Cat can't gain weight.

Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear that your cat is having issues with not being able to gain weight.

Any time I see a cat not be able to gain weight I get worried about medical problems. In a young cat like this there is a possibility that she has a serious virus such as feline leukemia virus, FIV or FIP.

If her appetite is down it is possible that she has a problem with her kidneys, or even an infection in her uterus both of which are very serious.

While parasites can cause some mild health issues they usually don't cause significant weight loss.

If she is really pale another possibility is blood loss possibly due to a parasite called hemobartonella (or mycoplasma felis). This needs to be treated with a particular antibiotic prescribed by the vet.

It is possible for a cat to lose weight because of the stress of nursing, but this weight should come back quite rapidly once the kittens are gone. You can try feeding her kitten food which is higher in calories than adult food. But, if she is not gaining weight then she will need to see the vet to figure out what is wrong.

I hope all is well!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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