Why Is My Cat Losing Weight?

Nowadays, our living conditions are getting better and better and obesity has increased among people and pets. Cat owners do not just care about putting on weight, but also are concerned about their pets getting fat.

However, it is easy to dismiss weight loss. They tend to regard weight loss as a good thing and pay no attention to it. On the contrary, unintentional weight loss in cats can be a cause for concern, because it can be a sign of serious illnesses.

How to Tell if Your Cat Is Losing Weight?

Telling if your cat is losing weight is not that simple because most cats have a lot of hair. Estimating your cat’s weight based on his or her size to tell if he or she is losing weight is not accurate.

If you have a scale, weigh your cat once a week or two weeks to check his or her health condition. If not, you can look at your cat’s body from above. With an ideal weight, there would be a noticeable tuck at the waist.

Then move your hand around the sides of the cat. If you feel very prominent and visible ribs, your cat is likely underweight, because there should be a thin covering of fat.

8 Reasons Your Cat May Be Losing Weight

The most common reason for weight loss is the lack of food. Besides, some diseases lead to weight loss even if your cat eats adequate foods.

If you are not sure about the ideal weight of your cat, consult your veterinarian and once your cat is losing weight, take him or her to the pet hospital as soon as possible to help your cat identify the cause and recover from it.

Here are eight of the most common causes of rapid weight loss in cats.

(1)Anxiety, Stress, or Depression

Your cat may refuse to eat if he or she is under psychological stress. Another pet’s disappearance agitates your cat.

Besides, changing his or her routine is likely to disturb your cat. It may upset your cat when other animals are in his or her feeding area, the food dishes are too dirty, the food dish is too close to the litter box, or when it is noisy. It would be better if you prepare a specialized food feeder and a water dish for your cat and put them in a quiet place.

(2)Gastrointestinal Problems

Gastrointestinal problems usually come with a lack of appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea. Eating less and maldigestion are the direct consequence of weight loss. GI problems are related to food allergies, infections, and inflammatory bowel diseases.

Choose the right food bowl, Lionpapa automatic food feeder, for example. Lionpapa cat food feeder comes with two removable bowls: one self-feeding cat bowl made of ABS material and the other in a stainless steel tray. These two food-grade removable bowls help to avoid chin acne for your pet. And the removable design allows you to clean it easily. 

(3)Intestinal Parasites

As everyone knows, parasites often occur to cats and intestinal parasites do harm to your cat. Carrying intestinal parasites, your cat doesn't necessarily show symptoms but is likely to cause diarrhea, bloating, vomiting, and breathing problems. Feed your cat with insect repellents according to your veterinarian’s suggestion.

(4)Tooth Issue

Similar to human beings, cats may suffer from tooth issues. If your cat suddenly stops eating and begins to lose weight, check to see if there are mouth ulcers or severe gingivitis.

(5)Hyperthyroidism

The symptoms of hyperthyroidism are quite different from those mentioned above. With excessive production of thyroid hormones, your cat has a good appetite and eats more than usual, but still loses weight. In addition, your cat tends to drink more and pee more. Activity, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle wasting increase. As hyperthyroidism develops, it may even lead to heart problems or death.

(6)Diabetes

Diabetes not only may occur in our humans, but also your cat. The body fails to produce the hormone insulin or has an impaired ability to respond to it, changing the appetite and causing weight loss. You can also find your cat to drink and urinate more.

(7)Feline Infectious Peritonitis

This illness comes to your cat with a fever that doesn’t respond to antibiotics and causes weight loss.

(8)Cancer

Just like patients with later-stage tumors, a cat with cancer loses weight, loses appetite, and slouches. Once your cat has these symptoms, make an appointment with your veterinarian immediately.

Losing weight and drinking, and urinating too frequently indicates a change in your cat’s condition. Once your cat shows the symptoms mentioned above, consult your veterinarian, feed the medicine in time, and adjust the diet.