My cat is 2yrs old, but....

Hello all, I am worried about my cat.  He has been very lethargic lately, when just a month ago, he was full of life and chasing his toys and a laser I bought for him to really get some running in.  He's an indoor only cat, and I have been feeding him Purina Cat Chow Indoor formula.  I have been going through this web site some, and have been reading that the dry food I have been giving him is not good at all.  This is something that I did not know.

Now my cat just sits and sleeps for hours on end, barely wanting to play or anything.  He's still a very loving cat, but after a few minutes, walks off and lays back down.  He doesn't even sleep, I can see his eyes open and looks at me when I move around.

I'm worried that the food I bought is the culprit.  I didn't know the Purina was not a good brand to feed him because of the lack protein, and higher concentration of filler.  What am I to look for in dry cat food?  Should I mix in some wet food instead?  I don't have much money for a vet visit right now, which is why I am asking online.  I just want to try and do my best for my little guy.

If your cat is suddenly acting lethargic and not like his usual self, I'd get him to a vet right away. Ask the vet for payment plans, or ask friends and family to let you borrow money. Or sign up for CareCredit, it's a credit card for vet bills (and other things related to health).

On that note, yes, switch his food right away. If you can afford it, feed him only wet food. It's better for his urinary health. You don't want to have to pay a $2000 vet bill like I did when my cat got urinary crystals after feeding him Meow Mix dry. Not fun at all, for the both of us!

Do you know how much he weighs? Maybe he gained a lot of weight from the dry food. It's known to add lbs on cats.

Since the symptoms are acute, I don't think it was the dry food, although it would be prudent to feed wet food.

The lethargy is a bit concerning, though. Can you find a vet that has a free first exam? I think the vet will probably want blood and urine tests, but the free first exam will help. Here's an article about different strategies for affording a vet:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/when-you-cant-afford-a-veterinarian

Hello Molldee and thank you.  After doing some reading, I ran down to the store and bought some wet food.  He was at the bowl already eating the dry and immediately went to the wet food as soon as I presented it to him.  I am so sorry to hear about what happened to your cat, but I am glad the kitty is doing better (hopefully!).  As far as your question for his weight, he looks to be about 10lbs.  He's not a big cat at all really.  Is there a brand of wet food that I can buy at the local chain grocery store or Petco?  ( I think it's Petco in my area, I forget.)

molldee said:

 
If your cat is suddenly acting lethargic and not like his usual self, I'd get him to a vet right away. Ask the vet for payment plans, or ask friends and family to let you borrow money. Or sign up for CareCredit, it's a credit card for vet bills (and other things related to health).

On that note, yes, switch his food right away. If you can afford it, feed him only wet food. It's better for his urinary health. You don't want to have to pay a $2000 vet bill like I did when my cat got urinary crystals after feeding him Meow Mix dry. Not fun at all, for the both of us!

Do you know how much he weighs? Maybe he gained a lot of weight from the dry food. It's known to add lbs on cats.

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What's your budget? How much do you want to spend a month? I would feed him the best wet food you can afford. If not, don't feel bad feeding something like Friskies pates. Any wet food is better than dry. (In some instances, dry can be better, but they tend to be REALLY expensive)

papadragon said:

 
Hello Molldee and thank you.  After doing some reading, I ran down to the store and bought some wet food.  He was at the bowl already eating the dry and immediately went to the wet food as soon as I presented it to him.  I am so sorry to hear about what happened to your cat, but I am glad the kitty is doing better (hopefully!).  As far as your question for his weight, he looks to be about 10lbs.  He's not a big cat at all really.  Is there a brand of wet food that I can buy at the local chain grocery store or Petco?  ( I think it's Petco in my area, I forget.)

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You are very lucky that he took to the wet food right away. Many others have had to bribe and coax their kitties for months or even a year or so.

For budget wet choices, you can try Fancy Feast classic line, Friskies pate, or Sheba. There are many more choices as you move up in price.

Haha, ya I bought the Friskies, just to get something for the next few days.  But thank you both for your prompt replies.  I have written down both of your suggestions as far as what to buy, and will start looking into the matter tomorrow.  I think he likes the Friskies though, he just came over and jumped into my lap and plopped a spot and purring while I was watching TV. 

Hi folks, I just wanted to drop a line for an update for my little guy.  Ever since I have switched his dry food to wet food of Sheba, he has been much more active.  Our play time has seen him become more involved, his movements sharper, following the string and other toys with some real interest and enthusiasm.  He likes to follow me more if I leave the room, and jumps onto higher items like my dresser and bed more than he did before he lost the energy he had before.  He purrs a lot now and just looks happier overall.  A lot of good information on this web site and I am glad I came to it for some basic research.  Thanks all

So nice of you to update us. I grew up with cats who always ate dry. Looking back each of my cats growing up didn't live that long. Each about seven years.

I think most people assume they are doing the right thing when they buy "cat food."

Datagrrl said:

So nice of you to update us. I grew up with cats who always ate dry. Looking back each of my cats growing up didn't live that long. Each about seven years.

I think most people assume they are doing the right thing when they buy "cat food."

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I tell you, they must have switched dry cat food in the decades past, because I had a cat for YEARS that only ate dry food and never once had a health problem.  Now a days, it seems like cat food companies have changed formula and said forget the animal, just feed them some garbage and they'll be happy. 

^^^ It is far cheaper to use plants/grains as a protein source rather than animal meats, even though cats are obligate carnivores, which means they must get their nutrients from meat sources. That's why the dry foods that use meats as their protein source and stay away from using grains are so expensive. Plus, all dry foods are moisture-depleted; cats were originally desert animals, therefore they lack a high enough thirst drive to prevent dehydration. Their natural diet is roughly 70% water; dry foods are avg. 10% if that. Lack of proper water content in the diet carries the risk of a host of health problems that are very expensive to treat, & painful for the cat to experience.

It's a shame that the companies that make pet foods put profit ahead of providing healthy, species appropriate foods for cats (and dogs too!). I don't know how the makers of junk like Meow Mix and the over-hyped Science Diet can sleep at night.