What to Feed an Old Cat to Gain Weight: 5 Vet-Approved Tips
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While to a certain extent, it’s normal for a cat to lose weight during their senior years, it’s also essential for you, as a pet parent, to do everything that you can to tempt their appetite and keep them as healthy as possible. Many people who have older cats often struggle to determine the best food to feed their pets and how to get them to eat it.
In this article, we give you a few tips for getting your senior cat to eat and picking out the best foods to tempt them with.
Reasons Older Cats Lose Weight
Before you can determine what to do to help your senior cat gain weight, it’ll help to know the reasons they might be losing that weight to begin with.
Dental Problems
While it’s normal for cats to lose some weight as they enter their golden years, it’s also when many cats start to suffer from dental problems. As you probably know, tooth decay or inflamed gums can make it difficult and extremely painful to eat.
Dental diseases can be prevented, even in older cats, so if you feel like your cat is losing weight for dental reasons, make them an appointment with your vet as soon as possible.
Disease/Illness
There are quite a few diseases and illnesses that plague older cats that could stop your furry friend from eating the way they used to or simply cause them to lose weight and muscle mass. Inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, hyperthyroidism, chronic kidney disease, and feline diabetes are just a few of the diseases and illnesses that might be responsible.
The best way to determine if these diseases are the reason for your elderly cat not eating is to take them for an appointment at your local vet.
What Foods Should You Feed an Older Cat?
The best food for an elderly cat is one that’s recommended by your vet. There is a reason why AAFCO does not have a standard for senior cats, and that is that each one requires a very specific diet depending on their health status. Some cats need food that is high in calories. You want the food to be high-calorie and nutrient-rich. Since senior cats suffer from different health conditions, there is no one-size-fits-all food for them. Your best bet is to know because while some cats may benefit from foods that laud their high protein content, this is not the case for those suffering from chronic kidney disease.
Depending on your vet’s recommendations, you can also feed your cat food that is normally used for kittens, as these will have the vitamins, nutrients, minerals, and calories your cat needs to get back to a normal weight.
There are high-calorie supplements that you can add to your senior cat’s food to ensure they gain weight, but it is important to talk to a veterinarian first. Usually, you don't need to visit their office for this; a simple video call will suffice.
The 5 Tips for Getting Your Senior Cat to Eat
Sometimes, all the food in the world isn’t enough to help your cat gain weight, especially if the cat doesn’t want to eat. So, in this next section, we give you a few tips that will hopefully tempt your senior cat to eat.
1. Warm Up Wet Food
Cats are stimulated and tempted to eat by the smell of their food. If you warm up your cat’s wet food, the warmth will release the smell, hopefully whetting your senior cat’s appetite.
You can heat the wet food for a few seconds before feeding it to your cat. Just make sure that the food is warm, not hot, as you don’t want to risk burning your cat’s mouth and tongue.
2. Offer Snacks Between Meals
It’s a good idea to offer snacks to your elderly cat between meals, but they need to be the right snacks. Healthy snacks can help put weight on your cat. For example, ask your vet if it is okay to give your cat bite-sized pieces of turkey or chicken between regular meals, as they are high in protein and healthy at the same time.
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3. Put a Damper on Your Cat’s Anxiety
We already know that a calm cat makes for a happy cat, and happy cats tend to eat more. Since cats are solitary hunters, they usually like to be left alone when they’re eating. So, make sure to put your cat’s food in a place where no other pets or children will bother them when they’re eating.
It’s best to choose a place that has very little foot traffic, especially if the cat isn’t feeling well to begin with.
4. Serve Small Meals
An older cat’s stomach might not be able to handle the two meals a day you normally feed them. Instead, try feeding the cat more frequently and making the portions smaller. Whether it’s dry food or wet food, try feeding your cat a small portion of their daily food allowance once every 2 hours or so.
Small, regular meals can help settle the cat’s stomach and cut down on the chance of vomiting as well.
5. Talk to Your Vet
If your cat is a senior and their appetite or body condition is deteriorating, then it’s time to make an appointment with your vet. They can do an examination and may recommend diagnostics to help rule out other reasons for decreased appetite and weight loss. Once your vet has a diagnosis, your cat will have a tailored treatment and diet plan. There are appetite-stimulating medications that your vet can give you that will increase your cat’s appetite and hopefully, help them gain weight.
You’ll want to do a few things to keep your elderly cat safe, such as moving the litter box within easy reach of your pet and not letting them outside. Of course, love and patience are also the best medicines for a senior cat, so make sure those are given in huge doses!
Final Thoughts
These are a few suggestions of what you can feed your senior cat to help them gain weight in their golden years. But remember, love and patience are also needed, so don’t skimp on your affection.
If you feel that your senior cat might have health issues that are causing their weight-loss problems, it’s best to contact your vet for an appointment for treatment that will hopefully help any underlying causes.
Featured Image Credit: Marina Demidiuk, Shutterstock
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Patricia is a pet writer and lifelong animal lover. She has two cats (Binx and Link) and one dog (Mystery). Binx was found as a kitten under her house and has been part of the family ever since! Patricia is also a published author under the pen name Skylar McKinzie. When she isn’t writing, Patricia enjoys volunteering at her local animal rescue.
