Why is my Persian cat underweight, losing fur, and refusing to eat?

I am very sorry to hear about Jag. These symptoms are definitely concerning. I am not sure if by saying he is not keeping "food in" this means he is vomiting, or if he is just eating alot but not putting on weight. We would be worried about a variety of problems including hyperthyroidism, diabetes, kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, GI lymphoma, and more. I would recommend getting Jag into the vet as soon as possible for an exam. After his physical they may recommend bloodwork, x-ray or ultrasound to help pinpoint hte cause of his symptoms and determine the best treatment for Jag.

Poor Lorelei! Sounds like she s has had a bit of a rough go at things recently. As far as the unkempt, greasy coat this could be due to her not feeling well and subsequently not grooming herself well. Alternatively she could also be dealing with an ongoing flea or food sensitivity. I worry about her weight loss and her decreased appetite though. This makes me worried she could be dealing with an underlying health issue such as an intestinal issue such (eg inflammatory bowel disease) or even some infectious disease (eg fip, felv) or even a kidney issue. I would have her evaluated by a veterinarian. They may suggest some blood work to look at her overall health to start and even test her for viral illnesses such as felv/fiv. They may also discuss other tests down the line such as an x-ray or abdominal ultrasound. I hope you get some answers soon and she is feeling better !!

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!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So sorry your cat is having this issue. I suggest you get him to your vet for a check up and some blood testing. Thyroid disease is very common in older cats as is kidney disease and diabetes. All of these things can cause similar symptoms and all are easily diagnosed with simple blood testing. You need to realize that at 17 years old he is about 85 in human years. At this age, things start to fail and go wrong. You need to find out what is wrong so you know how to best treat him. Some things are very easily treated with daily medications. I don't think this is something you are going to be able treat at home without knowing what the underlying cause is. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Jewel is experiencing very general symptoms of disease, these symptoms could fit almost any internal condition, maybe she is suffering from nausea due to a gastrointestinal disease and maybe she is in pain, from the symptoms described it's very hard to know. i would recommend taking her to the vet as soon as possible in order to get her checked, if he doesn't show any other obvious symptoms during the examination, a blood test and possibly an ultrasound will be needed in order to try and find out what is wrong with Jewel.

Poor Canelo. I am sorry that it has been difficult to get him to gain weight. With him being young and petite and intact then I would not be too concerned. Of course, without doing an exam I cannot say this for sure. If he is really skinny and all of his bones are showing then yes, I would be more concerned. If his bones are not showing and you cannot see his ribs then I would be less concerned. Some cats are more petit and slender especially if they are very active and outdoors. I would also recommend to have him neutered as that may also help him gain weight. Finally, if he is really skinny and you are able to see his bones, I would recommend to ensure your vet tested his thyroid (high thyroid isn't common is young cats but possible). Then I would recommend to increase the amount of food you are feeding and if he is still not gaining weigh then the next step would be abdominal x-rays or ultrasound. I hope this helps some. I would love to talk to you more on the forum or if you would like to set up a consult.

I would recommend getting her in sooner than February. Weight loss usually means something more than just not liking a new food, such as intestinal parasites, endocrine disorder (such as hyperthyroidism), kidney disease, etc. The greasy coat could be from the lack of grooming (either because she doesn't feel well or it is too painful to do so - oral pain or arthritis), but could also be cause by hyperthyroidism. Here is some helpful info on hyperthryoidism in cats: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=516