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xxclaricexx · Apr 3, 2007, 06:56 AM

Hi I have a cat aged 16, he's very old and very thin. He just won't eat my parents took him to the vets a while back and they said it was just old age, but he won't eat a thing I'm sure he's going to dye of hunger one day. Please help? :(

Jessyfay · Apr 3, 2007, 11:36 AM

Tempt him with tuna, sardines, or if he drinks water try seeing if he'll drink homemade chicken broth with brown rice. Or drizzling his food with chicken broth. When my previous cat had a hard time eating the vet gave us a feeding syringe and fed him extremely wet food from the vet. Sometimes old cats will nibble here and there rather than eating a meal all at once. Keep an eye on the litter box and clean it daily so you can keep track on how many soils he's doing a day, if he pees at least once a day and poos nuggets a day, or poos a log every other day, he should be fine, old cats don't need as much food as younger cats because they aren't as agile as they use to be and spend most of there hours asleep. If he shows no signs of eating, or there is no waste in the litterbox I would get a second opinion from the vet. Good Luck

mrscoltweaver · Apr 4, 2007, 10:55 AM

He needs to go in for bloodwork immediately. When cats stop eating-it can be a sign of something serious. Renal failure being at the top of the list. Usually cats stop eating due to the nausea the disease creates in their body. Also, has he ever had his teeth scaled under light sedation? If not, he could have 16 years of tartar and bacteria causing pain and infection. Is he urinating more frequently? Please take the old guy in-he's been a part of your family for a long time and he deserves to be comfortable for as long as possible! Also, heating wet food slightly in the microwave can entice hunger. Get something stinky like Fancy Feast-cats won't eat what they cannot smell. Keep us posted!

ludy_23 · Apr 4, 2007, 05:02 PM

Check his teeth and gums. It could be painful for him to eat. The warm cat food is a good idea, and sometimes I thin it a bit with water. One of our cats was on steroid shots for several years for stomatitis (chronically infected gums), and that's all he would eat. Finally we ended up having all of his teeth removed, which was the best thing we could have done. Like a new cat. Otherwise, sometimes skinny cats have thyroid problems. Doesn't sound just like "old age" though. Good luck!