my 14 year old cat has lost alot of weight,he's not eating the way he used.He's also drinking alot of water.

Question

he has'nt made a bowel movement for a couple of days.I love my cat dearly but right now taking him to a vet will be expensive.Is there anything i can do at home to make him better.

Answer 1

He needs a vet. Beg borrow or steal, but he needs medical care. Sounds like diabetes, but it could be life-threatening. Be a responsible pet owner and take him to a good vet. I hope he is OK.

Answer 2

Take your feline buddy to the local animal shelter, and see if they are set up to do blood & Urine tests for diabetes & Kidney failure problems. 2ndly, 14 years is a long lifespan for a dog or a cat, and odds are he is edging his way ever closer to the great Litter box in the sky. His dehydration is usually a sign of kidney and diabetes problems, he may also be suffering fro heart worm , - which could restrict his blood flow and leave him exhausted and with no appetite. Try switching his food to a high carb cat food, and spike his water with pedia-lite , (go for a 50'50 mix, - this might help to balance his electro-lights some due to his dehydration.

I hate to suggest it, but further treatments to save his life would require vet care, and expensive RX prescriptions, and a continued regimine of vet visits and expensive prescription drugs to do everything from manage pain to boost his imune system performance. The other alternative is euthanasia. - something which the vet can do in his office with dignity, and pain killers; - as opposed to using the services of the local Humane society, who's methods you can not be assured of. Then there are internment costs, on top of that,- again - unless you choose to bury your old friend in the yard- at the base of a tree or something like that. (Most states do not allow this), so check with local law enforcement - regarding burial of non-human remains.

I feel you're pain, and anguish at the though of the day when your small fiend leaves this earth, and you must deal with and be comforted by, only his memories. LOL.

Answer 3

Last year my 11 yr old male cat did the same thing. He also had breath that smelled like acetone (fingernail polish remover). That is typical for diabetes. You can probably make some kind of payment plan with your vet, but your cat needs immediate attention! Sure enough, mine has diabetes and is now on insulin twice a day. The most "telling" symptoms of diabetes are......loss of weight and drinking excessive amounts of water! If he hasn't pooped in a couple of days, he may... 1. not eaten enough ...2. be impacted. He really should be checked out. Good luck

Answer 4

Sounds like his kidneys, it's common in older cats.

14 is NOT old for a cat, don't let people tell you that. He's basically about 55 years old. He's older, but not old.

You do need to take him to the vet, they'll probably put him on medication that runs about $15-$20 a month, it's not bad if you budget for it. Also, even on medication he may be unable to put weight back on, try putting him back on kitten food, it'll help.

If you absolutely can't afford the vet right now, try the kitten food anyway, it may help him gain some weight, but the excess water he's drinking suggests kidney failure. It's not terminal, but he would need attention.

Answer 5

I'm sorry, It sounds very much like yourcat has diabetes. This live a very long happy life. This is a very treatbale disease . You do have to go to the vets to get started and rather quickly so ketones don't develop. Please read my profile and if you want contact me as I can help you treat this disease correctly.

If your cat does not have ketones but has diabetes, your cat does NOT have to stay over at the vets. Some vets like to keep cats over a few days to regualte a cat but cats cannot be regulated at the vets and it is rather expensive for nothing.
Your vet should start at no more then 1 unit 2x a day and teach you hoe to give shots, about hypoglycemia and give you alot more info.
Please read my profile and if you want contact me as I can help you treat this disease correctly

Answer 6

I'm sorry...........but your only choice is to get him to the vet, from your description, that's really a bad sign. There are so many reasons for this, like for example, not enjoying the food you give him, having stomach problems, infection or your cat might have a certain disease.

Sounds like he/she got diabetes or kidney problems.

I think you should ask your relatives to maybe help you about your cat. Like an Uncle, Mom, Dad, or maybe even a close friend. I'm so sorry :(

Answer 7

Take him to a vet immediately, it sounds like kidney failure.

My cat died the same day I took her to the vet, she acted healthy until a few days earlier, and the children took care of her feeding so i didn't know about the increased thirst until after she died.

I hope that isn't what is wrong with your cat but it would be best to be overly cautious then wait too long.

Answer 8

Kidneys or diabetes, it could be either.

One is partially treatable, it depends on how early it's caught. The other - diabetes - is very treatable. We have two diabetic cats and they're doing fine once we got them regulated. All the lost weight was gained back and they seem normal now, though I do have to give insulin twice a day.

Answer 9

Take him to the vet because that sounds like an issue especially since he's 14 yrs old.

Answer 10

Hon, at the age of 14 your little kitty is considered elderly. And I agree with Lissa that excessive thirst is one of the first signs of kidney failure. This is a very common occurence in cats of his age.
If at ALL possible, he should be taken to the vet and have some bloodwork done to diagnose his symptoms. Please do all you can to make this time easier for your loyal friend!