[Archie]

Hi! I've a 7-yr old Norwegian forest cat. Healthy. He was neutered when he was 2. He is a small cat and weighed ca. 8 pounds. The last 2 years he's steadily lost weight. Now he weighs 5.5 pounds. He's vaccinated every year and also is treated for worms. No problems anywhere. His kidneys OK. Blood test normal. He's active- no change in behaviour pattern. He has never been an overeater. He's getting bony and thinner. What can I do? Help please.

[RubyPitbull]

Without being able to physically examine and run tests on your cat, it is impossible to diagnose the situation on-line. Since it seems you have taken him to the vet, what did the he/she have to say about it? I would call the vet and speak about your concern. Your cat may need further tests. Ask him/her to run a combo test if that hasn't been done already. The vet knows what that is, can explain it further to you, and will advise on whether it is a good idea or not. Please make the call as soon as possible. You have every right to be concerned. Unknown weight loss is not something that should be ignored. If the vet doesn't give you an adequate response, please find another vet for a second opinion. Good Luck. Norwees are wonderful companion pets and I would hate to think that the vet doesn't have his best interests in mind.

[Nosnosna]

This is definitely something your vet should be concerned about. As Ruby said, if your vet isn't concerned about it, get a very good explanation as to why he's not concerned. Seriously consider finding a new vet, because I can't imagine why yours wouldn't be concerned about this.

Do your best to recall his dietary habits over the last three years or so (about a year before you noticed the weight loss, to give an idea for his normal). Any changes in amount eaten, type of food (brand, dry or canned, even flavor) in that time. Also, make note of any environmental changes in the same period... new family members or pets, new home, new carpeting or other furnishings (although with how long it's lasted, I doubt the stress of new furniture would be the cause). Any of this information will help a vet diagnose any underlying problems.

Is he eating all of the food you give him? If he is, do two things: Verify that it's him eating the food, and not another pet, a child, or rodent. If it is him, then consider upping the amount you feed him... there are guidelines for how much to feed your cat by weight on most cat food bags, but that's just a guideline. Feel free to feed him more than that, although don't go overboard by any means. You don't want him to become a glutton, you just want to stop him from going hungry.

If he's not eating all of his food, try switching to a different type of food, and making sure that it stays fresh. Try to look for one that's formulated similarly (that will be easier on your cat during the switch... upset tummies make for sad kitties) but with a different flavor.

Note that this doesn't take the place of your vet's advice. He's the one who'll know how best to help your cat get back to a healthy weight.

[airbats-goku]

Try supplements as well. Look into getting Friskies cat milk. It made a world of difference to the health of my Norwie