My ancient skinny kitty?

Question

I have a cat that will soon be 18 years old. I've had a horrible time keeping weight on her. Until the last several months she's always had a very healthy weight. We've ruled out medical reasons for the weight loss. She sees a vet at least twice a year for senior kitty check ups. Each time we do full bloodwork and test the urine. Once a year we do an ultrasound. She just had all of this stuff done twice in the last three months. We are also sure she is parasite free and that her thyroid is normal. She has been on an ultra premium, organic diet for years. Lately just to put weight on her I've tried more brands and additional types of food. She is allowed to eat as much as she wants, trust me she has a healthy appetite. Anyone else out there have a similar issue? Oh, her poo is solid and no changes there. She's also 100% indoors.

I did take her for a second opinion. Both vets completely agree that she is amazingly healthy for a cat born in early 1990. LOL! Specific diets that have worked for you would be great! I've had this cat since I was 10 years old. I'm starting to get paranoid that she may not live forever! It's hard to remember a time when she wasn't around. lol

Answer 1

It might be worth trying her on a food designed for kittens or lactating queens, as this is much higher in calories than foods formulated for other age groups. Discuss it with your vet first, but given that she is being checked regularly and so far is healthy, the higher protein in the diet should not be an issue for her. Old animals do have a tendency to lose muscle mass and overall condition anyway- it sounds as though that's what is going on in her case.

It's great that she is doing so well. We had a 20 year old cat through the clinic the other day- a little bit on the skinny side, but other than that, had I not known differently, I would have guessed her to be maybe 12-15 tops.

Answer 2

I do have one cat & she's just like yours. She lost a lot of weight when she had her babies...that was 2 years ago but she still haven't gained any of the lost weight back. I've tried all sort of kitty vitamins and supplements but I guess my cat just wants to be slimmer. I wouldn't worry if I were you. As long as your cat's daily activities are the same I don't think you have a problem

Answer 3

Aww...poor thing. If you can, you can go to a pet store and buy something called "kitten milk" which is milk that is safe for kittens to drink. It may need to be bottle fed, but can probably figure out how to drink from a dish. As for food, it might not know how to eat yet as weird as that sounds. When we got my first cat, the owners lied and said she had been completely weened from her mother, but in actuality, she had never eaten solid food before. My dad had to teach her how to eat essentially. He took some cat food and got it wet and soft (you could even warm it up a little in the microwave). Then he put a little in her mouth and held it closed so she would swallow it. After that she learned how to eat on her own. Will you be adopting this kitten? You should probably bring it in to the vet for shots and vaccines and to make sure it's healthy.

Answer 4

Maybe it's just the age thing. Eighteen years is a long time for a cat! My mom had one for that long, and I remember her losing some weight in her later years.

Answer 5

I think that some cats just get skinny when they get old.I had two sisters who were nearly 20.Amaryllis died in September of last year,and her sister died just several months later.They had no apparent health problems,either,and yet they got quite thin.I think a lot of it is decreased muscle mass.Try her on some Catsure ( it's like Ensure for cats) baby food,Nutrical,pasta,cream ( cats can digest cream,as it has no lactose) Really,let her eat whatever she wants at her age.Good luck with your kitty.

Answer 6

Does she have diarrohea? Often as cats get older they develop allergies to certain foods (or components of food) also called IBD (irritable bowel disease).

Sometimes we have cats like this and although there thyroid tests come back normal we start them on thyroid medication and it works they begin to put on weight.

Answer 7

As cats age, their attitudes can change. Maybe she eats as much as she wants, and that is all. When she is ready to go, she will. All you can do is keep giving her the great attention you are and remember you are being the best cat parent you can be.

Answer 8

i had a 2 kitties that were that age and got thin. one had a thyroid problem and the other had diabetes. since you are up to date on everything, i would have to put this at old age. i wonder tho.