Best supplement to fatten an elderly cat?

I was wondering what you thought might be good to feed an elderly cat to supplement his diet and help him keep weight on.

This is a family cat who's 15 and toward the end of his life. He goes to the vet a lot and is being closely observed, but basically he's had a persistent health problem and due to either that or age has been losing weight at a rate of pound or two a year. But he's happy and acts normally, and just seems to stay alive and in good spirits in defiance of the vet's predictions.

He is a massively framed cat and weighed 20 pounds throughout adulthood, with a voracious appetite spurred on by the steroids he takes for his condition. Now he's down to about 14 pounds and is feeling bony. He's lost some teeth and can no longer eat dry food. He's down to just wet food, which he eats a reasonable amount of, but nothing like what he used to. I was thinking that a milk-type or liquid supplement would help him, since he can drink easily. Would something like CatSip be best, or can you feed KMR to a senior cat? With the latter I'm concerned that the nutrient mix meant for a kitten would not be good for a senior cat.

I would just continue to feed him an excellent quality wet food. You can ask the vet about extra vitamins or something. Was the vet really concrned about the weight loss or more so that he is sick? The weight loss may not be able to be stopped if it is from his illness. I would also offer dry food. You would be suprised. I have known quite a few cats with no teeth at all that prefer dry food. Most cats don't chew their dry food much anyways.

Do to his health condition you will want to clear any diet changes with your vet. I think the addition of salmon oil to the diet would be beneficial though.

Originally Posted by Jen

I would just continue to feed him an excellent quality wet food. You can ask the vet about extra vitamins or something. Was the vet really concrned about the weight loss or more so that he is sick? The weight loss may not be able to be stopped if it is from his illness. I would also offer dry food. You would be suprised. I have known quite a few cats with no teeth at all that prefer dry food. Most cats don't chew their dry food much anyways.

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My question is does this cat have any dianoised medical issues???

Yes, he does, and as I said he is being treated for it and is under close observation. It's just a long story to go into. It's unrelated to stomach or diet.

He can't eat dry food without chewing it. When he tries, he throws it right back up. But he digests wet food well. I have noticed that his chewing is slow even with the wet food. I don't think he has many teeth left.

My question is really about the supplements. It's not really vitamins I'm interested in, as he gets those from his regular food, so much as getting more calories and protein into him.

The reason I'm thinking about this is that I perceive him to be hungry for more food but possibly not eating as much as he wants because of the lack of teeth. In other ways he is remarkably active... runs around, purrs, even plays with toys, all the normal things.

Since I dont know what else is wrong with kitty I can only say talk with your vet... I got wt on my crf girl but only with my vets help and lots of research ...

Thanks for all your advice. Would you go with KMR or just with cat milk? Would KMR be all right for a senior cat?

You might want to ask the vet about a supplement/liquid food like Rebound. I'm not sure whether KMR is appropriate for seniors. While it has the extra calories, it may not have enough of the right nutrients (or too many of some).

I hadn't heard of Rebound. I will check into that, thanks.