Question:
Hello, everyone. I'm new to this forum and although I tried to read all the questions to see if mine had been posted before, I'm not sure if this has been or not. Anyway, my elderly cat, Mallory, is about 18, and for the past 6 months or so has become a terrible eater. I took her to the vet where it was discovered she had some serious gum infection which was attended to through oral antibiotics. However, although she did gain a little weight, her 'finickiness' has persisted. She will smell food (both commercial and homemade), perhaps take a bite and then look for something else. She is interested in feeding time (I have other cats and try to seclude her so there is no competition for the special food I give her), but then shows little interest in her bowl. She excitedly ate a bowl of turkey at Xmas, and then wouldn't look at it the next day. I have read about removing teeth, and I wonder if this would be too traumatic for a cat of her age. I have also read about hyperthyroid which affects the sense of smell, etc. I am concerned about putting her through a battery of tests. Has anyone else encountered this problem?

Answer:
Inisfad,if she has painful teeth,it could be very well the reason she does not want to eat.
I don't know what her overall health is,but if she is in good health,extracting some teeth should be ok,ask your vet.

One of my cats has Hyperthyroidism and is on meds,but this condition makes him hungry and he'll eat every last bit,while still losing weight.
He's ok now no more losing weight,but will be on meds for the rest of his life.
Good Luck with your kitty!

Answer:
Thanks, Chico2 for such a quick response! I am new to this website and was happy to see answers so fast. I have appt to take my cat back to the vet tomorrow, to check her teeth, etc. which may very well be the problem. I was just curious as my cat will eat some things quite well, but then the next day she is off of them again. If her teeth were so bad, would she be able to enjoy turkey dinner today, and then have no interest in it tomorrow? I think maybe it's teeth plus something else, as it appears that she has no sense of smell for a lot of kinds of food. I wouldn't want her to go through trauma of teeth removal (if it's anything like when I have a tooth extracted) and still have the same problem, that is, no interest in food as it doesn't have any odor for her.

Answer:
Sorry I could not help,I've had 18yr old cats and I believe like with us humans,things start shutting down as we age..
If she was not poorly,the I like it one day,but not the other,is quiet normal for finicky cats.
I'll try something new with my 3 cats,they LOVE it,I go out and buy lot's of it and they don't like it anymore...
However,all cats need to eat,I am glad you are taking her back to the vet.
As for quick answers,you would have many more,were it not the day after X-Mas

Answer:
Hi,

Has your kitty had blood tests to check kidney function? Reduced kidney function is an extremely common problem in elderly cats. Lack of food intake is one of the symptoms.

Also, if the food intake is insufficient it can cause hepatic lipidosis or fatty liver. This makes them feel worse causing them to eat less and is a vicious cycle. This can set in within 24-48hr if they aren't eating at all.

Bottom line is, you cat MUST be eating while tracking down the problem, willingly or not.

Here's a link to a CRF (CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE) site which has fabulous information on getting your cat to eat, everything from average caloric needs to hand feeding to feeding tubes.

http://www.felinecrf.org/persuading_cat_to_eat.htm

There's also a yahoo group on the topic

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/F...isted-Feeding/


Erica

Answer:
Thank's ES,I knew someone with more knowledge would step in
I just assumed she would have had a Geriatric Blood work-up,as here it's almost an automatic procedure as your animals age.

Answer:

Do you know how much time I've spent spoon-feeding Maddy to avoid HL in the past 2 weeks?

For someone who doesn't want kids, I've spent ALOT of time spoon feeding a little creature swaddled up in a towel, usually 2-3 times/day. Its given me a little perspective...

Answer:
ES,I had 3 sons but I believe nurturing is just something some people are born with,especially with our furries who cannot help themselves,we all know of the other side of the coin,people who don't care.
Hope Maddy will be ok and the OP's kitty

Answer:
Hello all and thanks so much for all your feedback regarding my problem. I've just been back from the vet, all preliminary tests show normal, and Mallory's gums are much better as well, after a course of antibiotics. The vet gave her an injection of a long-acting steroid, which she felt might enhance Mallory's appetite. Indeed, she has just finished 1/2 tin of salmon, and a turkey drumstick, over the past 3 hours, which makes me feel better. I should explain to you all that I currently live in northwestern Ireland, in a very rural community. I've been here about 10 years, and when I first arrived the vets had little concern for 'pets' as the farming area here is concerned with 'income producing animals'. (Difficult for me as I'm a veggie.) This has started to change, solely because there is a growing income for the vets in the area of pets. Also, no one here neutered their pets (the idea being, let them have fun). The only thing in my house that's not neutered is me, and, thanks to my constant nagging, all my neighbors have finally neutered their pets. Anyway, I have recently found a vet (female, sorry you guys, but much more compassionate, etc.) who has feelings similar to mine regarding pets, etc. We are torn between doing extensive, intrusive procedures due to Mallory's age, and just making sure she's in no pain and allowing her comfort and dignity. But for tonight, the salmon is gone, and I'm happy.

Answer:
I too am glad. My oldest cat died at 22 and she lost appetite and was on many drugs to make it easy. The vets all said hehad a strong heart and a will to live so i just made sure he was comfy and made him eat whatever he wanted...right to the end.

Answer:
And just a special thank you to Esaunders regarding the CRF link. Although my vet has preliminarily ruled this out, the suggestions for feeding and types of food, etc., were really excellent and helpful. Thank you.

Answer:
Inisfad,thank you for updating,here where i live there is a vet in almost every streetcorner a HUGE business!!
I am glad Mallory is doing better and eating,it's between you and your vet,what kind of procedure to do for her,especially now,since you seem to have found an understanding vet.
It's always difficult when our pets age and get sick,but we who love them are the ones they trust to do whatever is right for them.
If Mallory ones again seem to enjoy life,she might have another few good years to live

Answer:
Well I can see that vets might be a problem in such a remote area - glad you got lucky - but it sounds like heaven to me! Good for you, encouraging people to neuter their animals; rural folk seem to be particularly recalcitrant.
Fingers crossed for Mallory. Keep that food coming!

Answer:
Maybe the problem is just teeth, and if that's all, then hopefully the vet will help. But I thought of a couple of things. i have an older cat too, who didn't seem to like eating much this summer. Turned out he had a urinary tract infection. Once we got that cleared up, I started making sure to give him nothing but low ash food, and now he loves eating again! And I make sure to give him lots of dry food for senior cats so he gets plenty of fibre. So I wonder if instinctively your cat rejects food that is not as well suited to him as he might need. Surely your vet can recommend different choices that will work. Also, is your cat getting enough exercise? Even a little supervised walk will get him up and moving around, which can't hurt. And sometimes I have found that adding a little catnip to the food bowl seems to be a good appetite stimulant. One other thought: a friend who also has an older cat said that it is good to gently massage an older cat's tummy, much like the mother cat would do for her kittens to stimulate digestion. So I have been doing that too, and the kitty seems to be having good elimination. And it goes without saying that plenty of fresh water is a must, preferably in a non-plastic bowl because some cats don't like the taste that plastic imparts. I hope these ideas are helpful.

Answer:
Thank you all for your replies and input. Just to let you know that Mallory has gained 1 pound and is doing well. The vet thinks that, because of her gum problem, she had gotten out of the habit of eating, but that the steroid injection kind of kick started her appetite again. So far all is going well!

Answer:
Aww,I am happy to hear that,I was a little afraid to open your post.
I hope she continues to do well

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