Why is my cat lethargic, losing weight, and shedding more?

Poor Bubba sounds ill! When a cat loses weight despite eating, it could be caused by a medical illness such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, or kidney disease. The pale gums could be a sign of anemia. I would have Bubba seen by a vet first thing in the morning for a physical exam, blood tests, and a urinalysis. These tests can help diagnose what is causing his symptoms, and the vet can discuss treatment options with you.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend taking Tully Mars to a vet for blood work. He could be diabetic or have thyroid disease. Both of these illnesses can cause increases in appetite and weight loss. The blood work helps to rule in and rule out multiple diseases. Good luck and kisses to Tully Mars!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is difficult to tell based on these pictures if he has a thin body condition. Weight loss or lack of weight gain can be seen with gastrointestinal disease, renal or liver disease, among many others. I would recommend that you consider having him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment. Further diagnostics would include general labwork and possibly an abdominal ultrasound and a GI panel. Treatment if any would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! I hope you find this information helpful.

Poor guy. This sounds worrisome for sure. I would use some caution here and get Boba seen by your vet right away. He could have an underlying illness going on such as kidney disease that is causing his symptoms. The vet needs to do some bloodwork and a urinlaysis to start and try to find out what is causing him to be so ill. I do hope that you are able to get Boba seen by your vet soon and that he is able to get back to his normal self. Best of luck and take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m glad to hear Grippet has lost the weight you wanted him to, but at his age we would want to ensure all the weight loss is for healthy reasons and not an underlying medical issue. As cats age, they frequently can get an overactive thyroid, diabetes, or kidney issues (among others) that can lead to unhealthy weight loss. I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian and have bloodwork done to ensure all his weight loss is healthy and there isn’t an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. Good luck!

You're right, it doesn't sound good. Possible causes for the bloat and decreased appetite include pain from arthritis, hairballs, food allergy, GI blockage, intestinal parasites, IBD, intestinal lymphoma, systemic disease (liver, kidney, pancreas, diabetes), among others. The shedding and change in coat texture could be due to a decrease in nutrition from not eating, but is likely caused by not grooming as frequently. I recommend that James go to the vet as soon as possible. After a thorough physical exam, your vet may recommend additional diagnostics like x-rays or bloodwork to try to determine the cause of his symptoms.

Good morning! It sounds as if Bunky might have diabetes, or kidney problems, or even an excessive amount of thyroid hormone (hyperthyroidism), based on the weight loss, and excessive thirst. Unfortunately, these are conditions that would need to be diagnosed by blood and urine tests, which would involve taking him to see his vet. Thyroid problems are very treatable with an oral medication, and diabetes is treatable with daily insulin injections, or sometimes just with a special food your vet can prescribe. At home, there isn't too much that you can do; I wish there was more I could suggest!