Have question on what to look for in senior cat to identify illness

georgiesmommy

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I have a question for everyone, my senior cat Squiggly is 12, he has been an indoor only cat his whole life ( we got him when he was 5 weeks old, his mom got hit by a car) and a picky eater his whole life (will eat dry food but really prefers the canned kind with turkey and cheese and people food) and been a grumpy old man his whole life too lol you can never pet him too long or he gets annoyed...my question is, now that he is 12 is there anything I should be looking for that may signal he is no longer quiet so healthy? He has been drooling more than usual but he does have some teeth that need looking at..he has always been a drooler but usually only when he is super content, now its almost everyday...he drinks normal eats normal behaves normal but I want to be aware..life without him simply is NOT an option at only 12
 

cprcheetah

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I have a 14 year old and I keep an eye on her. she quit eating her normal amount of food, so to me that signalled a problem. You my noticed more sleeping, grumpy when picked up, hiding, those can indicate issues. my kitt has arthritis so I have to be careful when I pick her up.
 

stephenq

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Depending on the context, drooling could be an indication of stress, but in your situation that seems unlikely.  I would be concerned about a tooth infection or tooth or mouth pain. He should see a vet as soon as possible.

Other things to look for in an older cat include loss of appetite, loss of energy, drinking a lot of water, unexpected weight gain or loss or and change to behavior.  Postering (holding oneself in a slightly unusual position) can indicate a problem, and hiding is another sign.

One of the best ways to cacth things early is by weighing your cat with a pet scale.  A slow but steady change in weight, (especially weight loss) will be picked up by a scale way before you see the change visually.  If a cat is losing weight, even 1 to 2 ounces a week over 2 or more weeks, time to see the vet.
 
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georgiesmommy

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here then lies my concern about not being able to spot something to be concerned about...he has ALWAYS disliked being picked up and held..petted he loves to an extent but being held not really...he has ALWAYS been fairly thin and not a big eater...he has ALWAYS been a sleeper and a hider when things don't go the way he likes them to..he is what you would call a nervous cat ..from what i hear could be his genetic make up he is part Siamese ans part orange american stripped tabby..so i wonder if i can tell if anything is wrong?
 

stephenq

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Well no one knows your cat better than you, and most of what i described involved observation not handling.   And regardless, you have already observed a problem with his drooling and that deserves a vet visit, not only because he is likely in distress but because a visit now could save you a lot more trouble and $$$ later.  Also, given his age he needs at least a once yearly vet visit for an exam and blood work.  Both of those things are likely to find problems before you notice symptoms, like kidney disease, etc.  God luck and please take him to your vet.
 
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georgiesmommy

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Thank you I am plannign a vet visit this coming holiday weekend for a wellness check and maybe a teeth cleaning if thats a possibility
 

mservant

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Good advice so far and pleased your heading to a vet soon. 

I had 2 pensioner cats until a few years ago: one bouncy and active but vet phobic and no chance of vet visits unless she was critically ill, and the other stiff and arthritic but a lush at the vet surgery.... 

Hind quarters starting to look less muscular and thinner maybe walking more stiffly with back arched a bit and more on toes would indicate back pain and or arthritis.  Starting to shuffle a bit to lay down on the floor or in a bed, looking even more for soft spots and comfy places at floor level that don't have to be climbed up to.  Jumping less and starting to scramble up or use furniture to get up to higher places in stages until they can't even manage the smaller stepped stages any more.

Changes in eyes, any shaking of the eyes or differences between pupil sizes can indicate neurological issues.  Cloudiness, and or very open unresponsive pupils that don't change even in bright light can also indicate things like cataracts or blindness.  Eyes can show damage from bleeds in the brain as well as in the retina, and can happen as a result of things like high blood pressure that are very hard to detect other than at your vet check ups. Don't think you can tell if your cat has lost his vision because they are very intelligent and resourceful, and even with full sight they rely much more on other senses like smell and whisker touch to get about - both my girls were blind before I knew about it - if sight has reduced significantly and they are reorienting you might notice them walking close to furniture and walls as they are using their whiskers to feel their way about.  If it goes suddenly they struggle much more.

As others have said, and you are aware, changes in eating and drinking show signs of various things, and so can volume and the way that your cat pees so if he starts to spray urine or the pressure reduces this can also be a sign all is not well for him.  Or not using litter which is an immediate concern like with cats of any age.

The list could go on and the changes can be subtle so like stefanz says, you know your cat.  You may arrive at the vet surgery sounding like a hypochondriac imagining your cat twitched his ear differently to how he did last month or he's stopped holding his tail up high when you come in the door but who else is going to look out for him?  

He sounds precious and I hope your cat gets a good clean bill of health when you go along to the vet, other than perhaps a bit of a dental clean up. If you can keep him with a healthy mouth, at a healthy weight, well nourished, and with a bit of daily exercise you are being a good human friend for him and hopefully he will be with you for many years to come.
 

betsygee

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I have a 17 year old senior going to the vet tomorrow because of sudden changes--he pooped on the carpet!  He's never done that before.  He meows more, seems more agitated.  Yesterday he vomited up his breakfast.  It may be a temporary thing but at his age....off to the vet he goes!
 
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georgiesmommy

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I will watch him to make sure I don't see any painful walking or sleeping in low places..right now he is still climbing onto the couch arm and back to sleep :) he has always used and not used the litter box depending on his mood..i am hoping for at least another 12 years of good health :) and bestygee I really hope your baby comes home with a clean bill of health..i too have one cat that is a constant crier hence his name Chion (im not spelling it right i know but its pronounced Chee -own and means cry baby in Spanish lol)
 

mservant

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Yip, I am with you Betsygee, and I hope his visit goes OK.  
 Our seniors deserve respect and prompt care where ever possible, .  I took Pal straight away and far more, even for for itty bitty stuff, the longer she stayed with me.  It is so lovely that @georgiesmommy and others want to look out for signs of illness and get changes checked out for more mature cats , and hopefully catch things before an older cat is really obviously sick.
 

betsygee

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I didn't mean to hijack your thread with my kitty story 
  LOL  I was thinking about things I noticed that changed--"talking" more, eliminating differently than usual, more agitated or nervous than normal, weight loss...

I think it's very cool you're asking the questions now to be on the look out now for potential problems.  As others have said, you know your cat and will know when something doesn't seem "right"!
 
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georgiesmommy

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thank you Mservant and Bestygee I just really love him very much..as I do all my cats but he is a very special member of our family having with with us the longest and I do not want to feel like I did when I lost Georgie that I could have should have if he should get sick and pass..I want to know we all did every single thing we possibly could but it will just be my baby's time :')

 
 

mservant

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Hoping you have many more years with your Squiggly.  I know I've missed plenty with my cats in the past and learned hard lessons.  With regular vet checks, knowing your cat well and watching for changes as best you can, and last but not least offering plentiful tender loving care, you will be doing everything anybody could.  Squiggly is a very lucky cat.  
 
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