My cat is very thin and it's worrying me

My cat is almost 4 years old and has always been a thin cat. She's very hyper active all the time and always has been. I've had her since birth as I also have her mother. We got them de wormed about a month ago and ended up switching the food they eat just cuz we didn't have the money for the normal stuff as we are a low income family and money has been tight due to chistmas. I just picked her up and noticed she's gotten smaller it seems. She's a calico and weighs in at about 2 kg. I'm super worried and can't afford a vet and don't want to abandon her at an spca. Any ideas on how to help her gain some weight or if maybe it's normal would be greatly appreciated

Welcome to the Cat Site! The obvious answer is to feed her more, but she may have also been full of worms that are now gone, making her look thinner. You didn't say what you are feeding her, but there are dry foods at an affordable price, and Friskies pates are not expensive, either. Friskies also comes in a large can that is super affordable, as well as the 5.5 oz cans. Try increasing how much you feed her and she if she plumps up.

we feed her hair ball control food (she's long haired) and we got friskies I think this time I can't remember the normal brand. And her dish is always full of food. So she eats when she feels like it. But maybe I'll pick up some more wet food and mix dry in as well that might make her want to eat it some more. Thanks for the idea

Be careful mixing wet and dry together. Dry food is designed to swell up when it gets wet, which is why it makes cats feel full. However, if it gets wet before your cat eats it there is a risk of bacteria growing on the food.

One trick you could try is sprinkling a few treats on top of her wet food. This usually encourages them to eat more.

ok I didn't know that!!! And my cat won't eat kitty treats. She smells them gives it a test lick then walks away. In her 4 years she's never eaten a kitty treat. But she does like wet food at least

sammiedc3,

Please check this page, https://www.purina.com/dogs/dog-health/is-your-pet-a-healthy-weight , and tell us which body condition score your kitty appears to be at.

Did you see evidence of worms when you dewormed the cats?  If so, what type worms were they? (i.e., tapeworm vs roundworm)

What did you use to deworm them?  Was it given by your vet or did you get it elsewhere?   I ask because if it was obtained elsewhere, it may not have been effective.

If you never saw evidence of worms, your kitty could have something else going on.  4 lbs is incredibly small, unless she is an exceptionally petite kitty.  Again, look at the chart in the link and try to tell us how she appears from the chart.

She's underweight. I'm aware of this. Which is why I made the post. She is a very small cat. She doesn't look like she's full grown but she is. She was the runt of the litter. That site is about getting animals to lose weight. It didn't tell me anything about what I should be feeding her if she's underweight. She's always been a tiny cat she's just too skinny for my liking. And we got the stuff for her from the humain Society here where I live as the lady deals with only cats here in town and she is helping us out cuz we couldn't afford the stuff. I just don't want to give up my cat. She's my baby. I'm gunna start feeding her wet food separate from her mother so I can see just how much she's actually eating.

Look at the chart in the link that shows CAT silouettes with different body types.  Which one is closest to what your kitty's body weight is???

Maybe your cat has worms, dental problems or is old.

I have a cat that has dropped from 12 lbs. to 7.6 over the past few years.  He is very old.  We have 7 cats.  2 of them are well over 15.  The other cats get wet food with a side of dry in the morning and only dry food in the evening.  We take the 2 old ones aside and give them only wet food - I think one of them has teeth problems and has been swallowing the dry food without chewing much and then upchucking it and I read that they shouldn't be having dry food at that age anyway.  We give the 2 old ones tuna,salmon or canned chicken and people leftovers - anything that will get them to eat and  hopefully put on some weight or maintain where they are.    

I also buy deworming medicine (its inexpensive) a few times a year and treat the whole lot of them since they eat birds and rodents.

I hope this gives you a few ideas before you have to bring your cat to the vet.  

I am letting nature takes its course since my cats have had long and super lives.

Something else you can try is mixing in some kitten food with her regular food and see if that helps her gain weight. However, when you can afford it, you need to get her to the vet, or a low-cost vet, for a check up. She could very well have a medical issue, or she just might be a petite kitty.

I am new to this site and only read "My cat is very thin......"  I didnt see the rest of your post about your cat being kitten, etc.  until I had posted my reply.  Sorry - my reply really had nothing to do with your post.  

Ok so my cat is ONLY 3 years old. She is not an old cat whatsoever as I said in the beginning. She is a petite cat I just feel like she needs to get some weight on her. She's always running around and stuff so she gets tonnes of excersize. (She climbs my walls and touches the roof when she's got a jagg on) I was just looking for some ideas to get some weight on her. She's long haired so I have to make sure the food I give her is for hairball control. Thank u guys. When I can afford it I will be taking her to the vet for sure. Just not in the books right now unfortunately as that would put me out of a house to live in.

Please tell me, from the link, which cat silhouette is closest to your own cat (forget the rest of the page, just look at the silhouettes).  This is the same body condition score with other factors, that vets use to determine just how underweight a cat is and to what degree of seriousness for nutritional support.

@sammiedc3, i can understand your concern. It's totally possible that the food you switched to has caused the weight loss. It seems like she's doing fine in her environment. She is eating well, playing well, and using the box well (total assumption there). I wouldn't worry too much, but putting her back on her old food when you can might ease your mind.

Thank u very much. I will do that for sure just under a lot of stress and was terrified that she might be getting worse but with everyone's comments realizing that the food might have been part of it really does help! Thanks again sooooo much

She is probably just going to be a lanky cat.. Try to supplement her food, by giving her some treats.. while not the best thing to do, you can find some really good ones out there.. 

It may be the food, especially if it is low carb, high protein.. 

When you have the money, just go in for a quick vet visit, to ease your mind...

((hugs))

Ideally, she should be on an adult maintenance diet, try Purina One for now.   But, the most important thing is getting her to a vet, preferably within a couple weeks.  You DID say you just noticed her feeling even smaller, so you can't risk her losing even more weight, dietary change may not even help that if she has an underlying health issue.

Many people think a slim cat is underweight, which isn't always true. Sometimes, like some people, a cat is just naturally slim. So, in the underweight category, that means you can feel her ribs easily with minimal fat covering, but you can't see her ribs or hipbones? So just mildly underweight? I think that's normal for some cats---those who are very active and have a high metabolism. I wouldn't worry. It's healthier for a young pet to be mildly underweight than to be overweight. She'll probably gain weight as she gets older and more sedate.

I mean, I wouldn't worry as long as she has a healthy appetite and is active. If she didn't want to eat, or was lethargic, then I'd worry.

If it's more than that, if you can see ribs or hipbones, or if it feels like her muscles aren't covering her bones properly, then I'd have a vet do a full workup, including bloodwork.

Are your cat's teeth ok? Poor dental health can be painful and a cat may not want to eat very much because of it. You can look in your cat's mouth to see if there is any red inflammation along the gums or lots of tartar or teeth in bad shape or even missing. Only a vet can do a full dental exam and determine the best way to get your cat's teeth in better shape, usually through a dental procedure.

As others have said, your cat may be naturally thin and no amount of food or calories will add weight. If that's the case with your cat and the vet isn't concerned, then I would not worry about it.

sammiedc3 said:

My cat is almost 4 years old and has always been a thin cat. She's very hyper active all the time and always has been. I've had her since birth as I also have her mother. We got them de wormed about a month ago and ended up switching the food they eat just cuz we didn't have the money for the normal stuff as we are a low income family and money has been tight due to chistmas. I just picked her up and noticed she's gotten smaller it seems. She's a calico and weighs in at about 2 kg. I'm super worried and can't afford a vet and don't want to abandon her at an spca. Any ideas on how to help her gain some weight or if maybe it's normal would be greatly appreciated

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I am a human doctor, not a vet, but I can think of half a dozen serious medical causes for a cat to lose weight, quite apart from her not eating enough, or eating the wrong food.  I am well aware that you do not wish to go to a vet because of the cost, but in my opinion, your cat really does need to be checked by a vet.  

If she continues to lose weight, please do not mess around with over the counter foods or medications, but try and get her to a vet as soon as you can.

With all best wishes to you and your cat,

Geoffrey