Sinéad: Yay, spring is here! We've been outside exploring all around the farm and basking in the sun ... oh, and trying to scare the goats, too.

Siouxsie: Personally, I just settle for basking in the sun.

Thomas: I got two mice yesterday. And I ate them both! Mama says that probably means I'll need to take worm pills later on, but I don't care. Mice are yummy and crunchy! And they're really fun to play with, too. The Big, Slobbering Monster Dog From Hades tried to take one of my mice away, but I valiantly defended myself from him, even though he's 5,000 times bigger than me and stands 100 feet tall!

Siouxsie: He's not 100 feet tall, Thomas. Stop exaggerating. He's only 10 feet tall.

Thomas: Oh yeah? How would you know? The only great adventures you have involve getting into the food tote. And Mama caught you last night! Tee hee hee!

Sinéad: That was funny. Mama came home after dinner last night when Siouxsie was still inside the tote. Siouxsie put her foot in the wrong place and made a rustling noise, and Mama opened the top of the tote and there she was! Mama said, "Busted!" and laughed out loud while Siouxsie ran away in shame.

Siouxsie: That wasn't shame. I'd simply had my fill of extra snack food.

Thomas: Mama's been wondering why you've gotten so fat lately. She knew somebody had been getting into the food, 'cause Siouxsie scratched the bag open and stuff, and there were no mouse holes in the tote.

Sinéad: It's a good thing we've got a copy of a new book, My Fat Cat, by Martha Garvey, to help Mama keep Siouxsie skinny. My Fat Cat is a book that provides a quick, clear, 10-chapter program on how you can help your obese cat friend lose weight.

Thomas: And the cartoons by Sebastian Conley are fun highlights, too.

Sinéad: You can find out how to tell if your cat is really fat, how to enlist the help of your vet, and how you can even train your cat to enjoy exercise.

Thomas: Martha Garvey has also written My Fat Dog, a weight-loss book for dogs, and several other titles.

Sinéad: My Fat Cat is available in bookstores and through Healthy Living Books. For more information and tips, you can visit the official My Fat Cat website. Hee hee hee. Fat cat, fat cat, fat cat!

Siouxsie: Let's just get on to this week's question, okay? Hissssssssss!

Sinéad: Oh, fine, if you insist. Flabby-flanks.

Siouxsie: Don't make me come over there!

Dear Sinéad, Siouxsie and Thomas:
What are the symptoms of thyroid issues with cats?
~Rebecca

Sinéad: Well, Rebecca, there are two common functional problems that can affect the thyroid gland, and each of these conditions causes different symptoms.

Siouxsie: Hypothyroidism, or under-function of the thyroid gland, is much more common in dogs than it is in cats. Common symptoms include weight gain, often with no change in eating habits; sleepiness or sluggishness; lethargy and/or depression; excessively dry or itchy coat, often with hair loss; poor-quality coat, sometimes with a change in color; darkening of the skin; and personality changes.

Thomas: Again, hypothyroidism is relatively rare in cats. Severe hypothyroidism, if left untreated, can actually result in coma and even death.

Sinéad: Mama had a human friend with hypothyroidism, and she became increasingly sleepy and depressed until she couldn't even get out of bed. Once the person's doctor gave her a blood test and found out she was hypothyroid, she began taking synthetic thyroid hormones and came back to life. She'll have to take those synthetic thyroid hormones for the rest of her life to keep her symptoms from coming back.

Siouxsie: A cat or dog with hypothyroidism would also have to take synthetic thyroid hormones.

Thomas: On the other hand, hyperthyroidism, or overactivity of the thyroid gland, is much more common in cats. It tends to manifest mostly in older cats.

Sinéad: Common symptoms of hyperthyroidism include weight loss, often with ravenous appetite; changes in personality, generally along the line of irritability and/or increased aggression; rapid heart rate and respiration; and changes in the fur, including a greasy or unkempt look. Other symptoms to look for if you suspect hyperthyroidism are an increase in thirst, increased vocalization, rapid claw growth, and perhaps depression or lethargy due to the exhaustion of the body's resources.

Siouxsie: Most of the hyperthyroid cats we've seen look bony and scruffy.

Thomas: The thing is, many people think it's "just old age" when their cat starts looking really skinny and not taking good care of his fur, or if she starts meowing and crying constantly, so they may put off taking the cat to the veterinarian.

Sinéad: Any cat over age 10 or so should have at the very least an annual veterinary checkup, and if you can afford it, some vets even recommend physicals every six months in order to catch any age-related diseases such as hyperthyroidism or diabetes before they become severe and cause other health problems.

Siouxsie: Hyperthyroidism, in particular, can affect other glands such as the kidneys and the brain. This is partly because an overactive thyroid gland causes the blood pressure to increase.

Thomas: As with humans, high blood pressure can cause kidney damage, heart problems, blindness, and even stroke (bleeding in the brain) in cats if it is not controlled.

Sinéad: If you suspect that your cat has a thyroid problem, Rebecca, we urge you to call your veterinarian and make an appointment as soon as you can. The earlier the disease is discovered and treated, the healthier your cat will be in the long run.

Siouxsie: We wrote an earlier column with extensive information about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats. We recommend you look at that column and some of the links we provided there so you'll have an idea what to ask your vet.

Thomas: There are other illnesses that have symptoms similar to hyperthyroidism. Diabetes is one of these, but even an easily treated condition such as a tapeworm infestation can cause ravenous appetite and weight loss. Our best advice to you is that you get your cat to the vet as soon as you can and find out what's going on. Good luck, Rebecca.

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail us at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the material in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.