Expert: Jessica - 1/25/2012

Question
Hi!

I have a 9 year old red and white tabby cat.  About 3 weeks ago I ran into some financial difficulties and had to put him on all dry food diet.  After some time I realized that he had lost some weight which was pretty significant.  I immediately put him back on wet food which he is eating.  He is not acting sick, eyes are bright, playing, eating and sleeping all normally.

I have had him back on wet food for a couple of weeks but he is not gaining any weight back.  I took him to the vet yesterday and all blood tests were normal so the vet said it was stress.  One of my other cats beats up on him and chases him.  He won't fight back.  

My question is how long will it take for him to gain the weight back and do you think the vet made the right diagnosis?  Is there anything I can do at home to make this easier?  

Thank you.

Answer
Hi Ellen,

It's tough to say if this is the right diagnosis. If the bullying has been consistent, I would not expect that weight loss would show up suddenly now. But if your vet feels certain that stress is the cause, I would recommend that you try some anxiety-reducing products, like Feliway diffusers (see www.feliway.com) or pheromone collars, or the Sentry HC Good Behavior collar. In worse cases, antidepressants might be required. It can take 3-6 weeks for full effects to be achieved using any one of these methods, and another 2-3 weeks for noticeable weight gain. You can also help to reduce stress by providing him with a safe haven away from his bully. Give him access to one room where the other cat can't go, and try to provide tall cat furniture. The cats will often claim different platforms as their own and won't bother each other so much on their own platforms.

If the diet change was responsible for his weight loss, you should notice a relatively quick weight gain. Most cats will put on weight you can feel in 2 weeks or 3 weeks. More than a pound in one month is not uncommon for an underweight cat - that's around a 10% gain for most cats, the equivalent of more than 10 pounds for a person.

If he is failing to gain weight, I would be suspicious something else may be going on. Cancer tends to be evasive on blood tests, and x-rays, or better yet ultrasounds, are better for diagnosing this. Although cancer patients will usually become lethargic and lack appetite, this isn't always true. Some become hungrier as the cancer draws nutrients away from other body processes. If you don't see an improvement shortly, I would consider pursuing other diagnostics. Be sure to keep a close eye on his stool, too - chronic diarrhea and tapeworms can cause weight loss.

Good luck!
Jessica