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13 yr old cat off food - any thoughts?

6 replies

Cremebrulee45 · 12/01/2024 21:50

Hi, I have an apparently healthy 13yr old cat who has gradually been eating less and less over the last couple of months. She has happily been eating 2 particular brands and flavours of quality dry food for the last 10 yrs and never really liked wet food. I took her to the vet, teeth look pretty ok for her age (bit of gingivitis but no obvious inflammation), bloods done and no sign liver, kidney, pancreatitis, temperature normal etc. All attempts at buying in various new foods wet and dry have failed and some have caused upset gut (she has a good gut normally). She seems to want to eat and comes running if you put something in her bowl but just licks the gravy off wet food. She is alert and fine in herself but has already lost about 1/2kg.

The thing is the same thing happened when she was about 3yrs old. Ate minimal amounts for weeks on end and had full workup, abdominal scan etc, Nothing found and eventually she started eating a particular brand and that was 10yrs ago, no problems since - never needed vet in that time.

We had a cat with kidney failure before and she was very hard to feed when old but it appears this isn't the issue here. Anyone got any other ideas? She gets very stressed at the vet and I'm not even sure what they would do next apart from maybe sedating her to look at her teeth more carefully?

Anyway, sorry for essay but any ideas appreciated.

PS she is currently eating a little bit of the Royal Canin digestion wet food which the vet gave me - that they normally use to tempt cats after surgery (I hate giving her this as it has pretty much no meat in it, but this is the only thing that she seems interested in).

OP posts:
RandomMess · 12/01/2024 21:58

With cats you need to get plenty of food in and regularly otherwise they deteriorate quickly.

Sardines or mackerel in tomato sauce?

CrystalQueen87 · 12/01/2024 22:15

Is she losing weight?
Our beloved cat we recently lost after Christmas suddenly went off her food in October and lost a dramatic amount of weight in a very short time.
Our vet did an ultrasound which led to a diagnosis of Intestinal large cell Lymphoma 😪
The difference in weight in a matter of weeks was shocking she was half the cat she ever was and it was really sad to see.
I can feel your pain in trying to get them to eat as we tried everything, I spent a fortune on all different foods and treats but she wasn't Interested.
One thing that was amazing for about a month was Mirataz Gel from the vets it is an appetite stimulant and you rub it on their ears. She eat 4 pouches a day for about a month whilst on this gel! Worth asking your vet.
Good luck Op x

Amicompletelyinsane · 12/01/2024 22:21

Kidney disease, liver disease? Dental disease, are normally the most common causes to be honest. Blood work would help rule things out

Cremebrulee45 · 13/01/2024 07:45

Thanks all for your replies.

@CrystalQueen87 sorry to hear about your cat. She has lost 1/2 kg so far but I’m surprised it’s not more given how much less she has been eating. She is eating the gastro sachets from vets albeit less than normal for her weight. As basic stuff has already been checked I would imagine abdominal scan would be next.

OP posts:
LouKelly · 15/07/2024 23:33

Just keep trying different wet foods . It could be a psychological problem , have there been any upheavals at home ? Someone move in or someone move out ? A lot more noise than usual ? Is her feeding area too close to the rubbish bin or her litter tray ? Cats are soooo finickety , is the floor where her dishes are dusty ? I'm not kidding , they are easily irked ! Patience is the key , I don't give my cat dry food any more , it's dehydrating and can cause constipation and blockages , it took me a long long time to get him onto wet food only and find a couple that he likes , persist with lots of love and strokes and attention .

LouKelly · 15/07/2024 23:37

Also , make sure you're not feeding her in a high sided bowl , these can really irritate their whiskas , try a saucer or anything else that flat or almost flat .

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