My cat is small, vet said she is under-fed?

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  • 1 March, 2015 at 4:56 pm #827872
    cheyanne may
    Participant

    So about a week ago I took Lola to a new vet, because our other vet just rubs me the wrong way. He’s very rude and hard to understand and so fourth.
    So anyway, I just took Lola to get her second round of shots. She is a year old in a few days, and she weighs 7.5 pounds. She basically stopped growing at 5-6 months old, and the vet had the nerve to say that it was because she was “under-fed” and he then tried selling me all these super expensive foods. I’ve tried tons of brands with Lola, and she only really likes Whiskas, and she has been eating it since she was weened. I free feed her, because I’m always afraid of her going hungry. She eats when she’s hungry and stops when shes full. She’s not overly skinny, and she has muscle tone. I can’t feel bones when I pick her up, and she’s generally just an active cat. I can’t believe that just because she is small that I’m being accused of under-feeding her. Time to find another vet. anybody else experience this? 🙁 I am livid. You’d think that a veterinarian would know that some cats are just small.

    1 March, 2015 at 6:59 pm #827888
    katzenjammer
    Participant

    Sorry that you’re having difficulties with vet. No experience with this. My Dorry is going on 5 yrs old, last check-up he’s 9.3 lbs a bit more than Lola, but vet says he’s perfect, a long and lean guy. I don’t free feed him, and if he doesn’t finish his food eventually I take it away and he just makes up for it next meal. Surprised that vet didn’t point out to you indicators in his opinion that Lola is undernourished, there should be more signs, ie as you mentioned bones sticking out, lack of energy etc. Hope that you get, well third opinion and/or that another TDKer has more advice.

    1 March, 2015 at 8:35 pm #827894
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    I too am sorry you are having difficulties with vets. Lola doesn’t sound underweight anyway to me. But the emphasis these days of being overweight, overeating, blah, blah, you think he would be glad that she is slim and trim. Sometimes people use the wrong words to say something that they really meant another way….yeah, I know, but I was giving the vet an excuse. Any chance he meant underweight, not underfed? The key here is that she is healthy, coat in good condition, not constipated/diarrhea, has parasites, and that she is getting her shots. How is she doing coming in and out of heat, btw? Any more problems on that end?

    1 March, 2015 at 9:20 pm #827899
    Buttons
    Moderator

    Hey Cheyanne 🙂

    Well I know EXACTLY what your talking about! 🙂 I’m not sure if I mentioned it before to you but My Ms Nutini ( Full name Teeny Tiny Nutini) also stopped growing when she hit 6 months old .. She will be 4 this October and up until a year ago she only weighed 5 1/2 lbs!! It was determined she was probably born with a shunt in her prtuitory gland which controls growth hormones.

    She is just so small and she is only 2 1/2 inches wide 🙂 she now weight about 7 lbs and she only gained weight when her brother (from another mother 😆 ) Buttons died 8 months ago… I also tried to free feed her but it was very difficult because Butons had to be kept on a strict diet..

    I would maybe find another vet just to get another opinion.. As a general rule of thumb if you can run your hand along a cats flank (side) and not feel ribs it means that the cat is of a good weight for their size..

    If ribs and vertebrae are easily felt or visable then it’s more than likely a diet/ parisite issues..

    Nutini is a very healthy girl just like your Lola .. It’s just she so very small.. I call her my little ballerina 😆

    I would only ever be concerned if a noticed a dramatic weight loss or lack of appetite and your not dealing with those issues.. Another reason for underweight cats can be hyperthyroidism .. This however normally only effect older cats and is normally diagnosed when an owe we notices extreme rapid weight loss , rapid heart rate and tiredness.. But even this can be medicated and controlled..

    I’ll see if I can find one of my old posts about Nutini.. I too once thought something was wrong with her but she’s just different …just different like every other kitty I have 🙂

    1 March, 2015 at 11:20 pm #827914
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Oh CM.

    I’m glad you decided to find a new vet. Miss Lola is just a small girl. She’s eating the food she likes and drinking and using the litter box so I wouldn’t worry about her weight. By the way, dry food has more carbs so she will be able to keep her weight up. Wet food is protein and water and recommended for obese/overweight or outdoors cats.

    Some veterinary clinics make good money selling prescription diet foods and unfortunately, they have no problem pushing the sale.

    You know Miss Lola better than anyone so unless you have concerns, I’m sure she’s just fine.

    PG

    1 March, 2015 at 11:31 pm #827916
    Moonshadow_NZ
    Moderator

    Buttons your description of Teeny Tiny Nutini made me think about my grandkit Ruby, she is such a small slender cat who eats well but never puts on weight. She is about the same width as Nutini and has never altered in size weight etc since I’ve known her the last seven years. She is just a small light cat.
    Cheyanne as long as you know that Lola is well fed and regularly wormed and the vet can’t find any other reason for her size then I wouldn’t worry. I hope you are able to find a vet with a good ‘bedside’ manner.

    1 March, 2015 at 11:46 pm #827918
    Buttons
    Moderator

    Yes MS I think I remember you mentioning Ruby a few years ago when I was curious about Nutini’s size 🙂

    1 March, 2015 at 11:47 pm #827920
    Buttons
    Moderator

    Yes MS I think I remember you mentioning Ruby a few years ago when I was curious about Nutini’s size 🙂

    2 March, 2015 at 4:41 pm #827947
    cheyanne may
    Participant

    Thank you so much everyone! I definitely feel a lot better now. The vet never said anything about her being underweight, he just said that her size was unusual. Which doesn’t really make sense, since I have seen cats smaller than Lola. She isn’t miss-proportioned or anything either, I’m always showing people photos of her and then they see her in person and are surprised by how small she is. It is weird having a small cat, since I used to have a big fluffy maincoon. But Lola is perfect nonetheless, and I think her size is cute. She’s not small she’s fun sized. 🙂

    And KZ,
    She is still going in and out of heat. She stopped for a few months, but it started again when I house sat for my sister, and I came home smelling like a male cat. I had to cancel her January appointment at the SPCA for her spay so were on the waiting list again. So frustrating.
    Oh well, I don’t mind when she’s in heat. It’s the only time she is affectionate. It’s weird though, when she’s not in heat I’m her favorite person in the world. But when shes in heat, she loves my boyfriend when usually she hates him. Cats are strange.

    2 March, 2015 at 5:00 pm #827948
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    Yes, CM, cats certainly can be strange, but always entertaining!! Glad you are feeling better about Lola, she is perfect just the way she is.

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