Cat losing weight and pulling at fur, is she sick?

by Melissa
(Palmdale, California)

Angel my cat

Angel my cat

I've had my cat, Angel, since she was about 2 months old, and she's now somewhere between 7 and 8 years. We are very attached to eat other, which is why I'm concerned about her health. Around late-June, I left with my sister on vacation with my grandma in another country, which left Angel under the care of my parents. Returning a month later, I saw a great weight change in her. I'm certain that my parents fed her well, because they are as animal-loving as I am, so I figured the reason was that perhaps she'd been distraught by my sudden disappearance and had in result not eaten as much? Other than her weight loss, she also began pulling out her fur, and she now has patches of hair missing from her sides and back. I thought maybe it was the change in season since she is a long haired cat, but she seemed to be losing more hair than last year. And then one night I woke up to her regurgitating on my floor. It's not the first time she regurgitated since my return, and I've since found puke in many corners. It's evident she can't keep her food down, but why? Is there any possible reason for all these symptoms?


Reply

Hi
Well the combination of weight loss and hair pulling and vomiting would suggest that there may be something more wrong than just anxiety due to the change in your cats routine etc.

Hair pulling is a sign of anxiety but can be caused due to the fact that cat may be feeling unwell. Weight loss can be a symptom of several possible illnesses, such as diabetes feline-diabetes.html , heart conditions feline-heart-disease.html, cat thyroid problems cat-thyroid .
I would suggest that your best course of action is to take her to see a vet for a check up. Some blood work may have to be done to determine the cause of your cats distress.

The sooner a diagnosis can be made the better the outcome. Let’s hope that your cat is back to her old self soon

Best wishes kate

Comments for Cat losing weight and pulling at fur, is she sick?

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My cat is pulling out all of her hair and is losing weight too......
by: Anonymous

My beautiful calico cat has pulled out all of her hair on her legs and stomach, and sides - she looks miserable. I have taken her to the vet several times and her blood work came back perfect - good news except nothing to help me help her. We have tried fleas treatment, steroid shot and now really expensive medicine to help with the "dermitis." Within 2 months she has become a shell of her former self. Always affectionate, I now can't find her most of the time. Does anyone have any suggestions to make her feel more comfortable? I'm considering trying an epsom salt bath - If I can keep her in it...I'm at my wits end. I hate seeing her like this......
Is my cat sick
by: Anonymous

My cat is pulling her hair till she bleeds not eating and crying often this started it seems once my daughter had her new baby does anyone have any suggestions I can’t afford vet bills but I love my cat I adopted her about y years ago any suggestions
Diabetes!
by: Anonymous

My 8 year old indoor cat was also pulling her hair out every where she could reach and was scratching like crazy, she had lost weight but ate a ton! And then she stopped eating and drinking all together, off to the vet we went. She was diagnosed with diabetes and a bladder infection/UTI. She was put on insulin injections twice a day and a course of antibiotics and after 2 days of treatment her itching, scratching and hair pulling has stopped and her skin has cleared up. I don't want to alarm you but there could definitely be a serious medical issue causing the behavior besides anxiety. I wish you the best of luck with your cat!!!
Elderly cat
by: Anonymous

Our cat has been diagnosed with liver and kidney problems, he is 16yrs old has lost a load of weight he eats anything and everything which he never done before , do you think it's maybe time to get the vet to put him to sleep ?
Hair pulling
by: Anonymous

My cat has had the same problem (pulling out large clumps of hair and loss of appetite) and we have gone to the vet three times in the past three weeks. She has had an allergy to chicken since she was a kitten and I changed her food to "Call of the Wild". We were having her eat purina sensitive systems but the last bag had chicken meal in it. She gets allergy shots twice to three times a year. She just started pulling her hair a month or so ago. We are living at my mom's temporarily. I thought it was stress or similar environmental changes. She has gotten her allergy shot and is now becoming a biter (all new). The vet suggested Benadryl but I can barely get her flea pill in her. She is becoming irritable and mean. I am on Coumadin and cannot have her bite me. Any suggestions?
Prozac??
by: Nancy

My 18yr old cat has hyperthyroidism and senility. He has started to pull out his fur but we put him on Vetcet not Prozac and it helps. No more running around at night howling wanting food every 2 hrs, now Bear sleeps all night. I add water to his med 1-1 as it is such a small at. (0.01ml)and hide it in his food.
Hope this helps someone else.
Cat losing weight and pulling out fur
by: Anonymous

In July 2014 my cat had an allergic reaction to a flea collar which burnt the fur from around his neck. He started to lose weight and large clumps of fur but had a voracious appetite. Vet ruled out fleas & thyroid etc but I asked for Ovarid and he recovered well.

July 2015 - exactly the same problem so I ignored it and he recovered naturally

June 2016 - here we go again. I suspect it's hormonal and caused by the flea collar reaction in 2014
Your question caught my eye, because I have very similar situation. M
by: Tt Bassett

Your post caught my eye because my cat has been pulling and eating her hair for almost a year now. When I had surgery she had to stay others until I came home. She came back a different cat she was timid and scared of her own shadow. Leave my side no matter where I was in the home. Almost a year later she still bites and pulls her hair out several times a day. I was told by the vet that she need to be put on Prozac. I Didn't want to do that hoping getting back to our routine would work. I have tried everything I could think of but the hair pulling continues I haven't gotten I have the best results just for redirecting her behavior. From one exhausted mom does anyone have any advice, experience or constructive way to stop it.?
Possible allergy
by: Anonymous

My cat had the same problem and the vet could not figure it out. We changed her food to one that does not have Chicken Bi-Product and she got better almost right away. Took her back to the vet and was told she probably has an allergy to Chicken Bi product!

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