My 16 year old 20lb cat seems to be having a hard time eating, would wet food be good for him?

Question

He's 16 and has been 20lbs for as long as i can remember. He has never missed a meal in his life and is always desperate for food. He acts as though every meal he eats might be his last for a while though we have fed him on a schedule for the past 16 years (he was a stray). Recently he has been leaving some kibbles in his bowl instead of scarfing ever last one.

Answer 1

Wet food is always better then dry





Nutrition since there are so many bad things out there is very important to your cat’s health

Contrary to what you may have heard; dry foods are not a great thing to feed a cat.

Please read the label on what you are feeding? What are the ingredients? Do you know what they mean? Is the first ingrdiant a muscle meat like chicken or meal or other things?

http://www.catinfo.org/#Learn_How_To_Rea...

http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring04...

Dry foods are the number 1 cause of diabetes in cats as well as being a huge contributing factor to kidney disease, obesity, crystals, u.t.i’s and a host of other problems. Food allergies are very common when feeding dry foods. Rashes, scabs behind the tail and on the chin are all symptoms

The problems associated with Dry food is that they are loaded with grains and carbohydrates which many cats (carnivores) cannot process.  Also, Most of the moisture a cat needs is suppose to be in the food but in

Dry, 95% of it is zapped out of dry foods in the processing. Another thing, most use horrible ingredients and don't use a muscle meat as the primary ingredient and use vegetable based protein versus animal. Not good for an animal that has to eat meat to survive.

http://www.catinfo.org/#My_Cat_is_Doing_...

You want to pick a canned food w/o gravy (gravy=carbs) that uses a muscle meat as the first ingredient and doesn't have corn at least in the first 3 ingredients if at all.    The best food for cats does not contain any grains at all.

Fancy feast is a middle grade food with 9lives, friskies  whiskas lower grade canned and wellness and merrick upper grade human quality foods. I would rather feed a middle grade canned food then the top of the line dry food.

Also, dry food is not proven to be better for teeth. Does a hard pretzel clean your teeth or do pieces of it get stuck? http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/bp...

Please read about cat nutrition.

                               http://www.newdestiny.us/nutritionbasics...

                               http://www.catinfo.org/feline_obesity.ht...

      http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.ht...

Vetinarian diets  The reason your vet thinks so highly of the pet food they sell probably has more to do with money than nutrition. In vet school, the only classes offered on nutrition usually last a few weeks, and are taught by representatives from the pet food companies. Vet students may also receive free food for their own dogs and cats at home. They could get an Iams notebook, a Purina purse and some free pizza.  http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring04...

Answer 2

you should get his teeth checked-dental disease in older cats can cause them pain when eating. if his teeth are ok then i would get blood tests done-this is a good idea anyway in a cat of that age to check kidney, liver and thyroid function and for diabetes.oh and put him on a diet-the extra weight will shorten his life.edit: a quarter cup of food three times a day is far too much-my cat gets 60 grams of food-not even half a cup! and yes he always wants more and can be a right pest but you can't give in to them-it's for their own good.

Answer 3

As long as he is eating I would not worry unless you notice that he is physically having trouble eating.  If he still comes when you get his food and he is eating I would not worry, he is getting older and may be slowing down a bit.

Answer 4

WoW!! 16 years old and weighs 20 pounds, that's a big cat. lol Wet food is bad for a cat's teeth and it has extra calories your pet probably doesn't need. However, at his elderly age his gums and teeth could possibly be bothering him, so wet food should be fine for him. Give him some wet food and see if he eats it all and leave some of his dry out also.  

Answer 5

Feed him the reccomended amount of daily high-quality wet food a day. Dry food you can find in the grocery store is packed with carbs which are bad for cats. Nothing but corn,corn,a bit of non-human grade chicken parts,and some more corn. Who cares if he's mean. Deal with it.

Also dry food is horrible for your cat's teeth. Canned food doesn't do much for a cat's teeth but at least it doesn't get stuck in between their teeth like kibble does.

Answer 6

You may want to switch to a better brand of cat food. I have mine on IAMS now, there are several different kinds, try the one for healthy diet, I have to keep mine on Hairball Variety, or the one for adult senior cats. Mine are very spoiled and won't eat any other brand anymore.  

Answer 7

DHK,

When a cat all of a sudden begins to stop eating, with an appetite like you describe about your cat, something is amiss.

While it could be due to teeth problems, there are so many reasons which only  a vet's exam which includes blood tests, can answer and diagnose properly.

While moist food is generally better for cats than dry food, it is also important if you will be changing to moist food to do it gradually. Cats have very sensitive digestive systems and upset can happen if switching quickly.

Your cat is overweight as you probably know, unless he is a breed of cat which is more hefty than others, such as Maine Coons, Norweigan Forest Cats and Ragdolls, to name a few.

Overweight causes risks for Diabetes, heart conditions, and other illnesses which can shorten his lifespan.

Cats that are "desperate" for food, also may have other issues that need attention as well. Most average cats do well with 5.5 to 7 oz of food a day to maintain a healthy weight. My two Oriental Shorhairs who are both 8 years old now, weigh about  9 lbs with a daily consumption of a high quality moist food that is grainless, hence low in carbohydrates. Cats don't need high carb levels, which most dry food contains. Since cats are obligate carnivores, they thrive on a diet of protein.

This is a great articel about feline nutrition, written by Dr. Lisa Pierson, who is an expert in the field.

http://www.catinfo.org/

Hope this helps and good luck with your kitty. Get a vet check to make sure everything is fine. Once you get that report, work with your veterinarian to arrive at a sound food intake so your cat can safely lose those excess pounds.  Another suggestion is to put smaller portions of moist food in several dishes, hide them around the house so he "hunts" for his food. This way he will get some safe exercize and get his mind active. "Cat food hunting" is an activity which really gets good results.

Troublesniffer

Owned by cats for over 40 years

Former breeder of Oriental Shorthairs and Siamese

http://frequentlyfeline.blogspot.com/

Answer 8

Your cat is grossly overweight, which, at his age means he could be developing diabetes or other health problems. Put him on a diet immediately and seek veterinary advice. He will carry on a treat, but remember, in a pet/owner situation, you are the adult and your pet is the child. I presume you would not allow your child to stuff itself senseless, so why have you done that to your cat.

SEE A VET, as at his age, you really can not muck about with his health and need to get the weight off him ASAP