I have a 16 year old cat who suddenly stopped eating this past spring. All these years she's eaten her hard food without a problem but when she stopped we didn't notice right away because our other cat was still eating it. It was only when we noticed she had dramatically lost weight that we realized she wasn't eating.
She was begging for food so we started giving her wet food, which she'll eat a few bites of and then leave. The vet checked her teeth and said they were fine and suggested her stomach wasn't working like it should so we've been giving her steroid pills. That seemed to work for a bit but now it doesn't seem like it is.
She only seems to want to eat "special" foods...that is, what would normally be a treat. Such as meat from our meals - chicken, beef....she'll eat those no problem. But I'm still concerned about meeting her nutritional needs. That and once she's had something for a while she gets tired of it and won't eat it anymore.
She doesn't even beg for food anymore.
The thing is, she doesn't seem like she's in pain or hungry or uncomfortable. She seems perfectly happy. Her eyes are alert and clear...she's just so skinny. I know even older humans tend to lose their appetites (my grandma hardly eats - but at least she knows she *should*) but the last thing I want is my best friend for most of my life to starve herself to death.
What should I do???
[PS - I created a new thread for this rather than posting in the other "my cat won't eat" thread because that one seemed to pertain strictly to an adopted stray cat, whereas this is a pretty different situation so I thought this would be best...]
She was begging for food so we started giving her wet food, which she'll eat a few bites of and then leave. The vet checked her teeth and said they were fine and suggested her stomach wasn't working like it should so we've been giving her steroid pills. That seemed to work for a bit but now it doesn't seem like it is.
She only seems to want to eat "special" foods...that is, what would normally be a treat. Such as meat from our meals - chicken, beef....she'll eat those no problem. But I'm still concerned about meeting her nutritional needs. That and once she's had something for a while she gets tired of it and won't eat it anymore.
She doesn't even beg for food anymore.
The thing is, she doesn't seem like she's in pain or hungry or uncomfortable. She seems perfectly happy. Her eyes are alert and clear...she's just so skinny. I know even older humans tend to lose their appetites (my grandma hardly eats - but at least she knows she *should*) but the last thing I want is my best friend for most of my life to starve herself to death.
What should I do???
[PS - I created a new thread for this rather than posting in the other "my cat won't eat" thread because that one seemed to pertain strictly to an adopted stray cat, whereas this is a pretty different situation so I thought this would be best...]
