Suddenly skinny 16 year old cat

by Aud
(Surrey)

My 16 year old tiny cat disappeared for two days, then came back.We were worried that she had been trapped somewhere. She will not eat and is very skinny but still drinking a bit of water. I had noticed a week or so ago that she way swaying slightly whilst sitting up and eyes looking a bit old (if that makes sense)?

Her appetite was very good up until the time that she disappeared. She has obviously had lots of love and cuddles on her return, and where normally she would be a lap cat, she keeps going off on her own again :-( .
I feel that something could be very wrong, someone suggested that it could be her kidney's giving up? Her breathing is also quite laboured, but I put that down to the stress of her perhaps being locked in somewhere? She has been wormed etc...
Do you think that this could just be old age, really not sure what to do.
I have also been told that they will sometimes go off to die.
Could someone please advise me of what they think?
Many thanks

Answer by Kate
Hi
My advice is to take her to the vets as soon as possible. There are many different possible causes for her condition but many of them can be treated if caught early enough. On top of that you need to make sure that your cat is not in distress or some sort of pain or discomfort. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell as cats are very good at covering these things up.

Loss of weight can be a symptom of thyroid trouble, heart issues, diabetes, these are just a few but she really does need to be diagnosed properly by the vet so that you can make the right decision for her. As I say there are many successful treatments available to combat some of these illnesses.

best wishes Kate

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