Why is my cat licking her mouth, eating less, and losing weight?

Hello, and thank you for your question. Disinterest in food and weight loss are red flags, and I would be concerned with a medical issue causing these symptoms. I would recommend a visit with your veterinarian in the next 24 hours. They can perform a head to toe examination, assess for pain or discomfort, dehydration, or fever. Possible causes include infection, pancreatitis, gastric foreign body, or inflammatory bowel disease. Your vet may recommend blood work or ultrasound to help reach a diagnosis. In the meantime, continue to offer different types of food and free access to fresh water. Monitor for any vomiting or loose stools. I hope this helps, and that Kika feels better soon.

Please get him seen by your vet as soon as possible, behavior changes and weight loss in an older cat are always a concern. I would recommend blood and urine tests to rule out a uti, kidney issues or a hormonal condition such as diabetes or thyroid disease

IF she isn't eating properly and losing weight, there is definitely something wrong with her, if she eats the wet food with great appetite, then the dry food must be the issue and that could be either due to a teeth disease or a partial GI blockage. either way you need to take her to the vet ASAP, she will need to be checked, especially her mouth, if nothing unusual is found during the physical examination the next step will be a blood test to try and find out what is wrong.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The excessive eating with weight loss is a classic sign of hyperthyroidism which is a fairly common condition in cats so this should be considered as a possibility. This is usually managed well with medications. I recommend that you have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. If this is confirmed, medications could be started at the time. The licking could be due to allergies for example and could be addressed at the time. Good luck!

Without examining your cat or at least seeing some photos it is very difficult for me to comment. The best I can tell you is that he needs to see a vet so he can be examined in person. He may have a seriously infected tooth or even a tumor in his mouth cavity. Both things can cause the sign you describe. He cannot be left in this condition without eating and losing weight. It sounds like he is in pain so he needs to see a vet right away. I would not wait to get him examined. This is an emergency in my opinion.

In an older cat, my first thought would be dental disease. This would be painful for Krinkle, cause him to eat less, and subsequent weight loss. It could also be that he has diabetes, kidney failure, or hyperthyroidism. Having him seen by a vet this week is a good idea. I hope this helps!

Hi! It does concern me that Myla has lost a noticeable amount of weight over the past few months. It's certainly possible that this could be due to her picky eating habits, but I wouldn't necessarily expect her to lose a considerable amount of weight from that alone since I'm assuming that she's always been a bit picky. Other causes of weight loss can include inflammatory bowel disease, a heavy burden of parasites, cancer, kidney disease, or diabetes, although we often see other changes associated with many of these conditions. I do think it would be best to take Myla to her vet for an exam and some diagnostic testing (blood work and/or imaging - x-rays or ultrasound) to try to get to the bottom of this situation. Until her appointment, try feeding her wet food in a room away from your other two cats so that you can more accurately see exactly how much she's eating. I hope that everything goes well!