My senior cat is picky and won't eat. When should I see a vet?

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!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Willow did not have her blood tested when she was in for her exam I would highly recommend having the vet pull a blood sample and check to see if she has any abnormal values. Kidney disease is something we quite commonly see in older cats and this certainly could be the cause of the vomiting / decreased appetite. The sooner her blood is tested the better and the faster you will know what is going on with her. 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.

Good Afternoon...thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I empathize with your struggle and Munchkin's picky diet. I certainly do not want to cause alarm, but many times cats will become "picky eaters" for many other reasons other than their teeth. As a veterinarian, this symptom always give me pause. Cats with dental issues still usually have a normal appetite, even with a bad tooth - they will still eat. There are many other conditions which can cause an older kitty to change their eating habits and influenced "what tastes good to them" - conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (even with no other GI symptoms), kidney disease, liver disease, and many types of cancers (that can be within any organ of the body...) can cause an older kitty to change their appetite preferences. I would want to know if Munchkin is maintaining her weight, or has she lost weight? If she has lost weight, this is also more concerning. I would recommend you monitor her weight very closely - if she is maintaining (and has not lost weight within the past 6-12 months...). You may want to consider a visit to your veterinarian for additional diagnostics including a full senior bloodwork/urine profile, and possibly an abdominal ultrasound and chest radiographs to ensure nothing more sinister may be going on. I hope this helps, good luck!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Azriel. Yes, I would be concerned that she is not eating. Cats are very good at hiding signs of illness. So when it becomes apparent that they are not feeling well, there is typically significant disease. I would recommend that she has bloodwork and urine testing to determine the cause of her inappetance. From there, treatment can be prescribed. She will likely need fluids as she is most likely dehydrated due to not eating properly. In the meantime, continue to try to offer food and water. If she will not cat food, you can try meat baby food, tuna or boiled chicken. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Esther. It would be a good idea for her to see her veterinarian for laboratory work to ensure there is a not a disease causing her increased appetite. There are several that affect older cats causing hunger. If she is healthy, then it is a behavioral issue. Cats prefer to eat small frequent meals throughout the day. This will satisfy their needs better. You can divide her total calories for the day into 8 or so small meals. So maybe feed her several teaspoons of food many times during the day instead of just two main meals for her. This will allow you to control her calories while still meeting her needs. I hope this information helps!

It is probably not normal. I suggest you schedule an exam with your veterinarian for your cat. Your cat may have dental problems (gingivitis and/or tartar, tooth infections), diabetes or another endocrine disease. Oder kitties also often have problems with their kidneys. A thorough clinical exam and blood tests can at least rule out any serious disease that could cause eating less than usual.

Hello, and thank you for your question. Did you suddenly switch diets when the problem started? If so, I would suggest going back to his old food and trying a more gradual transition over 7-10 days. If this is not the case, then I would be worried about a more serious underlying cause. Pain, infection, pancreatitis, kidney, liver disease, dental disease, or even cancer are all possibilities. If Felix is not eating, I would recommend getting him seen by a vet within the next 24 hours. Cats that go several days without eating are at risk of secondary liver problems, so it is important that we do not leave this too long. In the meantime, you can try different diets to encourage him to eat anything. I hope this helps, and that Felix is feeling better soon.