My senior cat is hiding and withdrawn. Should I take her to the vet?

If 22 years of age is accurate, that is definitely very old. While cats can live considerably longer than dogs, that is still pretty far past the average lifespan. That being said, I would still advocate taking her into the vet to be examined to see if anything can be done to either make her more comfortable, or to offer you some information as to her quality of life moving forward. Some of the most common issues we see in older cats include kidney disease, thyroid disease, lymphoma (particularly of the gastrointestinal tract), and liver problems. Some of these are addressed with medication while others are far less treatable. I certainly wouldn't advocate just letting her go at home. If anything, if they feel she is in pain then they can make her transition much more peaceful. Hope this makes sense.

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.

It is difficult to tell for sure without checking her over. It could be that her colitis is making her feel run down or it could be a slight worsening of one of her other conditions. I would recommend to keep an eye on how much she is drinking and how is her appetite and if she is having any vomiting. If she is just a little lethargic, I would book her in for a check up with your vet in the morning. Whilst if she is vomiting orhaving more diarrhoea than usual, I would recommend an earlier check up.

Older cats can experience an over active thyroid that can make then walk around vocalizing and change their water intake. They can also experience high blood pressure and a form of dementia that can cause wandering with vocalization. With these symptoms and her age, I would take her for blood work and exam. They can evaluate her health and check her kidneys, thyroid and blood pressure and prescribe what medicine is needed.

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!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Princess. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. Cats typically hide signs of illness well. So when there is a decrease in appetite, this is significant. She will be examined and will likely need laboratory work to help diagnose her problem. Kidney disease, thyroid disorders, pancreatitis and diabetes are commonly seen in older cats. I hope this information helps!

It doesn't necessarily mean that she will die, but can indicate that she has a potentially serious illness. Eleven is quite old for a cat, but I would not expect her to be old enough to be at the end of her life. The best way to see if anything serious is going on is to have a veterinarian evaluate her. Given her age they may want to do some blood testing to ensure that her organs are functioning well. After this, the vet will be able to give you a much better answer about her current condition and what can be done to make her feel better. I hope that helps and Meika gets better soon.