Elderly Cat Nutrition

My 15 year old cat Penny has gotten tiny.  Back in 2010, she was around 11 pounds.  By 2011, she was down to 9 pounds.  At my 2012 vet visit, she was down to 7.5 pounds.  This year in 2013, she was down to 6.5 pounds.  My old vet has said that she was fine.  She was just old.  That all being said, I still worry.

She is on a mostly wet diet these days.  I feed her Fussy Cat in the morning and Fancy Feast at night.  She is usually running when I get the cans out, but over the last couple of days, I've noticed she hasn't cared so much.  At the same time, I've been monitoring the box, and her stool seems very loose compared to before.

I'm wondering if the food is too rich.  What would you suggest for an elderly cat?  Should I switch to something else? Is this just what happens with an old cat?

I'm not familiar with Fussy Cat, but if you're feeding the Fancy Feast "classic" foods, they are great foods for Senior kitties. Cats' requirement for protein actually increase with age. This article is written by a small animal endocrine specialist. The article is about protein requirements for Senior cats: http://endocrinevet.blogspot.no/2011/11/optimal-protein-requirements-for-older.html

Senior cats need a high level of protein - and not just protein, but animal-based protein. The Fancy Feast classic line fits the bill really well. (The other Fancy Feast types of food have a lot of carbohydrates).

If your kitty likes egg yolk, you can feed her some as a treat several times a week. They're full of protein, are high calorie because they're fatty - but it's healthy fats, they're typically high in omega 3s, and many vitamins that are good for your kitty. :heart2:

vneidell said:

My 15 year old cat Penny has gotten tiny.  Back in 2010, she was around 11 pounds.  By 2011, she was down to 9 pounds.  At my 2012 vet visit, she was down to 7.5 pounds.  This year in 2013, she was down to 6.5 pounds.  My old vet has said that she was fine.  She was just old.  That all being said, I still worry.

She is on a mostly wet diet these days.  I feed her Fussy Cat in the morning and Fancy Feast at night.  She is usually running when I get the cans out, but over the last couple of days, I've noticed she hasn't cared so much.  At the same time, I've been monitoring the box, and her stool seems very loose compared to before.

I'm wondering if the food is too rich.  What would you suggest for an elderly cat?  Should I switch to something else? Is this just what happens with an old cat?

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I don't think this is really normal.  Usually a weight loss like this is indicative of something wrong, even though it is over a period of years.  Can you feel her backbone?  How about her shoulder bones and ribs?  Lots of older cats are actually overweight!  It probably IS true that a senior cat might lose some muscle mass due to not running around as much, but certainly they should not lose almost 1/2 their  body weight just due to old age

When you take her in for her annual exam, are they doing any blood tests on her to make sure she doesn't have issues with her kidneys, or diabetes or even thyroid problems?  If not, maybe it's time to get one one.

Also, if her stool seems a bit lose, you could see if she'll eat a little bit of plain yogurt.  Or give her some probiotics mixed right into her food.   I give mine probiotics every single day (many of us do).  Mine get the same ones I take.  I just open up a capsule and mix it into their food.  Each cat gets one capsule per day in my household. 

Thank you for the responses.  She has had blood tests, and she does not have diabetes.  In fact she was fine overall.  

I'm going to try some of the suggestions above.

She has eaten better the last two days.  Her stools are getting a bit better, but not what they were before.

Maybe some digestive enzymes to help nutrient absorption?

Or you could feed her more calorie dense food.