and continue to function without showing symptoms for some time as they are able to compensate. It’s only when the damage is extensive that you’ll see symptoms beyond the weight loss that usually begins a year earlier.
Old cat losing weight
Weight loss in older cats is usually linked to an illness, I can only advise you to go see a veterinarian so that he can treat it before its condition worsens.
Cat losing weight and hair loss
His two problems are related to parasites, such as ticks or fleas that infest your cat at the intestinal level and also at the skin level, digging to lay their eggs there and multiply. It will have to be treated because it will not get rid of it on its own and these parasites can endanger it because they will multiply until it dies.
Diabetic cat losing weight
It is here about a too high glycemia which makes him lose weight, he will tend to drink a lot and will be lethargic. Also, go see the veterinarian as soon as possible to act before his condition worsens.
Cat losing weight in summer
Your cat may not be fed enough, maybe he spends more, especially if he is an outdoor cat and he loses weight even if his food share is not changed. Cats generally hunt outdoors, but this often isn’t enough to meet their daily needs because they won’t hunt as much as feral cats.
Sometimes the cat will naturally eat less because it will need less fat reserves than in winter, not needing a layer of warmth and above all needing to have less fat to move better if it gets cold. is about outdoor cats.
Cat losing weight and diarrhea
There’s something your cat can’t digest in their diet that needs to be eliminated. Pay attention to what he eats before coming to find the culprit food.
Cat losing weight but in good shape
Your cat suffers from a pathology but it is not sufficiently developed at the present time to make him suffer. It is best to go directly to the veterinarian in case of doubt.
Cat losing weight and smelling bad
Your cat is losing weight and has bad breath? He probably has a dental infection, possibly visible to the naked eye. When he eats, this causes an intense pain and he will not eat. He won’t drink if the water is too cold, because there is too much pain for him to drink normally.
Check the condition of his teeth and take him to the vet who will prescribe antibiotics to cure the infection. He may also perform a local anesthetic. And in the meantime, give him the softest foods possible and make them as appetizing as possible so that he wants to eat them.
Cat losing weight and urinating a lot
The problem is probably in the kidneys, kidney failure often causes both of these symptoms. If it is an older cat, this problem is more likely. Take him to the vet for proper treatment.
My cat is losing weight: The final word
If your cat loses weight in an abnormal and unexplained way, it is vital to take him to the vet quickly to prevent the problem from getting worse. You will be able to solve the problem much faster. In the meantime, make sure that he can feed himself as easily as possible with soft foods that he loves, such as sardines or minced meat.