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Senior Appetites

Share advice for keeping your aging cat happy and healthy

The most fun- cat. Ever.

Purred: Wed Dec 19, '12 7:13pm PST


	Hey all. Just a quick question: have any of you noticed your senior's appetite trailing off a bit? Darwin is almost 13 now, and he's healthy. He just had senior blood work at his vet visit last month and everything is normal. His creatinine was a BIT high, but we're talking like .1 above normal. It's not like he's not eating at all, but he's not the trash can he used to be, and he sometimes leaves food in the bowl, which he never did before. He had a dental about 6 months ago, because he broke a canine in two so it had to be pulled. But everything else looked fine. I'm probably just a neurotic cat mom, but wondering if the same thing has happened with your older kitties. (Oh, and, only if you'd like to, you could help a senior have a Merry Xmas. I've entered Darwin in a photo contest, and you can find our picture here: http://www.facebook.com/westsidefamilypet He's the white cat in the red sweater. Of course we'd appreciate your vote (to vote simply "like") but there are a lot of adorable kitties and dogs there who'd like to win just as much, I'm sure. I think you have to like the clinic page, but you can unlike as soon as you vote.)

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I hate- thunderstorms!!

Purred: Wed Dec 19, '12 8:44pm PST


	This is Delyte. I am pushing 18 now and have gotten very very skinny. I used to be borderline overweight. But I have both kidney troubles and hyperthyroid, so that complicates my life quite a bit. In addition, I had a tumor in my intestines when I was ten and they shortened my intestines taking it out. They never thought I would live more than seven more years. You need to monitor us oldsters very carefully, as cats with the slightest problems will stop eating or slow down. If you are sure your kidney function is good, your thyroid is good and you are not developing diabetes, then those are the major ones. Are your sure that all of your teeth are okay and not paining you? Also, pain elsewhere in the body, from arthritis or bone spurs, can often interfere with appetite. Is all of the food that you eat staying down? Sometimes my person thinks that more of my food ends up on the carpet than in me. And finally, does everything coming out look okay? Keep an eye on Darwin and make sure he seems happy and healthy, and tempt him with healthy food treats to make sure he eats well. There are also supplements that can provide nutrients, too. Old guys just don't work as efficiently as young ones. Cats were originally designed to live in the wild for about 4-5 years on average, and now that we are protected and well fed and living to be 15-20 and older, not everything can keep up. Giant old guy purrs to you!

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1291343

Purred: Wed Apr 10, '13 12:05pm PST


	I know this is an old thread but in case anyone with the same problem reads it I will add that my two seniors (gone now) definately started losing their normally varacious appetites and started losing weight around age 13-15. However, one of them lasted still (thin) until she was 22, and the other one ended up having Hyperthyroid issue and died at 17.

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Chunk

Purred: Thu Apr 11, '13 11:02am PST


	I have noticed that Abbi is going off her food but she is 19 or there abouts, not sure of her age as she is a rescue. She is getting painfully thin now too, she was about 15lbs for years. I have never had a cat of this age before so don't know what to expect tbh. Vet did tests and they all came back clear so I put it down to old age.

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