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4 year old losing weight

post #1 of 8
12/9/10 at 2:47am
Thread Starter 
My four year old female Lily has always been on the slightly chunky side. It's never been bad enough where we thought she was overweight but just enough that we kept an eye on her weight. Since sometime in September she has started to lose some weight, nothing drastic but I still worry. We lost our oldes cat, Cookie, at the end of August and since then Lily has gone from about 11.5 pounds down to 10.6. She is acting like her normal self and her eating habits don't seem to have changed either way. I can't watch really closely because my work schedule is too crazy to do scheduled feedings for my four cats so we free feed dry and I give wet when I get home at night. I'm going to make a vet appointment for bloodwork, etc. but it's 4:45 am and they're not open yet...and...I worry about my babies. Any thoughts?
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post #2 of 8
12/9/10 at 6:36am
Has she been more active since the death of your other cat? That might explain some of it. Depending on the pecking order in your house, the others may be trying to establish who's the boss and she might have to "fight" for her food, meaning she's last in line and not getting the most. Stress will also cause weight loss and with the death of Cookie, that's stressful.

I think you're on the right path, though, to get her to the vet and have a full exam and bloodwork done. Be sure they check her thyroid levels.
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post #3 of 8
12/9/10 at 6:50am
Thread Starter 
That was kind of my first thought. When Cookie was around Lily was a bit mean to her at times and I've wondered if she tried to hog the food a little. We got two new kittens mid-September and they are crazy so I wonder if she is a little more wary of them than she was of Cookie even though they seem to get along well and she gives them kisses when they approach her. I'll still get her checked out because I tend to worry a lot about my babies, especially after losing my first baby. She just seems completely normal...except skinnier. She looks good now and is probably at a better weight now but any little change in my kitties makes me a little nervous.
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post #4 of 8
12/9/10 at 10:31am
Taking her to the vet is a good plan... That is not a massive weight loss since august to be overly concerned, but worthy checking...
Can you feed her some wet food in the am and pm? This way you not only add some much needed moisture to her diet, but ensure proper nutrition?
Good luck!
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post #5 of 8
12/9/10 at 11:16am
Thread Starter 
I would feed her more wet food...if she would eat it She has never been a big fan of any wet food. She'll eat a bit and then be done. She does get plenty of water though. She is obsessed with drinking out of the bathroom faucet anytime we go upstairs. My husband joked that all of the weight loss is water weight because our new kitten Ellie always gets to the water first.

I think Lily did need to lose a little weight because she was starting to get a little chunky so she looks really healthy now. We haven't gotten over losing our Cookie yet...she was only six and sick for less than a week so we worry a little more now anytime something seems like it might be wrong. My work schedule is insane right now but I will make time if it seems like something urgent.
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post #6 of 8
12/9/10 at 11:29am
She's under a lot of stress with losing Cookie and now the new kittens. Do you have a Feliway diffuser to run? That might help decrease her stress level. As for the food, you can always separate her and feed her in your room in the morning while you're getting ready and then at night before bedtime. That way you can watch her and keep the other kitties out of her food and be sure she's getting enough to eat.
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post #7 of 8
12/9/10 at 11:41am
Thread Starter 
I have not used Feliway yet since she has been acting like herself but I'll have to give that a try. I'd like to get them on a more regular feeding schedule but with work I just can't. There are days when I have to be in at 4:30 am and don't get home until 8 at night. My husband's schedule is a little more regular but not enough that we can do feedings like that.

My plan for the moment is to make an appointment when I can and closely monitor her eating habits and weight. I had been thinking she needed to lose a little and then when she does I get all nervous
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post #8 of 8
12/9/10 at 1:40pm
When we got Hannah 5 years ago, our older cat, Callie reacted by withdrawing and losing weight. She would still eat enough, but just not as much as before Hannah. I'm happy to say, though, it was good for her to lose a bit and she's gained some back, but maintained at a healthy weight.
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