Food for Elder Cat

[Cypress]

My cat is now 18 years old. She is in fairly good health and still a bit frisky at times. She wants to eat most of the time and shows a lot of interest in my food too. She still goes outside for a few minutes a day and despite a little arthritis, gets around very well. Her hearing is diminished.

She displayed signs of a stomach illness lately. She threw up some ugly brown fluid the other day and has been constipated. Last night, I came home and found her laying on the chair and not getting up. She seemed really low and ill. I gave her a Reiki treatment and offered her some mild white fish to eat. While she sniffed it, she wouldn't eat. I thought the worst.

This morning, she was up, looking for breakfast and behaving normally again. She had a small bowl movement and peed as well. She even wanted to go outside for a few minutes. Is it possible she ate bad cat food? Or, could I have brought home a germ and she had a stomach bug? Not sure if people to animal transmission of viruses is possible.

What do you feed a cat in good health with no chronic problems, slender and just old?

[Packy]

Friskies markets a canned food labeled especially for senior cats. No, it doesn't mean easier-to-read large print on the label. < Just trying to be funny, there. It probably has fewer calories/more sniff appeal & texture, for one thing. Most assuredly Hill's makes something especially for old cats, too. It will probably appeal to your cat, but be prepared for sticker shock. Vets sell it, but the best prices would be at a pet supply place. Pet places usually stock a wide variety of lesser-known and specialty pet foods. That is where I would check, first. I was thinking canned, or semi-moist cat food for a senior, because like people, it needs to be easier to chew, swallow, and digest. Younger cats can eat Dry, bagged crunchies, just fine,and they are certainly less expensive. But the older animal might be happier and healthier with the canned.

[Cypress]

Oops, I forgot to say she eats Fancy Feast wet food everyday. She sometimes will nibble on the dry but prefers wet all the time. I generally give her one can for the day. She typically eats about 3/4 of it. She is a grass eater and I wonder if the lack of fresh grass now might be putting her off her normal pattern for self care.

[pony mom]

For her arthritis, try Cosequin. It's a powder you sprinkle on the food. The older fat barn cat where I keep my horse loves it on his dry food (he won't eat canned, which would be better for him). It did help him quite a bit, but now barn owner isn't giving it to him anymore and I can see a difference.