cat losing weight

17 years ago

I have four cats so I really don't have a way of keeping track of how much each one eats. Recently I started feeding them all Natural Balance limited ingredient canned food (only comes in two flavors). They also get dry food. I used to feed them the cheap Fancy Feast or Meow Mix until my youngest had diarhea for a month and we changed her food to see if that would help. However, her diarhea cleared up before the change in food but I've continued to feed it to them since it is a better quality of food. My 2nd youngest (4 yrs old) is a very little cat. She is petite and my kitten is bigger than her. (Kitten is 9 lbs and probably still growing, considering the size of her paws!) My 4 yr old girl has a very slight build, tiny face, etc. The last time she was at the vet's (about two months ago) she weighed exactly 9 lbs.

When I first found my kitten in july, my four year old girl started eating the kitten's food (fancy feast) and gained weight and was around 10 lbs. Now she plays more and doesn't eat as much because she isn't crazy about the Natural Balance food. So she has started to lose weight. Last night I weighed her and she weighs 8.6 lbs. I should point out that she is very jumpy and skittish and not one to lay around and sleep all day (as my 5 yr old female and 6 yr old male do). However she looks thin to me. How much weight is too much to lose too quickly for a cat?

Should I be concerned? She is playing as she normally does and does not seem to have anything bothering her.

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Comments (4)

laurief_gw
17 years ago
If your cat was heavy at 10 lbs and you put her on a deliberate diet, then 1.4 lb weight loss over a 7 mo period wouldn't be out of line. Certainly a .4 lb loss over the last two months is nothing to panic about. If, however, she is becoming too thin and refuses to eat enough to maintain decent weight, then you should try offering her a brand or flavor of food that she finds more appealing. If she still continues to lose weight, she should be evaluated by your vet.

Laurie
lfnyc
17 years ago
So glad that your baby's poopoo problems have firmed up. I'll bet it was T-Foetus or some other kind of Flagyl resistant bug.

AFA your 4 yr old. Laurie is right...especially if she is only down Still, I would suggest a monthly weigh-in for all cats. Its simple...just jump on the scale without and then with your cat and subtract the difference. It won't be 100% accurate, but it will be within 1/2 lb. I learned the hard way that when a cat does start to lose weight because of illness, it is not noticeable until its too late. As you said, it is especially hard for a multi cat person to keep tabs on how much each cat is eating. A weight diary is a good thing (for people and cats).

L
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laurief_gw
17 years ago
I agree that keeping track of your cats' weights is a VERY good idea. I learned that the hard way when, as lfnyc noted, one of my cats lost a substantial amount of weight without my noticing until he was very, very ill. That was when I bought a digital baby scale off of eBay and started weighing my cats every two weeks. I chart their weights in a spreadsheet on my computer so it is always readily at hand and I can see at a glance how each cat's weight has ebbed and flowed since 7/07.

Feeding portioned meals to four cats really wouldn't be difficult once you get into a routine. I feed all fifteen of my cats portioned meals so that I can keep an eye on daily food intake and properly manage their weights. I used to free feed, but I am so glad to have switched to portioned, scheduled meals. Now I know immediately when one of my cats loses his/her appetite and can evaluate him/her for other signs of illness or take a trip to the vet if necessary. I won't lose another cat because I didn't notice weight loss or inappetance again.

Laurie
runsnwalken
17 years ago
Innova EVO is a really good pet food.