My senior cat is whimpering, not eating or drinking. Should I worry?

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. 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.

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.

It certainly sounds as though Grey is not feeling well! Inappetance, hiding and vocalization can indicate a number of underlying conditions, but hyperthyroidism is at the top of the list. I recommend taking Grey to her vet for an exam and lab testing (CBC, chemistry, T4/thyroid hormone, urinalysis) to get to the bottom of things. Cats can develop hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) when the stop eating, so her condition is fairly urgent.

I am very sorry to hear that Smokey isn't feeling himself. With a history of not eating over the last few days as well as not drinking and lethargy I would advise taking Smokey to the vet as soon as you can. If Smokey is not passing urine or feces, because depressed or dull, vomits or has dirrhoea or collapses take him the the vet immediately as this could be the sign of a life threatening emergency such as an intestinal or urinary blockage. In the meantime try boiled boneless chicken breast to tempt Smokey into eating. You can also offer the broth from cooking the chicken to try and rehydrate him. I am so sorry this is happening to Smokey and I hope he feels better soon.

I recommend to have Esther examined by her veterinarian with some bloodwork to check her kidneys. Cats who have an upset tummy or just don't quite feel right will exhibit this behavior. They are excited about eating and the ritual of getting the food but when it's actually time to eat, they don't feel up to it. It's best to play it safe. There is a blood test called an SDMA which will detect kidney disease before the kidney enzymes elevated. This may be a good test to include in the testing. I hope this helps.

This is very concerning and may not related to progressing kidney, thyroid disease or diabetes. An urgent vet check and urine and blood tests is recommended. Do not delay investigation as early treatment is required