Very old cat

I wonder if there is a supplement I could feed to one of my very old cats which would make him absorb more nutrients from the food he eats.  He is always hungry and although I feed him, alot, (canned cat food, tuna, canned chicken and dry food), he seems to not be putting on weight.  He has gone from 12 lbs to 7.5 lbs over the past few years.  He is a Russian Blue and is definitely 15+.    Since he is probably in his end years, I won't take him to the vet for this.  Wonder if someone has some information to share.

When was the last time he was at the vet? Older cats need at minimum blood work once a year as they are very prone to both kidney disease and hyperthyrodism. Being very hungry but losing weight is a very common symptom of hyper-t. Please get him to the vet ASAP. You can put him on meds for this and by not treating it you are allowing him to suffer. 15 is NOT that old for a cat. My cat is 14 and runs around like a kitten. 

It may be due to hyperthyroidism. That makes their bodies run fast, basically, so it really speeds up the metabolism. The medication for it isn't expensive, but it would require a vet visit and bloodwork to diagnose.

Feeding higher-calorie foods can help. Kitten food or a particularly meat-rich brand might have more calories than what you're currently feeding him.

Thank you for mentioning that the medication is not expensive - I will give it some thought - I  have 9 animals - I will definitely go to the vet if an animal is in pain, or has something that can be remedied.

Going from 12 lbs. to 7.5 lbs. is DEFINITELY reason to take him to the vet.  I have an 18-year-old and she still weighs the same as she did her whole adult life, 8 lbs.  Her last blood work was a little over one year ago because she needed dental care, and it was all normal which was good to know.  Hyperthyroid not only causes constant hunger and weight loss but can cause high blood pressure which can cause blindness and kidney damage.  I understand that vets are expensive and I too have multiple cats, but I would definitely get any of my old cats tested if he/she had lost that much weight and was constantly hungry.  It's worth the money not to lose them from something that may be easily corrected, or to know that they have something that can NOT be corrected or helped such as cancer.

Vet visit ASAP!!!

Why is he suffering?

Losing that much weight in a few years is a major red flag...it's easy to speculate online what might be wrong with him, but you won't know for sure until you take him to the vet.  He could be in pain and you might not be aware of it, since cats are good at hiding their pain.  Bottom line- take him to the vet to see if there is a fixable problem.  If for some reason it turns out there is nothing medically fixable- at least you know that you did all that you could to try and help him.

Here is a link to Conscious Cat magazine's article "Age Is Not A Disease" which also has a link to Dr. Kris Chandroo's article about his own 19-year-old cat.  Dr. Kris is a fellow Canadian and  practices at Orleans Veterinary Hospital in Ottowa.  http://consciouscat.net/2015/01/14/age-is-not-a-disease/ and she has a related article called "Aging Cats: What is Normal, What is Disease?" at the following link.  http://consciouscat.net/2016/08/08/aging-cats-normal-disease/

Cats as part of aging do lose weight but the percentage of weight loss is a lot. I had one got from 15 to 12 as she got older I think thats about 20%. We tested and tested her and there was nothing wrong with her other than turning 15.I think at least a blood test is in order to check out if anything is going on.

Thank you for the video and the web site.   I looked and learned some information.  

Egg yolks are good for boosting calories in old, declining cats.  They are packed full of vitamins and amino acids too.  Just make sure to thoroughly separate the yolk from the white first, as you don't want to give him any of the white whatsoever.  

I've asked you "How is my cat suffering?"

He couldn't have worms, could he?  As an off-chance kind of thought..... 

Jenny2035 said:

 
I've asked you "How is my cat suffering?"

Click to expand...

My senior cat has hyperthyroidism along with chronic kidney disease and now high blood pressure, but the hyperthyroidism was first, and exactly as you describe, she was active, playful, spunky and had a great, beyond great appetite yet was slowly losing weight.

Hyper-t is extremely common in senior cats, if money is a big issue then although I highly recommend a full blood panel, you can ask for just the T4 blood test, which is $25.00. The methimazole I use is transdermal, so it goes on her inner ear since she is a pain to pill, methimazole is not expensive.

I wouldn't say that untreated hyper-t causes suffering, but I can tell you what it can and will cause, ALL organs including heart are working double time causing much strain on them and will damage.

Untreated can cause stroke, blindness, heart failure, kidney/liver failure, and your cat may easily have a good 5 more years of life.

It's not a big deal to treat, but a very big deal not to treat.

Just my two-cents, bet this is what is going on.