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Losing weight, going outside the box

kristinmarie May 13, 2007 04:15 PM

I have a twelve year old male tiger cat that has always been a bit overweight. Not grossly overweight, but could stand to lose a few pounds. In the last month or two, he has dropped about 3 pounds I'd say, and has lost all interest in his regular dry cat food. We haven't recently changed brands or anything, he just hasn't touched it. If we give him milk (which used to be rarely, but now we've been giving more since he isn't eating his food), he drinks it readily. He'll also eat tuna or chicken, any treats... just not his food.

He's also starting to go outside his catbox, which has never been a problem unless we, by mistake, had forgotten to clean it and he went elsewhere because, well, he's a cat and doesn't like a dirty box.

The weight loss wouldn't concern me really, because now he is just in a "normal" weight range, not at all underweight... but now it seems like I can feel all his bones along his spine and its a little scary.

One last thing thats out of the ordinary for him -- he has gotten WAY more cuddly with all of us. Not a bad thing, obviously, but he's usually just kept to himself for the most part, and would come curl up with us on occasion. Now, its like as soon we sit down he's in our lap, and won't ever leave us alone.

Could all of these things be related?

Has this happened to anyone else's senior cat? He's always been pretty much healthy except for the extra pounds... and I'm just kind of concerned there could be a bigger problem underneath. Thanks in advance for any help that can be given!

Kristin

Replies (4)

pmantone May 13, 2007 05:20 PM

I'm going to chime in and probably say what everyone will say - it's time for a complete vet check-up - especially when a senior cat changes behavior patterns and starts losing weight. Cats are well-known for "hiding" sicknesses. I had to learn small "tell signs" with my older cat Goofus when he wasn't feeling well. Once I understood his "language", he made a trip to the vet and I was usually glad that I did, even though he did not do vet trips very well.
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Boris's Human, Pam

kwsbsoj May 13, 2007 07:35 PM

Our eight year old cat, Oreo, was diagnosed last August with feline diabetes. His symptoms were weight loss (4 lbs, I was shocked that it was this much because I did not really notice the weight loss), thirst, hunger (does not eat treats and was all of the sudden wanting treats) and other small changes in behavior. I thought he had a thyroid condition and was very surprised when the vet called with the blood results.

He had a rough time just after he was diagnosed but is doing great now - he gained the weight back and is acting like his old playful himself. He gets two injections of insulin a day and is very good about the hometesting and insulin injections. We also had to change our kitties diet (very little dry food) - we have adjusted very well. At first I really wondered how we were going to handle it.

I would take your kitty to the vet for blood/urine testing.

Best wishes.......Kristen & Oreo (the sugar kitty)

PHKitkat May 13, 2007 11:58 PM

Hi Kristin,

I agree with the other posters. It would be a good idea to take your kitty in for an exam, a blood panel, and a urinalysis. Even in an overweight kitty, a 3 pound weight loss within a short time is something to be very concerned about.

Some cats do become more needy if they aren't feeling well. My 10 year old girl, Fiona, recently started to become clingy so I took her in. She already had chronic renal failure, but her numbers had gone way up. A change in her treatment has brought one of the numbers down and she has even gained some weight.

Please take your baby in and let us know how it goes.

Regards,
PHKitkat

cyclopsgrl May 14, 2007 06:47 PM

I'll chime in with the others, as well. I have two 15 1/2 year old male cats...

Any weight loss in Seniors (or any cat) needs to be checked. 3 pounds in a month or two is quite a lot. My vet perks up if my boys lose half a pound to a pound.

I recommend taking him in for blood and urine tests. I've found most medical issues in cats, if found early, are pretty controllable with diet and meds. I've been thru Cancer, Thyroid, Kidney, and Brain tumor issues of late. All have had good results so far from early detection and working closely with the vet. Weight loss, diet changes, behavior changes, and litter box changes are our first indicators something is wrong... That's when the vets can help us pin point it...
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Tammy
Stanley and Pookey

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