How to keep my sick, thin outdoor cat healthy and happy indoors?

Question

My cat doesn't stop walking and is very thin,when he goes out he doesn't come back for 12 hours or even whole day and night,he almost doesn't eat and has cold symptoms every time when he's back,I tried keep him inside for few days,even walk him in our backyard but he doesn't visit the litter box,neither use some place in the garden,he wants to do this only outside of our home,so I don't know what is healthier for him to let him out or keep him home?Or how can i make him to likes stay at home? Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 6 years and 2 months old

Eryn Taormina, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hi there. I am sorry to hear about Tikvichko's troubles. I will try to address each part of your question one by one, to see if I can advise you accordingly. First, you mentioned that he is very thin. Taking into consideration that Tikvichko goes outdoors, I would try to rule out intestinal parasites first and foremost. He is also getting a little bit older if he's around 6 years old. Cats and dogs are considered senior patients at age 7. I would make sure to run some tests that can help check for the following conditions, as they can cause weight loss in adult/senior cats - hyperthryoidism (meaning he would have an overactive thyroid and a fast metabolism that will not allow him to keep weight on), diabetes (cats and dogs with diabetes can lose weight, or remain very thin), kidney disease (can also cause poor weight gain). Secondly, if Tikvichko is going outside, he may exposed to other cats. These cats can pass respiratory bacteria and viruses on to him. He can get upper respiratory infections, or even diseases like feline immunodeficiency virus, or feline leukemia virus. These viruses can weaken his immune system and make him more susceptible to upper respiratory bugs too. They can also make him unable to gain weight. Checking his teeth too, to make sure he doesn't have any mouth pain is a good idea too, and part of a routine vet exam. Sometimes cats, adults and older, will have bad teeth, and this can cause mouth pain, and in turn, they may eat less, and not gain an appropriate amount of weight. Lastly, it is difficult for sure to keep kitties inside once they learn how to live an indoor/outdoor lifestyle. You can try to make him more comfortable inside by giving him an extra litter box. If he is the only cat, you should have 2 for him. Try some different cat litters too. He may be picky about which litter he likes. Since he goes outside, try something that's more like a sand litter to see if likes that. Depending on what's available in your area, you can also try some supplements for him when he is indoors such as feline rescue remedy, or feliway products. They are natural products that are known to help lower stress levels in cats. You can also make him a cat hidey-box, so he has a private area to cuddle in. This can be fashioned out of something as simple as a cardboard box turned upside down with an opening cut into it to allow him to come and go. Place the box in a private area of the house (away from the litter box of course). You can put some treats and food inside as well. In the meantime, I would schedule a visit with Tikvicho's vet. He should be tested for feline immunodeficiency virus, and feline leukemia. He should also have some labwork evaluated to check his organs, and to check for diabetes and thyroid disease, and they can also test his stools to make sure he is parasite free. He should also always remain up to date on all of his vaccines. Once you take care of all of that, I would focus on making his indoor environment as appealing as possible to try to encourage him to stay inside more. There is definitely a chance that he will still want to go outside more often than not, but making sure he is up to date on all of his preventive care, and checking him for any diseases he can pick up outside is the best way to make sure he stays health. Best of luck!

How to keep my sick, thin outdoor cat healthy and happy indoors?

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