Get permission from his girlfriend and also the cash to pay for the vet visit but when they come back from their trip, sit this guy down and let him know that George may be really sick. If he's as nice as you say, clueless or not, I'd tell him in plain English that George needs to go to the vet for further testing NOW. It may be something as simple as getting older that's causing George to lose weight or it could be thyroid and a couple of pills a day could handle the problem. I have difficulty believing that some people are clueless. Most times they just don't want to deal w/what may happen b/c the cat has done so well for so long w/o vet treatment. Good luck, Candace, and keep us posted, please.