TLDR: See title. 😺
Our rescued indoor neutered male Bengal is now at least 11 years old, possibly older. He has always been a big, muscly, healthy, active, confident chap but recently he has started to look 'senior', if that makes sense? His appetite is still very healthy but gradually he seems to have lost some of the weight and muscle tone that he had as a younger cat and until relatively recently. My thoughts have reluctantly turned to how best to support him as he gets older. 'Reluctantly' because we all adore him, he is loving, great with the DCs, quirky and vocal and very much part of the family, and I don't want to consider 'the inevitable', whenever that may be.
When he came to us nearly a decade ago he was being fed on a few various cat biscuits, but mainly Felix wet food foils and similar. We were advised to keep him on that as with change he was prone to sickness and diarrhoea. He also came to us with a serious cat milk habit, but thankfully stopping the cat milk pretty much stopped the upset stomachs, especially the poops! Sickness since has usually been linked to him bolting down his wet food, bolting down his biscuits without chewing them, or licking any plastic bags he can get his paws on! Obviously plastic bags are hidden away as much as possible, (though he hunts for them!), and in recent years I've stopped the biscuits as sickness after him bolting them down and not chewing them was happening so much. He used to have 4 Felix AGAIL foils and 4 lots of biscuits as snacks inbetween, but without the biscuits now he polishes off 6 Felix Senior 7+ As Good As It Looks foils a day and has several Dentalife cat treats for his teeth after most meals. The Dentalife are the only biscuits or treats he reliably chews.
It used to be that Felix and similar was seen as good quality cat food by most people, but I realise that in recent years that's no longer really the case. As his needs are changing now he is older, I've started to wonder whether I need to gradually replace it with something better quality for him. I've found James Wellbeloved Senior 11+ wet food, which is advertised as hypoallergenic and grain free, for example. The price of it, especially as he has a big appetite, has come as a bit of a shock as it would put his food bills up by about 300%!
I've also been wondering whether his specific Bengal breed makes any difference.
Advice, thoughts and recommendations very welcome.
TIA 😻
PS Apologies for the lack of required photos for tax! My phone has broken. Imagine if you will the gentleman in question curled up fast asleep on my legs, making the most of a heated throw.