What do you feed your old cat?

[risotto]

My 17 year old male cat has become very fussy with his food. Sometimes he'll eat a little or just lick the jelly, other times won't eat and you can hear his tummy rumbling. A couple of days later he'll eat the thing he refused before. He's a bit better with fish, so I guess it's a case of him losing his smell and taste. I've tried a few different things (wet and dry) which he'll eat for a day or so and then refuse.

If you've got an old cat, what do they like?

At the end of last year he had various blood tests and check ups as he'd lost weight, but nothing came to light. He still seems full of life and I don't think he's a mouth/throat issue as he can eat dry cat food.

[meriad]

Have you tried warming it up with either a bit of hot water (give it a good stir obviously to make sure it goes a warm temperature) or put it in the microwave for a few seconds - that does sometimes help?

Also, if the blood results were all OK, then maybe try some kitten food as that is more fattening and may help him gain weight. Also smaller portions more often may work?

But then saying all that - this time of year it seems that quite a few cats are going off their food; almost as though they know they don't need to have the winter fat. Mine can be a nightmare.

Good luck - I hope your boy gets his appetite back soon

[Janey]

You’re right, like us they will lose their sense of taste and smell, and they can tend to lose a bit of weight or muscle too as they get older and because they’re less active eat a bit less. If all is well, my oldies tend to love Gourmet pates, well all the Gourmet range actually. Some of my oldies like Classic, especially if I’ve given them lots of the jelly mushed in, it’s a cheaper food, but quite a good one. Another thing which can help is a drop of milk a day, if they can tolerate it. One of my 20 plus year olds had a few dentals but was too old to have a long dental so occasionally she’d to have some anti-biotics and I used to break the capsule and sprinkle it into a drop of cat milk twice a day, and that really helped her gain a bit of weight. A bit of oily fish is good too, tinned salmon, tuna or mackerel. I usually give my lot some of our leftovers and I rinse mine because they can contain a lot of salt, and if in oil I drain it and give that once or twice a week (my vet said it’s good for the coat too). Also some older cats like their dishes raised, I always buy the raised dished or pop it on something to lift it up, that can help if they get a bit arthritic and also if they’re snuffly. Best of luck.

[Lilith]

Hi, is he your only cat? Because in that case you can indulge him a little, bless him.

I was once in this situation, with one very elderly cat, and I bought stuff like 'gourmet' foil trays and so on, and he was like your lad, he'd nibble a bit if he was interested. The advantage of having more than one cat is often that rivalry is a stimulus to appetite - but not so good if the more vigorous cat nicks the other's grub of course.

That was 15 years ago and there wasn't as much choice on the market as there is now - if you haven't tried it, the small (one serving) 'Encore' cans always get gobbled up, and there are pouch varieties too - the price is a bit eye-watering though! Baked fish or grilled chicken breast is another popular food.

I imagine the recent vet check will have ruled out any possibility of tooth decay, as you say, but I have an elderly one due to go in for a dental (I'm giving her a couple of weeks to recover from a previous visit) and she can scarf down the biscuits with gusto, so if in doubt it might be an idea to get him checked out again.

Just read Meriad's and Janey's posts (we've overlapped lol, and agree, especially re warming food slightly.)

I hope this helps and that he has more happy years with you, and that you find the foods he enjoys the most. Long live our golden oldies

[Crewella]

I have a houseful of older cats, and they all do seem to get fussier, and thinner, as they hit their late teens. I agree with what's been said, and I do find that feeding little and often seems to work better - even if you just take it away and give the same bowl back later. If you're really worried about weight, Hills a/d is very nutritious and appetising, and they do need to eat less of it than of most foods to get the benefit. It's my last resort for skinny or sick cats - it ain't cheap!

[Janey]

I do find that feeding little and often seems to work better

Definitely, infact I’ve always got a bit of something down for mine so they can have a nibble when they feel peckish

[alanc]

My experience of tempting old cats to eat is now somewhat ancient. However, 21 years ago, when my first cat Sally was about 15, she went off her food. The only thing I found that would get her to eat was Haddock - steamed, boiled, poached or grilled, she would eat nothing else. Kept her going for a bit over 2 more years until her kidneys failed.

[MarkB]

I think they lose some of their sense of smell as they get older. One of mine would only eat The fish selecyion of As good as it looks, doubly delicious. He loved it.

[Lilith]

I got some of these today -

http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/gro ... tion-6x50g

On offer currently and so they should be, still a bit pricey but since they're little 50g pouches, ideal for tempting a finicky/poorly cat or one with a small appetite. They come in poultry and mixed (sorry, 'chef's') packs too. I hadn't realised quite how tiny they were - just thought, oh it's on offer, give it a go. I tried one out on Emily the eldest tonight as I hadn't seen her come upstairs for tea - and her nose was straight into the bowl

By the way, I haven't checked if this, or Encore which I mentioned above, is a complete food. My lot have access to a good brand of biscuits 24/7 so I don't worry about whether a wet food is complete, but if a cat's just snacking on these little tins and pouches, might be a good idea to check out the nutrition (though at least they're getting SOMETHING into their bellies.)

Ah, just checked the link, and it IS a complete food. But not all of them are.

Good luck to all our finicky furries!

[risotto]

Thanks for your replies. Luckily he tolerates milk, so I've been giving a little some evenings for energy when I know he's had a bad day. I'm going to raid the shops later looking at the cans/pouches you've suggested. He does have a sister, so unfortunately it'll mean too of them wanting more expensive stuff, but we'll see how it goes.

Does anyone know where I can buy some cheap chicken/fish?

[Alice]

For cheap chicken or fish I'd suggest you try Farmfoods, if there's a branch near you. At the moment you can get 2kg frozen chicken breasts for £5. Chicken legs are cheaper, of course. I get frozen pollock there,too, (and sometimes from Lidl) which my cats love - poached in water, which I do in the microwave, and they love the poaching liquid as well.

Aldi regularly seem to have frozen chicken breasts at £3.33 per kilo.

If your local supermarket has a fresh fish section you may be able to get fish trimmings, white or salmon, very cheaply, if you ask the staff nicely.

A fish stall on a local market, if you have one, would also be a good place to ask for trimmings/scraps/reduced prices late afternoon.

Serving his food slightly warm will help him smell it, if he is losing his sense of smell, and may well help to tempt him to eat.

Good luck with getting him eating better.