My cats are outdoor cats, I have a part tabby -part bobcat, and a black manx. The manx is without a tail of course and adorable. The tabby is a hunter. The problem I'm running into is the hunter is getting thin, and I fear it is due to him eating varmints. Mice!I think he's getting worms. He is always on the run, an adult and he's been tested for FIV, but its like a vicous cycle. If I deworm him he's going to go out and eat his little critters which he insist bringing to my doorstep each day. Does anyone have any ideas? I really don't want to keep them in because they are now used to the outside.

You really need to get your kitty checked by a vet. Worm medicine can be hard on a cat, especially one that is weak and run down. There may be something else seriously wrong, but you won't know unless you get him checked.

I worried about the same thing with one of my thin outdoor cats. When he went to the vet, I would talk to him about it. Compared to a lot of the fat cats you see, it may look like the cat is too thin and unhealthy. Actually, he is probably well exercised, very healthy, and lean like a cat is supposed to be as long as the behavior is normal and you see no other symptoms of ill health. Just keep up with the check ups when you get their shots and worm on some regular cycle. Worm medications are a poison of some sort, so use sparingly. Keep in mind there is no way of preventing feline AIDS that will ultimately kill you cat if it happens to get it. There are also injury and infection risk as well that may require expensive vet bills to take care of. If you are lucky, your cat will live a long and healthy life. My outdoor cats didn't fare well at all. I only keep indoor cats now.

[This message was edited by Wildflower63 on 06-22-02 at 10:30 PM.]