Indoor cat losing weight

Question
Hi Tina, I have 2 indoor male cats that are both 3 years old. They are both mix breed and both have topped weight of 13-14 lbs. My Tony has lost a few pounds slowly over that past 6 months I would say. He is at 11.5 lbs now, which I know is still an ideal weight for him. He is much more active than Joey and always has been. My only concern is that today I found yellow vomit on the floor, but I wasn't sure whose it was. It tends to happen about once every month or so. Then my husband said that Tony had a little diarrhea, so I believe the vomit was probably his. He eat normal and nothing is bloody. He is still very active. I am just keeping my eye on him for now. Any suggestions? Thanks, Amanda

Answer
HI AManda,

I wold definitely take both cats to the vet for an exam including a full blood panel. Especially with all the food contamination issues, it would be best to rule out kidney or thyroid problems before going any further.

If other health conditions are ruled out, your cat may be developing irritibale bowel disease (IBD) where there is constant inflammation in the intestines, leading to neausea, diarrhea and weight loss. I recently battled this disease in one of my own cats. I was able to cure him by changing his diet to a raw rabbit meat diet. Most cats with IBD develop the disease because of grains and fruits and vegetables put into almost all commercial foods. These foos are not natural for cats, who are strict carnivores. In sensitive cats, eating these un-natural foods eventually causes disease.

If IBD is the diagnosis, your vet may prescribe a "Science Diet" food. I know from experience and from my biology education that these foods do not work. They are loaded with plant material and do not help at all (if you can even get your cat to eat the nasty stuff). The only real cure is changing to a raw meat diet or at least a grain-free high quality canned food. ALl dry food contains too much plant material.

You can read more about IBD and cat nutrition here:

http://www.catnutrition.org

http://www.catinfo.org

http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=whycatsneedca...

Good luck!