13 Year Old Maine Coon Mix Possibly Sick

I have a 13 year old male Maine Coon mix who's not eating much or drinking much. He hasn't pooped for a couple days (unsure how long as I have another cat too) and he's been very lethargic. I keep seeing him lick his lips like he wants to puke or has too much saliva in his mouth. He's even growled at me when I picked him up and when I pet him which is completely out of his normal behavior. And he's been avoiding me when normally I can't be in a room without him in it with me.

He's only ever had one issue and that was about a year and an half ago. He was having diarrhea and vomiting (with blood in it) constantly. He was medicated and recovered with no issues. We were however warned about his kidneys. The Vet said that there wasn't a problem quite yet but we would surely see it later. When I looked up the normal symptoms of kidney disease it said they drink a lot and pee lot due to being unable to hold the liquid anymore. I'm not seeing that in my cat. 

If possible I would like to avoid the Vet as there's no money in the budget for it at the moment, only if there's an emergency. 

Thanks for any advice you can give me!

Are there any low cost vet clinics in your area? You can look at this article for resources on how to get vet care with a limited budget: http://www.thecatsite.com/a/no-money-for-vet-care-how-to-find-help-and-save-your-cats-life

Lip smacking is a sign of nausea. Growling when picked up indicates a sensitive abdomen. I wonder if your cat has pancreatitis Only a vet can diganose pancreatitis with the fPLI test.

Not eating very much can result in fatty liver disease which may complicate whatever else your cat may have. Please try to get enough caloires into your cat. Canned food is more appealing than dry food. Try something in gravy or stinky seafood canned cat food.

While I understand all too well the difficulty of paying vet fees I am worried by what you are describing.   Despite your not seeing increased drinking or peeing the lip licking inicates nausea to me.  I had a look for information on kidney and thyroid problems and found this list on the Merrick Veterinary Groups's web pages.  

Only 25% of kidney capacity is needed for normal functioning. Therefore, no signs will be seen until approximately 75% of total kidney function is lost. It is important to begin treatment as soon as the first signs appear in order to prolong survival. The following is a list of the most common signs seen in cats with chronic renal failure:

• Increased/excessive urination (polyuria)
• Increased/excessive thirst (polydipsia)
• Nausea and gagging
• Licking/smacking lips
• Grinding or cracking sound in jaw
• Vomiting (both clear/foamy liquid and food)
• Excessive drooling
• Decreased or complete loss of appetite
• Constipation or lack of bowel movements
• Muscle loss/wasting
• Weight loss/emaciation
• Poor, dull or unkempt hair coat
• Halitosis (bad breath) and sores/ulcers in the mouth and on the tongue
• Extreme lethargy
• Eating litter or potting soil
• Weakness
• Depression
• Sudden onset blindness 
• Convulsion, low temperature, coma (end-stage)

Almost all of the symptoms listed above can also be indicative of other diseases, most commonly feline hyperthyroidism. In fact, hyperthyroidism may mask chronic renal failure, which points out the need for an accurate diagnosis with complete bloodwork and urinalysis. 

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Delay in seeing a vet could cause considerably more problems, potentially life threatening.

I lost 2 cats to kidney failure one was 16 one only 2 it can be hard to spot in time just thought the older cat was getting old plus had a 4 week old person baby with colic, but the younger cat was a faster onset never notice any litter box issues just the drinking

It could be a lot of different things. It could be something as easy for the vet to resolve as constipation. Usually the vet can palpitate the abdomen to see if there is a lot of stool. Sometimes a stool softener or more quickly comfortable for the cat, an enema by the vet. Constipated cats will vomit and will not eat because there isn't room in the digestive tract.

A blood test will tell you if it is kidney but not eating with a Maine Coon is serious business fast. Fatty liver is a big concern. The longer you wait the more expensive. Some vets take Care Credit which might help spread the payments.

Was replying to another thread and thought i'd ask if he could of eaten something ? Ihad a cat eat a button did lots of blood test before the Xray. Snip snip out came the button, unfortunately the kidney failure 2 year old was only a few days later.

Pancreatitis is what he was diagnosed with last time we took him to the vet. Is it common for it to come back like this?

Yes, pancreatitis can absolutely come back, and seemingly fairly sudden. I have a young cat with chronic pancreatitis issues. His is link to food allergies/intolerances. (*Note* He never has diarrhea or vomiting, though he does get nauseous and has inappetence/anorexia.)

Pancreatitis that is left untreated can lead to hepatic Lipidosis (fatty liver disease) due to lack of appetite. Basically, if the cat doesn't get enough daily calories, the liver begins to digest itself (painful!). The two conditions together, along with IBD (often associated with pancreatitis) is called Triaditis.

Often a course of Cerenia (for nausea), Metronidazole (antibiotic), Fluids, Mitrazapine (appetite stimulant) and supportive care like force feeding are required for Pancreatitis.

Thanks to everyone who posted here. I feel like an update is in order. I took my kitty to the vet on Tuesday. He had a physical exam when they found the mass on his kidney. Lymphoma. He lost too much weight from not eating (force feeding wasn't getting enough food into him) and he lost a considerable amount of muscle mass as well. He wasn't well in any form and was in a lot of pain. 

I made the decision to euthanize him. Surgery wasn't a good decision in his condition and even then it was only about 50/50 chance. Treatment in his condition wasn't a good idea either. 

He had 13 great years of love and being completely spoiled. 

Oh AnnaLeyah I am so sorry to hear this update! But, you absolutely made the right decision for him. Rest in peace sweet baby!

We would love for you to post a tribute on the Crossing the Bridge forum for your boy if/when you feel up to it.

http://www.thecatsite.com/f/19/crossing-the-bridge

Sending lots of love to you!!

oh man...I'm so sorry. Having just made the same decision for nearly the same reason, I understand the heartbreak.

So very sorry to read this update.  The TCS Team offers our condolences.  We'll lock the thread now out of respect for your loss, and we invite you to post a tribute to your sweet kitty in our Crossing the Bridge thread.