Conference misery::feline

    
    I don't know of anything specific, but I would guess that any
    noticeable change in the behavior of a 17-year-old would be worth a
    trip to the vet.
    
    Sandy
    

    Definitely take her to the vet if she has lost a lot of weight in a
    short period of time.  If it were gradual, it might not signify
    anything except for age, but if it is sudden it could be a symptom of a
    disorder.  Not to alarm you, but my husband's sister's cat lost about 6
    lbs in a few months and when she finally took her to the vet, it was
    found she was in the more advanced stages of FIP.  Her teeth were
    falling out and her gums were bleeding.  
    
    It was pretty tragic for Ellen, who had been in a state of 'denial'
    about her cat's health for some time before finally "seeing" there
    might be something wrong.
    
    Better to be safe than sorry. It might be nothing...but it might be
    something.
    
    Nancy

    Sandy!  NOTES COLLISION!
    
    Nancy :-)

    My sisters 14 year old had very similar symptoms....and after
    diagnosing the problem the vet determined she had hyper thyroid.
    Hyper Thyroid is a treatable disease and Mitzi now has to take
    a pill every day of her life...but she is doing great. 
    
    I strongly recommend that you visit your vet because whatever it
    is.... it is better to deal with it right away!! It could be as
    simple as worms!!!
    
    Keep us posted......
    
    Sandy  

    Could be many things.  We had an older cat do the same thing and found
    out she had a thyroid problem.  Best suggestion is to take her to a vet
    and soon.

    
    Could be a parasite of some kind which would cause the cat to both
    eat more and lose weight.  (Of course, my cat has roundworms and
    she gained weight but that's another story...)
    
    I would strongly suggest a visit to the vet.  Or even just have
    them test a stool sample which only costs about $11 if all you
    do is drop the stool off.  Medicine for worms cost me $8 per cat,
    (if there's another cat in the house then they probably have it
    too)  To me, it's worth it to spend the $30 to see the vet too, just
    to have her/him look your cat over.  So total, you're probably looking
    at a $50-$60 vet bill.  Also, if your cat has worms people can get
    it by ingesting their stool, (children are succeptable to this) and
    other pets may too).  Plus if worms go for awhile, as they must have
    in my cat, she may bleed rectally which is not only bad for the cat
    but bad for your carpets.  
    
    good luck
    Rachael
    

    Please let us know what the vet says.
    

    When this happened to my mom's cat, a trip to the vet and
    a thorough check-up diagnosed the weight loss as caused by
    old age.  He did have tapeworms, which the stool sample provided
    verified.   

    Lots of things can cause loss of weight and an increase in appetite.
    Each thing would be treated differently so it's important to have the
    cat see a vet. A little professional know-how might result in extra
    years to share...
    
    Good luck...
    
    Linda

    Kidney problems are always a consideration at this kitty's age 
    too.  A "geriatric" checkup is a good idea.  Now how does that
    song go...to the vet, to the vet, to the vet, vet, vet.
    
    Jan

     I had three cats from the same gene pool and all had Hyper Thyroid
    problems in old age.  It can be treated, unless there is heart problem
    as well.  It's the same for cats as humans, Hyper Thyroid puts
    an enormous strain on the heart, so the sooner it's treated the better.
    Their body's crave fat and they will eat as much as they can get, which
    gives them loose stool, and all the other problmes associated with a
    high fat diet.    
    
    Best of luck and good health to your kitty!