Cat Question
Cat Question
#1Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 1:06am
Because there are so many cat lovers on here, I wanted to ask a question (I am calling the vet again tomorrow, but was curious what folks thought).
I moved about 6 months ago to a place with stairs. The litter box is downstairs, and there is a lot more room to run and play in my new place. Stoli, my somewhat plump Russian Blue has been losing weight - probably 3-4 pounds in the past year. I took him to the vet for his annual shots, and mentioned the weight loss, which was confirmed when he was weighed, and had them do a blood panel, which came back normal. That was a couple of months ago.
His appetite is fine, he eats the wet food twice a day as well as dry being left out. There is nothing odd in any of his behavior or any symptoms, other than weight loss. His mood and energy are great.
He has always been an indoor cat, and is current on all of his shots. He looks healthy, just slimmer. His coat seems fine. His younger sister has not seemed to have any change in weight since the move.
Can this be normal? Any thoughts? I will call the vet tomorrow, but was just curious if anyone thought this could be solely due to the larger place and the stairs?
Deb, aka YWIW
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#2re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 1:16am
It's totally normal, if your cat has more room to run.
I have one cat who is rather plump, but when he's in our place in Michigan, he has a lot more room and always loses weight.
As long as everything else is okay, it should be a normal thing.
Stairs are a great work out!
#2re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 1:23am
I wish the stairs had the same effect on me!
Everything else seems OK - but I will check with the vet tomorrow anyway.
Thanks for the moral support.
#3re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 8:09am
Yeah, I wouldn't worry. If his appetite hasn't changed and his bloodwork was normal then I'm sure he's fine. He's just burning more calories. 
#4re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 8:56am
This is very similar to what happened with my cats when we moved, Deb.
They love running up and down the stairs and it they lost weight as a result of it.
As for Zorra not losing weight, I wonder if Stoli playing more actually has made him less interested in food over playing thereby leaving more food for Zorra to eat?
Wet food twice a day and dry food throughout the day seems like a lot of food.
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#5re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 9:04am
That IS a lot of food.
My cats have dry food out all day, and they get moist stuff once a day, or once every other day.
But, then again, Mr. Howl is a pretty big cat...
#6re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 9:20am
They split a small can in the morning and at night - and sometimes do not eat it all - Stoli's former owners were even bigger pushovers than I am, and he was used to actually being fed three and four times a day (both mother and daughter worked different shifts, and each would feed him when they came home).
Some days most of the food is gone, other days, not so much. This morning, less than half of the small can was eaten between the two of them.
Zorra does not seem any smaller, but she is fluffier, so it is hard to tell - and she was not as big as Stoli was before we moved (He was a big old cat, about 17 pounds, now he is about 13 or so).
I give the vet a call.
Thanks.
TheatreDiva90016
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/10/04
#7re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 9:26am
My cats just like to like all of the juice from the moist food, and then come back later and eat the solid parts. I always thought that was odd.
Let us know how things go.
kooky
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/12/05
#8re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 9:26am
I have 3 cats, It sounds as though the stairs have given extra exercise.
I give my little family a very small amount of wet food ( for a taste ) in the morning.
The rest of the day is their dry food. Good luck with kitty - - let us know.
Unknown User
Joined: 12/31/69
#9re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 10:25amMy Russian Blue fluctuates greatly in both appetite and size. Sometimes he will howl for more food and eat ravenously. Then, for a few days or weeks he will just nibble and seem disinterested. I think it's just his way of making us worry and lavish more attention on him. He is freakishly smart.
#10re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 10:54am
We have two cats, brother and sister. She is naturally more active, he is fat (23 lbs.) and lazy and just wants to cuddle all day. She has always been thin and a slow/picky eater...he has always been a bit of a hog and would eat all the time (we cant leave dry food out at all.)
His weight has been a worry for us, of course, and since they've been living in our shore house instead of the apartment, we've been hoping he'd lose more weight. He does seem a bit more active, but is still overweight.
The reason I post is that our vet has given us alot of advice and stairs are a GREAT workout and should help (though he just looks at us and lets his sister chase any toy we throw trying to get him to run)...that could explain your baby's thinness. I def. wouldnt worry about it. Just keep your vet informed.
"In Oz, the verb is douchifizzation." PRS
#11re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 11:00am
Thanks everyone.
I will touch base with my vet and see what she says.
My first cat was a healthy happy cat, then suddenly, got an ear infection at 13 that ended up being cancer in his ear canal, so I am always worried that I am missing something important that could be a sign of trouble.
I am sure it is just the stairs and the new place, but better safe than sorry.
And Doodle, that is one big cat!
#12re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 11:05am
You wouldnt be a good parent if you didnt worry, imo.
Yes, he's a big boy, and the sweetest most beautiful cat...and his sister can kick his ass!
I've actually noticed him moving a bit more, lately...I doubt he'll ever be slim, but we are trying to keep the big D (diabetes) away!
He is an orange tabby, which I've been told are prone to be overweight...has anyone ever heard that? She is a grey tabby and slim. I find it hard to believe that fur color would effect weight, but I've heard it from different sources, including our vet.
"In Oz, the verb is douchifizzation." PRS
Unknown User
Joined: 12/31/69
#13re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 11:16am
My cat asked me to post that he has a MySpace page and discusses this issue frequently in his blog. If you'd like to friend him, I'm sure he'd be happy to talk about it or other cat issues.
http://www.myspace.com/fiyeroc
#14re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 11:16am
Stoli topped out near 18 pounds, and was about 13 the last time I weighed him. I think he gained wait when Zorra was a kitten, because he kept on eating her food - he is such a pig that there was no way to feed her and not feed him, unless I locked him up, which I am too much of a softie to do.
Stoli is also a jumper - he gets into everything, but is the one who needs far more attention.
Have a great afternoon.
And Joe, Fiyero and Stoli must be related!
(And old picture from a couple of years ago).
Updated On: 5/21/08 at 11:16 AM
#15re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 11:20am
Yeah, Paige was 17 1/2 when we moved here 9 months ago. He's down to 16 now. Nolan went from 14 to 13.
Joe - My cats just sent your cats a friend request. 
https://www.myspace.com/paigeandnolan
#16re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 11:22am
Stoli and Zorra now have asked for their own MySpace pages. They have MySpace envy!
Off to work!
#17re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 11:24am
"In Oz, the verb is douchifizzation." PRS
#18re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 11:30am
"In Oz, the verb is douchifizzation." PRS
Unknown User
Joined: 12/31/69
#19re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 11:45am
Fiyero is a very spectacular cat. My cat (of 18 years) took ill and had to be put to sleep. My boyfriend stopped at an animal shelter just to look if there was a kitten there that seemed good. When he walked through the cat room, this Gray cat reached out of his cage and grabbed his sleeve. Later, when my boyfriend came back in the room, he saw the cat with his head against the bars looking for him. As soon as the cat saw him, he meowed. So he went over, and looked at the cat a bit and decided that he had to be the one. As soon as we got him home he started "dancing." (Some people call it baking biscuits) He'd come and stand with his front paws on us and "dance" for joy that he'd found us. So we had to call him Fiyero- he's dancing through life now.
He talks non-stop, and is just so genuinely glad to see us all the time- when we get home, when he wakes up, when we come out of the bathroom. He's the most affectionate cat ever. He purrs so loud that you can hear him in the next room and when he really gets revved up, he grunts for joy.
Updated On: 5/21/08 at 11:45 AM
#20re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 12:29pm
Gussie purrs so loud he chirps.
Each of us decided to give each other a kitten (unbeknownst to the other) for Xmas...someone spilled the beans, so in January we went to the ASPCA to look (SO SAD!) but winter is not the best time for kittens. There were two BEAUTIFUL siamese sisters in a very large cage. I wanted one so bad, but when we went over to them, they both hissed!
Just then, a worker came out with a cage that was clearly meant for a gerbil, not a cat, and in the tiny litte box were two tiny kittens, one orange one grey. We looked at them and fell in love. He fell in love back... she took some convincing.
"In Oz, the verb is douchifizzation." PRS
#21re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 12:45pm
Fiyero and Stoli must be long lost brothers.
Stoli eats everything. When I first got him, his former owners told me of his willingness to eat anything, including Martini Olives...and he was goofy and silly, so Stoli seemed to fit.
Doodle, I tried to adopt a Siamese, but it would not put up with sharing my home with the existing cat, so she had to be given back to the rescue agency. She apparently was perfect in a one pet home.
I got Zorra as a kitten, she was the cutest thing ever.
From this (a bit blurry on her first day)
To this (with her brother):
Namaste
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/24/08
#22re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 12:49pm
Wow, amazing how the color changed so drastically.
I love how your cats are so cuddly and close.
#23re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 12:52pm
Her markings did change a lot - she went from a slight mask, to a mask worthy of her name. They do like each other a lot which helps! He used to drag her around like a sock puppet when she was a baby - not so much anymore!
Unknown User
Joined: 12/31/69
#24re: Cat Question
Posted: 5/21/08 at 1:01pmFiyero also loves odd food- his favorite thing in the world is Wendy's chicken nuggets- one night he stole one from Dan's dinner and ran off with it in hanging from his mouth! He will also get belligerent for coffee cake or muffins and eats bread whenever he can!
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