Why is my old cat not eating, drinking, sleeping, and breathing oddly?

I am so sorry to hear about Charlie, it sounds as though she is doing quite poorly. Unfortunately at this age there are many possible causes for her symptoms including kidney disease, thyroid disease, dental disease, cancers, and more. She is not going to improve without medical intervention if she is as you describe. If you are unable to afford diagnostics/treatment, I would recommend considering humanely euthanizing her, as it sounds as though she is suffering. If you want to look into resources for helpin affording vet bills you can look at https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/having-trouble-affording-veterinary-care

Your kitty needs to be seen by a vet. These are concerning symptoms in an older cat. They can become dehydrated very easily. Not eating can be caused by numerous things including things with the gi tract itself and diseases of any other organ system (kidneys, liver, etc). Your vet can perform an exam and then likely will recommend starting with bloodwork +/- xrays. This is the best plan to figure out what is going on and to get your kitty feeling better. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Bobo's symptoms do sound concerning. There can be many medical causes for decreased appetite, decreased thirst and lethargy. There is really nothing that can be done for at home for this without getting a diagnosis first from Bobo's veterinarian. I would recommend he see his veterinarian asap for an exam and evaluation. He may need blood work, x-rays, or other diagnostics as needed. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Loss of appetite can be observed with many conditions such as gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, kidney disease, pancreatitis, among many other possibilities. The falling over may be due to weakness or possibly neurological disease. That can also be why she is sleeping more. Urinating in unusual places is almost always due to a urinary tract condition such as an infection, stones, among other possibilities. I recommend that you have Sophie evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for these possibilities and others depending on the findings on exam. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day! Hoping for a speedy recovery! 


Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I am sorry to hear that Kitty is not feeling very well. With the description and blood results, I worry about a condition known as hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) or triaditis (inflammation of the pancreas, liver and small intestines). For fatty liver disease, a feeding tube is generally recommended to help bring cats out of this condition as nutritional support is key and extremely important in these cases. I would recommend an abdominal ultrasound as the next diagnostic step to help better determine what the cause could be. If Kitty is still not wanting to eat, you need to consider hospitalization and feeding tube placement to help her get through this. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I'm sorry to hear that Midnight is doing so poorly. As Dr. Darvishian mentioned, breathing changes are a medical emergency and should be addressed by an emergency vet right away. It's possible that Midnight's breathing changes, coughing, weight loss, weakness, appetite and drinking changes, and lethargy could be due to congestive heart failure, asthma, cancer, or many other issues. She's likely experiencing restlessness and a loss of appetite because she can't breathe well enough to comfortably lay down or swallow. I strongly recommend taking Midnight to an emergency vet right away. This is not a situation that can be managed at home. I hope that everything goes well.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The signs you are describing are definitely cause for concern. These can be related to organ failure, infections. and certain cancers. I recommend having your cat seen by a vet as soon as possible to determine what is going on and begin treatment. I hope all is well!