Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: john9159 on July 14, 2021, 15:20:20 PM
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About four years ago my neighbour took in two cats as a gesture of goodwill as someone was moving away from the area. Shortly after, one strayed onto a main road and was killed in an RTA, probably due to lack of attention.
For three years now she has neglected the remaining cat who I shall call Mike.
Mike gradually got used to me as I tried hard to gain his confidence and give him food.
Mike was, and still is, very noticeably underweight even though the vet unbelievably said he was overweight.
The neighbour would regularly go on holidays, paying someone to feed Mike once a day.
Mike has now been coming to my home four times each day, eating up to ten bowls of Felix in jelly, Whiskas, AGAIL, Sheba, Perle, Felix/Go Cat dry; the sort of food I give to my four cats and three other strays excluding Mike.
Mike is still very, very thin but I obviously can't take him to the vet as he's chipped and we have the same vet. I try to get some fat on him by feeding him (relatively) good food but it's just not working.
Two years ago I started giving worming drops when the neighbour was away but couldn't keep this going as it was obvious by the wet patch on the neck.
Does anyone know of a way to build him up? Something along the lines of Joe Weider's Crash Weight Gain but for cats!
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do you know how old he is?
if a cat over 10 is persistently underweight despite eating voraciously the most likely cause is a hyperactive thyroid, and if that is the case only medication will deal with it - it could even be she is feeding him but the illness makes him constantly hungry
what sort of relationship do you have with his owner? would asking her outright if you could take him to the vet work, as presumably you are willing to pay
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I was also going to say hyperthyroid. He needs checking as if its a thyroid problem and goes untreated it could lead to heart problems.
https://www.hyperthyroidcatcentre.co.uk/cat-owners/about-hyperthyroidism/symptoms/