Why is my active outdoor cat suddenly sleeping and moving slow?

Lethargy can be a sign of many different diseases. I am not sure of his age but he should be examined by a vet to determine the cause. He could have an infection, musculoskeletal issue, kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, thyroid issue, etc. Your vet can run some lab-work and take x-rays, if needed, to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat. He may need an antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, or other medications, depending on the cause. Hope he feels better soon!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Jax hasn't been feeling well. Does he go outside? If he does, even if you can't find one right now I would be concerned that he suffered a bite of some kind, as cats can develop abscesses fairly easily when they suffer a trauma. I would be concerned by his behavior, as it does sound like there may be an underlying issue going on, such as an infection, GI upset, or an underlying medical issue (such as kidney disease or diabetes). If he doesn't perk up, start eating and getting some energy back, I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for his change in behavior, have any necessary testing done (xrays, bloodwork) and start any treatment he may need to resolve it. Good luck!

Snowball sounds like he has a nasty infected wound from the bite and the bacteria in the wound often makes cats feel very sick. Hot compress the bite area with a warm water/epsom salt solution as often as you can to keep the wound draining and open until you can get to the veterinarian for some antibiotics and pain medication. Not an emergency, but he'll feel much better if you can get the abscess open and draining and get some medication into him from the veterinarian!

Older cats do tend to sleep more than younger cats, but if this is a sudden increase in lethargy, then I would recommend that you have Smokey checked out by a vet. After a thorough physical exam, the vet will probably recommend bloodwork to check for internal medical illness, such as diabetes, infection, kidney disease, etc. If the bloodwork is normal, they may discuss changes that have occurred around the house, or may recommend a trial of pain medications in case Smokey is painful from arthritis.

Ajax is an older boy and while he can slow down with age, this increased sleeping could be due to a medical illness such as arthritis (it's painful to move), a systemic illness, or infection. I would have him seen by a vet today if possible for a health check.

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!

Sleeping more than normal for more than one day is not normal. Sometimes a cat may sleep more after a busy night out. However if this lasts through the weekend or if your cat stops eating or appears lethargic, you should take her to your vet on Monday for an exam and possibly a blood test.