Weight/muscle Tone Loss In Younger Cat.

[vitani]

I am not sure how paranoid I am being as we've had a lot of "bad luck" in the health in some of mine and my families cats over the last year but about a month ago (around the time one of my other cats was diagnosed with diabetes), my 5 year old bottle-fed boy who I've had since a day old and had always been the healthy, muscular cat of them all seemed a little off to me.
I had tried to transition to a better quality dry food and all of my cats graze but he didn't take to it so I quickly changed it back. This was over the course of only a week. He seemed to eat it mixed in at first but a few days in he was turning his nose up at it. But I felt he lost a little bit of weight and some of his muscle mass. Can that happen that quickly? He has a bit of an indent between his hip and rib area and does not look emaciated but I can feel his hip bones and also his spine if I press down a little.
He eats and drinks a lot but sometimes will hesitate at the bowls for a second before he does. He is doing all his normal cat things as far as I can tell. A roommate was also apparently spraying laquer in the house while I was at work around those times and the fumes were really bad(which resulted in an argument, trust me), could that cause something like this as far as health issues?
I was hesitant on rushing him to the vet as he doesn't seem to be losing any more weight but not gaining any back either. How long would it take a cat to gain weight if its not an underlying health issue? Usually I have learned I'd rather be safe than sorry and I will certainly take him if that's what I feel I need to do but funds are getting low due to diabetic kitty who also had a bout of lipidosis over the summer so I don't know how long I have to "wait and see" here.
It seems like its been one thing after another with some of them over the last few months :/. I have looked at several cat weight charts and it's hard to tell if he is normal body weight or slightly underweight by the descriptions. Some say you should easily be able to feel the spine and ribs and they should have a waist and some say otherwise. I know he has lost some weight/ muscle but I cant tell if its an unhealthy amount at this point. Thanks for any insight.

 

[vitani]

Here's some pics as well.

 

[Emily234]

Hello! He overall is a beautiful guy! He certainly does not look emaciated, maybe perfect weight or slightly under, which may not be concerning. The most important detail is that you said you can tell he might be losing some weight and has a decreased appetite, and you would know best. Has he ever been to the vet? If so, they'll have a weight on him and it'd be great to compare that to his current weight. If not, I suggest getting a either a baby/cat scale or a normal scale and weighing yourself with and without him to figure out his weight. Start tracking it now in case this continues.

I don't think the laquer could cause any problems leading to weight loss, unless he was licking the walls and had digestive upset. If there were respiratory issues because of the fumes which could potentially cause him to eat less, I'd think you'd hear some wheezing or coughing and it'd be more obvious.

I don't think a week of this could be the cause of weight/muscle loss. It may just be the first time the behavior has been this obvious because of the change in food, forcing you to pay extra attention to everyone's eating habits. Its tough with multiple cats, but have you seen any vomiting/diarrhea that may be his? Have you gotten a peek inside his mouth in case his teeth are the issue?

Money is also so tough in these situations! Many clinics will allow a first free exam if he's never been seen there before. I recently went to one that didn't even advertise it, but I was given the exam fee off upon checkout which was a pleasant surprise!

 

[Kieka]

fat-cat-scale.png

• Kieka
• Feb 1, 2017
• 3

This chart may help (if you haven't seen it before) because it has an example of how he should feel.

My boy was in a kennel on medical confinement and lost muscle tone during that time. It took a few months for him to regain it. Your boy does look a little on the skinny side. If start by weighing him daily and if his weight goes down more then a few ounces and stays down then it is time to see the vet. If his weight is down a pound since his last vet visit I would also see the vet

 

[dbWhiz]

To be on the safe side maybe worm him to see if he has worms that's eating all his food! But my cat is the same, ever since we got him he's looked really skinny like your cat, he eats about 3 times a day but doesn't seem to be putting on any weight but he's ok. If your cat doesn't want to eat the food maybe try him with different brands? My cats never ate and I gave them loads of different brands until they found the one that they like and now they ever stop begging for it!

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Hello! Your thread title says a "younger cat", but remember that a 5-year-old cat is actually a cat who is "middle-aged". It's not when I'd usually start looking at any health issues that are more common in senior cats, but it's a good idea to start paying attention more to their habits and health - just like you are doing!

He doesn't look overly skinny to me, but only you have the time spent with him to know if he has lost a lot of weight recently. A vet visit/ well-check would be a reasonable idea, even to just get a weight on him, if you don't have any weighing scales at home.

Is his diet only dry food? Wet food/ canned food does supply more water to the diet, and if he is drinking too much on a daily basis, I'd be concerned that he is not getting enough water intake from food alone. I am one of those cat owners where a past experience with a cat having eaten only dry food for a decade, having too many carbs, and being chronically, albeit mildly, dehydrated for many years were some of the causes that led to this cat acquiring diabetes.

Keep an eye on his weight, his eating habits, if he begins to hide away a lot... if you grow even more concerned, visit the vet!

 

[Cojakama]

It’s been my experience that if you sense something is wrong, it probably is. I put off taking my dog to the vet because I thought I was being paranoid and that it was something that resolve itself. It ended up costing me more in the long run, not to mention it shortened her life. Now if I think there is a problem I immediately call the vet. It’s better to pay $60 and find out it’s nothing than to wait and pay hundreds for something that could have been helped earlier. Wishing the best for you.