Ask the Veterinarian/Cat sleeping

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Expert: - 1/30/2012


Question
My Thomas (Male Tiger, 16-17 years old) is very quiet lately and sleeping a LOT.  He seems so quiet and his sleeping a lot is worrying me.  It started 2 days ago, his nose is cool, he is not eating (highly unusual), he drinks water and uses his litter box for both uses. But does not seem 100%.  Indoor cat, but hangs out on the balcony (not lately).  The vet is a fortune I do not have right now at ALL.  Any thoughts?

Answer
Well, Christina,

My first thought about a cat this age that has stopped eating is that he is dying. The last things cats do before they are done is stop eating.

Now even if he isn't sick, or didn't appear to be, old age does take over and they can and will just lie down and curl up and wait to die.

I am sorry if this sounds harsh but it is a reality and the only way to know what is going on is to have a vet look at him.

Not all vets are a "fortune." Some have very reasonable office call rates. I would call around and shop.
Otherwise, there isn't much I can tell you without seeing the cat in person or knowing a lot more about his history.

17 is a long time for a cat and it is way past the age of normal life span. I hope that I am wrong but again, you won't know unless you take him in.  

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

Organizations
Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

Education/Credentials
Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

Awards and Honors
Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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