Should I take him to the vet?

sydasaur

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jun 22, 2015
Messages
3
Purraise
1
My cat, Oliver, has been acting strange lately. He is going to be turning 10 within the next few weeks and it's freaking me out that we are having issues with him.

Oliver is about 21 lbs, which is big and I have no idea if his weight is causing these symptoms.

Over the past 2 days I have found 5 of his whiskers in his usual hangout spot. Ive found 3-4 between last week and the end of May. Just recently I've noticed him panting almost, like it was hard for him to catch his breath. He also sneezes but not frequently enough to be noticed by anyone besides me. Three days ago he started this almost cough. It sounds like a cough but it is not very loud and it does not seem deep like it is from his lungs or caused by a hairball. He also snores but he's done that for as long as I can remember and I'm pretty sure it's because of his size and I have not noticed any dramatic changes to the litterbox situation.

Behavior wise he has never been the social butterfly of my family. He attacks almost everyone on sight (except me) but lately he has just been camping out and staying away from people (including me sometimes). Over the past 2 weeks he has been becoming more introverted and he has started changing his normal spots. Which I think is a big deal for a cat. I might be looking for him and find him laying in a spot he has never even glanced at before.

I am ashamed to say that Oliver is the weight he is today most likely because of the fact he has no claws. I WAS SIX YEARS OLD HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW TO STOP MY PARENTS! He never really played after that and just laid around and ate. It's sad to watch him so depressed he doesn't even stand up to eat he just lays infront of his bowl and reaches his neck when he does stand up his legs shake or he has to take breaks to lay down. I wish we could do something about this but when we try to stick to feeding him at certain times everyone in the househd normally ends up with scars on their legs.

Any advice would be great. I know some of the symptoms aren't related but any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

momofmaxwell

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Oct 5, 2014
Messages
388
Purraise
61
Location
BC CANADA
Have you thought of getting a timed feeder for your kitty? Weight loss in cats has to be so slow.1/2 lb per month is safe or they can quickly go into liver failure.If you have multiple kitties if yours is microchipped they make them so it will only open for him/her.Just google automatic feeders.And yes being too big does make them feel ill.If you notice any open mouth breathing that is an emerg.Most people use a baby scale available via amazon for about $50.00 roughly.Make sure you get one that has lge openings so his face is not squished in there to eat.Kitties do not like to be squished.Also you can go with a light food that is lower in calories.There is a way .You just have to persevere otherwise I'm afraid other things like diabetes,early arthritis etc can occur.They gain weight quite quickly but losing has to be very gradual and he will thank you for it in the long run.Good luck! Hugs C.i used to weigh the food out on a weigh scale from walmart for food.digital for around $20
 

denverwriter22

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jun 14, 2015
Messages
28
Purraise
4
I would definitely take Oliver to the vet.  The sneezing and coughing and behavior changes all indicate that something is going on.  

You can discuss a weight-loss plan with your vet.  I've had several friends use the prescription Hill's weight-loss food with great results.  

Oliver may be laying down at his bowl because he hurts.  Has he been checked for arthritis?  It is quite common in older kitties, especially overweight ones.  An x-ray will be able to tell you if he has arthritis, and treatment isn't expensive for it.  

I hope he is all right.  Please keep us posted?
 

mrsgreenjeens

Every Life Should Have Nine Cats
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
16,390
Purraise
7,127
Location
Arizona
Yes, indeed, sounds like something is amiss.  Hiding is very indicative that he doesn't feel well.  The sneezing and coughing could be allergies, but could be something else too.  Coughing alone can be signs of heart issues, as could panting, but panting can also be from his being overweight.  It's so hard to know, especially when the cat is SO overweight. 

As you know, he really needs to lose weight.  This is a matter of life or death....HIS!  Here is a thread about Mickey, who weighed a whopping 27 lbs when his diet began.  It should be inspirational to you:  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/245236/mickey-my-27-lbs-foster-and-his-journey-back-to-a-healthy-weight

I also had an overweight cat, and the only way i got him to lose weight was to stop free feeding ALL my cats and put everyone on wet food so each one gets their own servings and I know exactly how many calories each one eats, including treats.  We did this AFTER trying diet cat foods, prescription weight loss foods, etc. 
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

sydasaur

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jun 22, 2015
Messages
3
Purraise
1
We never took him to the vet. But we called and got a prescription cat food and strict dietary guidelines and info given to us. He has lost 2.2lbs in the past month! He looks better and acts so much better already! No begging all day and other people can actually touch him without being bitten. It makes me so happy to see him doing so much better! :woohoo:
 

mrsgreenjeens

Every Life Should Have Nine Cats
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
16,390
Purraise
7,127
Location
Arizona
That's good news that he's losing weight and becoming social again.  How is his sneezing and coughing doing.  Is that slowing down?   Did you mention that during the phone consult?  Did they think that might be allergies? 

BTW, did the Vet talk to you and/or your family about not letting him lose weight too quickly.  With cats it can be tricky....especially obese cats.  If they lose too quickly, they can develop liver issues, which can be fatal.  Typically they shouldn't lose more than 2% of their body weight per week, at the most.  
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

sydasaur

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jun 22, 2015
Messages
3
Purraise
1
I have great news about Oliver! He is down to a healthy weight for a 10 year old cat. :clap:
He was on a prescription diet by RoyalCanin for Almost a year. I'm not sure what to do now though.

My vet suggested to either keep him on the food and give him a higher amount of calories per day to maintain weight, but that just doesn't seem to be an option due to its $50 rate per 7 lb bag. So I went to my local pet store yesterday and picked up some purina one healthy metabolism food, but it is one hundred calories more than what his old food was suggesting for his weight. (Old food suggested~350 purina suggested~ 445). My worry is whether this is healthy and if it could cause his to regain his weight??.?

As for his behavior since he's been on his diet. Personally, I have never seen him as outgoing or cuddly before. He follows me around, sits on the couch with me, and even plays with my two dogs daily. I'm still slightly concerned because he still begs for food a few hours before its time for him to eat. I don't know how to make him satisfied with his meals or what food to even put him on to keep his weight the same.
 

rubysmama

Forum Helper
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
25,278
Purraise
62,759
Location
Canada
Congratulations on getting Oliver down to a healthy weight.  


Can you check with your vet for their suggestion on how much of the new food you should feed Oliver a day?  

Good luck.   Any chance of seeing a picture of Oliver?
 

misterwhiskers

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 7, 2014
Messages
2,013
Purraise
714
Any chance maybe that you can get something maybe a little better than Purina dry? My cats weight has totally ballooned on it. FYI Purina ONE indoor advantage formula has more calories than the hairball formulas--which sounds backwards.

If you stay with the Purina, just cut back on the recommended feeding amount. My vet told me to put my chunky monkey on 1/4-1/2 c a day, far far less than Purina recommends. He's almost 16 pounds which is literally a 2-3 pound increase in just a little over a year. Congrats on getting Oliver to a healthy weight and it was hugely motivational to see your update. So thank you!
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,886
Purraise
28,287
Location
South Dakota
Keep him to the same calories, or a little bit more if you don't want him losing any more weight. Don't go by the recommendations---every cat has different caloric needs! Just go by what he needs.
 
Top