My older cat is losing weight and I am wondering if this is natural when they are getting older. ?
bill c asked:
She is 12 years old and seems to be in good health. She eats and acts like nothing is bothering her. She lets me pet her and brush her without acting like it is hurting her. She still purrs when I pet her and still likes to snuggle. She is a big cat so the loss of some weight might actually be good for her, but I don’t know if this is normal. Thanks for your help.
She is 12 years old and seems to be in good health. She eats and acts like nothing is bothering her. She lets me pet her and brush her without acting like it is hurting her. She still purrs when I pet her and still likes to snuggle. She is a big cat so the loss of some weight might actually be good for her, but I don’t know if this is normal. Thanks for your help.
A loss of weight can be a sign that something with her health is changing. Better to have her see the Vet. They can go down hill very fast when something is wrong. Plus cats are great at hiding that anything is wrong. It’s always better to change something sooner than later.
Cats are great at hiding pain and, in fact, will still purr when they are in great distress as it is a comforting action for them. Any cat who is losing weight for no apparent reason should be taken to a vet for blood tests. Weight loss can be attributed to diabetes (common in bigger cats), thyroid problems and kidney disease to name but a few illnesses. The sooner you get your cat checked, the sooner you can deal with any problem she might have.
Well, as cats get older, they eat less. Has the weight loss happened rapidly? If it has, I would take her to a vet.
At 12 if the weight loss is significant, then something is going on. Does her backbone stand out? Can you feel some sharp ridges on her shoulder blades? Is the hip getting bony on the top? If this happened suddenly, get her in for a checkup. Have the vet do a urinalysis for diabetes (it’s cheap) and also a blood panel to check for kidney, thyroid and liver function.
If these are happening, then catching it early makes them treatable. If you catch it too late and the kidney disease has progressed too far, or if the thyroid is so out of balance it’s already done heart damage, it’s much harder to get the cat stabalized.
I lost my 18 yr old, a year ago, and Kelsie is almost 16. Yes, it seems they will loose weight in their later years, but it is especially important to monitor their health as they age. Please…take her to the vet for a check up to be sure that all is well.