My cat is very skinny, always hungry, and losing weight. What's wrong?

These are indeed an unusual set of symptoms, thyroid disease and diabetes would be the first suspects for a cat with increasing appetite and weight loss. A specialist ultrasound scan of the abdomen may be worth while to investigate difficulties with food digestion and absorption or even tumours using up the calories

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.

Hello. Weight loss of that amount is, unfortunately, going to require some investigation. If the cat’s feeding routine has basically remained unchanged, he has been dewormed....then we need to be looking for other, more serious problems. A thorough physical exam, bloodwork and possibly x-rays. He will likely need sedation for all of this, so presenting him to the vet in a humane trap that he can be sedated while still in the trap is the safest method for all involved. Reasons for dramatic weight loss could include diabetes, intestinal diseases, kidney or liver issues, cancer, etc. I deal with feral cats all the time and it is relatively simple to sedate them through the trap in order to do any procedures necessary. Good luck

Unfortunately it is impossible to know what is wrong with Tom without a physical exam and bloodwork. There are many conditions which will cause cats to become thin. Kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, cancer, liver disease or parasites can all cause pets to lose weight. Bloodwork and an exam is needed to determine the cause. At home there may not be much you can do because you don’t know what’s wrong. Certainly feeding a high-quality cat food and ensuring water intake will help but it may not be enough. I recommend to have Tom examined by the veterinarian a soon as you can. Best of luck.

If he's on a weight loss diet prescribed by your vet, then it may be that he just isn't used to getting "less" food. Feeding a higher fiber diet (most weight-loss diets add fiber) can help him feel fuller on less food, which can help with his being hungry on fewer calories. If the problem continues, ruling out any issues such as metabolic problems is also a good idea to make sure there isn't an underlying cause with it. You may also want to spread out his meals to several more throughout the day, instead of just 1-2 large meals, so that he feels like he is getting "more" over a longer period of time.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jasper. I agree with the concerns for a thyroid disorder. I do recommend that he sees a veterinarian. Blood work and urine testing will likely be needed to reach a diagnosis. Hyperthyroidism and diabetes can both cause an increased appetite with weight loss. Unfortunately, there is not a good recommendation for at home care. I hope this information helps!

Cats that are losing weight despite eating often have a thyroid condition although there could be other reasons like diabetes or kidney disease which are also common. I suggest you have Simba to your vet for an exam and some blood testing.