My cat's (cats'?) appetite has increased quite a bit. Could there be a problem?

B

BAM

Cathlete
My cat was a stray and is estimated to be over 4 1/2 years old. She's been a VERY fussy eater, go figure. :rolleyes: She is an indoor cat and her appetite has increased terribly over the past couple of months or so and she is noticeably putting on weight. Some years ago this happened but at that time she had those little buggers inside of her as noted by the sesame seed looking remains left where she'd sleep. :( That is not the case now. Could there be something else going on or is this part of aging? On a positive note, she has become a bit less picky about what she eats so I'm not throwing out food like I used to. :D

Thanks for your feedback. :)

Bam
 
We just got a cat too. If you have a large pet store chain near you, sometimes they have low cost vets on Saturdays and Sundays. But go early and start the line if you can, because there can be a line.

Otherwise, if you can't do that, you can generally get some wormer from the pet store and try that.

Also, your cat could just be a big fat gluttonous beast like mine :D and needs to be put on a diet as I had to do with mine.

Blessings
 
tralaiven said:
We just got a cat too. If you have a large pet store chain near you, sometimes they have low cost vets on Saturdays and Sundays. But go early and start the line if you can, because there can be a line.

Otherwise, if you can't do that, you can generally get some wormer from the pet store and try that.

Also, your cat could just be a big fat gluttonous beast like mine :D and needs to be put on a diet as I had to do with mine.

Blessings
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Ha! LOL! Well that's why I'm wondering if her appetite is just increasing without there being a problem. I swear she's getting bigger each day and I really am trying to limit her food but she keeps looking at me with that "feed me" look. :rolleyes: Do you know how they could tell for sure if it's a worm?

Thanks!
Bam
 
If she had a worm, would she still be gaining weight? When she had those beasties in her several years ago, she was not putting on weight cuz they were feeding off of the food/digestive system. Now, she's just becoming a pudge monster. :eek:

Bam
 
BAM said:
If she had a worm, would she still be gaining weight? When she had those beasties in her several years ago, she was not putting on weight cuz they were feeding off of the food/digestive system. Now, she's just becoming a pudge monster. :eek:

Bam
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It could be that she has a parasite that is causing severe bloating. You might call your local humane society to see what their rates are or if they offer a sliding scale depending on income. I hope your kitty is okay.

Pam
 
They do a stool test to check for parasites. It should not be expensive. I don't know if your vet takes CareCredit but it is a cc that allows you to charge your visit and pay over a period of time --6, 12 months--with no interest. However if you don't pay it in that time the interest is exorbitant. It is easy to apply. You can do it online and they tell you right away if you are eligible. Try and get your kitty checked out if you are worried.
 
Hi there,

I'm not a vet, so please don't take my word as gold, but I've lived with cats pretty much my whole life. Sometimes they go through phases where they will eat A LOT, and if they are an indoor cat (which all mine were) will become more sedentary and gain weight. Just like humans, some days they will be fussy and not eat as much, and that's ok too. With that being said, if they go through prolonged periods of not eating, losing weight in a short time span, not drinking, not using the litter, hiding, you need to see a vet PRONTO. A few years ago my baby boy (I call him that, but he's a senior cat) almost died from Pancreatitis, and those were the signs. Any "odd" behavior that just does not feel right (trust me, your instincts will kick in) should be brought to the attention of a vet. Here in Canada, you can go to a University where "practicing" vets (not certified yet), still studying under Certified Veterinarians, will offer a fair/discounted rate for any medical examination. Perhaps something like that exists in your area to save $$.

Oh, and I meant to ask, what kind of food are you giving her? I find that cats tend to eat more of the cheaper-type food found at grocery stores as opposed to the higher quality food found at specialty pet stores/vet offices. My vet told me the "cheaper" stuff is like McDonalds to cats! It tastes so darn good, and only fills them up for a short period, so they tend to eat more, gain weight. After my cat almost died, I had to switch him over to vet quality food (which is a hefty $$, but necessary). HE HATED IT. Protested for a few days, but in the end they won't starve themselves :D. Now I'm not saying to run out and buy vet quality food, but if you are feeding your cat a $10 bag of food, perhaps spend a little more and search for a higher quality type food. Yes, she might protest it. That's ok. Like my vet said, they won't starve themselves and will give in eventually.

Sorry I wrote a long post :eek:. A lot of content there. Good luck and take care! Wishing you lots of healthy long years with your kitty :).


Natasha
 
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Thanks everyone for your responses. I will call around and look into options for her care at, hopefully, affordable prices. Maybe there's a vet school nearby which would be great!

Natasha, yes, she is getting the store bought food. I know the ingredients that are in them and I would prefer giving her better quality but she's been getting that for awhile so I can't attribute that to the change. In the past when I did try the better cat food, she'd snub it and I'd end up throwing so much away. I just can't do that. She's not displaying any other change in behavior. I will continue to look for options.

Thanks again for all of your feedback!

Bam....and kitty too! :)
 
Cats tend to eat more in the winter months and less in the summer. Canned food is a better choice because cats fill up more quickly because of the liquid and will eat less. Dry food is much more fattening to begin with and they will eat a ton before they fill up. Quality food gives their body the nutrients it needs, cheap food doesn't so they will keep eating to try to get the nutrients they need. In the long run it makes them fat, increasing vet bills, and makes them eat more, which increases food cost. So overall, quality food ends up to be not only a much healthier choice but a less expensive choice. HTH, Linda
 
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Poor kitty!
I am owned by an ex-feral kitty who has trained me to feed him high quality food and he is thriving! He is on a "grain-free" diet. I feed him Weruva Cats in the Kitchen wet food, and 1/4 cup Evo Evolution Grain Free kibble every day. He weighs about 13 to 14 pounds and is pretty active for an indoor kitty. I have considered preparing a home made food for him and found this recipe from Dr. Fox a very wise animal lover:
Dr. Fox's Homemade 'Natural' Cat Food Recipe
I think you could tweak it a bit to fit your budget and availability of sources.
It may be just the thing for your kitty!
HTH!
 
I 100% agree on giving quality food but right now I can only do what I am doing right now with perhaps some minor adjustments. I do know that they tend to eat more in winter months but her appetite increased in late summer. She does get canned food and I do give her some dry after she finishes her moist food. I am able to get a better (not high) dry food at a reasonable cost. My concern was that there is no health issue going on that would have initiated an increase in appetite. I can deal with the diet stuff as time progresses.

Thanks again!

Bam
 
RapidBreath said:
Is she fixed? Do you think she could be pregnant?
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It would be the immaculate conception, lol. Yes, she is fixed. In fact when she found me, I took her to get fixed, shots, etc. and her personality changed right after that. Before, she was more friendly and a lap type cat which I was thrilled with as my previous cat didn't want to know from nuttin', lol. As soon as she recovered from her surgery, her personality changed. :( Thanks for the thought, though. You never know!

Bam
 
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fit44 said:
I had to google before I responded. Cushings is a possibility. Cats can have it-

Cushing's Disease (Hyperadrenocorticism) in Cats-Causes, Symptoms & Treatment | Cat Health Collection
My boxer had cushings disease (pituitary- large tumor). Increased appetite is one of the symptoms. My poor girl was so desperate for food she got into my food cabinet and ate an entire loaf of bread (not normal for her). I will warn you, if it is Cushings, it is a very expensive disease to manage. :(
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Thanks so much for this information. I'm sorry your boxer had it. How did she make out? I checked the symptoms and she only appears to have the increased appetite. Her abdomen is bigger but the weight's gotta go somewhere. :( It did get me to think, though. She has been scrounging for food but she does that even though there is still food left in her dish. This is leading me to believe that if she needed to get as much food in her because of something inside of her, she'd devour all the food in her dish and look for other food as well. As I mentioned earlier, she's always been a fussy eater so perhaps she's just a bit less so because of her increase in appetite.

This is all great info. It's giving me an opportunity to think this through.

Thank you!

Bam
 
BAM,
We had to help Mercedes to the bridge because the tumor was putting too much pressure on her brain. She was suffering and stopped doing everything she loved to do (go for walks and play with toys). The final straw was her last day on earth she spent vomiting and couldn't lift her head out of the vomit.
There are different forms of Cushings, and she had the worst form.

It sounds to me as though your cat needs a full blood panel done, and test for parasites.
 
fit44 said:
BAM,
We had to help Mercedes to the bridge because the tumor was putting too much pressure on her brain. She was suffering and stopped doing everything she loved to do (go for walks and play with toys). The final straw was her last day on earth she spent vomiting and couldn't lift her head out of the vomit.
There are different forms of Cushings, and she had the worst form.

It sounds to me as though your cat needs a full blood panel done, and test for parasites.
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I'm so sorry Mercedes and you had to go through that. It is just so difficult when your pet becomes ill. Hugs to you!

Bam
 
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