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Cat getting old

Whispered

My 2 cats are pushing ten. Both the picture of health, but recently the tom has been slowly loosing weight.

He's wormed & flead so it's not worms. He seems to be eating as normal (ie like a little pig!) and still getting his treats. His coat is glossy and his eyes as bright as usual. He's showing no symptoms of ill health or anything and seems to be his usual happy and demanding self. So I'm wondering if it's just a symptom of getting old. He is due his yearly check soon so I will have the vet confirm there is nothing actually wrong with him, but in the meantime I want to try put a bit of weight on him.

I free feed as I find it discourages hunting and there has been no change in the amount of food put out, or how quickly its being eaten.

I read that senior food has less calories as older cats need less. Not a good idea if I'm trying to fatten him up.

I considered getting kitten food for a little while - would this encourage weight gain?

Instead I got tins of wet food - in case he is having trouble crunching the biscuits. And some cat milk (again is this any good for weight gain?).

What natural treats can I give him that would fatten him up. He gets tuna or sardines twice a week - just a fork full from the tin. Can I up this quantity? Eggs are another rare treat, would it be good for him to increase this to maybe an egg every 2 days? Cod liver oil mixed into his food?

Any suggestions appreciated.

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portgirl123

i would actually get her to vets just in case something sinister is going on. yrs ago sindy my cat was the same losing weight but still seemed the picture of health. She sadly had cancer. hopefully its not but rthe earlier detected the better

Bubs99

Kidney problems are fairly common in older cats and one of the symptoms is weight loss. The infections can become lethal so just incase, if I were you, I'd bring him to a vet just for a proper check up.
Good Luck.

Cerocco

I'd have to agree here, just cuz a cat is getting slightly older shouldn't mean weight loss if he/she is still eating the same amount. Better get the yearly check done a little early and catch anything before it becomes something to worry about. Remember cats can live to 20, rare i know so 10 is middle age not old. Best of luck. Let us know how you get on

Whispered

Ah ok, I'll bring him up on monday and see how we get on.

Thanks.

Zapperzy

Definitely something to mention to the vet, could be hyperthyroidism or kidney disease. Have them check his teeth also in case he's just not eating as much due to a sore mouth.
I used to find my cat put on weight when drinking cat milk so had to change to plain water for that reason. What about cheese? Try a good quality wet food for the time being anyways. Bozita is good but can only be gotten on zooplus.

Whispered

I just put down wet food (which they only very rarely get) and he did eat it, just a bit slower than usual.

I suppose I leave food down all the time, but never really check how often he eats, how quickly he eats etc. The two of them seem to graze all day. I'll start feeding them seperately and make sure shes not eating more than him. Although he can move her from her bowl with a look so I doubt she's eating more than her fair share.

Now that I think of it his mouth might be a bit sore as he seems to be trying to swallow without chewing the biscuits as well as he normally would. I put it down to him being greedy and trying to eat more quickly.

I think a vet visit is in order for monday.

fatmammycat

It could very easily be a problem with teeth, our middle fellow here ( 14), dropped weight really quickly a while back, but after trip to the vet, we discovered he had an abcess and some loose teeth. After a course of antibiotics and two teeth removed he was back to normal in no time.
Re age, my oldest cat here will be 20 next year and still flying about the place, 10 really is not that old.
Good luck, it's awful when you don't know what's wrong with them.

Shazanne

Hi Whispered. This is definitely a case for the vet and I would put my money on either kidney problems or teeth problems - moreso the former. I mad my cat (well, actually my baby as that's what he was life!) for over 15 years. He was a fine, big healthy cat until about the age of 10 when he started to lose weight. Various vets made different suggestions but eventually I found a vet who took the problem very serious and diagnosed progressive kidney failure. He also had diabetes but, for some strange reason, that came and went and he was on insulin injections on about five or six occasions. As the kidney failure progressed I undertook to give him intravenous fluids at home - having being taught my the vet how to do so. I did that for over two years and it bought him more time and a reasonably good quality of life. He never did regain the weight and eventually stopped grooming altogether and looked totally miserable. But I genuinenly could not see that at the time - its only when I look back at photos and video footage now that I can see just how bad he was. But I loved him so very much I think I just refused to see it. Eventually the vet had to get tough with me and he had to put my precious cat to sleep. I totally fell apart.
My advice to you is to go to the vet now and catch the problem in time and keep your eyes and mind open to what being said to you and how your cat is.
I'm sorry for the rant - I did not intend to say all that. And earlier I gave the story on another thread about the loss of my eighteen and a half years old dog. I am just having a bad day today so, if you read this, thanks for bearing with me.
By the way - I have two very healthy and happy dogs now and I love them to bits as well.

The Sweeper

Just to clarify, 10 years is not old for a cat.

Cats kept indoors are proven to live for extended periods. I personally know at least five cats in their late teens and early 20s. One of them passed away recently aged 22, and while you would have identified him as mature, you might have though 'oh, what, 12 years old?'

10 years IS the age where you may finally realise their teeth are a problem. Cats hide everything very well indeed which makes diagnosing things that you didn't know to look out for quite a problem.

But yes, here's hoping it's just his teeth and nothing more serious, and be warned, you could well have another decade with your monsters.

doctor evil

As cats get older they can have problems with their kidneys so I think the senior feed has less protein.

Is he neutered? I 'm just wondering as you refer to him as a tom.

mymo

10 isn't really old, growing up we had cats reaching 20 and 23 (my granny had up to 7 or 8 cats at time of various ages), my dads cat died last year at 18, and I have a 9 1/2 year old boy here that plays like a kitten, although he does sleep more.
Most of the cats we lost younger (14 or 15) died due to kidney or thyroid problems.
All were indoor and outdoor cats, but mostly indoor, and all were fed a mix of food, dry, wet and scraps (many of the older ones got raw and scraps a lot) and also hunted.
I would think there is an underlying issue from what you say, hopefully its just a tooth problem(quite common, the cat that lived to 23 was gummy for years), if so soft food and raw would probably be best.

Best of luck, hope he's ok.

Just to add, I grew up in UK and it was normal when I was young to see cats in there teens, but when I moved here I was shocked when people thought 7 was old. Although it is getting better, with neutering, vac's and vet care.

Whispered

Shazanne wrote: »

I'm sorry for the rant .

Don't be! thank you very much for your help.

The Sweeper wrote: »

But yes, here's hoping it's just his teeth and nothing more serious, and be warned, you could well have another decade with your monsters.

I hope it's just his teeth and I hope I'll have another 10 years. I can't remember a time when I didn't have them!.

doctor evil wrote: »

As cats get older they can have problems with their kidneys so I think the senior feed has less protein.

Is he neutered? I 'm just wondering as you refer to him as a tom.

I will speak to the vet about the food. Last year he said to leave him on what he was eating as he was very healthy - he may recommend another type now. If too much protien is a problem I could put him onto the senior and then increase his calories in another way?

I called him a tom as he is a boy, I didn't realise tom only refers to intact males.

Cerocco

How did you get on?