Aiko's getting skinny.

[aiko]

Hey everyone
My cat (aiko)seems to be losing some weight.. we got a new kitten (nova) first part of January.. long story short we still have to keep the new kitten in her own room when we're not home so my adult cat doesn't scrap with her.. (she is much bigger!) Aiko doesn't want anything to do with the kitten.. but the kitten keeps instigating!! I have noticed over the past week or two Aiko looks a lot thinner in the face (she's a very fluffy Birman so it's hard to tell). I can feel her spine .. Her fur on her hips.. like around her tail around her bum seems to be thinning.. doesn't look raw or anything, just thinning. They have both had Advantage flea treatment.. i was thinking maybe she was taking an allergic reaction to the medication.. it's just hard to tell. i had a cat die in August due to a severe infection she'd had since birth.. Shortly afterward i took Aiko in for a checkup and all was fine then.. Was probably Octoberish. I weighed her the other day.. and i think she is down a couple pounds.. but it is hard to tell with home scales.. She seems to be ok .. eating/drinking/litterbox wise.. she is very much a one person cat but doesn't really cuddle with me as much.. still does but not as much.. Is this normal when you get a new kitten???

thoughts?

 

[sicycat]

Quite odd, if she's still eating and drinking etc ok and losing weight I think I would be concerned. I'm sure stress could cause weight loss, but if it were me I may just make another appt with the vet just to make sure.

 

[jennyr]

I have just been through this with Ellie - three vets told me she is OK, though she is losing weight and I can also feel her vertebrae. Her blood tests came back negative too. She is now on a special high protein diet to see if she can put some weight on, but if you find some reason for losing weight, I would love to hear it.

 

[epona]

Just a thought and you have probably already thought of it yourself - was the little one wormed before she came home with you, or done since? Because if it looks as if your older one is eating normal amounts but losing weight, it could be that she caught worms from the kitten. Lots of kittens have worms and one treatment doesnt always clear it up

I would get a vet visit if you havent already done so since October, if your adult is a senior kitty then there are a number of common things that could cause weight loss in an older kitty and you may want to have tests done to rule out thyroid problems and the like.

Please excuse the lack of apostrophes in this reply, I am normally a stickler for correct use of apostrophes but it appears the gods have punished me for my apostrophe pedantry by breaking my apostrophe key

 

[aiko]

Thanks everyone for your replies... you got me thinking on the worms! The new kitten was dewormed, and i have taken stool samples into the vet as well and she said she was free of worms.. but maybe my adult cat has them. Worm treatment - does it prevent them from getting worms, or just get rid of the worms they have? I am guessing it is probably stressed.. Aiko does not like the new kitten -at-all-... lol.. she tends to stalk to kitten and pick fights with her a lot.. altho the kitten does her fair share of instigating as well.. i think I will make an appt anyway.. just for peace of mind. My other cat that died in august started losing weight like crazy and we didn't really notice until it was too late

at least i think aiko is eating normal? it's so hard to tell cuz we free feed her.. the food is usually gone, or close to gone the next day.. but i have caught the kitten on occasion eating her food, and last nite was the first time i caught aiko eating the kitten food..

 

[jellybella]

Originally Posted by Aiko

Thanks everyone for your replies... you got me thinking on the worms! The new kitten was dewormed, and i have taken stool samples into the vet as well and she said she was free of worms.. but maybe my adult cat has them. Worm treatment - does it prevent them from getting worms, or just get rid of the worms they have?

Sometimes there are worms at different stages of their lifecycle. Depending on what treatment you are given, it may work on adults, but not eggs, etc. This is why you may need repeated doses. If her stool comes back negative, it's probably stress, but stress can cause other physical problems, so I would say "to the vet with you".