My cat is skinny and won't gain weight...?

Question

My cat is skinny and won't gain weight so I changed his food 4 weeks ago from "no name" to "Whiskas" and he still hasn't gained weight. I fill his bowl all the way to the top and it takes him a few days to eat it. Its about 5 or 6 cups of food.

I don't give him canned or wet food...could this be the problem? I can feel his leg bones alot and his spine...what should I do, I don't have money for the vet it is crazy!?

Answer 1

Call a vet and tell them you don't have a lot of money, and ask if there is a local discount clinic. If they say no, call more vets. Perhaps you can find one who will give you a reduced price.

Your cat really needs to see a vet for a proper diagnosis.

Also, Whiskas is not necessarily better than the "no name' brand ... and don't give him 6 cups of food if he doesn't eat it. Leaving it out will only make it go stale and invite insects.

Answer 2

Body size/weight are things that are individual to breeds and individual cats. Trying to fatten him up may eventually work, but then you will have a cat with heart trouble, organ problems and a shorter life. My Cornish Rex only weighs 6.5lbs and is in perfect health. I can feel his leg bones and his spine. Please stop trying to make your cat into something he isn't and shouldn't be. BTW, Whiskas is not the best food available for your baby. If you only have the one cat, why don't you indulge him and get him a truly good food like Royal Feline, Innova, Natural Balance, Felidae or Wellness? Do some research and find out why I suggest this. Cats don't need corn meal and most store brands are full of corn meal. Good food will cost more but you will use less because his body will make better use of the food he eats. Less poo and the cat box won't stink as bad. Makes everybody's life better!!!

Answer 3

I have noticed with some cats. You can feed them lots and they still dont gain much weight. We had a cat like this once. She ate all the time but was still very thin looking. We gave her the best quality food we could find. We decided to get her fixed. She gained lots of weight after that. Ive noticed this with lots of other cats too. So if she isnt fixed this would probably help and will keep the tom cat away. ( he is probably going in there because he can smell her scent. Hope this helps

Answer 4

I know before the summer cats will usually quit eating so much to slim down for the heat and then in winter they fatten up again.
It could also be the food you are feeding him...he may not like it. My cat did this when he didn't like his food. Also they like fresh food and water. I wouldn't put so food in his bowl at once. Just a 1/2 to 1 cup at a time to keep it fresh.
IF you can afford it, get better quality cat food.
If he seems healthy (running around and playing) all of the above applies but if he seems sick (depressed, change in behavior) take him to the vet.

Answer 5

Cornish Rex Weight

Answer 6

Please take your cat in for an examination. The same thing happened to my cat in December- he was losing weight but still eating--so I wasn't that worried. But when I took him in they did lab work and he had anemia, after many blood transfusions and surgery he died in less than a month. I noticed probably two or three weeks before taking him in that he was losing weight but because he was eating--I didn't pay alot of attention to it --Now, I wish I would have taken him when I first noticed it because I blamed myself for his death. It has been so hard for me to give him up---sometimes I still can't believe he's gone. It has been devastating.
Hope your kitty will be okay. Good Luck.

Answer 7

feed him kitty food. it has a higher fat content. wet food might not nesessarly have more nuetrients- but he might ike it better hence eating more food. you could mix it in with the dry food. There is also iams savory sause which makes them go crazy over their food. If he still doesnt eat enough take him to the vet there could be an underlying problem

Answer 8

Many times, intestinal parasites are to blame for the inability to gain weight in animals.
I'm sorry to say this, but you're gonna have to figure out a way to round up some money to take your feline friend to the vet.

Answer 9

Our local pet store sells cat food to help cats gain muscle, weight. I think its by Nutra. I know there was the canned food scare, and Nutra was part of it, but their dry food is made at a different place.

Answer 10

yeah, you might want to get him to the vet somehow. because it sounds like worms, you can call the vet and check to see if they would allow you to set up a paymet plan, or tell them you think your cat has worms and they will do some stool sample tests. for one cat it should be well under $100.