My 18-year-old cat eats a lot but is losing weight. What's going on?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Im' sorry to hear Olliver hasn't been doing well. If he is reluctant to eat hard food but is willing to eat wet food, he may have some dental disease going on that makes him less willing to crunch on his regular food. As cats age, they can develop numerous issues that can lead to weight loss, including kidney disease, diabetes, an overactive thyroid, inflammatory bowel disease or another underlying medical issue. Many of these can be diagnosed via bloodwork. Finally, I do recommend any abnormal growth be evaluated by a veterinarian. While cats can develop many benign (non-cancerous) growths, there are others that are more concerning that we would want to address. I would have him evaluated by his regular veterinarian, have his teeth/mouth examined, have any necessary testing (bloodwork, xrays, needle aspirate of the mass) performed, and a treatment plan developed to help him feel better. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Losing weight despite having a good appetite is a classic sign seen with hyperthyroidism. This is just one possibility among other conditions. I recommend you check in with a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for this and proceed with therapy accordingly. Best of 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!

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!

Ollie needs to be examined by his veterinarian for a few conditions including hyperthyroidism, hypertension, intestinal parasites and Felv/FIV. It sounds like he is very sick and I recommend to have him examined within the next 24 hours. Getting the correct diagnosis and starting treatment quickly tend to give pets the best prognosis. I hope this helps.

I would highly recommend taking Billie to a vet if he has a decreased appetite that is causing weight loss. Typically cats will not stop eating just due to older age. However certain disease like kidney disease, hyperthyroidism and infection/dental disease can cause weight loss. IT is best for him to be examined by a vet. Hope that helps

Since Fred is an older kitty it is likely he is suffering from an overactive thyroid. Kidney disease and diabetes can also cause this. I suggest you take him to your vet for an exam and a blood test. Hyperthyroidism is easily treated with thyreostatic medicine and is likely the most common cause for the weight loss.