Cat dementia! Meowing for food non stop

[nodogz]

I have a stray cat who came to live with me about 15 years ago. She was young-ish then so think she is 15-16 years old.

As a stray she's always been food obsessed and didn't really know how to play but has always been good natured. She was a fatty in the past but is now the right weight for her size.

BUT all she does is meow for food. Non stop. From 5am until we go to bed. She'll eat it all and then throw it up. Then eat some more. I feed her twice a day but we've been away and she's been freefed and just cried for food constantly.

She does nothing but eat. Doesn't play, doesn't snuggle, hardly goes out and chooses to sleep away from the family. Her meow has changed so it's really annoying and grating.

In herself she seems fine. Flea'd, wormed, not stiff, teeth all ok, eyes sight:hearing ok. She doesn't look old. I took her to the vets recently as she was peeing in my bedroom but it just seems she couldn't be bothered to go out/use her box. It's completely stopped now I close my bedroom.

Do you think it's just age? Yes, the meowing is annoying but I worry about her quality of life. She only lives for food. I almost want to feed her everything she wants as she's old (but then she just voms it up). Just want her to be happy

If she’s lost a lot of weight then I would get a vet check. Cats can get thyroid issues.

You need to get her urgently tested for thyroid issues.

She's had a vet check. And is fine. No new weight loss or gain.

She was a fatty about 13 year ago but has been on a controlled diet for a long time to stay cat-shaped!

She has never really done much, just takes herself off for sleeps and purrs when you stroke her (but never seeks you out for a cuddle). She's our beanbag!

But now she meows constantly.

Did vet do bloods?

Can she hear you? My cat went deaf in old age and got a lot louder and more strident as she couldn't hear herself (and may have had tinnitus).

Yes, vet did bloods.all ok. Teeth a bit dirty but none causing her pain. She can eat crunchy biscuits but prefers wet food (and I prefer her to eat wet foot as she drinks hardly anything except the odd puddle of toilet)

And she can hear us and see us (I've been sneaking up on her).

That's why I thought it could be a mental/dementia thing. It's like she only has one program in her brain - to meow for food

Physically she seems fine

I've got one of these 🙋🏼‍♀️.

Burmese, coming up 13, and has been the sweetest lap cat ever. But I think he's losing his marbles now - from never overly driven by food to absolutely dementedly bonkers for it.
We can't go into the kitchen without this shrieking Valkyrie-like presence turning up yelling at the top of his voice. Under your feet, on the bench, making crazy leaps. And heaven help anyone who opens a can (chick peas, tomatoes, coconut milk, apparently they are all his favourite things ).
He was recently diagnosed a diabetic, so is on two insulin doses a day. That helped a bit initially. But now he's just nuts about food.
He's lost a bit of weight and condition with age/diabetes and would only weigh about 4.5kg. But has constant access to dry food and water, and is an only cat, so no competition.
Still crazy (oh, and apparently the *best water comes from the toilet, the shower or the basin of random waste stuff that lives in the kitchen sink for outdoor plant use). Bonkers.

Oh yeah - we get the gorge yourself then upchuck the lot thing too. Fabulous last week when I got up early in the morning and it was what I stood in in the dark (it's winter where I am).
OTOH, that same day there was the gift of a decapitated rat left nearby. So the hunting skills seem to be still working.

I have a senior boy who does the sick up thing. I’ve found little and often stops this. He has taken to those play balls which you can open and put some treats in. Would they work for you?
He’s also started to become quite vocal for a previously silent cat. We suspect dementia.

Sounds like our cat who developed kidney failure

Ours has been a sick up cat since 3 months old - he’s about to turn 13. I should have said.