Why is my cat so skinny but eats a lot

My Cat Is So Skinny I Can Feel Her Bones

We tend to spoil or overfeed our pet cats and give them treats anytime. However, sometimes your pet doesnt put on weight at all. Worse she may start to lose weight until you can feel her bones. Not sure if your cat is too skinny? Check out these tips to estimate your cats weight situation:

Do a bone test to check how skinny your cat is

Feel your cats back by tracing the length of its spine up to its tail with the use of your fingertips. If you can easily feel your pets backbone and its prominent then your pet is skinny and theres a considerable decrease in muscle mass. Other visible signs that your cat is skinny include a narrow waist, visible ribs, and obvious shoulder blades.

Reasons why your cat is so skinny

There are many causes of why your pet is unusually skinny or boney. However, it doesnt necessarily mean that its sick or dying. Here are the most common reasons why your cat is skinny or losing weight:

1. Your cat may be getting old.

A cat may be skinny and boney because shes getting old. Senior cats tend to lose the ability to digest and absorb their food well resulting in weight loss. Some also tend to eat smaller meals which can be attributed to a decreased sense of smell and loss of teeth.

2. Your pet may have gastrointestinal issues.

You may not be entirely aware of it but your pet may have a gastrointestinal problem. Your pet may have intestinal parasites or worms, food allergies, inflammatory bowel disease or pancreatitis. These disorders may prevent nutrients from being properly absorbed and digested by the body thus resulting in extreme loss of weight.

3. It may be due to anorexia.

Cats may develop anorexia or a refusal to eat food. Your cat may avoid and lose interest in food due to environmental or dietary changes, unclean feeding quarters or a change of routine.

4. Your pet may be experiencing psychological stress and anxiety.

Just like humans, your pet feline may be going through psychological stress, anxiety, and even depression. Some of the reasons that can attribute to this include the loss of a companion animal, loud noises or competition in a multi-pet household. Aside from weight loss, a stressed cat may become aggressive, have mood swings or may hide and avoid company and interaction.

5. Your cat may be suffering from certain medical conditions.

A skinny or boney cat may be suffering from a medical condition or serious disease that is just starting to manifest itself. These illnesses include cancer, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, kidney disease, and multiple organ failure.

6. It may be because of their breed and genetic makeup.

Your pet feline may be skinny naturally because of its breed and genes. Various breeds have slender bodies and may appear abnormally skinny like the Siamese, Peterbald, Somali, and Cornish Rex.

7. If your cat is not neutered or spayed.

Intact or unneutered cats tend to be skinny and lose weight since mating entails lots of energy. Spayed cats tend to be fatter and pack on muscle mass, are healthier, live longer and have a lower risk to develop prostate and testicular cancer.

What happens if your cat wont eat

If your cat is rapidly losing weight and refuses to eat for more than 24 hours then its time to be alarmed. A pet who doesnt eat for a prolonged period may develop feline hepatic lipidosis or fatty liver disease. Clinical signs of this illness include dehydration, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation. An affected cat may develop jaundice or yellowish skin and mucus membranes.

What you can do if your cat is so skinny

There are various steps that you can do to correct your cats weight issue and fatten up your cat. Here are some of them:

1. Give your pet cat small and frequent meals.

A typical cats stomach is only as big as a ping pong ball so its best to give them food in small servings at least every few hours. Cats have different preferences some may prefer dry food, some like wet food while still others prefer a combination of dry and wet meals.

2. Serve warm food.

Warm food heightens its aroma and your cats sense of smell becomes more stimulated. As a result, your pet will most likely eat the food. You can easily warm your pets meals by microwaving them at an ideal temperature of more or less 38.5 degrees Celsius which is near their body temperature.

3. Spice up their canned meals.

Cats, like humans, tend to lose interest in their food because they feel that its the same taste, appearance, and texture every single day. You can try to liven up their food by adding catnip, tuna juice, or probiotics in powder form.

4. Provide healthy snacks in-between meals.

Countless healthy cat treats are available in the market today. Just some of the popular choices include Wellness Kittles Crunchy Natural Treats and Temptations Classic Tasty Chicken. These snacks are not only nutritious theyre also tasty and come in various flavors and meat choices.

5. Feed your pet with kitten food.

Kitten food is more flavorful and packed with proteins and fats. Try to switch the meals your cat is accustomed to and feed it with kitten food and she may regain its appetite.

6. Give her cold cuts.

Try giving your pet strips of turkey or oven-roasted chicken on top of their usual wet or dry meals. This usually stimulates their appetite as it closely mimics what they hunt and eat as prey.

7. Let your cat eat in peace.

Your cat may not be eating well because you may be endlessly checking and hovering over it during mealtime. Cats are naturally solitary hunters and eaters and often prefer to eat alone without anyone observing them.

8. Try an appetite stimulant.

You may opt to give your pet cat an appetite stimulant like Mirtazapine which comes in a pill or transdermal gel formula. However, be sure to consult your veterinarian first.

9. Consult your veterinarian.

If all your initial efforts seem futile and your cat is still skinny and shows no improvement it is best to consult your veterinarian. Your vet is the foremost authority who will be able to give the proper diagnosis and treatment to nurse your cat back to its normal and healthy size and weight.

Is My Cat Too Skinny? How to Check and What to Do

Cats come in a variety of sizes ranging from long and lean to short and chunky, but how do you know how skinny is too skinny? When do you start worrying about their weight and asking yourself, Is my cat too skinny?

We want you to be able to tell if your cat is at a good weight or not, and this is why were going to give you ways to measure your cat that can do at home. Were also going to tell you what could cause your cat to be too skinny, different body styles, and more.

Two Different Cat Body Types

Although cats arguably come in many different shapes and sizes, you can put them intwo broad categoriesbased on how they look. Mixed-breed domestic shorthairs usually fall between the two body types, and the two different body types include:

• Cobby Build The cobby build is for cats that have short bodies, a shorter and stouter tail, and heavy bones. This body type typically ranges between 7 to 12 pounds, and the Persian would be a good example of this build.
• Oriental Build The oriental build is for cats that have long and slender limbs, svelte bodies with fine bones, and long slender tails. Their weight usually falls between 5 to 10 pounds, and the Siamese or Domestic Shorthair are good examples of this build.

Its important that you know which build your cat falls under because the weight range varies. Its easier to tell if a cat with an Oriental build is underweight than it is to tell if a cat with a Cobby build is underweight because theyre more solid overall.

How to Check if Your Cat is Too Skinny

Fortunately, its relatively easy to check and see if your cat is starting to hit theunderweight markjust by using your hands. This will be slightly more difficult if your cat has a longer coat, but its possible with a little patience.

You start by having your cat stand or sit in front of you before you take your hands and perform a gentle rubbing motion along your cats ribs, spine, pelvic bones, and shoulder blades. You want to feel a light layer of fat that pads these areas from your fingers, and their bones should be sticking out or angular.

If you can feel these bony areas under your fingers and theyre sharp or poking out, your cat is most likely under their target weight. Easily distinguishable rib and hip bones, a narrow waist, and visible shoulder blades are all common symptoms of an underweight cat.

Signs That Your Cat is Too Skinny

Most of these signs that indicate your cat may be too skinny relate to your cats physical appearance, and its much easier to tell in you have a cat with a shorter coat. However, they include:

• Your cats waist looks very narrow compared to other cats
• You can see your cats spine and ribs, and you can feel the bones
• The shoulder blades protrude, and the rib cage is visible
• Your cats stomach is more tucked in
• There is a lack of fat along your cats ribs and back.
• There arent a lot of folds on your cats body
• Your cats body deviates from the traditional hourglass shape
• There is a thinning around your cats neck area

9 Reasons Why Your Cat Is Too Skinny

There are several reasons why your cat is getting too skinny, and its always best to check with your veterinarian if you have real concerns. Maybe its something as simple as your cat not getting enough nutrients from their food, and your veterinarian will be able to rule out medical conditions.

Lacking Nutrients from Food

Take a look at your cat foodsnutritional label, and pay close attention to the protein and nutrient levels. If your cat isnt getting enough of these nutrients, they could start to lose weight as a result and continue losing weight as their body tries to extract nutrients from your cats body fat.

Activity Levels

Maybe you just have a very active cat combined with a very fast metabolism that lets them burn through calories far faster than theyre able to eat. If this is the case, you can give your cat a food that has ahigher calorie and nutrient contentto help them put on weight and keep it on.

Dental Problems

Dental problemsplague cats of all ages, and its widely estimated that roughly half of all cats over the age of three have dental problems or dental disease. Things like absences, missing teeth, broken, teeth, or plaque can make it difficult for your cat to eat.

Scheduling routine cleaning is one way for your veterinarian to take care of any problem areas and address their dental problems. You can also practice brushing your cats teeth or giving them dental chews to help reduce plaque buildup.

Not Enough Food

If you have other pets or even a multiple cat household, there could becompetitionover the food dish during mealtimes. If only one cat is getting skinny, maybe theyre not able to compete with your other cats or animals for food.

You can try feeding the skinny cat in a room by themselves and see if it helps them gain weight. You should also set meal times at the same time every day to get your cat in a routine that ensures they eat when theyre supposed to without letting them free feed.

Gastrointestinal Issues

Cats can develop a variety ofgastrointestinal issuesfrom sensitivities or allergies to ingredients in their foods. These issues can cause bloating, pain, gas, a loss of appetite, and trouble extracting nutrients from their food when they do eat.

If you think its allergies or sensitives at work, you can try switching your cat to a limited ingredient food. Once you do, you want to monitor them to see if their digestive issues start to go away. If they do, you can keep them on the limited ingredient diet.

Hyperthyroidism

Many middle-aged or older cats develophyperthyroidismthat causes issues like vomiting, weight loss, increased urination, and increased appetite. The thyroid gland starts to produce too much thyroid hormone, and this throws off your cats systems and causes weight loss.

Only your veterinarian can diagnose a case of hyperthyroidism by performing an exam and blood tests. If hyperthyroidism is causing your cats weight loss, the weight loss should go away when you start your cats treatment through medications, surgery, or diet therapy.

Diabetes

Another common health problem for cats isdiabetes, and diabetes causes your cat to have a huge appetite while not being able to keep weight on. It directly impacts your cats ability to extract and retain the nutrients from the food they eat, and this is why they want to eat more.

You want to take note on whether or not your cat has excessive thirst, excessive urination, or appetite changes and tell your veterinarian. They can do a blood test and discuss the best treatment routine based on the type of diabetes your cat gets diagnosed with.

Liver or Kidney Issues

Liver and kidney issuesare common in cats, and theyre more common in cats who are old and overweight because it puts stress on your cats organs. As these organs continue to deteriorate, your cat can start to lose weight at a steady pace.

Again, blood tests will confirm or rule out problems with your cats liver or kidney issues, and your veterinarian will set up a treatment plan based on their findings. This can include things like medications and changing your cats diet to a renal one.

Parasites

Parasites likeringworm or tapewormsare a treatable infection, but they can cause weight loss because theyll start to pull the nutrients from your cats body when theyre trying to digest their food. The worse the infection gets, the skinner your cat will get.

Deworming medications are the common course of treatment for a parasitic infection, and your veterinarian will require a stool sample to confirm the presence of these parasites. The parasites usually go away after a round or two of the medication, and your cat should start gaining weight.

Is my cat too skinny? Now you know how to find out which body style your cat falls in, how to check if theyre skinny by looking at them and running your hands over them, and nine common causes of weight loss. You can help treat them to get your cat back to a healthy weight and happy.