My cat is losing muscle, eating less, and drinking more. Is he sick?

My concern with Menie is that he can have one of a few different things going on. As cats age they can become diabetic, have chronic kidney disease or even become hyperthyroid. With all these diseases you will see an increase in drinking and weight loss. I would recommend taking Menie to the veterinarian and having blood work and a urinalysis performed to see exactly what is going on with him. The urine will also show if there is a urinary tract infection, which they can have if they have diabetics, kidney disease or even if they don't have another disease going on. I hope Menie feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From your description of signs, I would strongly suspect that Flynn may have diabetes. This very commonly causes increased thirst and urination, sticky urine (from the sugar in the urine) and weight loss. Other common causes of weight loss and increased thirst and urination in cats are kidney disease and thyroid disease. I have seen many cats that have more than one of these diseases at the same time. I would strongly recommend taking Flynn to a veterinarian for blood work and urinalysis. This will be the first step in diagnosing his actual condition so that you know how to treat him. I hope this helps and that Flynn gets feeling better soon!

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!

I'm sorry the hear diamond is not feeling herself. When cats lose weight rapidly we worry about several potential diseases including kidney disease, diabetes (they tend to be drinking a lot of water with these two), increased thyroid level (hyperthyroidism), and disease in the intestine (inflammation or even cancer). I would have diamond evaluated by a veterinarian. A physical exam and Simple lab work will help start sorting out what could be going on. I hope you get answers soon and diamond is feeling better.

Cheddar is a beautiful boy. I strongly recommend a vet exam as soon as you can. Diabetes mellitus is one disease that can cause weight loss and increased water consumption. Urinary or renal disease could also do this. Cheddar needs a physical exam and from there the vet will make recommendations on any tests or treatment recommended. I hope he is feeling better soon, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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!

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!