My cat has lost a lot of weight and has started meowing more. Are these early signs of a sickness? Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed

Losing a lot of weight is a sign of an illness. I don't know the age of your cat, but if Ittybitty is older, losing weight can be caused by diabetes (despite a big appetite), hyperthyroidism, or kidney disease, among others. Issues with their teeth can cause weight loss, as can worms. Losing a lot of weight can be caused by so many different illness that without seeing your cat in person, I couldn't say what is the exact cause. I would recommend taking Ittybitty into your vet for a health check as soon as possible.

If your kitty is 6 years or older it could certainly be a sign of hyperthyroidism, a common disease in older cats, that is easily diagnosed via a blood test and easily treated with medication , or other options (surgery or ration therapy). Your kitty will also need blood tests to rule out kidney disease and other diseases that cause weight loss.

Oh poor mittens! Im sorry you guys are going through this. Weight loss despite eating well, vomiting, and increased vocalizing can be associated with a high thyroid level or hyperthyroidism. Ask your vet if they measured a thyroid level as part of the blood work. If her thyroid is normal another cause of these signs can be inflammation of the intestine or stomach, aka inflammatory bowel disease or even certain cancers that affect the gastrointestinal tract. The next step to diagnose this would be an abdominal ultrasound and/or x-ray. There are also medications your vet can prescribe her for the symptoms to help mittens stop vomiting. I hope this helped a little. Please don't hesitate to post again with additional questions.

Hi there. Weight loss in an older cat like this could be caused by number of different things, including hyperthyroidism, chronic kidney disease, or diabetes. Increased vocalization can also be caused by hyperthyroidism, or can be a general sign of pain or discomfort due to almost any kind of illness. I'm afraid there's no alternative to taking Davey to the vet, since he will need an exam and some lab work to help diagnose the problem. I would recommend taking him in as soon as you're able to. Many of these problems are very treatable once a diagnosis is made, so there's a good chance your veterinarian will be able to help.

My cat is losing weight and meowing a lot. What's wrong with her?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed

My cat has lost a lot of weight and has started meowing more. Are these early signs of a sickness?

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA 103

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on June 24th, 2016

Unfortunately yes, weight loss and increased meowing can often be signs of illness in cats. You don't say how old your cat is, but if she is middle-aged or older the first thing I would be concerned about is possible thyroid disease - hyperthyroidism very commonly causes both of these symptoms. It also often causes increased appetite, and sometimes soft stool. Other possible causes could be diabetes, kidney disease, or even a digestive problem like inflammatory bowel disease. I would recommend having Ittybitty examined by a vet - he/she can do a simple blood panel to check for most of these problems, and advise you on treatment options based on the results.

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My cat is losing weight and meowing a lot. What's wrong with her?

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