Why is my cat eating more and losing weight?

Question

I have a 10-year-old indoor female cat. She has never, ever been interested in human food. However, here recently she has been "hunting" my plate and taking any human food she can. I have also noticed that she seems to be losing weight even though she is going after all this extra food. I am not entirely sure if she is eating much cat food because she has a brother that eats the food too, but has always eaten in the past. She does not act like she feels bad otherwise. Anybody had this happen? Any ideas?

Answer 1

/Worms can cause this.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I agree with what most people had said, these are classical clinical signs of hyperthyroidism. It is easy to diagnose by a simple blood test. Another (more unlikely causes) can be tapeworms or pituitary tumor (she would gain weight w a tumor, tho)

It is easy to treat either by an oral medication given every day, surgery, or some facilities offer radioactive treatment. It shouldn't be ignored as the haywire metabolism will eventually cause high blood pressure, heart failure, damage to the other organs, and may even cause blindness (due to tiny vessels in the retina bursting from the hypertension). Not a pleasant thing to have unchecked! Sometimes if the condition goes for too long, can cause kidney damage and makes the hyerperthyroidism much harder to treat. Hyperthyroidism sometimes leads to diabetes... if a diabetic cat has increased appetite and weight loss, should be checked for hyperthyroidism as well.

Answer 4

How old is the sick kitty? It could be stress related - or dietary. But it is never a good thing when cats start to lose too much weight. It is a great thing that you had that blood work done. Now you have a "base line" to start with. I recommend testing the fecal for worms but something just tells me that isn't it. If you really like that vet, talk to them some more. Or else get a second opinion and some more blood work done - perhaps an xray of the abdomen too. Oh yeah, start a diary of each time kitty does AND does not vomit. What was fed each day, after wards before the vomit - was kitty playing right before hand, or anything else you can think of. Trust me these Little facts for the vet really save time in a diagnosis and $$ for you. One more thing, a trick I have used to clean up wet vomit on a rug is to scrape it up with a metal spoon. Good Luck. Hope he feels better soon. :)

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Answer 5

A friend of mine wrote to tell me her female cat (10 yo) was just diagnosed with diabetes--she is and has been eating a lot but keeps losing weight. Now that she's on insulin, she's still eating a lot but at least not losing any more weight. So, get your cat checked. It could be something as simple as worms which can be easily treated or it could be something more serious.

Answer 6

there is a good reason that this cat could be eating more and losing weight WORMS or a stomach parasiti . i would try an over the counter worm medication first and see if your cat responds and as much as she wants people food it not a good idea to give it to her cats need a high protein diet if she still eats and loses weight you may have to call a vet .

Answer 7

It could be worms but at the same time there are other health problems that can cause animals to loose weight maybe you can try feeding her apart from her brother to make sure she gets some cat food into her and see if that makes any difference if it doesn't it might pay to get her checked by a vet.

Answer 8

Hyperthyroidism is very common now, even in cats as young as ten. Increased appetite accompanied by weight loss is one of the symptoms. The problem is caused by a growth on the thyroid gland (may just one of them as there are two) which causes an overdose of the thyroid hormone in her body.

It is a condition that must be treated as it can really damage the cat if neglected. Your veterinarian should do two tests - general blood test and a free T-4 to determine the level of hormone in her system.

Answer 9

Please take your kitty to the vet for a check up; it sounds as though she may have hyperthyroidism, which is a condition of the thyroid gland. It is very common in older cats.

It is very treatable with medication. Without treatment, it will cause your kitty to waste away, no matter how much she eats. Her body will eat its own fat, muscles, and tissues. It can cause many complications, including thickening of the heart muscle.

My family's (then about 13 years old) kitty began to waste away even though he was eating as much as we would give him. After he was medicated, he went back to his normal self.

My kitty (approximately 18 years old) was diagnosed with a very slightly elevated thyroid level, and we started her on the medications as a preventative measure.

If your kitty does not have a hyperthyroid, bloodwork should help rule out other causes such as cancer, lymphoma, etc.

Good luck to you and your kitty, and I hope this helps. :)

Answer 10

I suspect hyperthyroidism at once. The 'classic' signs of hyperthyroidism are weight loss, usually despite an increased appetite (polyphagia), increased thirst (polydipsia), increased irritability, and restlessness or even hyperactivity. And it is quite common in older cats. The good news is that it is very treatable, so best trot your kitty to the vet as soon as possible.

Answer 11

Has anyone testing the kitty for diabetes. When their sugar gets high, they eat and drink a lot. This would be my first suspision. You should really have the kitties blood sugar checked. I am speaking to you from experience. Check the cat litter. It the pee-pee seeming "sticky" or more difficult to scoop. If this is the case, then diabetes comes to mind. It is actually easy treated. Good luck