My cat looks skinny but the vet says he's healthy. Should I worry?

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.

Have DoReMi examined by your veterinarian. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites which can affect weight and weight gain. Blood work may diagnose metabolic conditions or endocrine imbalances as well. Your vet can teach you how to assess your cat's Body Condition Score (BCS). This, in addition to weighing, can help you get and keep your cat into peak condition. You can follow this link to familiarize yourself with the BCS prior to the visit to your veterinarian. https://www.purina.co.uk/cats/health-and-nutrition/exercise-and-weight-management/assessing-your-cat's-body-condition

Without seeing Mister in person, I can't say if he's too skinny or not, but it would be a good idea to have him seen by a vet this weekend. If he's eating and drinking, and acting otherwise normal, I wouldn't get too worried just yet. All cats are different shapes and sizes, and he may just be a bit thinner than her naturally. I hope this helps!

Hello! Felix is quite a handsome boy. From the picture, he doesn't look too slim to me, but I can't say for certain without seeing him in person. He should have a waistline, which it appears he does, and you don't want a fat cat. It's not healthy for him. My best guess from the picture is that he looks really good, nothing to be concerned about, but because I can't say it for certain, you can always have him checked out by a vet to be safe. I will also give you a link to a website that details body condition score in cats. This will help you determine if he's too skinny or not. I hope this helps :-) https://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body%20condition%20score%20chart%20cats.pdf

Thanks for visiting Petcoach. A lot of vets have a hard time assessing an overweight cat during an exam, mainly because some cats have a short temper and we are working against the clock in a lot of these cases. So sometimes we cannot feel for the ribs, spine, etc. It is very possible that Jasper was overweight to begin with and now is more ideal weight. Without a photo attached it is hard to tell, but as long as his other faculties are intact (i.e. eating well, normal stools), then I would not worry about the weight loss. The weight control food is limiting his calorie intake, and with his activity level, he is likely just going back down to his normal standard weight. He should level off with he weight loss once he has reached his ideal weight soon, if this is the case. Here is a website link so that you can assess his BCS (body condition score) yourself at home https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/PDF_old/Body-condition-score-chart-cats.pdf If however, you are still concerned about his weight loss, and he seems overly hungry, then I would be suspicious of underlying thyroid disease. A thyroid test would be next on the agenda if he meets these criteria. Thyroid disease is typically easily managed in cats and he is of the age where we do see more of this disorder. i hope that Jasper's weight loss is attributed to his new food and that he starts to level off with his weight soon! Best wishes and take care.

Your cat looks like a good weight to me. Here is another link that you will find helpful: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-do-i-determine-if-my-cat-is-overweight/ The chart about the body condition score will allow you to better determine if your cat's weight is good. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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!