Is my 3-year-old cat less active, sleeping more? Should I worry?

Hello. It would be very difficult to say if this is just a normal change in behavior, or if something is amiss. If all he is doing is napping elsewhere, has normal food & water intake, normal litter box habits, then I would just continue to observe him for a few day more. See if something else may develop or concern you, then maybe have him examined by your vet. He may be trying to develop something, or he has just decided himself to nap elsewhere. You know his habits better than anyone, so if it continues to concern you, have him seen. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sleeping and decreased energy can be signs of a cat feeling unwell. This can be caused by weakness, fever, kidney disease, and other causes. It is a very vague sign that could be many many things. I recommend that you have Kitty seen by your vet, and they might want to do some bloodwork. Thank you and I hope Kitty feels better soon!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Baybee. Cats, by nature, hide signs of illness well. So any change in behavior can be significant. I think it is worth having her evaluated by a veterinarian. She may be painful somewhere or have an internal disease starting. The veterinarian will examine her and may recommend testing such as bloodwork. Based on these results, treatment can be started if necessary. I hope this information helps!

Good on you getting Loki's rabies vaccine! That's very important to have because there's always a chance he could accidentally get out. Given that he's otherwise acting normal, I wouldn't be too worried about him sleeping more. Cats do tend to slow down a bit as they grow up, and it's good he still wants to play. It's probably cold where you are now, and he may want to sleep more due to the cold. Keep an eye on him, and if the lethargy gets worse, he stops eating or drinking, or develops other signs, then I would be worried and have him seen by the vet. Best of luck and happy holidays!

I can understand your concern. It seems you have done the right thing by checking her vital organs with baseline bloodwork and her poops are normal. At her age, she is entering senior/mature dog status, so this is most likely the reason Hazel is slowing down and no longer behaving like a puppy or young adult dog. I would also suspect that Hazel may be experiencing some arthritis in her joints, which tends to enable pets a bit. I would recommend getting her started on some joint supplements such as Dasuquin, Synovi- G4 or Duralactin to see if that makes any difference with her activity level. And if you are overly concerned and start noticing an abnormal gait, then I would consider getting an x-ray done of her joints to look further into things. I hope that Hazel does well moving forward. Best wishes and take care.

It sounds like she is in good health for her age, but that being said, any abrupt change in behavior is a good reason to go to the vet for an exam and senior labwork, if you haven't had that done lately. Cats are excellent at hiding symptoms of illness, so this could be an early warning that she might be developing a medical condition that needs attention. If you're concerned enough to ask about it, then it is a significant enough change to warrant investigation.

Hello. If he is eating & acting OK, you can probably hold off rushing Mojo in to your vet, but if he has another period of not eating, lethargy, or he just seems more off to you, don't wait. Recheck that bloodwork. If everything is normal, then it is OK to wait a year for follow-up bloodwork, but things can change pretty quickly as pets age, so it is not abnormal to monitor bloodwork every 3-6 months, depending on any extenuating circumstances. So, follow your instincts. No cat likes to go to the vet, but if you are concerned, it is always best to make sure things are OK sooner than waiting months for the next visit. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.