My cat overeats and drinks lots of water when hungry. What's wrong?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Excessive thirst in cats is always a concern and should be investigated. Squishy may drink a lot of water because of diabetes, kidney problems, overactive thyroid gland, liver disease or even tumor development. You should take Squishy to your local vets for an appointment as she will need full clinical examination and possibly a blood test to find out what the problem is. In the meantime, you should let her drink as much as wants to maintain normal hydration - she will not get into any problems because of that.

Wow, Mau’s appetite does seem quite voracious! There are several things we can see in cats that lead to an increased appetite including hyperthyroidism (high thyroid level) and some intestinal diseases. I would have Mau evaluated by his veterinarian. They will track his weight and may run some lab work to check for underlying issues. If no problems are found, the voracious appetite can be behavioral and then the quantity of food being given would just need to be controlled more closely.

While some cats exhibit bad behavior by getting into food, an excessive appetite can also be indicative of a health problem such as diabetes or hyperthyroidism. I would recommend having him examined by your veterinarian and discuss other signs of these diseases such as weight loss or changes and drinking habits. Your veterinarian may recommend blood work to further screen for these diseases. If Phoenix is otherwise healthy this could just be a behavior problem. If this is the case you have taken the first step by limiting his access to the food items. Providing enrichment for him on a daily basis may help as well. This can be done by using puzzle toys to provide his meals as well as using a laser pointer other toys to encourage exercise. There are other options for deterring unwanted behavior such as a scat mat but this type of deterrence only works if used consistently and in all locations.

Thanks for visiting Petcoach! In a situation like this where your pet is always seemingly hungry and eating other pets food, you want to first rule out any underlying disorder that can cause an increase in appetite, including Diabetes Mellitus. I would first get some baseline bloodwork done at your local vet to do a good overall health check. Then if she comes up clear for any underlying condition, I would recommend getting her on a food that is going to make her feel fuller longer. My top recommendation here is the Royal Canin Feline satiety. This is a prescription food however, so you willl need to get a prescription card through your vet in order to purchase the food from your local pet store. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/royal-canin-veterinary-diet-satiety-support-dry-cat-food Her urinating outside the litterbox may be related to an underlying UTI or it also may be signs of diabetes, so it is important to get her tested. I hope this helps and best wishes moving forward with your pet Guinevere. I hope you get her appetite and inappropriate urination in control soon. Take care.

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!

Poor Master Shake! It sounds like he is really stressed about the change of people in the house, the other cat, and maybe even a new environment if y'all have recently moved in with your fiance'. I would start by ensuring your have multiple litterboxes. I would also putting some feliway diffusers throughout the house. This is a cat pheromone that will sometimes help to calm a cat down and help with inappropriate urination. You may also consider putting her on vetriscience's composure chews. If these don't work, I would talk to your vet about starting him on an anti-anxiety medicine like amitryptilline. I have had great success with this to help calm cats down and help them adjust to stressful situations. I hope this helps!

There are two very common health issues in older cats that are known for causing a sudden increase in appetite like this: hyperthyroidism, and diabetes. I would definitely recommend taking Lucy to the vet for a check-up when you are able to - he/she can do blood work to check for these problems. If she does have one of these illnesses, they are normally very treatable with medication once a diagnosis is made :)