Kitty is losing weight?

[kage no neko]

At least I think she is... When she went to the vet (last October/November), I swear the scale said 9 lbs. Boyfriend swears it said 8 lbs.

Weighed her on our scale, and it says she's 7.5 lbs. I don't understand why she'd be losing weight though. We free-feed, so there is always food available. She usually snacks on whatever I'm eating that's okay for her, and she gets treats before bed.

When I first got her, she was skin and bones, so we fattened her up. Then she was overweight, and we put her on diet food. She got down to a healthy weight, but has this excess skin that flops side to side when she runs (pretty amusing to watch).

I guess I'm just concerned that I'm starting to feel her spine more now. If she loses any more weight, we'll definitely take her to the vet, but I can't figure out why she's losing weight. She's not stressed, she's only 8 years old.. Sometimes she grumps when I pick her up, but only while I'm actually lifting her. She doesn't complain when I rub her tummy, and I don't feel anything weird.

She's my baby and I'm concerned for her health. Any suggestions on what the problem might be?  

[CrissAngelLover12345]

Is she indoor only, or indoor-outdoor? If she's indoor-outdoor, it could be some kind of parasite. There is a possibility of a parasite for indoor only, though it's higher risk for cats that are allowed to go outside.

She also might also not be eating as much and/or being more active. The best way to guarantee she's getting the right amount of food is by putting her on a feeding schedule. On free-feeding, it's hard to tell exactly how much she's actually eating, and she could be eating too much, or in this case, possibly not enough.  

[kage no neko]

She's indoor only. I guess she might be more active now, she's been being a lot more playful.  

[CrissAngelLover12345]

kage no neko

She's indoor only. I guess she might be more active now, she's been being a lot more playful.

It probably is due to more activity then. It's probably a good idea to figure out what her ideal weight should be and put her on a feeding schedule to make sure she's eating enough food. biggrin It would appear she hasn't increased the amount of food she's eating on her own. If you're interested in doing so, I know a lot about them and how to get an animal who's used to free-feeding onto a feeding schedule. biggrin I can even teach you how to calculate the amount of food she should be getting too. biggrin  

[kage no neko]

CrissAngelLover12345

It probably is due to more activity then. It's probably a good idea to figure out what her ideal weight should be and put her on a feeding schedule to make sure she's eating enough food. biggrin It would appear she hasn't increased the amount of food she's eating on her own. If you're interested in doing so, I know a lot about them and how to get an animal who's used to free-feeding onto a feeding schedule. biggrin I can even teach you how to calculate the amount of food she should be getting too. biggrin

We tried to put them on a feeding schedule... but it's very difficult to sleep when they're staring you in your face meowing at you for food. And closing the door just results in her picking at it loudly. crying  

[Krissim Klaw]

Well since it is almost time for her yearly vet visit anyways I might just schedule her appointment a little early if you are worried. Make sure when you go in you bring a fresh piece of poop with you so they can do a real good parasite check.

It might be time to switch foods if she is having a hard time keeping weight on your current food. The other thing that always comes to mind with indoor cats is how much exercise, especially climbing they are doing. An overly thin cat can sometimes be a sign that it isn't that they don't have enough fat, but that they have no muscle. Do you have a lot of vertical space/objects for your cat to climb on to encourage good arm/shoulder/back muscles? This is also one of the reason older cats tend to get so bony, especially indoor ones. They tend to slow down and their muscles will waste off them if they aren't getting enough of a daily work out.

There is also the chance that you might be overestimating how much fat she should have on her. I've met a lot of people who will mistakenly call a healthy dog/cat, emaciated because they don't think you should be able to easily feel rip or see tuck. Even being able to feel a touch of spine isn't necessarily bad as long as her hips are not jutting out.  

[kage no neko]

We switched her from purina one sensitive systems, which she had been on for years, to blue buffalo wilderness, which is apparently a lot better for her. Plus it makes our other cat's poop stink WAY less.

She's not allowed high up, and doesn't try to. She'll hop up onto the bed, couch, windowsill... but higher up is generally places she's not permitted to me, like the kitchen counter or the dining table. The mantle has breakable things on it (one has already had a few pieces chipped off of it due to the cats), so they're not allowed up there.

I don't think she's due to go to the vet this year, but we'll probably take her anyway if she continues to lose weight.  

[CrissAngelLover12345]

Blue Buffalo is definitely a great food for her. biggrin

With a feeding schedule, she would eventually figure out that she wouldn't get food between feedings and would leave you alone. You could even try praising her when she isn't bugging with petting and .

From the sounds of it, she's probably losing muscle. You should try getting her some kind of cat tree for her to jump up onto and re-gain her muscles. Since she's not allowed to jump onto much, her muscles aren't being used as much and are probably starting to deteriorate a bit, even those on her back. If you give them many things that that they are allowed to jump on (like cat trees), they'll typically (though not always, as every cat is different) be more likely to stay off of things you don't want them on too. If they don't seem interested in the cat tree at first, you could try spraying it with catnip spray. biggrin  

[kage no neko]

Cat trees are pricey, so we're planning on getting them one for Christmas. Last year Seann got her an automatic water, that has constantly flowing filtered water. So this year I guess they'll get a nice cat tree. If I can find the right materials before then, I'll build them one myself. Just gotta actually plan it out. I have just the area to put it too... the basement is huge and there's a lot of area to put either a great big cat tree or many smaller ones... I figure many smaller ones would be more fun, as it could be rearranged and fun for them.
She's not too fond of hanging out in the basement with us, so I hope it'll be a good reason for her to hang out more. Tora likes to just flop out in an empty laundry basket, but she's still kinda shy...  

[CrissAngelLover12345]

I'm sure they'll like that present too! It/they will give her some nice incentive to hang out down there with you. biggrin In the meantime, maybe you could play with her in ways that might help re-build the muscle. Maybe using an interactive toy that she loves chasing and have her jump onto the things you will allow her onto repeatedly during the playtime.

Maybe at some point when you can afford to, you could get one big cat tree, and a few smaller ones, gradually adding them as you can affford to. They would probably love that! Cats usually love being in high places. biggrin  

[ladycrotalus]

http://spoilmykitty.com/

Has some nice trees and decent prices and free shipping in the US.