Persian Police

Hello All,
I am new to this forum but found it in a search to find what may be wrong with our cat. My fiance and I found ourselves the owners of yet another animal after his daughter found a scruffy stray. Once bathed, we found a Tortie Persian female, front declawed, with a very loving nature (not while she was being bathed, mind you). She flourished in our home growing bigger by the week , so it seemed. Since she refuses to let me brush her for more than a few moments, her long hair was horribly matted. I took her to the groomers to get her bathed and shaved (only recourse with the matts). The cat that was returned to us was not what I expected. She went from looking like an Ewok to Yoda . We found that she was considerably older than we thought (very saggy belly skin) and rather petite . My concerns now are that she is too thin. She seems fairly active and very affectionate. While she doesnt play with toys much she does tweak out and race around the house for 15 mins or so every other day it seems . She also has a peculair head bobble thing. She will stare into space or a mere inch or so from walls with her head wobbling like a bobble head toy. Its not a trance so I have disregarded thoughts of seizures.... but dont know what else would cause such behaviour .

Should I feed her something specific to put some weight on her tiny body? Should I take her back to the vet for expensive testing regarding the head thing? I am at a loss. We have had her screened for a micro-chip (none) and posted found posters in the area... as well as kept an eye out for lost posters. We have had her nearly a year now with no improvement in her size (shaved her again for summer)... Should I be concerned?

Welcome!
Time for a vet visit. Hyperthyroidism can be common in older cats and may account for the low weight.
And the head bobbling concerns me.

Has she seen a vet? I would suggest having blood work done to rule out medical causes for her thinness (including hyperthyroidism and renal failure). They can be treated if they are discovered early enough.

Hi, I am certainly no expert, but I would say a vet visit would be good. An overall exam shouldnt cost much, and the vet can give you an overall idea of how he/she feels her health is doing, check her teeth, give you an age estimate, etc. Since you are not sure either, and she has these issues, I would think blood work would also be recommended, just to be sure all is ok with her inside. You mentioned "Take her back to the vet". She has seen a vet? Is she spayed? Did you mention to the vet about the weight and bobbly head issues already?

I hope your furry baby is ok, and starts to put on some weight soon. Im sure your vet can give you some recommendations for weight gain, too. How is her appetite?

Bless you for taking her in.

Vet visit and base line blood work...