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Why is my overweight cat only eating wet food & peeing a lot?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 14 years and 3 months old

Why would my cat start to only eat wet food, ignoring her expensive dry food she usually eats? She has EXCESSIVE urination, she is VERY overweight, i

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on April 20th, 2016

I am assuming she is favoring wet food because it has more water in it and she is having a medical problem causing her dehydration. this could be caused by diabetes for example, but there could be other causes to that such as a chronic urinary condition. she needs to get to the vet as diagnosis in her condition is the key, she will need a blood test, i believe it should revile the problem.

8Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Eve Pugh, DVM, CVA
Veterinarian
Sometimes a cat will switch to wet food if their mouth hurts. Attempting to crush the dry food causes discomfort. The excessive urination is an issue. This could be a sign of diabetes and kidney disease most commonly but other issues as well. Have your vet check her mouth and do some routine bloodwork with a urinalysis.
5Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on April 7th, 2018
It is concerning that Meekah is losing weight rapidly. When a cat eats wet food, more of it is needed to reach their daily caloric needs due to the high moisture content of the food. It could be that you aren't feeding her enough, or she could be suffering from a medical illness causing her to lose weight rapidly such as kidney failure, liver disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, or cancer. I would take her into a vet as soon as possible for a physical exam, blood tests, and urinalysis to start. The vet may want to do other tests such as an x-ray or ultrasound to diagnose the cause of her weight loss. Once the cause is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options. Because she is losing weight rapidly, I would take her into a vet immediately, even if it means taking her into an ER vet. Best of luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Elizabeth
Veterinarian
Published on June 16th, 2019
Every pet is different. Some drink a lot of water and some do not. Dry food has less moisture so cats who eat dry food do you need to drink more water than cats who eat canned food. The only way to know if everything is normal is to have her kidneys and urine checked. You may call the rescue group and ask if this was done and if the results were normal. I hope this helps.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Why is my overweight cat constantly hungry, aggressive, and peeing outside the box?

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.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Is my senior cat getting nutrients if she drinks a lot but won't eat?

Drinking a lot more means that she is also urinating a lot more. This is called Polydipsia and polyuria or PU PD. There are various reasons for PU PD and they need to be investigated by a veterinarian, especially in an older cat. Blood work can rule out any of those. 1) diabetes---a urinalysis and blood test will be able to rule it in or out. Diabetes is usually treated with diet and insulin. Weight loss is a cardinal sign. 2) Kidney disease, treated with diet and supportive treatment 3)diabetes insipidus, usually tested with a water deprivation test and treated with a medication called Minirin. You will need to make an appointment with your vet for an exam and blood tests. I am sure your vet will find the cause of the PU PD. Apart from that feeding your kitty pate-style wet food is usually better than the food with gravy as cats tend to lick the gravy off, which they cannot do with pate style wet food.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Why is my senior cat constantly hungry and only eating wet food?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The symptoms you describe may be indicative of hyperthyroidism or diabetes, both of which are fairly common in older cats. Tests such as thyroid hormone levels (T4 and free T4) can be performed to rule out hyperthyroidism and chronically elevated glucose levels would be determined with a fructosamine level test. These are done with a blood sample, but are not routinely performed. I would also be happy to look at any test results you have for Dylan and provide a second opinion.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My overweight cat is licking privates & having accidents. Is it yeast?

Please check with your vets office about the reason for the wet food recommended, if this was due to inflammation of the urinary tract this may be causing the itching and discomfort also. i recommend a urinary analysis in order to identify any medical complications such as infections, crystals or diabetes. It may be necessary to modify her diet depending on results, many brands have urinary diets which she may tolerate better

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My cat gained weight but eats normally. Is it thyroid or diabetes?

Cats get hyperthyroidism and this actually causes them to get too skinny. Cats who are over weight at at a much greater risk for diabetes but if they get the disease, they tend to lose weight and drink excessively. To answer your questions though, both conditions require blood work for diagnosis. Most cats get heavy because they eat too much and their metabolism slows down. Feeding multiple cats is difficult when one needs to lose weight and requires commitment on the humans part. You cannot leave food down all the time. You must separate the cats at feeding time. You must switch the heavy cat to a light cat food and control the portions. Cats do best if they are feed 4-6 times a day. For my own fat cat, I got an automatic feeder that stays shut in a room. It portion controls and is timed. All I do is open the door and shut it behind him. It’s pretty easy and I like that. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

Why is my older cat suddenly so hungry and always wanting more food?

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 :)

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

How do I feed my overweight cat to prevent diabetes safely?

Dieting in cats can be very difficult, not least because fasting/low energy intake, especially in overweight cats can trigger liver problems. Given her mobility and ability to lie down is affected I strongly recommend you enroll Nina on a healthy pet weight management program - most vet clinics offer these free of charge so her body condition can be monitored and expert nutritional advice on both the best types of foods and also volume to be fed can be calculated. Just reducing volume of her ordinary food will result in increased hunger and may also mean she is not receiving enough of the nutrients she needs. Given her young age a full health assessment to rule out any medical causes would also be recommended.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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