Use your measurements plus these branches to decide how urgently to act.
1) Appetite
- Decreased appetite or refusing food: call your vet promptly; same-day if your cat won’t eat for ~24 hours or seems unwell.
- Increased appetite but still losing weight: schedule an exam soon and bring your weight log—this pattern needs medical workup (Deagle G, 2014).
2) Drinking/peeing more (PU/PD)
- If you notice bigger clumps, more frequent urination, or increased thirst, book a vet visit soon; if paired with lethargy, vomiting, or dehydration signs, call today.
3) Vomiting/diarrhea
- Repeated vomiting, blood, black/tarry stool, or diarrhea lasting more than 24–48 hours (or any duration with weakness) = call your vet.
4) Mouth/dental pain signs
- Dropping food, chewing on one side, pawing at the mouth, bad breath, or yelping when eating suggests oral pain—schedule an exam.
5) Urgent red flags (call/ER today)
- Trouble breathing, collapse, severe lethargy, yellow gums/eyes (jaundice), inability to keep water down, or sudden profound weakness.
What the vet will likely check: weight trend, hydration, oral exam, abdominal palpation, and baseline lab work as indicated. Bring: your weight/BCS/MCS log, exact food amounts and treats, photos, litter box notes, and short videos of concerning behaviors (e.g., gagging, breathing effort, eating difficulty).