Dietary advice for an ageing cat with health problems

[Snoop Puss]

We took our 17-year-old cat to the vet because she was having bowel problems. That's when a tumour in her chest cavity was found in an X-ray, possibly metastasised from elsewhere, the vet suggested, but none of us thought any further invasive diagnoses were helpful. She's on medication to slow down the tumour's growth and I've moved all the cats over to home-made food in a bid to combat her bowel disorder, which seems to be a late onset food intolerance. The other two cats are losing some of their winter fat but have gorgeous coats. Aged cat is now putting on her winter livery - a bit of extra fat and a gorgeous thick coat. This home-made food seems to suit them, but I'm not sure I've got the 'recipe' right, as it's pretty well made up, though it is based on advice from the vet. Online searches brings up a whole heap of varying advice from stuff I regard as nutty to very restrictive.

Does anyone have any suggestions? No starches (cereals or potato) for the aged cat. It's as if she has IBS, though this only bothers us, not her. I haven't tried peas or pea flour, but am not keen to given the effect of grains and potato. Currently she's having cooked meat (mostly chicken) or fish with a bit of cooking broth and a small amount of cooked carrot or courgette. She's drinking plenty of water. The vet thinks she should be having something like rice, pasta or potato, but the effects are not nice. I might add some winter squash to see how that goes down. Nutritional supplement for cats on order but not yet arrived.

All dietary advice welcomed. The main factor you might disagree with is aged cat putting on weight. But I'm not prepared to put her on a diet, and this is entirely normal for all our cats at this time of year. Their part of the house (the tom is very aggressive with the dogs) is on the chilly side most of time and they do lose the weight in the spring.

[veggiechicken]

Snoop, I'm a fan of John Burns and his pet food. He was a vet who found, from experience thaat advising pet owners to switch from commercial food to food that was home cooked helped their pets problems.

His senior cat food is chicken and brown rice. https://burnspet.co.uk/cat-food-life...nior/#ProdDesc

Read more at https://burnspet.co.uk/app/uploads/2...-LFG1-V104.pdf

John is also a wonderful kind-hearted man whose company supports many charities. His head office was local to me when I had a cottage down west and I've met him several times. i was told by a friend of his that he doesn't work to make money but to make animals lives better.

They have a chatline and you could have a "chat" with one of their dietiticians.

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks, VC.

Edited to add: just started on the pdf (second link). Looks very interesting.

[Thelma Sanders]

Cats don't eat veg in the wild, apart from a bit of grass to clear fur balls, or wild herbs very occasionally - so I wouldn't worry about feeding veg tbh. The only difficulty is making sure they get enough calcium and Taurine if they aren't eating bones and offal.
The supplement you've ordered should add anything missing from her food
All the time she's eating I wouldn't be too worried about her, poor puss..

[Snoop Puss]

One thing I didn't say is that she still has a good quality of life. Doesn't look or behave like her age, bit of play still, jumps up and down off chairs and the bed with no trouble, loves a fuss and being combed, seeks out attention, still gets on well with the tom (her big pal) and is showing no signs of distress. If it hadn't been for her bowels, we'd not have known anything was wrong with her. The vet says she doesn't seem to be in pain, so we all agreed it wasn't time for her to go yet. That time will come, but till then, she is the same happy cat she was. Even the bowel problems don't bother her, just us.

[AntC]

Snoop, I'm a fan of John Burns and his pet food. He was a vet who found, from experience thaat advising pet owners to switch from commercial food to food that was home cooked helped their pets problems.

His senior cat food is chicken and brown rice. https://burnspet.co.uk/cat-food-life...nior/#ProdDesc

Read more at https://burnspet.co.uk/app/uploads/2...-LFG1-V104.pdf

John is also a wonderful kind-hearted man whose company supports many charities. His head office was local to me when I had a cottage down west and I've met him several times. i was told by a friend of his that he doesn't work to make money but to make animals lives better.

They have a chatline and you could have a "chat" with one of their dietiticians.

Our beloved Labradoodle Hero died on 10 December from cancer and ruptured spleen and was fed exclusively on John Burns dog food and he never left one little bit in his bowl. For every 10 big bags of dog food you bought, you got one free!

[veggiechicken]

Sorry to hear about your Hero, Ant. x

The first time I met John Burns he was at a local village market, giving away samples of dog and cat food. I asked him if he had any bags for sale but he didn't so he told me to go to their HQ (about 2 miles away) and he'd leave a bag for me to pick up.
When I went, true to his word, he'd left a bag with my name on it - but it wasn't the small bag that I was expecting, but one of the huge sacks that were about £20. The note said " With compliments, John". I tried to pay for it, but they wouldn't let me.
He used to have an honesty box for eggs and surplus veg from the farm - all of which went into the pet food. Gradually, his HQ grew, there was a farm shop where locals could leave their produce and Burns would sell it for them Not just veg but pottery, woodwork, you name it, it could go there.
Then the cafe came with a 2nd hand book exchange/sale. All the proceeds went to the local independent lifeboat (not RNLI).
Now there's a fully fledged restaurant using local organic produce, a market garden for a special needs group and local schools, a park, bandstand, bikes for hire, farm shop and llamas!
Most of the animal rescue places I know are supplied with Burns pet food free of charge
as are many other charities.
This sounds like an advert - sorry.

[Nicos]

^^^ not enough people like him around are there. Hats off to him x

[Snoop Puss]

Yes, a real hero. I looked for his food here, but no go. I did find his dog food on eBay in Spain but 28 euros for 2 kg including delivery.

Sorry to hear about Hero, AntC. Always a difficult time and still very recent for you. Big cyber-hug.

As far as the veg go, TS, I understand that because cats eat just about all of their prey, their prey's stomach contents, often plant matter, also pass through their own digestive tract. Hence the recommendation for some veg matter.

[rary]

How about trying some fish boiled in milk or baked with a nob of butter. I don't want you to think I am comparing my OH with a cat but when I have made fish dishes this week for her she has said that it has had a taste and that she enjoyed eating it, so possibly worth a try

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks, Rary. She's getting some meals chicken, some meals fish. Boiled in water rather than milk, occasionally a bit of butter to make grated courgette or carrot a bit more palatable. Milk is a good idea, though. Thanks. Was thinking of seeing how she does with a bit of egg this evening.

[Thelma Sanders]

Cat's aren't really supposed to have milk, although they themselves don't seem to understand that lol

My old Siamese loved milk, and it always upset her tum, but if there was a chance for her to steal milk or cream from an uncovered dish - she was there in a flash I still miss her..

[rary]

Cat's aren't really supposed to have milk, although they themselves don't seem to understand that lol

My old Siamese loved milk, and it always upset her tum, but if there was a chance for her to steal milk or cream from an uncovered dish - she was there in a flash I still miss her..

Thelma I always thought that milk was good for cats as it was supposed to counteract any poison? that they may pick up from eating other animals and birds

[Thelma Sanders]

Rary, my vet said that most cats are lactose intolerant, so milk really can be a problem for them.

[roitelet]

When I had an elderly ailing cat I kept her going on raw minced turkey for quite a long time, until the end