My feral cat is suddenly skinny and letting me pet him. What's wrong?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male
I feed the feral cats that come to my farm. I have this male that comes around every so often. Last month he showed up with a injured leg. He was to skittish to catch. I kept an eye on him and he healed up and disappeared again. He showed up today very skinny and he let me approach him. I fed and petted him. What could be going on?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on October 15th, 2018
It could be that Brute wandered far away and didn't have access to food, causing him to lose weight. It could also be that he is sick causing him to lose weight, or he may have a heavy intestinal worm burden. If you can catch him, I'd take him into a vet for a health check. I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on June 30th, 2019
The simplest reason would be intestinal parasites. They can be treated relatively easily as well. Other reasons would require a physical exam. If he will allow you to place him in a carrier, have him examined by your veterinarian.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Feral cat with sudden, extreme loss of weight. 4-5 years old. Un-neutered Male. Inoculated for all typical diseases 9/2019. Very healthy appetite. No vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, that I have seen. Coat looks good. Weighed 13.4 lbs 9/2019...maybe 9 l
Hello. Weight loss of that amount is, unfortunately, going to require some investigation. If the cat’s feeding routine has basically remained unchanged, he has been dewormed....then we need to be looking for other, more serious problems. A thorough physical exam, bloodwork and possibly x-rays. He will likely need sedation for all of this, so presenting him to the vet in a humane trap that he can be sedated while still in the trap is the safest method for all involved. Reasons for dramatic weight loss could include diabetes, intestinal diseases, kidney or liver issues, cancer, etc. I deal with feral cats all the time and it is relatively simple to sedate them through the trap in order to do any procedures necessary. Good luck
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Why is my outdoor feral cat which I have fed consistently for months losing weight? He eats a little and moved around and still grooms. Should I be worried?
The simplest reason would be intestinal parasites. They can be treated relatively easily as well. Other reasons would require a physical exam. If he will allow you to place him in a carrier, have him examined by your veterinarian.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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my cat has gone from a healthy waight to very skinny and bony and i am not sure why? i thought maybe worms but i can find no proof of worms since i have had pets with worms beofre what could it be?
Poor Rusty! Cats can have worms even if you don't see them in the feces. Oftentimes, there are eggs in the feces, but those can only be seen with a microscope. Sudden weight loss in cats can also be caused by diabetes, kidney disease, systemic illness, infection, or injury among other causes. I would have Rusty seen by a vet asap, and bring along a sample of his feces for the vet to examine. In addition to looking at his feces, the vet can do a physical exam, blood tests, and a urinalysis to diagnose what is causing his weight loss. Once the cause of the weight loss is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options with you.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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I have a stray cat which I feed. Within the last month he has lost an extreme amount of weight and I noticed today he is covered with bumps on his skin. I cannot tell if it is scabs or a parasite. I have my cats which go in and out so they have conta
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We got our cat from the pound about a year ago. They estimated his age to be 2 years old; however, we believe this was not accurate since they had most of the cats listed as 2 years old. He weighed about 14 pounds when we got him. Over the past six o
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A cat has came across my path and is now coming over everyday to eat. I have put a bed outside the door and she is now sleeping in it. Can you please recommend services she may need to be healthy. She’s very skinny and has been eating tons of our oth
She may be skinny due to lack of adequate nutrition, but it's also possible that she has an illness that is causing her to continuously lose weight despite a good appetite. This could be caused by an infection with FIV or FeLV, which can cause them to get skinny like this without having other signs of disease. This is particularly concerning, because it can be spread to your other cat if she is bitten by this cat. It's also possible that this cat has a kidney failure, advanced diabetes, or an overactive thyroid that's causing her to be so skinny. Given these possibilities, the best thing you can do is take her to a vet for an evaluation. However, they will likely want to run some blood tests and other diagnostics in order to diagnose her condition, so you may consider how much you would be willing to invest in her. If you are not sure about spending the money for the vet and possibly treating a life-long condition, then it may be best to take her to a local animal rescue orga
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Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Senior Ferrel cat is getting thin and not eating as much. Appears to be getting thin and losing muscle mass, trouble climbing fence. Unable to approach, but comes by twice a day. looking for a food that may help.
As cats age, they can develop different diseases that can cause them to lose muscle mass and fat. By feeding a different food may not help him. He could also have intestinal parasites. If he is a feral cat I would leave him be. I would not want to risk trying to catch him in case he tries to bite. Cat bites can get very infected quickly and if he is not vaccinated for rabies you are at risk also. Thank you for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Hello, I had another question about my kitties weight loss. I’m taking him to the vet tomorrow. My question is what is the main cause of weight loss in cats? He just turned 1 year old and just started losing weight. He went from 10 lbs to 7 lbs and h
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Kovu is so young! Has he started to go outside more since April? If so then the weight loss could be from increased activity or from worms from hunting. In the April picture he is overweight. My hope is that the weight loss is from increased exercise or from worms. Bring a stool sample with you. Other causes would be inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, kidney failure, feline infectious peritonitis and feline leukemia or FIV. I would have the Vet do full blood work, feline leukemia and FIV testing, fecal testing and prophylactically deworm him with medications that get round and tape worms. Be sure to use a good fea preventative since he goes outdoors. I wish you the best!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My cat have lost weight and also i seen a red in his eyes and it disappear and then now he is losing balance now and a clingy too i do not know what happen to him but he is still eating
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Updated on September 24th, 2025
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