Is my cat getting old or could he be sick?

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grimfyre

grimfyre

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I have a cat who is approx 13 years old. He's an Orange Tabby.

This previous Sunday out of nowhere he began to act differently.
 

He no longer greeted me with a stream of meow's when i got home sunday night. (Which he always does)
 

He wont eat any of his hard food and only takes a couple bites of his canned food, He wont eat his favorite treat but he does drink a lot.
 

He seems very weak and cannot move around much and even seemed to have a problem sitting down a few minutes ago.
 

His mouth keeps getting covered in a black colored substance that we keep washing off with a wash cloth.
 

I'm not sure if he's just aging or if something worse is happening. Any advice?
 
pinkdagger

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None of those things sounds normal, even for aging cats. Each of those individual things warrants a visit to the vet, and especially since he's exhibiting all of those, I would get him to one ASAP.

If he hasn't had one done, most cats over age 10 are recommended to have a geriatric blood panel done as well.
 
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grimfyre

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He hasn't been to the Vet in quite some time. I just hope they dont accuse me of neglect. I got him from another family a while back and they said he had his shots and everything done.
 
pinkdagger

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Ideally, cats could visit the vet annually, and this can get more important with age because there are lots of things happening that you can't see. Don't feel like you have to be on the defense - you're there for help, and they're there to help you. It doesn't do the cat any good for anyone to point fingers when you're all involved to help him feel better and provide him a good quality of life. Doing something now is better than never doing anything at all!

A good vet will always be willing to help. Our 10 year old hadn't seen a vet in maybe 6 years, and I was finally able to convince my boyfriend to take him in for an infrequent poop problem. Despite not having a history to carry over from the previous vet who did a physical diagnosis, the vet and staff were helpful and kind. Owners usually do the best they can, and if they're seeing a vet at all, they're doing better than some owners whose cats never see a vet for their lifetime.
 
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hexiesfriend

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he is getting older and needs a check up every year. He needs to see a vet ASAP now though especially if he's not eating. please make sure he is getting water. The vet will let you take him in on a walkin basis if you tell the vet he had stopped eating and is in trouble.
 
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grimfyre

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pinkdagger said:
 
Ideally, cats could visit the vet annually, and this can get more important with age because there are lots of things happening that you can't see. Don't feel like you have to be on the defense - you're there for help, and they're there to help you. It doesn't do the cat any good for anyone to point fingers when you're all involved to help him feel better and provide him a good quality of life. Doing something now is better than never doing anything at all!

A good vet will always be willing to help. Our 10 year old hadn't seen a vet in maybe 6 years, and I was finally able to convince my boyfriend to take him in for an infrequent poop problem. Despite not having a history to carry over from the previous vet who did a physical diagnosis, the vet and staff were helpful and kind. Owners usually do the best they can, and if they're seeing a vet at all, they're doing better than some owners whose cats never see a vet for their lifetime.
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Thanks for the advice, I'm contacting a local Vet as we speak.
 
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grimfyre

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Well it turned out Pumpkin had a kidney failure. ...

We had to have him put down so he wouldn't suffer anymore....

 
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