Why is my cat so skinny and when he walks he like stumbles?

Question

Hes an old cat around 11 or 12 years old i think and usually hes an outdoor cat but its gotten pretty cold out so he stays inside an rests. but i noticed hes really skinny an usually around this time hes pretty fat but now hes so boney, he eats a lot an sleeps yet i dont think he gains any weight. he also lives with to other cats a male an female that are young idk if that has anything to do with it but does he have worms? my mom gave him some medicine in his food last night. Should i take him to the vet??

Thanks :)

Well I dont know about my other cats...there pretty big not boney at all an there indoor cats

Cany dont worry about the best answer.

Answer 1

Your cat needs to be evaluated for hyperthyroidism. That sounds like the problem to me. The vet needs to do a blood panel and a special T-4 panel to determine thyroid function. A cat with this condition needs medication once or twice a day for the rest of his life.

You are harming him and not dealing with the problems with over the counter worm medications.

Answer 2

Yes, take him to the vet. Most cats do tend to lose weight as they age. It's the stumbling that worries me, he could have some sort of infection, possibly and inner ear infection. He could very well also have worms. Being an outdoor cat, has he been tested for any communicable diseases such as feline leukemia, FIV, etc? Has he been vaccinated? Regardless of how he's been acting it wouldn't hurt to take him in to the vet and have him checked out. It's a must to have your pet checked out once a year just for a general health check.
Good luck and I hope he's okay.

Answer 3

YES, take him to the vet ASAP, and have a blood test made...a "fructosamine" test will show whether or not his glucose levels are high. It sounds to me (eating/drinking a lot and still losing weight), that he COULD have diabetes. One thing you can check at home is.....smell his breath. If it has a really sweet (like fingernail polish remover) smell, he REALLY needs to get checked. This is what alerted me to my 12 yr old cat's health, last year. I had him checked and he does have diabetes! We've been doing the insulin injections for 15 months, now, and he's better, but at least he's not dead! It doesn't sound, to me, like your cat has worms....GOOD LUCK.........

Answer 4

How one goes from an older cat stumbling to worms... and suddenly "notice" that he is boney is beyond me.

Take this poor cat to the vet and stop giving him over the counter meds for something you don't even know he has!

Answer 5

Sounds like worms. The cat is eating but not getting the nutrition from the food. If one cat has it there is a good chance the others do too. Check the cats poop for things that look like white rice. That is a sure sign of worms.

Answer 6

Sounds like his body is just starting to slow down. My cat that lived to be 17 went through the same thing you are deascribing before she passed.
I would definatley keep him inside now that he has reached this stage in his life. His reaction time will not be what it used to be. He could be hit by a car or attacked by a dog or another cat.
Just pamper him and love him. I would worm him again in 10 days. This is the best way to do a worming.
Good luck.

Answer 7

Sounds like your cat has Kidney disease. Very common in older cats. It sounds very similar to what my cat had. If you catch it early there is a lot you can do for them, if not, it's a death sentence...

No it's NOT WORMS.. I can tell you that.

Trust me - Your cat is REALLY sick & needs a Vet!!

Answer 8

It sounds like he needs a vet's help.

Answer 9

take him to the vet---