Do you have insights on my oldster cat?
November 4, 2019 7:09 AM Subscribe
I have a 17 year old cat and his behavior has changed significantly in the last year or so - can you tell me why, and if there's anything to be done?
In all the years I've had this cat he's been who he is, but then in the last year or so his behavior around food has gotten increasingly obsessive and annoying, and curious if folks have insights as to why.
At this point, he is just about constantly asking for food. He starts crying consistently at about 5:30 in the AM, anticipating the first person who wakes in our home. He will hound the first riser until fed. He eats the food immediately, just scarfing it down. A few minutes later, he will insist on more food, especially if anyone walks in or toward the kitchen. He'll "ask" anytime, day or night.
Is he not getting enough food? He gets two pouches of 3 ounce Soulistic food per day, one AM / one PM, and then friskier-like treats (a handful) throughout the day. We don't leave out dry food.
His is now skinny (used to be fuller) but not an unhealthy weight.
Is it our practice? By feeding him regularly with intermittent treats, are we encouraging him to cry for food?
Is it his age? As he's aged he's become a much cuddlier, attention-seeking cat then in his prime years... he'd prefer to be in our or lap all the time now. Does he suffer from dementia and forget he's eaten? Could this be related?
Is it a health issue? He does throw up a good amount, though not every day and our vet gave us nausea pills for him. He doesn't pee / poop outside the litterbox. He's creaky but still gets around, will play with shoelaces a little, can still jump up some heights.
Your thoughts are appreciated.
In all the years I've had this cat he's been who he is, but then in the last year or so his behavior around food has gotten increasingly obsessive and annoying, and curious if folks have insights as to why.
At this point, he is just about constantly asking for food. He starts crying consistently at about 5:30 in the AM, anticipating the first person who wakes in our home. He will hound the first riser until fed. He eats the food immediately, just scarfing it down. A few minutes later, he will insist on more food, especially if anyone walks in or toward the kitchen. He'll "ask" anytime, day or night.
Is he not getting enough food? He gets two pouches of 3 ounce Soulistic food per day, one AM / one PM, and then friskier-like treats (a handful) throughout the day. We don't leave out dry food.
His is now skinny (used to be fuller) but not an unhealthy weight.
Is it our practice? By feeding him regularly with intermittent treats, are we encouraging him to cry for food?
Is it his age? As he's aged he's become a much cuddlier, attention-seeking cat then in his prime years... he'd prefer to be in our or lap all the time now. Does he suffer from dementia and forget he's eaten? Could this be related?
Is it a health issue? He does throw up a good amount, though not every day and our vet gave us nausea pills for him. He doesn't pee / poop outside the litterbox. He's creaky but still gets around, will play with shoelaces a little, can still jump up some heights.
Your thoughts are appreciated.
Have him checked for hypothyroidism. BTDT!
posted by jgirl at 7:21 AM on November 4, 2019 [8 favorites]
posted by jgirl at 7:21 AM on November 4, 2019 [8 favorites]
Rather have him checked for hyperthyroidism - which is common in older cats. When cats get an overactive thyroid they get needy, demanding, and lose weight. Dementia is also a possibility - time for vet.
posted by leslies at 7:30 AM on November 4, 2019 [18 favorites]
posted by leslies at 7:30 AM on November 4, 2019 [18 favorites]
Best answer: Let me just jump on this hyperthyroid train. The second you said "older" and "crying" it brought to mind what my family has been through twice now.
If you do find out that your cat is affected with hyperthyroid issues AND that your cat doesn't enjoy the prospect of taking pills, I'd recommend looking into Gourmeds. I feed my cat her pills by taking a Gourmed chewable (which she will not chew) and using a few drops of water to dissolve it into a paste and then stirring it into her wet food. I never have an issue getting her medicated that way.
Good luck to your cat, whatever the diagnosis may be.
posted by komara at 7:37 AM on November 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
If you do find out that your cat is affected with hyperthyroid issues AND that your cat doesn't enjoy the prospect of taking pills, I'd recommend looking into Gourmeds. I feed my cat her pills by taking a Gourmed chewable (which she will not chew) and using a few drops of water to dissolve it into a paste and then stirring it into her wet food. I never have an issue getting her medicated that way.
Good luck to your cat, whatever the diagnosis may be.
posted by komara at 7:37 AM on November 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
Yeah, I came to say hyperthyroidism, too. This describes what happened with my cat around age 16, too.
posted by spindrifter at 7:37 AM on November 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by spindrifter at 7:37 AM on November 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
I would definitely recommend a full work up but is there a reason why you’re limiting the dry food if he’s underweight? I would let him graze if that’s what he wants to do at this point.
posted by lydhre at 7:46 AM on November 4, 2019 [6 favorites]
posted by lydhre at 7:46 AM on November 4, 2019 [6 favorites]
I meant HYPERthyroidism!!! The crying, the eating ... wow. My guy took chicken- or liver-flavored liquid Methimazole.
I'm the one with hypo.
posted by jgirl at 8:22 AM on November 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
I'm the one with hypo.
posted by jgirl at 8:22 AM on November 4, 2019 [5 favorites]
If you haven't already, definitely do a complete vet workup. Our vet offers a senior panel which tests for extra stuff like the aforementioned hyperthyroidism, so you may want to ask for that. Our elder kitty was diagnosed and has been successfully medicated for a couple of years at this point; he gets blood/weight checks every six months, and the vet is definitely hypervigilant about weight loss; they really want to see maintenance and have been tolerant of our guy carrying a little extra weight as long as he's stable. So, if you've noticed weight loss, that is a big flag for me that vet intervention is warranted.
posted by ailouros08 at 8:25 AM on November 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by ailouros08 at 8:25 AM on November 4, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Yup, sounds like a metabolic/hyperthyroid thing, and he's the age for it. It's usually pretty treatable with meds. (There are surgical/radiation options but at that age I'd stick with meds; YMMV. Transdermal ear gels are really well tolerated if he's not fun to pill.
While you wait for the vet checkup, go ahead and try giving him more wet food at a sitting, a mid-day meal, and/or some dry food to graze on. Knowing whether or not that helps will be useful information to share with your vet, and generally speaking with a cat that age, the issue is keeping weight on, not off. It's fine to let your geriatric cat pig out a little in the absence of health issues contraindicating it.
If the extra food and a metabolic panel doesn't help at all then you may be looking at something like dementia, but go ahead and rule out the stuff that's easy to fix first.
posted by Stacey at 9:00 AM on November 4, 2019
While you wait for the vet checkup, go ahead and try giving him more wet food at a sitting, a mid-day meal, and/or some dry food to graze on. Knowing whether or not that helps will be useful information to share with your vet, and generally speaking with a cat that age, the issue is keeping weight on, not off. It's fine to let your geriatric cat pig out a little in the absence of health issues contraindicating it.
If the extra food and a metabolic panel doesn't help at all then you may be looking at something like dementia, but go ahead and rule out the stuff that's easy to fix first.
posted by Stacey at 9:00 AM on November 4, 2019
I think by now you’re getting the idea to have him checked for hyperthyroidism. My elderly cat developed this around 15—she was prescribed methimazole for the rest of her life (she lived to be over 18) via a gel we rubbed in her ear twice a day. So much easier than giving her a pill!!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:13 AM on November 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:13 AM on November 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
Also check him for diabetes/hypoglycemia. Get a senior checkup with bloodwork, mention the food behavior, thyroid and blood glucose markers should be standard.
The cuddliness could just be, you know, mellowing in his old age plus enjoying your body heat, but he's an old guy and might be a little creaky and stiff/sore in the joints and wanting your body heat for that too. You can mention it, ask about kitty arthritis.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:08 AM on November 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
The cuddliness could just be, you know, mellowing in his old age plus enjoying your body heat, but he's an old guy and might be a little creaky and stiff/sore in the joints and wanting your body heat for that too. You can mention it, ask about kitty arthritis.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:08 AM on November 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
I'm sorry to say that for us, this seems to have correlated with our cat's development of cancer and growing a tumor. Fingers crossed for you guys.
posted by Spokane at 1:05 PM on November 4, 2019
posted by Spokane at 1:05 PM on November 4, 2019
Note: If your cat is diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, I strongly recommend that you join the FB group for this, as most vets prescribe way too high a starting dose for cats and it has made many very sick (a previous cat of mine included). Good luck to you both!
posted by Halo in reverse at 3:02 PM on November 4, 2019
posted by Halo in reverse at 3:02 PM on November 4, 2019
Our cat, now 20 years old, has similar behavior.
He's had his bloodwork done recently, no signs of hyperthyroidism or anything unusual.
We know his teeth are not great at this point, and may be causing him discomfort (the vet removed one particularly bad one two years ago).
Despite the dental, he cries more often for food now and eats more now than he did.
Also sleeping more and seeks warmth now more than before...as he's not generating much body temp.
posted by artdrectr at 3:33 PM on November 4, 2019
He's had his bloodwork done recently, no signs of hyperthyroidism or anything unusual.
We know his teeth are not great at this point, and may be causing him discomfort (the vet removed one particularly bad one two years ago).
Despite the dental, he cries more often for food now and eats more now than he did.
Also sleeping more and seeks warmth now more than before...as he's not generating much body temp.
posted by artdrectr at 3:33 PM on November 4, 2019
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