Possible gastrointestinal parasites?

My mature male cat is normal with the exception of losing weight over time, it likes to run and has business all over the neighborhood but it seems unusual to become slender since it has a big appetite, I think it eats a lot more than regular street cats. If somebody suggests taking it to a vet, it would struggle after a few meters if I tried to hold it in my arms and I'm sure it would react badly if restrained in a bag or something.

If you get a good sturdy cat carrier, it won't matter how much he struggles. I do think he needs to see a vet. Weight loss could be caused by many things, it's not good to assume it's worms. And if it is worms, you'll need a de-wormer from the vet anyway. Plus I'm sure he needs his shots updated by now as well.

If you really can't get him in to see a vet, maybe your vet will allow you to bring a stool sample in for testing and will give you the appropriate de-wormer that way. But most vets will want to actually see the cat.

Originally Posted by Willowy

If you get a good sturdy cat carrier, it won't matter how much he struggles.

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I mean I don't want to cause psychological trauma, it's cool but it can have a strange personality and be aggressive (it can get to strong bites and scratches to the eye).

Originally Posted by Willowy

maybe your vet will allow you to bring a stool sample in for testing and will give you the appropriate de-wormer that way.

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That's a problem too. It would be a pretty awkward situation to ignore it while meowing desperately to the door.

Anyway, it's in a good shape, just want to be on the safe side.

It sounds like he's not neutered, either. Really, an unneutered unvaccinated cat has a very short life expectancy. He may already have Feline Leukemia or FIV (spread by fighting and mating). And internal parasites can eventually kill a cat if they get bad enough.

Sometimes we have to take our kitties in to see the vet for their own good, even if it stresses them. They might be mad for a while but they get over it. He would be far healthier and happier if you had all his vet needs (neutering, vaccines, de-worming, de-flea-ing, etc.) taken care of. I have had many fully feral cats in for vetting, and they always are much happier once they've had everything done, and get over being mad quickly.

It's already three year old and cats are alright in the places it hangs out the most. I've been googling for symptoms and it has none besides being thinner, is it really a warning sign?

3 years isn't very old--my first kitties lived to be 21! But it's very rare for an unvetted cat to live past age 5. Yes, weight loss is a sign of parasites, or a million other health problems. It's not possible for anyone who isn't a vet to know what's wrong with him . Only you can decide if his weight loss is serious enough for you to take him to the vet or not, but it's always best to take care of these things early, if you wait too long it may not be curable.

Please try to get this kitty to the vet if you can. If you think he cannot be trapped in a carrier, try putting a piece of tuna or chicken in the carrier and shut the door. I'm not sure where you live but in the US you can even buy cardboard cat carriers.

As I said, I'm wary of it's unpredictable behavior, who knows what could happen. I think I should wait more, may just be overactivity, when cats are in heat he can even be absent for as much as three days or just come to eat in a hurry.

Got over it, in fact he's been gaining too much weight now. That's not surprising considering his insatiable appetite, any tips?

Ok, look.... no matter what, cats do need to go to the vet every year.... Sorry, but this is what you do when you have a pet... Sounds to me this kitty hasn't been to the vet yet?
None of my cats like the vet - none of them. I don't like to go to the Dr.s office either - that doesn't stop me going to my Dr., or taking my cats to the vet. If I have a child, I guarantee you that baby is not going to appreciate the many shots and consults much the same way.
There are many many diseases you are subjecting your cat to by letting him roaming around not neutered and not vaccinated. Not only you are subjecting him to these diseases, but you are also subjecting the neighborhood cats to those diseases as well, and that is not fair.
By not neutering and not vaccinating you are exponentially increasing the risks of FeLV, FIV, Rabies, all deadly diseases, not to mention, you are contributing to the overpopulation problem, when already millions of cats are killed every year in the US alone.

So please, get your cat and take it to the vet. Your cat is not going to be traumatized - none of our cats are traumatized from vet trips here.... Sure, they don't like it.... Nobody does.... They might act weird for a day.... But they are fine after that, and most of all, they are healthy and so are the other cats around them.
Your cat is only three years old.... very very young.... Please take care of him properly so it can leave a happy and healthy life

Please listen to Carolina! This is what responsible pet owners - those who care for the well-being of their pets - do. Simply throwing food out to an animal and ignoring every other aspect of it's health is NOT responsible.

Even feral cat colony caretakers do more... and those cats can hardly be handled and have to be trapped for their vet visits!

Do the right thing by your buddy, BTC - take him in for a thorough vet exam, appropriate vaccinations and a neuter.

AC

Thanks for the advice but I don't think around here, having contact with other cats implies risks requiring such a radical procedure, I know other people taking care of street cats not having any issues, someone even had a cat that gave birth to around 120 kittens fathered by various strays (none were neglected, seriously, he knew people that would personally take them) and lived to 17 years. So back to the issue, he really needs to lose fat.

Originally Posted by Burn This City

Thanks for the advice but I don't think around here, having contact with other cats implies risks requiring such a radical procedure, I know other people taking care of street cats not having any issues, someone even had a cat that gave birth to around 120 kittens fathered by various strays (none were neglected, seriously, he knew people that would personally take them) and lived to 17 years. So back to the issue, he really needs to lose fat.

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What radical procedure? Giving proper vet care is now "radical"? Oh for God's sakes!
What is radical IMHO is to read that you see no problem in a cat giving birth to 120 kittens, fathered by various strays. Do you have any idea how many kittens those 120 can multiply into? How many million kittens are killed every year in the US alone because of people who think just like you? Try over 6 million!!! Do you think that is ok?
Also, I don't believe for a split second all these kittens are healthy and not spreading diseases. IMHO this is absolutely irresponsible of your part. You are putting trouble in someone else's hands - like people who are probably spending their time and money around your town trying to TNR, adopt them out and correct your wrong doing.

Originally Posted by Burn This City

Thanks for the advice but I don't think around here, having contact with other cats implies risks requiring such a radical procedure, I know other people taking care of street cats not having any issues, someone even had a cat that gave birth to around 120 kittens fathered by various strays (none were neglected, seriously, he knew people that would personally take them) and lived to 17 years. So back to the issue, he really needs to lose fat.

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Go and spend some time volunteering at a cat shelter, then I think you will realize how ignorant your statement is about the 120 kittens. You need to go and see the suffering, the disease, the stress and confinement that these cats endure day to day. And witness a healthy, loving cat being euthanized to make room for more cats that need to come in due to uncaring, unresponsible cat owners who let their unaltered cats roam and breed. BS that this "person" knows every home those 120 kittens went too. And, even if ONE of those kittens was tossed outide and the owner didn't get that kitten sterilized then that ONE kitten started breeding too. I guarantee those 120 kittens did not get into a "responsible" and "loving" home.

The issue here to me is....GET YOUR CAT NEUTERED or DON'T LET IT ROAM....

That is the kind of thing I see everyday here in PR, that is how most cat owners think here and that is what makes me suffer every day. People just have cats, don't take them to the vet, won't neuter them and they think everything is ok.

Originally Posted by Feralvr

You need to go and see the suffering, the disease, the stress and confinement that these cats endure day to day. And witness a healthy, loving cat being euthanized to make room for more cats

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Two wrongs don't cancel each other out.

Originally Posted by Feralvr

I guarantee those 120 kittens did not get into a "responsible" and "loving" home.

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Won't go into details, but they were handed to reliable families known personally, you should respect that. A nice cat, I have some photos on an old cell phone, it was in perfect health until the end. Anyway, I'm saying that it seems to be an urban myth of sorts that cats living a normal life are exposed to many health hazards.

Originally Posted by Feralvr

The issue here to me is....GET YOUR CAT NEUTERED or DON'T LET IT ROAM....

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Why don't you consider the psychological impact that can result in severe depression and aggressiveness, can't expect the same response from a clever cat that reached full maturity and has a nice life as an infant born in captivity or an unfit one that endured hardships.

Originally Posted by Burn This City

Two wrongs don't cancel each other out.

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The "wrongs" you are talking about are not meant to cancel eachother out. Not sure what you mean. Point being, is that if you would spend some time in a cat shelter and witness the suffering, sickness, and in a kill shelter, euthanasia's, then you would understand the importance of not letting your cat roam, unaltered, adding to the over-population problem and take responsibility for the lives of kittens born to your unaltered cat.

Originally Posted by Burn This City

Won't go into details, but they were handed to reliable families known personally, you should respect that. A nice cat, I have some photos on an old cell phone, it was in perfect health until the end. Anyway, I'm saying that it seems to be an urban myth of sorts that cats living a normal life are exposed to many health hazards.

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I am not talking about just one cat. I am addressing the 120 kittens this cat unnecessarily had and should not have had. You have pictures of all of those 120 kittens on your phone ...

Originally Posted by Burn This City

Why don't you consider the psychological impact that can result in severe depression and aggressiveness, can't expect the same response from a clever cat that reached full maturity and has a nice life as an infant born in captivity or an unfit one that endured hardships.

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Not sure exactly what you are saying here. Either way, getting your cat spayed/neutered regardless of how they came into this life (inside or out), it is the right thing to do, especially if you let that unaltered cat roam outside adding to the serious over-population problem and languish these feral born kittens are bound to face.

There are many of us on this site who practice TNR and are the ones who end up paying for the TNRs, caring for these cats, sheltering these cats born from an irresponsible cat owner who lets their unaltered housecat roam. Maybe you could donate some time and money to your local TNR organization?? I am sure they could use all the help anyone has to offer. I am and always will be on the side of the feral cat because most of them are there because someone did not sterilize their housecat.

Originally Posted by Feralvr

You have pictures of all of those 120 kittens on your phone

...

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No, of that old cat, a really beautiful and tender one.

Originally Posted by Feralvr

adding to the serious over-population problem and languish these feral born kittens are bound to face.

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It's not so bad in this geographic setting.

Hardship and suffering is what you are exposing a cat who is not neutered, how ignorant can you be? My 4 cats are neutered and the are perfectly happy kittens, they don't get traumatized by surgery, what planet do you com from?

Momto4kitties said:

My 4 cats are neutered and the are perfectly happy kittens, they don't get traumatized by surgery, what planet do you com from?

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You're not talking to someone who never visited people owning neutered cats raised in captivity and seen how apathetic they are compared to independent cats, completely lacking personality depth and self-conscious emotions.

What should I do about a very sociable maturing kitten, I'm concerned about a few messed up neighbors, also got attached to me since it's partially malnourished and I fed it a few times, my cat is very territorial. I know it would try to return if relocated. I'm thinking that trying to feed it enough at the same place at the same hour in the evening might make a difference.