Elderly Cats And Appetite

[laura mae]

What kind of snacks do you use to help keep weight on senior cats? My cat Scooter is 16 now. He used to be chubby but as he ages, he has a harder time keeping weight on. Part of it is hyperthyroid, and part of it is being a super senior kitty. He has trouble maintaining interest in his meals and seems to forget that he has a plate. I pick it up and place it in front of him pretty frequently and he's overjoyed anew each time, but then wanders away. I think he probably is experiencing some cognitive changes too which affects meal time. I've tried heating the food, trying all sorts of varieties, supplementing with plain meat, sometimes scrambled egg (he doesn't always want it)

We feed our cats 3 times a day and they all have uneven interest in the canned food choices. The higher end cans seem the least popular for everyone.

Morning meal and Supper meal are about 80 calories worth each (160 calories total) and the later evening meal is another 100 calories if it is the baby food. The others get more canned cat food for the later evening meal. Anyway it's tough to get him to eat all the 80 calorie breakfast and supper meals. In fact for my three thin cats, none of them are good at finishing their food. I've even tried adding some kibble to give an alternative texture. Since he is people food focused, I even pretend it's my plate! (lol).

 

[lilin]

You might want to give kitten food a try. It is higher in calories than adult food, and it's perfectly fine to feed it to adults. A lot of people feed it to pregnant cats to help make sure they're getting some extra calories. I actually did this with my elder cat when she was recovering from an illness as well.

Old cats often do get a bit thin and it may not be possible to get them up to their "fighting weight" again, but as long as their weight stabilizes at an acceptable level, it's just part of getting old.

 

[maggie101]

I bought on Amazon Cat Man Doo Sprinkles. Crushed dried bonito flakes for food enhancement. My cats love it. Mostly got it for my 16 yr old.

 

[happilyretired]

I second those bonito flakes--my cats loved them.

But both Hartz and Purina make a 'broth' or 'stew' that's not a complete food but a supplement. When my cats in renal failure would eat nothing else, they would eat those. One is specifically for seniors.

You also might consider FortiFlora. It's a probiotic, but my vet had me use it (sprinkled on wet food) to stimulate my CRF cats' appetite. Cats love the taste, and it seems to function as an appetite stimulant that's also good for them.

 

[laura mae]

Thanks! These are good suggestions. I totally forgot about Fortiflora and the appetite stimulation aspect.

 

[missmimz]

Make sure his hyper-t is controlled, otherwise he's not going to gain or maintain weight. High protein, low carbs, and if he has kidney issues low phos wet or raw foods only. For a senior I also prefer to feed higher fat proteins, like duck or lamb or pork.

 

[maggie101]

What kind of snacks do you use to help keep weight on senior cats? My cat Scooter is 16 now. He used to be chubby but as he ages, he has a harder time keeping weight on. Part of it is hyperthyroid, and part of it is being a super senior kitty. He has trouble maintaining interest in his meals and seems to forget that he has a plate. I pick it up and place it in front of him pretty frequently and he's overjoyed anew each time, but then wanders away. I think he probably is experiencing some cognitive changes too which affects meal time. I've tried heating the food, trying all sorts of varieties, supplementing with plain meat, sometimes scrambled egg (he doesn't always want it)

We feed our cats 3 times a day and they all have uneven interest in the canned food choices. The higher end cans seem the least popular for everyone.

Morning meal and Supper meal are about 80 calories worth each (160 calories total) and the later evening meal is another 100 calories if it is the baby food. The others get more canned cat food for the later evening meal. Anyway it's tough to get him to eat all the 80 calorie breakfast and supper meals. In fact for my three thin cats, none of them are good at finishing their food. I've even tried adding some kibble to give an alternative texture. Since he is people food focused, I even pretend it's my plate! (lol).

I am unfamiliar about hyperthyroidism but because of my cat's condition she cannot have high protein. Check with your vet first before putting her on a high protein diet. My cat is 16. She is not eating as much. I have to sit with her while she eats. Otherwise she seems fine. Bone skinny. I know her day is coming

 

[missmimz]

I am unfamiliar about hyperthyroidism but because of my cat's condition she cannot have high protein. Check with your vet first before putting her on a high protein diet. My cat is 16. She is not eating as much. I have to sit with her while she eats. Otherwise she seems fine. Bone skinny. I know her day is coming

Low protein for cats with kidney issues is an outdated old school theory. The issue is phos levels, not protein levels. Cats are obligate carnivores and require high protein diets by nature, regardless of medical condition. The goal however is to restrict phos levels. It's entire possible to feed high protein low phos, lots of people do it. Many even feed raw.

 

[maggie101]

I did not know hyperthyroidism had to do with kidney issues. I never believed in the old wives tale

 

[missmimz]

I did not know hyperthyroidism had to do with kidney issues. I never believed in the old wives tale

I assumed you were saying your cat needed low protein food because of kidney issues, not hyperthyrodism. What condition does your cat have that requires low protein? I don't know of any medical condition that requires low protein except for old school theories about CKD. With CKD, it's the phos levels that are a concern, not the protein levels.

 

[maggie101]

She has triiditus
Inflammatory bowl disease/pancreatitus/liver inflammation. She cannot eat chicken or any kind of meat only rabbit.

 

[maggie101]

She has triiditus
Inflammatory bowl disease/pancreatitus/liver inflammation. She cannot eat chicken or any kind of meat except rabbit. I need to rephrase my previous post. Her diet is so limited that her only high quality protein is rabbit