Cats extra hungry lately

[danteshuman]

So in the last couple of months my cat has been a bit extra hungry. No obvious weight loss. So have my mom’s cats. No signs of worms in any of the cats. My boy was dewormed today when he got his annual vaccines at Vetco. The vet said he weighed a 1/2 pound less than he did 6 months ago. (Could have been the scale?)

My boy seems to want to eat an extra 1/3 or 1/2 a can of fancy feast per day (& I have been giving him that second serving.)

Is it the hot weather? My boy is stuck inside with me in the AC until it is 80F or below. Until this month he has been getting extra time outside while the weather was great. Or is it probably early stage of worms even though I haven’t seen the tale tale signs of tapeworms on their buts of in their poop?

my boy visits her cats on the weekend

Nick is the house panther
Cami is the fluffy one with tortietude
Jackie is the lynxpoint & my boy

yes they are all from the same litter

 

[cmshap]

Do they ever "compete" for food, in any sense of the term? Like does one ever try to eat the other's food? Or does one like to clean up leftover scraps?

I'm asking because I'm just wondering about circumstances in which, if one cat is hungrier than normal, it may also make another cat in the same household eat more than usual.

This may not apply to your situation but it's just an idea I was thinking about when reading your post.

 

[lisahe]

Yes, competition for food could be a factor, we've definitely seen that in our two cats. Parasites, stress/boredom, weather (which can cause stress), thyroid disease, and all sorts of other things could also be involved. Issues like this are so mysterious!

Our cats tend to eat more when the weather cools and gets less humid rather than warms and gets more humid, but of course all cats are different. Our cats' appetites (and weight, too) seem to fluctuate, something our vet says is normal. They've never had this continue long enough for me to be concerned enough to get them tested for anything (like thyroid disease or diabetes) but if they were on some extreme -- with major weight changes and either not eating or eating too much -- I'd definitely check in with the vet about blood tests. If you're concerned about parasites, you could give ask the vet about a course of Panacur or a spot treatment like Revolution. (Our vet loves recommending deworming!)

I hope this clears up soon so you don't have to worry about it! I totally understand why you're asking.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Even though you said there was no obvious weight loss, there apparently was some, and maybe as much as 8 ounces - or more perhaps (yes, scales can vary, but 1/2 pound is a fairly large variance). The obvious question is: did you have his thyroid level (T4) checked?

I know that you probably don't think this could be the issue since your mom's cats appear to be eating more, but that could be pure coincidence.

 

[danteshuman]

Jackie is an only kitty at my house 5 days/6 nights a week. He goes to Nana’s house & spends a night on the weekend. Then goes home. I over feed all her cats with lots of wet food when we visit to keep Jackie on mostly wet food diet. (I buy the extra wet food I feed her cats.)

He is eating a little more at my house. I will keep a closer eye on him and see how he is doing. I’m really hoping it is just worms because if not it means blood work. The holiday rush/saving months have just started for me. He is currently extra sleepy from his vaccines today. If he is still eating more in a month I will take him to the vet.

I was wondering if it was possible that all the cats had tapeworms from fleas? Does the infestation have to be big to see the grains of rice stuff? Do her cats need to be dewormed?

This is his single kitty life where he is king. Unlimited lap time, lots of outdoor time on/by my porch & nightly cuddles as he nurses on a baby blanket/binkie draped over my torso.

 

[fionasmom]

My experience with tapeworm in my own cats is that it is often possible to see only a minimal number of the segments in the stool. They are quite visible in stool, usually white, segments that look like rice but move.

 

[cmshap]

Tapeworm is also likely to cause butt-scooting behavior.

 

[danteshuman]

No but scooting. I had a cat that had worms. I saw one worm segamennt (or is it eggs?) that looked like 1/2 of a grain of rice. I had both cats dewormed that week.

In the last 6 months I changed him from temptations to greenies dental treats. Other than that his diet is the same.

 

[cmshap]

I had a cat that had worms. I saw one worm segamennt (or is it eggs?) that looked like 1/2 of a grain of rice.

It's actually both. They are body segments which are filled with eggs, called proglottids. Actually, each and every segment is a completely self-contained reproductive system, with all necessary sexual organs for reproduction. It's fascinating stuff (I think, anyway).

 

[heatherwillard0614]

No but scooting. I had a cat that had worms. I saw one worm segamennt (or is it eggs?) that looked like 1/2 of a grain of rice. I had both cats dewormed that week.

In the last 6 months I changed him from temptations to greenies dental treats. Other than that his diet is the same.

Did the dewormer contain the medicine that is specifically for tapeworms?

Even though you said there was no obvious weight loss, there apparently was some, and maybe as much as 8 ounces - or more perhaps (yes, scales can vary, but 1/2 pound is a fairly large variance). The obvious question is: did you have his thyroid level (T4) checked?

I know that you probably don't think this could be the issue since your mom's cats appear to be eating more, but that could be pure coincidence.

This is worrisome because it isn't like he is eating less and losing weight.. he is eating more and has lost a half pound. Which has been going on longer than just a month. Therefore I doubt it is tapeworms. I would get his T4 levels checked.

It only takes about 2 to 3 weeks after a cat injests an infected flea you will start seeing segments on their behind and sometimes in their stool. For whatever reason tapeworms more often than not do not show up in fecal samples.

The give away for tapeworms is seeing the segments on their behind. Which like I said show up just 2 to 3 weeks after investing an infected flea. So if that was the case for all the cats im pretty sure you would definitely be seeing segments and not just one here and there by now because it has been months..

I know my kitty has had a decreased appetite in the summer and it increased in the cooler months. This being said as mentioned above not all cats are the same

I think your kitty who is eating more and losing weight should have blood work done. I would specify wanting a his T4 levels checked.

I think the other cats eating more has nothing to do with why he is medically. I think they are eating more because they see him eating more as a competition for food type of thing maybe..

This is my opinion and I would definitely get him in to get his T4 levels checked by a vet if he was my kitty.

I hope everything goes well and his appetite levels out and he doesn't lose more weight (1/2 a pound is a good amount in 6 months especially him eating more.. he should be gaining weight I'd think)

Please keep us posted

 

[danteshuman]

OK I think I know why my boy lost weight. He is the pickiest eater ever. Some days he likes some flavors some days he does not. He had bladder crystals around 6 months ago. Besides changing his dry food (I stopped free feeding him dry food. He only gets dry food when I sleep at night, an hour after his last meal. The cabinet doors stay shut during the day (& he can open them but when I hear the thunks I get up and close the door.) So if he doesn’t like his meal, he only nibbles on it and he used to eat dry food. Which might explain his sometimes wanting an extra portion. I think I accidentally put him on a diet!

I’m going to move his dry food back out 24/7 for a month and see how he does. Provided he poop stays the same (saying he is hydrated enough) the dry food can stay out. I’m adding a teaspoon of water to each of his wet food meals so I really am trying to keep him hydrated. If in 6 months he has lost more weight or shows any body mass changed, I will do the blood work.

 

[lisahe]

I'm glad you figured it out, danteshuman ! One of our cats will sometimes not eat much if she's not happy with her food -- she's also a picky lynx point. We figured things out when she started vomiting acid some months ago: we had to give her 24/7 dry food in a microchip feeder so her sister won't eat it. I've kept feeding her small portions of wet food throughout the day and she often eats them. The other plus is that she drinks plenty of water after she eats her dry food. The whole situation has worked out better than I thought it would, with her generally eating the right amounts, with occasional minor constipation, which has always been a bit of an issue.

Anyway, I'm glad you figured out what was ailing Jackie! And that he keeps eating for you.