Help!! My cat is loseing weight. Whats wrong??

Question

My cat is loseing weight. She is 11 years old. She seems to be eating and going to the bathroom a lot. She is also drinking a lot. Licking plastic too!!! Have any idea on whats wrong with her??

Answer 1

Cats are notorious for developing kidney disease, but hyprethyroidism is also common in cats of this age...ghet her checked out.

Answer 2

It could be her thyroid. One of the cats my family had, who in his prime was 20 pounds, always ate a lot (except for the time he had fatty liver at which time he was anorexic), and he had this same problem where he lost a lot of weight. It turned out to be his thyroid. He was very active and ate a lot, and seemed to feel fine but the weight loss was significant. He licked and ate plastic all his life, this did not start happening when this problem arose.

If the cat is urinating a lot and drinking a lot, I would also be worried she might have diabetes, as that is a common sign of that as well as kidney failure (which is a common problem for cats, and the symptoms can be treated for several years).

I am basing this on my own personal experienced with my own cats.

Answer 3

Kidney, thyroid and diabetes. These three all have the symptoms of loosing weight fast and drinking.

Have her scheduled for a checkup. A blood test will show how the organs are working, and a urine sample will show then about the posibility of diabetes. All three can be treated, but the earlier you start the better off you are. Don't wait on it. Some cats can loose over 4 pounds a month with a diabetic condition.

Answer 4

The signs you are seeing are common to hyperthyroidism, diabetes and kidney failure. Any of them are common illnessess for a cat the age of yours.

I have just had my second diagnosis (today!) of a kitty with hyperthyroidism, which I had suspected knowing the signs. But her vet did want to rule out diabetes, as she always shows elevated BG levels, but they turn out to be stress related.

HyperT is easy to treat with medications and prognosis is good.

In addition to the signs you listed...

-- coat is described to be unkempt (she looks scraggly)
-- her face will look very thin and angular--from the weight loss
-- she will drink enormous amounts and urinate frequently and heavily
-- frequent vomiting
-- she will constantly beg for food and eat like she is starved, but will loose weight.

Her vet can confirm any of the above illnesses with bloodwork. Bonnie's vet yesterday ran the senior wellness that checks the thyroid, kidney functions and glucose. She also did a urinalysis.

As for the plastic thing, my other cat that had hyperT and this cat just diagnosed, both have a thing for plastic. The other would lick plastic bags, and this one wants to chew (not swallow) on the heavy plastic shrink wrap on cases of bottled water. I don't know if there is a correlation, I have never seen it listed in any information about hyperT, just seen it with my own cats. They are the only ones that have had any interest in plastic.

Purrs and prayers for you and kitty.

Answer 5

Those are very common symptoms of kidney disease. They drink a lot because they are dehydrated from over urinating. My Kitty has Chronic Renal Failure and that is exactly what she does. You need to take your kitty to the vet ASAP. if your kitty crashes it could do unrepairable damage to their kidneys, so please please take her. Also cats with "CRF" produce excess acid in their stomach which makes them feel sick, and a lot of times cats want to lick plastic when they feel sick, I'm not sure why but I know thats sometimes why they are doing it. Bottom line you need to get your Kitty checked out and like today!!

Answer 6

i would bring to the vet to get checked over, there could be something seriously wrong if you cat is losing weight alot.

Answer 7

those are signs of diabetes. i am 98% sure that she has diabetes. you need to talk to your vet about this

Answer 8

It would definitely get her checked. She's not well