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My cat eats a lot but is losing weight and always hungry. Is she sick?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 4 years and 8 months old | 8 lbs

My cat has been eating plenty of food, but is not maintaining or able to gain any weight. She seems always hungry, you can feel her spine and her ribs. She seems content, isn’t hiding, and is alert. Acting normal otherwise. She is slightly finicky about her food, she won’t eat dry food and is selective about wet food. She is almost five years old, and this has been going on for weeks, maybe months. I’d say she’s about 7-8 pounds. How can we help her? What could be wrong? Is she just picky?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Penelope Graben, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 9th, 2021

Hello, I'm sorry to hear this about Cali. I worry when pets are losing weight without actively dieting that there may be an endocrine disorder (such as an overactive thyroid), major organ dysfunction (such as kidney or liver failure), or some type of underlying cancer. I would recommend taking Cali to have a physical exam with her veterinarian. They may recommend bloodwork or x-rays to look into what is affecting her. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 16th, 2019

    One of the main reasons for an older cat that is eating well but is thin or losing weight is an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). This can be easily diagnosed with a simple blood test. This disease is also quite easy and inexpensive to treat. I suggest you have Sassy to the vet for some blood testing.

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