Geriatric cat

gaeilgegrinds1

My cat is 16, he seems very happy and healthy. Bit slower and doesn't play as much but he is 16. Lately his coat is in bad condition, I brush him but it seems to clump and also be a bit patchy. I examined these patches and they don't seem to be red or flaky or itchy. Can I give him a tonic or something? As for bringing him to the vet, I won't. He gets so scared it almost kills him.

The Sweeper

Can you explain that to the vet and ask them to do a home visit?

mymo

Is the clumping you describe at the back end and along the cats spine by any chance?
My dads elderly cat had this from about 15 years old until she passed away(at almost 18yrs). The vet said it was due to her not being able to reach to groom herself and just recommended a slicker brush to remove the loose hair, and to give her a good quality food for elderly cats.

Call the vet and ask if you're worried, he may call to house as sweeper said.

Graces7

Be very gentle with the brushing; fragile skin in these old ones. Maybe simply a silk cloth even. I used to use a damp facecloth then a soft towel After all a cat will only lick. not brush. And sometimes, less is best.

morganafay

My old cat had a similar thing, clumping/matted hair on her back along her spine, that she wasn't grooming. I think she was feeling a bit under the weather so wasn't grooming herself properly. I tried brushing her but she's really cranky and was trying to scratch me! so I just cut out the matted bits (they would have easily brushed out, but oh well) and then she started grooming herself properly again afterwards.

Maybe your cat can't reach its back?

Wisco

Many older cats have some degree of kidney disease and therefore don't feel as well as they used to and so may not groom as much. Also, a cat that age may have arthritis (cats don't always display signs as obviously as dogs do) and can't groom because it's painful to move legs/back/etc to reach with the tongue.
Unfortunately the only way to diagnose kidney probs is blood tests at the vets. And giving painkillers at your cat's age without doing blood tests could be risky too as some anti-inflammatories can be dangerous if kidneys aren't working well. Does the cat get scared at only one vets or is it all of them? Some vets specialize more in cats and are better at handling, etc, so could be worth ringing around a bit.

The Sweeper

The only problem with avoiding the vet is that your cat could be suffering with something that's making him feel under the weather, but which is extremely treatable. You may think he's had a good innings at 16 years, but I personally know cats aged 20, 21 and 22 years, so there could be a lot of life left in him. You could be lucky in that a course of meds could have him feeling fighting fit again and he may put weight back on and start grooming again. For that reason, I'd look at trying to get him assessed at the vet.

fatmammycat

My old cat Puddy is 19 and still tearing about the place. Her back legs are not as strong as they once were so I put benches and boxes and so on about the place for her to jump up on the walls like she likes to do. In terms of her coat, hers is fine, but last year I added half a cod liver oil capsule to her food daily and it made a huge difference. She also has a small saucer of milk daily, which- while purely anecdotal- I believe helps with her bones. I realise some cats cannot tolerate cow's milk, but she does and she loves both it and cream- also some cheese.
Rubber washing up gloves are the business for cat grooming, she loves it when I take her out and give her a good rub down- she hates brushes- but the static from the rubber makes her purr like crazy.
Good luck!

gaeilgegrinds1

I tried the gloves, he loved them! Also cut out the clumps and he looks much more handsome. He's actually still so funny! If one of the clumps falls off he pushes it off the couch with his paw as though to say, uck, you're not staying here! Regarding food he has really gotten fussy, what do ye cats like? I feed him mostly people food as that's what he likes. We had salmon lastnight, two plates for us, one bowl prepared for baby, one for the cat. Am I doing him harm?

MsFifers

Cats have pretty specific dietary requirements so feeding leftovers isn't really recommended. They need a lot of offal meat and they have a need for taurine which is usually added to good quality cat food.

Maybe you could provide some good cat food mixed up with his "people" food so that his dietary balance is good.

Or if you google on this topic there are lots of advice for how to prepare food for your cat yourself - but it looks like a lot of hassle if you ask me.

mymo

Is his weight good, my dads old girl got quite thin between bad teeth, kidneys weren't great and old age. The vat suggested a wet food for kidney problems and some kitten food to help her put up some weight.
Try some of the online pet stores, some of the food is very good quality.