leebee
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 14, 1999
We have 2 cats, brothers, strictly indoor cats, that are 17 years old. We've had them since they were kittens, and they have always been healthy cats, weighing around 15 pounds for most of their adult lives. Neither of these cats has ever been picky about food- in fact, they are quite the opposite. If there's food left down, they gobble it up. About 4 months ago, one of them (Potter) started seeming to be picky about eating, not finishing his food, etc. It's gotten to the point where he will hardly eat anything at all. I have tried a variety of wet and dry foods in a variety of flavors, but he won't eat much of anything anymore, not even bites/licks of his favorite people-foods (yogurt, cheese strands, roast chicken). We offer fresh food all the time, but I don't think he eats a tablespoon of dry food and 1-2 tablespoons of wet food (thinned to soup consistency with water) a day, total, although he is still drinking the usual amount of water. We've been to the vet and she says his teeth are fine. She did some blood work and said she doesn't suspect renal or hepatic failure, cancer, etc. She says he's just old, this is the way it goes sometimes, and that we'll know when it's time to help him cross the Rainbow Bridge if he doesn't outright pass away. My husband pressed for details (what should we look for) and she just kept saying, "You'll know."
Potter is down to about 9 pounds. I can hold him, palpate his tummy, etc., and he doesn't react against this, so it doesn't seem like he's in pain or distress. He is very skinny through the hips and backbone, and his gait is slow and a little wobbly, although he still seems to jump up on the couch easily and gets in and out of the litter box. He spends most of his day sleeping, but will move from place to place as the sun shifts and warms a new sleeping spot, and he'll still chase a flashlight when we play with him (although more slowly, but he's 17). I can see that he's aged in the past few months, and is slowing down, but he doesn't seem to be suffering at all... but he really won't eat. I just spent an hour coaxing, offering different food options, etc., and got him to eat two crunchy treats. He clearly is dwindling. Although we lost cats when I was growing up, these were indoor/outdoor cats who simply disappeared, or were hit by vehicles- I have no experiences with losing elderly cats. HOW will I know if it's time for us to intervene, to prevent him suffering needlessly?
Potter is down to about 9 pounds. I can hold him, palpate his tummy, etc., and he doesn't react against this, so it doesn't seem like he's in pain or distress. He is very skinny through the hips and backbone, and his gait is slow and a little wobbly, although he still seems to jump up on the couch easily and gets in and out of the litter box. He spends most of his day sleeping, but will move from place to place as the sun shifts and warms a new sleeping spot, and he'll still chase a flashlight when we play with him (although more slowly, but he's 17). I can see that he's aged in the past few months, and is slowing down, but he doesn't seem to be suffering at all... but he really won't eat. I just spent an hour coaxing, offering different food options, etc., and got him to eat two crunchy treats. He clearly is dwindling. Although we lost cats when I was growing up, these were indoor/outdoor cats who simply disappeared, or were hit by vehicles- I have no experiences with losing elderly cats. HOW will I know if it's time for us to intervene, to prevent him suffering needlessly?