Why is my 7-year-old cat so skinny, cold, and losing weight?

Overall being thin could be a result of an underlying metabolic, endocrine, or gastro-intestinal issue. (such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes,or inflammatory bowel disease) It would be best to have her evaluated by a veterinarian, and consider having blood work and urine tests run to see if there are any abnormalities. She is listed as unspayed--keep in mind that metabolism tends be slower once they are spayed. If everything on her lab work checks out to be normal, I would recommend you have her spayed for her overall health and for pet over-population concerns; another positive for her may be weight gain! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Significant weight loss is always a concern, especially if his appetite is good. Hormonal conditions such as diabetes and thyroid disease or poor absorption and digestion of his food is possible and I would recommend a full physical and blood panel as soon as possible in order to stabilise his condition before he becomes too frail

From what I can see, she doesn't look too thin, however, if she has suddenly lost a significant amount of weight, I recommend getting her seen by your vet right away, as that could be a sign of diabetes, or hyperthyroidism, especially if her appetite is increased without weight gain or with weight loss. Like humans, cats' bodies change as they get older and this may be the case. If you didn't have senior bloodwork done last month at her appointment, I suggest getting it done to check for any underlying medical condition that could cause her difference in weight.

Weight loss in a cat can be caused by several different things. In a young kitten I would be mostly concerned with intestinal parasites. If Dory is young I would recommend taking a fecal sample in to your vet to be assessed for parasites. A simple course of deworming should take care of the problem. If Dory is an older cat I would be concerned with either diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and/or kidney disease. Your vet can run blood tests to rule out these diseases. If you could post another question or requested a consult we may be able to better help you figure out what is going on with Dory. Some additional things that would be helpful to know are Dory's age, whether or not she is eating, and if she is vomiting and/or having diarrhea. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Cats can be thin for a variety of reasons. Make sure he has been checked for parasites or dewormed recently. Some cats will also become thin due to kidney disease or hyperthyroidism. Sometimes this can happen even before kidney disease begins. Any GI disease will also cause a thin body. Lastly, some cats have a fast metabolism. Make sure Choo Choo's bloodwork is all normal and that parasites are not a concern. Then you may try focusing on nutrition. I recommend the brand Royal Canin. It's diets are all tested and formulated to contain appropriate protein levels that are high quality and easy to digest. Feed one of the higher calorie diets available. This may help to put weight on him. You can also supplement with a high calorie canned like A/D or R/S.

I would recommend having some blood work performed on your cat. Hyperthyroidism is a common disease in middle aged to older cats that causes an increase metabolism so cats are often very hungry but unable to gain weight. I would also recommend having your vet check a fecal sample to ensure that Koda does not have any intestinal parasites as this can cause weight loss as well. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Poor Mickey! It definitely sounds like he is feeling terrible. Just like people, there are many conditions that can make pets feel sick. This could range from parasites to cancer. Also like us, diseases are best addressed early and this may result in a better prognosis. I recommend to have him examined by the veterinarian today. The doctor will need to learn the underlying cause in order to give appropriate treatment. Bring in a stool sample in case the doctor needs to test it. The doctor will likely want to check the thyroid, kidney and blood sugar levels to looks for evidence of renal disease, hyperthyroidism or diabetes since these three conditions will all cause weight loss. A physical exam is the only way to start narrowing down the causes. I hope Mickey starts feeling better quickly! Please feel free to post any additional questions!