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My senior cat with cancer is losing weight and won't eat. Help!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 12 years and 2 months old | 11 lbs

Our 12 1/2 year old cat Oscar, has been diagonost with kidney and lung cancer. He's hardly eating and appetite stimulant we tried hasn't worked at all. We have bought special foods like salmon mouse and a bone meal gel, that he ate the first night we tried but not since. Do you have any suggestions as Oscar seems very alert, just very lethargic and losing weight

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 22nd, 2020

Hello. I am so sorry that Oscar has such a sad diagnosis. Unfortunately, either one of these can cause a significant loss of appetite. The only two appetite stimulants we have for cats are mirtazapine & cyproheptadine, & even these are not miracle drugs. Some cats prefer foods that are warm, some prefer them when cold, so you can try this. Hand feeding may work a bit as well. You can also talk to your vet about the possibility of adding some anti-nausea medication like Cerenia. Hopefully, you can at least get Oscar to eat a little more for as long as possible. Good luck & thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on June 11th, 2019
I am sorry to hear about your kitty! I would talk to your vet about an appetite stimulant, there are several we can try in cats, including mirtazapine. Talk to your vet about the options available to help Fred have an appetite. At some point, depending on the type of cancer, it may come to the point when nothing you can do will entice him to eat and it may be time to make the difficult decision to euthanize him and end his suffering.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on April 1st, 2019
I would speak with your veterinarian about appetite stimulants such as Mirtazapine and Entyce. Both of these drugs can increase the appetite but need prescriptions. I would also look into home cooked meals and see if this entices his appetite further. You can check out www.balanceit.com for homemade diet instructions. I hope this helps and that Jasper feels better soon. Please let me know if you have any further questions / concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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