Is it normal for an old cat (17 1/2 years) to lose weight?

Like others above have asked, has the vet run a blood & urine screen? This would be an essential starting point before telling you that "he's fine". Do you know how much weight he's lost, or is it just because you've noticed him getting thinner?

As KimbeeJ said, it may be just loss of muscle mass, but in an old cat that is losing weight, there are three main things to rule out:

* Hyperthyroidism

* Diabetes mellitus

* Kidney failure

All of these can be tested for very easily, often in the vet clinic without having to send anything off to a lab. A few other things to think about would be:

* Is he still eating well? (cats with thyroid disease or diabetes often have insatiable appetites, whereas cats with kidney disease may be reluctant to eat)

* Is he drinking or peeing more than normal?

* Have you noticed any change in his personality/behaviour?

Hope that helps.

1

Most animals start to lose weight as they age. Seventeen years is a very old cat even though I had one that made twenty-two. When he got very old he started losing weight also. Give the cat plenty of good food made for kittens because it has more calories and watch how much dry food he is eating. When they get very old their teeth bother them and they can't chew hard crunchies very well. You might also try Cat Milk which you can get at a pet store and also Nutrical which can stimulate his appetite. Just like people, they all age differently so watch him closely and if he is having trouble eating have your Vet check out his teeth.

There are vets and vets. Did your vet run a blood panel and a T-4 evaluation to see if the thyroid is overactive? I have had two cats now with this problem. Other indications can be excessive water drinking and an insatiable appetite and/or increased "neediness" on the part of the cat. Maybe your vet knows your cat is not showing any of those symptoms.

In my experience cats tend to maintain their weight thoughout their lives. Older cats do get "bony" around the shoulders - the weight redistributes somewhat as the cat gets older.

cats, like people all age differently.

i have had cats that lived at least that long stay pretty fat, and others that got thin. How are the cats teeth? I am sure the vet checked them, but as my cats got older they stopped liking the dry food because it hurt the teeth to chew. I would mix a little of the wet food into small amounts of dry to help them eat it or just buy the softer pouch variety of cat food.

if really concerned you could get a second opinion from another vet.

Older cats will commonly lose muscle, which can make them look thinner. Hopefully your vet ran a full blood screen to check for kidney problems, diabetes, and thyroid disease--all very common in older cats. A check for intestinal parasites is also a good idea!

Unless your vet has run a "fructosamine" test (blood panel to check for many illnesses, including diabetes) and a "urinalysis" to ck for kidney problems, I don't see how he/she could say "he's fine". Most sudden weight loss, even at a young age, signify something's not right. After an animal reaches "middle/old" age, this becomes more important! I, personally, would have those two tests run, to rule out any severe illness.

Yes, its normal for a old cat to loose weight.

It depends on the amount of weight lost and how rapidly he loses it. It's definitely worth keeping an eye on as it is a sign of cancer. Take note of his eating/defecation habits and get him checked out if you notice anything abnormal in his behavior.

I know you have been to the vet, but did he run a blood panal? if not I would get this done. If it's a large weighloss it usually indicates some problem or other.