Senior cat not eating and losing weight.

Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear that Robyn is having these problems.

I get really concerned when a cat doesn't want to eat, especially an older cat. This almost always means that there is a medical problem.

The most common problem that older cats get is kidney disease. The way to diagnose this is to have your vet do some blood tests on him. There are some things we can do to help animals with kidney disease. However, ultimately there is no cure.

Some types of cancers can cause a lack of appetite and weight loss as well. So can heart disease, but usually this is combined with difficulties in breathing normally.

It is also possible that there is some infection present. Does Robyn go outside? If so, he may have been in a fight with another cat. This can be treated with antibiotics from your vet.

It is really important to have Robyn checked out soon. If a cat goes a few days without eating then they are at risk for getting a serious problem called fatty liver.

Until you can get to the vet you can try heating up some canned food, adding warm water to make canned food soupy or offering small amounts of baby food.

I hope he is ok!

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---



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