Keeping Weight on an Older Cat

Alafair, my 17 year old Russian Blue, has always been a small cat (she may have reached 6 pounds at her peak, but I'm doubtful), but she has gotten thinner as she has aged.  The last time she went to the vet was in November and if I recall correctly she was 5.1 lbs, but I think she has lost some since then.  This hasn't been a sudden thing at all, but more of a gradual loss over time.  Less than a pound may not seem like an enormous loss, but it's a bit more pronounced on a small kitty, and she has always been a slim one.

She had been free-fed dry food for most of her life and, naturally, ended up with kidney problems a few years ago.  I have been trying to get as much wet food in her as I can, but about 3 oz divided between two meals is the most that I can get her to eat without it sitting around for an extended period.  I keep dry food (NF kidney function) out for her at night and the portions of the day when I'm not here.  If I am here and leave the door open between the two cats they will try to eat each other's food, so I pick it up.  She definitely enjoys her meals when I give them to her, but she eats some and walks away from it. 

What are some ways that I can encourage her to eat more?  When she leaves her wet food unfinished I give her a few minutes, and place a couple of Organix cat treats (she loooves these!) in the food and she'll usually finish it.  The 1.5 oz at a time is pretty much her self-imposed limit though.  Should I try placing a few treats in her dry food to make a "find-the-treat" game and encourage her to eat more?  She also gets great joy out of sneaking in and trying to eat Stella's kitten food, but I prevent this because it makes her vomit if she gets more than a bite or so.  Should I try placing a few of the kitten kibbles in her food? 

In the fall of 2011 she stopped eating because of her kidney problems, but we were able to get her to come around with fluid shots.  On that occasion they gave her some appetite encouraging pills.  I still have some of them that I have kept around in case of an emergency when she stops eating altogether, but I believe they have expired by now.  Should I talk to the vet about including these regularly?

Or, is keeping her from eating dry food (because of her kidneys) more important than keeping weight on her?  If so, how can I solve this problem?  Are there any supplements that can be given that can increase appetite, or a kitty weight booster?  I know that many older kitties have similar problems, so what have you done?  She is still behaving normally, plays on occasion, and is eating, so it doesn't seem like a big emergency or anything.  I just don't want her to wither away to nothing!

Hi DuckDodgers!

Before I forget, just a comment on those appetite stimulant tablets you have....expired/not may well not be an issue. By law, manufacturers must designate expiry dates.....these are commonly set very much ahead of any date based on practicality - if you want reassurance, bring them to your own pharmacist (a disinterested, qualified third party) and ask what/if any reason there might be NOT to use them now. (I think that, at worst, they might have lost a little potency - IF they were a few years past exp date)

On the adequate nutrition questions (and, I would be using appetite stimulants), if you can handle it (the reading) I would strongly advise you to spend some time here http://www.felinecrf.org/nutritional_requirements.htm#calorie_needs - specifically on these three short paragraphs: "Physiological Needs", "Weight & Body Condition" and "Calorie Needs".

Then, once you have those concepts as a foundation, there's a whole area on increasing caloric intake - many practical ideas/tips/proven techniques -  it's all here: http://www.felinecrf.org/persuading_cat_to_eat.htm

Too often, as you say, they do "wither" and waste away.......needlessly, though.

(You might consider joining the online group affiliated with that website - I can tell you from personal experience, they offer a wealth of experience dealing with all issues "kidney". There's a link to the group on the homepage of that site - BUT, get the basics down first from those links above)

Vit B12 injections can help improve appetite, maybe ask your vet about starting her on that if you haven't tried it already. Also, what is the wet food that she eats? If a renal diet, I'd suggest ditching that and going with something healthier and more appealing - offering her a variety, if possible, while keeping an eye on the phosphorus levels: http://www.catinfo.org/docs/FoodChartPhosphorus9-22-12.pdf

When my CKD kitty gets picky, I sprinkle some 100% freeze-dried meat treat powder on top of his wet food.

Do you still give Alafair subQ fluids? If not, and her lab results warrant it, that could help her feel better and increase her appetite.

Thanks for the information!  I did a quick overview on the sites, and I'll do some more detailed reading over the weekend.  The appetite stimulants have been expired since last October or so (a year since they were prescribed), so I don't think they would hurt her.  I just figured that if they should become a regular thing that I would get some more.  Like I said, I've been hanging on to them in the event that she just decides to not eat altogether.  I came home one day to find that she had not touched her food and was about to pop one in her, but she ate willingly after I stuck treats into it

How often would vitamin B-12 shots need to be administered?  Is there a way to administer B-12 orally?  I know they have She is not an easy cat at all to get a needle into.  Despite being so little she is a very squirrely creature who will squirm, twist, and lash out with her back claws (she doesn't have any in front) to avoid shots.  It's really not a one person job, which is part of the reason why I won't do frequent fluid injections with her.  If it got to the point where daily injections were necessary for her to have a quality of life I would likely not make her keep going.  I know that they have pills for dosing humans- while the dosages could be radically different for a cat, is the option there?

As far as canned food, she only occasionally gets the canned NF.  She gets a variety of foods, but the majority is friskies pate (the non-seafood varieties), and Grreat Choice poultry platter.  Other frequent meals include nutro max cat, fancy feast classics, and probably something that I'm forgetting.  I like to occasionally give them things such as Soulistic (both cats love the meaty pieces) and a few others, but they are quite pricey.  I have been trying to keep at less than $1 per 5.5 oz can to stay in budget, but if it is necessary to make a change I may be able to get my parents to help out.  Since they got her when I was four years old, she's the only one of my animals that my parents will pay anything for.  What are some affordable options that I should consider?

Thanks again, folks!