Q: I noticed that my cat seems to lose weight during the summer months. Is it because of the heat or a symptom of something worse?

A: Weight loss in a pet can be tricky to diagnose; it is sometimes difficult to determine whether weight loss is a symptom of a medical problem, or merely the result of behavioral changes. Regardless of when the weight loss occurs, any weight change in a pet, especially smaller pets like cats, may be significant; the pet should be seen by a veterinarian in order to rule out a more serious problem. However, that being said, the long days of summer can bring increased activity for indoor/outdoor cats, since they have more opportunity to climb trees and hunt bugs. Hot summer temperatures may also lead to decreased food intake, which in turn could contribute to a cat’s weight loss as well.

— Dr. Wendy MacKinnon
Loomis Basin Veterinary Clinic
3901 Sierra College Boulevard Loomis, 916-652-5816 loomisbasinvet.com