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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

The litter tray

can you reccomend a dry food for elderly cat?

16 replies

chocolatespiders · 11/07/2014 07:43

I have a beautiful 20year old Grey cat. She eats the tiny tins of food then continues to mioew. I thought if I could leave her some other food down it would help. I am worried her teeth may not be up to it though if it is hard food.
Thank you

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cozietoesie · 11/07/2014 08:00

I'd be tempted to leave her on the wet food if she likes that - just because some elderly cats can become a little 'lazy' (it's perhaps the wrong word so I guess I mean something like 'disinclined' but not quite) to drink the water necessary to go with dried food and you don't realize it at the time.

What brand and amount of food is she currently getting, chocolate, and how active is she these days?

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cozietoesie · 11/07/2014 08:06

PS - and in how many 'sittings' is she given it? (Older cats seem to prefer little and often.)

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chocolatespiders · 11/07/2014 08:36

She has Felix as good as it looks 2 pouches a day or the tiny time of gourmet - 2 a day.
She has is not active at all. In and out to garden and up the stairs

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cozietoesie · 11/07/2014 08:50

I'd be guessing that that's not quite enough for her even if she's eating them all down and not leaving any. (Especially a couple of Gourmet tins because they're really pretty small although they're good quality. (You must have a very understanding bank manager.))

I'm also guessing that those are eaten in two sittings? Would your household arrangements permit an extra meal or so to see how that goes?

Is her weight maintaining?

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cozietoesie · 11/07/2014 08:56

PS (again) - when you have an elderly animal, cat or other, their food can become a big thing for them during their day so her miaowing might just be for more 'satisfaction'. If you can, I'd give her that at a different time so that she has another event in her day.

I wouldn't worry too much about overfeeding her and having a fat girl. The problem with elderly cats s often keeping the weight on them and not needing to give them a slimming diet. You'd soon see if she was developing middle age spread if you were alert to her.

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chocolatespiders · 11/07/2014 12:44

I used to just feed the felix but she started to be sick. I swapped to gourmet recently - it is expensive, also in pets at home at the moment they have pets at home ever so tasty tiny tins for 19p which are similar to gourmet. I don't really have spare cash to throw on this (single working parent) but she is my old girl and I would go without for her!!
Your info is really helpful and I will feed her some extra small meals. I just went to get some samples of applaws and James well beloved to try with her.

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cozietoesie · 11/07/2014 13:08

How are her teeth? Seniorboy has so few left that he can't really eat dried food so you may need to break some of them up a bit for her.

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chocolatespiders · 11/07/2014 14:28

Thanks cozie you have been really helpful.
She has had a few teeth out.
She has lost weight recently and it bony towards her bum and now I feel like I have not been giving her enough
She does have cat milk in the evening.
Maybe I will up it to 3 tiny tins a day. I keep going to pets at home and buying bagfuls while they are 19p so she is not short on food

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TamzinGrey · 11/07/2014 14:49

My fussy 18 year old really likes Vet's Kitchen dried food. She does still have most of her teeth though, so has no trouble eating it. It contains loads of healthy natural ingredients and is hypoallergenic. I usually buy it from Zooplus or Ocado but they also sell it in Sainsburys.

Here's a link www.vetskitchen.co.uk/vets-kitchen-for-cats

Good luck - I know just how frustrating it is trying to find something that a fussy old cat will eat. Our girl has recently developed a passion for raw king prawns, after sniffing out some that were defrosting for our dinner. It's lovely to see her scoffing something so enthusiastically but we're rationing her to just one prawn a day as they're fiendishly expensive.

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cozietoesie · 11/07/2014 16:16

I don't think it's necessarily you not giving her enough, chocolate. They just seem to lose weight when they get very elderly and aren't as fussed about eating. I always take the view that as long as he's pooing and peeing OK, Seniorboy can pretty well have what he wants as long as it's not actually bad for him. I'd indulge her if I were you. (And it may only be a phase to get your attention, who can tell.)

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Greenrememberedhills · 11/07/2014 16:30

I give Bozita wet food from zoo plus. It's much higher in protein than supermarket stuff.

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chocolatespiders · 11/07/2014 16:41

Your right cozie she can have whatever she wants! She has had a small amount of James wellbelloved softened with water that she enjoyed.. And is now settled. Will have a look at the other one tamzin - thank you
Here is my gorgeous precious girl

can you reccomend a dry food for elderly cat?

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cozietoesie · 11/07/2014 16:55

A lovely girl - with a very wise face.

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TamzinGrey · 11/07/2014 20:49

What a beautiful girl. Cozie is right - she's got a very wise look about her. Fabulously long whiskers for such an elderly kitty.

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timtam23 · 11/07/2014 20:58

What a beautiful girl.
Sadly my last old cat died a few weeks ago but for a while I had 2 elderly cats in their late teens. They were fed Hills senior dry food, but later I switched to James Wellbeloved cereal-free. I also bought the little tins/pouches of Feline Fayre tuna+prawns/chicken fillet from home bargains/quality save, they are cheap there but also sold at Asda for a higher price. I like that variety because they are a high meat or fish content.

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PlentyOfPubeGardens · 11/07/2014 21:18

She's gorgeous

I have a 22 y/o who has never had anything posher than felix pouches and go-cat dried. If her teeth are up to it she'll be fine on any fairly decent dry food. Just make sure she has plenty of water.

My old girl constantly begs for food, you can't go in the kitchen without her being there in front of you in case she misses out on something. Over the course of a day she gets milk, spare cheese gratings, dreamies, chicken scraps, blueberry muffin, whatever is going, as well as a constant supply of biscuits and felix at dinner time. I think it might be just something they do when they get really old (like yowling at the wall only with results). The vet said she had 'incredibly good teeth for her age' which I think is because she has always loved a good crunch on her biscuits.

Some weight loss is to be expected as they get very old. Their organs are not so efficient so they don't absorb so much - it's the same reason very old humans tend to be 'little' as well. It doesn't mean she is starving.