Cat owners / lovers please step in

[LAJ]

I've got an aging cat, and weight loss / muscle loss as with anything that ages is always an issue. Is there anything you give your cat to help keep his/her weight up or any particular exercise? Mine can still jump from the floor to the kitchen table without any probs thankfully but she obviously doesn't eat with the same ferocity she used to and has a more sensitive stomach. Any secrets you have let me know... I'd like to keep mine around for a few more years...

[Scott McD]

Do you feed your cat dry food or tinned food/meat ??

Sometimes changing from one to the other can encourage more eating...

[Jim_Gunn]

I give my seven year old cat Blue Buffalo brand indoor cat food. It's dry food but better quality and has real meat and no filler content like corn, wheat or soy or artificial preservatives. She eats less of it but it's more nutritious and she uses her litter box less and sheds less as a result.

[valeriyCE]

always put something insanely yummy at the bottom of the dry food

[robwod]

Jay, it may not be a bad idea for a vet's visit. It could be anything from a urinary tract infection to failing kidneys or simply a lack of dietary nutrition sufficient to the cat's age. Sometimes just adding a little stimulus to encourage more exercise will help increase appetite. In other words, there are numerous reasons possible.

Thus, I think consulting with your vet via a checkup may not be a bad idea.

[LAJ]

Good stuff so far thanks everyone.

I do bring my cat in to the vet every 6 months and currently have her on dry food that focuses on nutrition and especially for kidney / renal failure. My cat is 18 and has shown just the earliest signs of this (drinks a lot) but is still totally with it, mentally and physically. I had another cat that died last year that was really in final stages of it and had lost over 1/2 of her weight. The decision to put that one down was agonizing but the right thing to do. Everything else with my 18 year old checks out well... all organ function, eyes, etc.

I do try to keep her away from table food and wet food because she just doesn't keep that down like dry food or how she used to (many years ago she literally ate a package of turkey... it was ridiculous) but no way I'd do that now.

Maybe I will find some fattening wet food and try mixing it in...

[LAJ]

Originally Posted by Jim_Gunn

I give my seven year old cat Blue Buffalo brand indoor cat food. It's dry food but better quality and has real meat and no filler content like corn, wheat or soy or artificial preservatives. She eats less of it but it's more nutritious and she uses her litter box less and sheds less as a result.

Not familiar with that brand but I'll check it out. The less shedding would be a major plus since she pukes hairballs too often and that kind of strain can't be good on her system.

[directfiesta]

Originally Posted by robwod

Jay, it may not be a bad idea for a vet's visit. It could be anything from a urinary tract infection to failing kidneys or simply a lack of dietary nutrition sufficient to the cat's age. Sometimes just adding a little stimulus to encourage more exercise will help increase appetite. In other words, there are numerous reasons possible.

Thus, I think consulting with your vet via a checkup may not be a bad idea.

Very good advice...

My cat is 17 years old and had renal and pancreas problem .. Treated her for near 2 years, and now she seems quite OK: goes outside, jumps fences, tries to catch squirrels, ....

But, once in a while, she loses appetite : I have pills I giver her ( from the vet ) and 30 minutes or less later she is starving ....

Pills are : cyproheptadine ( 4 mg - I give a half - small cat )

But consult a vet, your cat is young....

[robwod]

Jay, given the cat's age and your familiarity with renal/kidney issues, you will want to make sure that any new food you introduce does not overdo it with the protein, as that can have a real negative impact on her kidneys. Hydration is also important so it's a good thing she is drinking a lot.

We had an 18year old Siamese cat and, although he drank a lot, his kidneys were in decline and we ended up having to get him regular fluid shots. These helped him tremendously for several months. In the end, his kidneys just gave out -- there was just no stopping the inevitable.

Good luck.

[RyuLion]

Good luck with your Pet Jay!

[L-Pink]

I had a huge fat gray 50th generation barn cat that people would always say "damn what do you feed him" …… I would get a kick out of saying, "I have never fed him" lol

[RebelR]

Originally Posted by LAJ

Good stuff so far thanks everyone.

I do bring my cat in to the vet every 6 months and currently have her on dry food that focuses on nutrition and especially for kidney / renal failure. My cat is 18 and has shown just the earliest signs of this (drinks a lot) but is still totally with it, mentally and physically. I had another cat that died last year that was really in final stages of it and had lost over 1/2 of her weight. The decision to put that one down was agonizing but the right thing to do. Everything else with my 18 year old checks out well... all organ function, eyes, etc.

I do try to keep her away from table food and wet food because she just doesn't keep that down like dry food or how she used to (many years ago she literally ate a package of turkey... it was ridiculous) but no way I'd do that now.


Maybe I will find some fattening wet food and try mixing it in...

Sometimes you have to watch those "specialty focused" pet foods.. like ones from Hills Science Diet. Sister in law has her dog on one of those for Diabetic reasons and the food is total garbage. As someone mentioned Blue Buffalo, there are many foods out there than contain more of what cats and dogs are supposed to eat, and omit the fillers, byproduct meals, and other things that aren't really good for pets, such as corn and wheat.

We use something similar to Blue Buffalo, a food called Orijen, for our dog. Not sure if it's available in the US, but they do make a cat food http://www.orijen.ca/blog/products/d.../six-fish-cat/. For reference, and to see what's out there, check out DogFoodAnalysis. Check out the highest rated foods and see if they have some for cats

[xNetworx]

Hope your cat gets better

[Nikki_Licks]

Originally Posted by LAJ

I've got an aging cat, and weight loss / muscle loss as with anything that ages is always an issue. Is there anything you give your cat to help keep his/her weight up or any particular exercise? Mine can still jump from the floor to the kitchen table without any probs thankfully but she obviously doesn't eat with the same ferocity she used to and has a more sensitive stomach. Any secrets you have let me know... I'd like to keep mine around for a few more years...

There's lots of good ideas in this thread, but if your pal is getting up there in age, you may need to visit the vet. We just recently changed our dog's food and have to give him some sort of med/vitamin and he is now a totally different pooch.....went to the vet and had some blood work done to find this out.
Any vet you visit is going to do blood work. I know it is somewhat costly, but you get true results and not guess work ;)

Hope your cat gets better!

[BlackCrayon]

i always thought dry food was bad for cats because they don't typically drink enough and wet food gives them some of the moisture they need. i feed my cat grain free wet food. its more expensive but he's worth it.

[Choopa_Pardo]

Hope your cat starts putting on weight.

I second a vet visit. couldn't hurt.

I mix my cat's dry food with tuna or wet food once a week as a special treat. my two little buggers are voracious, and they devour the tuna and dry food.

I would consult the vet first before making any diet changes though.

[_Richard_]

raw food, and depending on the issues IV

[LAJ]

Originally Posted by robwod

Jay, given the cat's age and your familiarity with renal/kidney issues, you will want to make sure that any new food you introduce does not overdo it with the protein, as that can have a real negative impact on her kidneys. Hydration is also important so it's a good thing she is drinking a lot.

We had an 18year old Siamese cat and, although he drank a lot, his kidneys were in decline and we ended up having to get him regular fluid shots. These helped him tremendously for several months. In the end, his kidneys just gave out -- there was just no stopping the inevitable.

Good luck.

Thanks... yeah, watching the protein intake and keeping a lot of water on hand is def. important. Didn't know about the fluid shots, thanks.

I figure my cat has at least another year or two even... but hell, I've known cat owners who's cat exceeded 22, 23 years...

[LAJ]

Wow, really appreciate the support and the ideas here.

My cat is definitely doing alright for right now. It's just been a very slow decline over the last year or two but she is still doing great. She eats K/D renal health dry food for about 95% of her diet and a lot of water. Didn't know that about Hill's science diet but never used it anyway. She's due for another vet visit and blood work before the end of 2013.

I kinda spare no expense on all my pets (2 dogs, 2 cats). They are too important to me.

[directfiesta]

Originally Posted by LAJ

Thanks... yeah, watching the protein intake and keeping a lot of water on hand is def. important. Didn't know about the fluid shots, thanks.

I figure my cat has at least another year or two even... but hell, I've known cat owners who's cat exceeded 22, 23 years...

I did fluid shots every day ( 5 seringes of 20 CC each ) . Not fun to do, the cat then has a bump on the neck/back, will leak a bit . I did that for 2 near 2 years, but stopped last march as the cat was scared of me to the point of jumping off a balcony, aside from pissing the moment I caught her

Decided to stop and let the cat go ... It has been near 6 months, the cat now does not run away from me, is active, eats shit food, but at least eats and seems to be having a good time. It does drink a lot, which is good ( water bowls everywhere in the house and terrace ).

[uniquemkt]

A little lat,e but a quick way to bulk up a cat is to feed it kitten formula food. It's extra rich and a little easier to chew, the down side is that richness lasts all the way to the litter box...

[_Richard_]

Originally Posted by directfiesta

I did fluid shots every day ( 5 seringes of 20 CC each ) . Not fun to do, the cat then has a bump on the neck/back, will leak a bit . I did that for 2 near 2 years, but stopped last march as the cat was scared of me to the point of jumping off a balcony, aside from pissing the moment I caught her

Decided to stop and let the cat go ... It has been near 6 months, the cat now does not run away from me, is active, eats shit food, but at least eats and seems to be having a good time. It does drink a lot, which is good ( water bowls everywhere in the house and terrace ).

this is how you do it.. something about them being entirely incapacitated makes them entirely submissive.. they basically turn off, unless there is a chance they can get out

[Jman]

Originally Posted by LAJ

I've got an aging cat, and weight loss / muscle loss as with anything that ages is always an issue. Is there anything you give your cat to help keep his/her weight up or any particular exercise? Mine can still jump from the floor to the kitchen table without any probs thankfully but she obviously doesn't eat with the same ferocity she used to and has a more sensitive stomach. Any secrets you have let me know... I'd like to keep mine around for a few more years...

When my cat baby was diagnose with cancer she lost a lot of weight in no time. I decided to keep her around until she decided it was enough. Vet suggested a special gastro intestinal food which actually bumped her energy right away and got us to spend an extra 3 weeks together.

I will try to find out the brand and email you.

P.S. buy him a couple of live mice

[TrashyGirl]

Ask your vet about Cat Sure (it's like Ensure for cats, available at Amazon.com and pet websites). Not sure if the protein level might be too much for a cat with kidney issues.

[robwod]

Originally Posted by directfiesta

I did fluid shots every day

Wow. We had the vet administer a shot once a month, on an as-needed basis, along with blood work so that kidney levels could be effectively monitored.

The regular blood tests proved invaluable in helping to manage the dietary needs and hydration levels of the cat, and his personality, affectionateness, and trust never changed at all. Certainly there is no "one-size fits all" as any animal, or even human, may respond to certain treatments and medications differently.

Personally, I would definitely suggest consulting with a trusted vet.

[seeric]

do not feed old cats blue buffalo. i wont feed any cat blue buffalo any more. they have great marketing and great packaging, but their food is not good for indoor cats. there is no need for all that protein if your cat is not outside running the neighborhood.

we took our cats off of it and got this

http://www.wag.com/petmeds/p/royal-canin-veterinary-diet-feline-hypo-hydrolyzed-protein-844606?site=CA&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc_W& utm_term=ROY-319&utm_campaign=GooglePLA&CAWELAID=1927189781&utm _content=pla&ca_sku=ROY-319&ca_gpa=pla&ca_kw={keyword}

they have losts all their fat, they don't puke any more, and its very easy for them to digest. do some reading on this food. this is a 30lb bag or more, so hence the high price. worth every penny. kitties are happy.

[robwod]

Seeric: we had success with some of the Royal Canin foods as well.

[hottoddy]

Could it be the heat? My 16 year-old male cat eats way less starting in the spring and into summer. He appears to drop a little weight, and his coat thins out. Then, he starts pigging out again in the fall to thicken up for the coming winter. I've been feeding him Simply Nourish kibble (grain free, petsmart private label) lately with good results. He gets a small amount of crappy wet food too.

[wehateporn]

I've spoken with many cat and dog owners who say that the pets they didn't vaccinate lived a lot longer and in better health.

[SilentKnight]

18 is getting up there in age for a cat - even though some have lived into their early twenties.

I've owned cats all my life. Two have lived to their 20th year...one of which died in my arms during a rush trip to the vet after it went into convulsions (apparently she had a build-up of fluid around the heart according to the vet).

Whatever you do at this stage - keep in mind the cat's quality of life. Don't prolong the inevitable and cause it to suffer just because you can't bare to part with your pet. It's a most difficult decision...I know. Had to make that call myself with my last one and it broke my heart - even though I knew it was for the best. She was suffering from bad arthritis and her eyesight and hearing was failing. I was a basket case at the vet clinic the day we finally had her put down.

It's never easy.

[pornmasta]

Originally Posted by _Richard_

lol no

[2MuchMark]

Hey Jay,

Sorry to hear about your ill Kitty. Tracy and I have had 4 cats that have each lived happy lives until about 17 years of age. The best advice we can give you is to take your cat to your Vet for regular checkups. Blood and other tests will let them know what kind of diet is best for your kitty. Raw or Yummy food might make her happy initially but may upset her stomach later or cause other problems. The only way to know what diet is best is to have proper medical exams. It will cost you some, but it will be worth it.

Good luck!

ps: Here's a pic of our little terror:

[marcop]

Originally Posted by LAJ

I've got an aging cat, and weight loss / muscle loss as with anything that ages is always an issue. Is there anything you give your cat to help keep his/her weight up or any particular exercise? Mine can still jump from the floor to the kitchen table without any probs thankfully but she obviously doesn't eat with the same ferocity she used to and has a more sensitive stomach. Any secrets you have let me know... I'd like to keep mine around for a few more years...

Sorry to hear your cat isn't doing well. LittleGrayGuy sends his best . . . .

[Choopa_Pardo]

CATS.

I have two little ones, Betty is 3 and Miles is 18 months.

Betty taking a nap on the radiator:


I dont have many good picture of Miles because he's jet black, and doesn't sit still long enough for me to get a decent photo.

[Sophie Delancey]

I'd definitely suggest a trip to the vet, or at least a phone consultation. I'm sure there's some sort of bulk-up cat protein powder or some such.

Margaret sends her love.

[_Richard_]

Originally Posted by pornmasta

lol no

a family member is 'that way'.. with special breeds sometimes they require a lot of special attention when they get older.. so yes.

[LAJ]

Thanks again for the advice and thoughts all... and for the pics! My cat is curled up on my lap sleeping and seemingly doing quite well today.

[ClickCashEmily]

Awww, glad to hear she's doing good today! With the high thirst, you should ask your vet to do a blood test for diabetes - not just for a spot-check of her sugar level but also a Glucosamine test. This is similar to an A1C test for human diabetics and will tell you where her sugar's been over the past two weeks.

My boy got diagnosed with diabetes 2 years ago. He was on 8 units of Lantus 2x a day (more than my aunt was taking!). I tried every food and eventually switched completely to a wet-food diet. He eats better as it's lower carb than the dry food and has been insulin-free for over a year now. My kids get fed twice a day - no dry food in the house!

If you switch to wet, or mix it in, stick with Pate. If you use anything "in gravy" or "in juice" it could have more carbs (especially when paired with dry food) than your cat might be able to process.

As for tricks for getting your kitty to eat more -- you might want to look into Purina's Forti Flora. It's a probiotic primarily, but also has flavoring in it that will attract your cat. So if she's picky, you can mix some in with her food - it helped my girls up their intake to get their weight up. You can get it on Amazon and sprinkle half a pack in with each meal. If you buy it from your vet, you will get butt-raped on the price.

Keep us posted!!!

~Emily

[JenniDahling]

Jay, you should try this we use their dog turkey blend for our doggies.

One of our dogs has really bad skin issues because he has a sensitive system and horrible allergies. He was miserable and lethargic because we had to give him so much antihistamines and prescribed medication. We knew a huge factor was diet. While we were doing the trial and errors with the different food brands, I noticed he was thirstier with some brand more than others. He was the least thirsty when we went to a raw diet.

But going raw was a bit of a hassle for me, although the dogs started to thrive on it. So I found Sojos which is based on a raw diet supplemented with organic produce. We saw the biggest change after we switched.

He slimmed down, has more energy and agility and both dogs have to drink way less water than anything we've ever fed them.

[Jim_Gunn]

I love my cat and I think I feed her and take care of her really well. But I'm a little surprised it seems like a lot of you guys take your cats to the vet for regular checkups. It sounds sensible but my Princess is afraid of leaving the house and absolutely terrified of a car trip. She only went on a trip once to the vet as a kitten and once to get neutered when she was young and once to move with me. I'm loathe to drive her anywhere again unless I move again or she is sick.

[C H R I S]

Originally Posted by directfiesta

I did fluid shots every day ( 5 seringes of 20 CC each ) . Not fun to do, the cat then has a bump on the neck/back, will leak a bit . I did that for 2 near 2 years, but stopped last march as the cat was scared of me to the point of jumping off a balcony, aside from pissing the moment I caught her

Decided to stop and let the cat go ... It has been near 6 months, the cat now does not run away from me, is active, eats shit food, but at least eats and seems to be having a good time. It does drink a lot, which is good ( water bowls everywhere in the house and terrace ).

I went through this with my cat of 12 years, Simba when he had liver cancer (or was killed by that cat food scare years back). Awful experience, and the vets suck you dry knowing that the cat is doomed.

[mikesinner]

You might want to consider measuring his/her diet by their wight. Lowing calorie intake has been proven to extend life expectancy and improve health. They say %30 less is best but maybe just cut back %15 by his/her weight.

Oh, you should split that up into 2-3 meals per day to keep metabolism high.

[ASHORETHING]

[QUOTE=marcop;19761308]Sorry to hear your cat isn't doing well. LittleGrayGuy sends his best . . . .


I used to think the only good cat was a dead cat.... but as long as it makes her happy lol

[Vendzilla]

Did you know that Earl Miller is really into cats? Yeah, he shoots them like models on a pro scale, it's pretty cool!

[ClickCashEmily]

Originally Posted by Jim_Gunn

I love my cat and I think I feed her and take care of her really well. But I'm a little surprised it seems like a lot of you guys take your cats to the vet for regular checkups. It sounds sensible but my Princess is afraid of leaving the house and absolutely terrified of a car trip. She only went on a trip once to the vet as a kitten and once to get neutered when she was young and once to move with me. I'm loathe to drive her anywhere again unless I move again or she is sick.

You should try Bach's Rescue Remedy for pets - works pretty well through thunderstorms and trips to the vet!

~Emily

[Barefootsies]

Originally Posted by SilentKnight

Whatever you do at this stage - keep in mind the cat's quality of life.

Very true. It's heart breaking to say goodbye to your little buddy. But ultimately, to keep them around for selfish reasons why they suffer or are in incredible pain is just cruel. Thank them for the years of joy they brought to your life, and put them out of their misery.

[DamianJ]

Originally Posted by ClickCashEmily

You should try Bach's Rescue Remedy for pets - works pretty well through thunderstorms and trips to the vet!

~Emily

"You may have heard of ?rescue remedy? or other Bach flower remedies. They contain a very small amount of flower material in a 50:50 solution of brandy and water, and are said to work by transmitting a vibrational energy through the memory of water (not the same as homeopathy, but equally implausible).

Bach was trained as a homeopath and even created some bacterial homeopathic nosodes, but then he branched out. He used his intuition to access a psychic connection to plants. He would hold his hand over different plants to see which one affected his emotional state, and he would collect the dew from that plant to use as a remedy."

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/...ower-remedies/

Sorry Emily, but rescue remedies are total snake oil. Well, actually they are mainly brandy.

[sperbonzo]

Originally Posted by Barefootsies

Very true. It's heart breaking to say goodbye to your little buddy. But ultimately, to keep them around for selfish reasons why they suffer or are in incredible pain is just cruel. Thank them for the years of joy they brought to your life, and put them out of their misery.

Yes, I spent 4 months and many thousands of dollars trying to keep my cat alive, but finally I realized that it was for me, and not for him, and all the treatments were just making him miserable.... so I just did what I could to make him comfortable and let him go....








.

[LAJ]

Originally Posted by sperbonzo

Yes, I spent 4 months and many thousands of dollars trying to keep my cat alive, but finally I realized that it was for me, and not for him, and all the treatments were just making him miserable.... so I just did what I could to make him comfortable and let him go....








.

Ugh I'm very sorry to hear that.

[Bird]

Some raw chicken livers or gizzards.