How can I get my cat to gain weight?

[PotreroHill]

My sweet kitty seems to skinny to me. Some background on her: I've had her for 9 months. She's about 10 years old and was really skinny when I first got her. She lived in a house with dogs and she hates dogs, so she was stressed all the time and didn't eat because of it.

She has adapted so well to living with me. She has gained a little weight and has turned into the sweetest kitty She sleeps next to me every night I'm worried about her because she still seems really skinny. The bones of her spine stick out. It's hard to tell how skinny she is because she has long hair. I'm going to take her to the vet next month.

Is there anything I can do to get her to gain weight? She's very picky about food and if she doesn't like it she won't eat it. She currently only eats the salmon flavors of Fancy Feast Can I sneak in dry food into her canned food? Should I add coconut oil or olive oil to her food? Some people suggested milk, but I thought cats couldn't tolerate milk

Any ideas?

[phatchristy]

How much does she weigh? When you say you feel the spine...do you mean you can feel the individual vertibrae or what? Since you're taking her into the vet I'd just get a professional opinion from the vet.

One of my late cats was always super lean...and he was a persian and when I was showing him I always wanted him to be heavier for the show, but he didn't cooperate LOL. Vets were never worried about it, and he was a good eater. Just really had a very active personality!

[willowsmom]

Yeah, I'd ask the vet if they think the cat is underweight... then ask them if Kitten food would suffice in putting the weight on.

[Bea]

This is going to sound like a visit to the H&H forum but have you considered having her thyroid checked?

Hyperthyroidism is relatively common in older cats. My cat was diagnosed around 10 yo. There can be no other obvious symptoms except a skinny cat.

[MaWhit]

I've found that when cats get older, their bodies change, and I can always feel their spine and hip bones, even when they have a big fat belly. It seems to be a sign of old age for some cats.

That said, I'd get a vet check with a weight check and follow their recommendations.

[gingerstar]

Originally Posted by Bea

This is going to sound like a visit to the H&H forum but have you considered having her thyroid checked?

Hyperthyroidism is relatively common in older cats. My cat was diagnosed around 10 yo. There can be no other obvious symptoms except a skinny cat.

That was my thought, too. There are plenty of ways to add calories/fat to her diet, but you should have her seen by a vet first, and get thyroid issues ruled out.

[lindberg99]

Yes, my cat had thyroid issues too. She never did gain much weight back though and was under 5 lbs when she died at age 15. My SIL's cat had thyroid problems too. SIL is a vet so she got a big discount on getting some kind of radiation treatment to her cat's thyroid. She said her cat has gained weight since having that done.

My vet did not recommend kitten food for my skinny cat. I think he said the protein can be too much for the kidneys? I can't really remember actually. He suggested giving her chicken, etc. I also gave her Hills a/d for a while but there was some reason why you weren't supposed to feed that for very long. Yes, I know I'm being a big help here! I'm sure the vet will give you some better ideas.