Do older cats sometimes quit eating when they are going through the dying process?

Question

We have a cat who is almost 15. He is losing weight (1/2 a pound in the last three weeks) and refusing to eat. We have tried cat milk, canned food, and straight tuna, but he doesn't want anything. He has been tested for thyroid problems, diabetes, and kidney problems. Everything came back fine. He stays strictly indoors. The only thing I could think of was that maybe he is just going through the dying process.

Any thoughts? Please tell me how you came up with your answer. Thank you.

Answer 1

Yes, I'm sorry if that is the case... or the kitty could just be feeling ill and will recover.
Humans do the same thing, it supposedly reduces pain and brings on a state of calm.

Apparently you've been to the vet :( . You sound like a good cat-mom. I lost 2 young cats this year to FIP and congenital liver failure, neither of them would eat and eventually had to be put to sleep. They were both in obvious pain. If your kitty isn't wimpering, struggling or crying, and still likes to snuggle, they may be pain free.

Answer 2

He may well be getting to the end of his life, 15 is a decent age for a cat. Stopping eating is one of the first signs of illness in cats.

Although the cat has tested fine for these conditions, there are many, many others that could be the cause. I'm not saying you have to find out what's going on, you could of course just choose to let the cat live out his last days with you in peace. Just be aware that cats don't just die without showing clinical signs of illness (even sudden death has a cause, usually heart failure, even if it wasn't noticeable before). Even 'dying of old age' means dying from illness associated with old age - could be liver problems, could be cancer. I'll assume these tests have been in the last month - kidney problems only show up on blood tests when 75% of the renal function is gone, so if the tests are from a while ago, even a couple of weeks ago, they will not be relevant to the present situation.

Personally I would want to find out exactly what the illness was, just in case it WAS curable and the cat in fact had a few more years left in him. He is old though, so I don't think anybody could blame you for not wanting to know, and just wanting the cat to go on while he's still happy. Also be aware - and I hope that this doesn't sound too harsh or morbid - that natural death in animals is 99% of the time very unpleasant, which is why euthanasia is usually a good option when the animal no longer has any quality of life. It is a very peaceful and merciful way to go, and you can even get vets to come to your house to do it so the animal can die at home.

Feel free to email me for any further advice/support

Chalice

Answer 3

The cat NEEDS to see a vet. After not eating for 3 days, she is in great danger - she needs food in her, she probably needs some fluids in her, and a vet needs to figure out what's wrong with her. I understand we are going into a weekend - please schedule an appointment for monday, if you can't find a vet that is open on saturday or sunday. In the mean time, try to get her to eat. Go buy some fancy feast - that stuff usually has about as good a chance as any of enticing a very sick cat to eat. Hopefully she will make it through the weekend if you can get her to eat. Blending some canned food mixed with a little water to a milkshake consistency, then sucking it up a syringe and squirting it one ml or cc at a time into the corner of her mouth is another way. Without going to a vet, she will likely be dead in short order. If nothing else, at least let her be euthanized rather than going out in such a miserable way. My cat is 16 and almost died last february. Like yours, she hadn't been to a vet in years, and I hate to admit it. My parents never felt cats worth spending money on, and being a broke college student I wasn't eager for it to be my money either. However, after also vomiting and not eating for 3 days straight, she went, was diagnosed with kidney failure, and is now doing better than she has for years - she weighs more, eats more, and feels better, and should live for a long time to come now that her condition is being mananged. She sees a vet every six months to assess her progress. If only she HAD been going regularly, we would have prevented her near death experience with early detection.

Answer 4

In my experience they will stop eating at the very, very end. I think this is more a lack of energy to even stand to feed than anything else.

Cats will drop weight when in their decline, but this is a result of their biology. Typically, again my history and I'm not a vet (but have had MANY cats), as the weight drop begins, their appetites are voracious. So, if your cat has just started the weight drop and isn't eating I would think it another health issue. I know it can be expensive, but keep running tests. MRIs, etc., etc.

Answer 5

Actually, most cats have a lifespan of about 14 to 20 years.

Talk it over with your vet and your family and friends. Questions to think about include:
• Can your pet still eat, drink, sleep and move around reasonably comfortably?
• Does he or she respond to your presence and greet you?
• Does feeding time attract interest?
Persistent and incurable inability to eat, vomiting, signs of pain, distress or discomfort, or difficulty in breathing are all indications that euthanasia should be considered.

You and your family know your pet better than anyone else, so try to make a reasoned judgement on quality of life. Your vet will help you with this, and will often make a recommendation. Ask his opinion on what may be happening, perhaps try an appeetite stimulant before getting drastic.
If you are hoping for an improvement in your pet's condition, setting a time limit may be a sensible option.

Answer 6

Over Christmas, our oldest cat (17 years old) wasn't eating, drinking or even moving and she smelled really bad. My mom thought she was dying but I made her take her to the vet just to make sure. It turned out that she had an abscess in her mouth. After a few weeks of antibiotics, she was back to her old, sassy self again :)

Answer 7

Cats can live past 20 so why do you attribute this to dying or shutting down? You can give 1/4 tab of pepcid ac to see if that helps. A cat shouldn't go too long w/o eating as that can lead to complications like fatty liver disease. If your cat goes more then 2 days, I would consider force feeding usuing a syringe you can get from the vets. In the meantime can you try chicken, coldcuts,meat baby food w/o onions as temtations?

Answer 8

Please take him to another vet for a second opinion. A visit to a feline specialist may be in order. This page has a link to find a feline specialist (if you live in the USA) : http://www.aafponline.org/contact.htm
Click the 'Find an AAFP Doctor' link at the bottom of the page.

Answer 9

if he was going through the "dying process" abnormalities probably would have shown up on liver and kidney tests and he would have other symptoms.

did your vet test for anything simple like constipation or stomach problems?

do you let him out at night or day? maybe he is catching his own food or eating a neighbouring animals dinner.
.

Answer 10

he could. they are just like people....i'd take him to the vet. they might want to give him some iv fluids to keep him from losing weight. however, there is something that is causing him to stop eating. have you checked his teeth?