Ask Dr Claire

I have a 15 year old cat who is very thin and happy, what food I can give him to help him gain weight? He eats the smallest amounts at any time. Its just his way.

It is true that even healthy aged cats can have difficulty keeping weight on, mainly due to decreased digestive function, but also to other metabolic changes.

A hands-on examination from your local vet as soon as possible would be a great place to start (if you haven’t already), to see if there are any problems which may affect what dietary needs your cat has.

Older cats can have issues such as if there is chronic kidney disease, diabetes or hyperthyroidism which will affect how they are best fed.

For a healthy but thin aged cat it’s really important that the food is very tasty so that they want to eat it, that the source of protein is good quality and that the energy source is highly digestible. They have decreased digestive function and reduced metabolic efficiency. Dry food is more energy dense than wet food, but you could try both to see what your cat eats. And remember, always have fresh water available.

If you’d like to chat in person, you can get a vet on a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail now.

We’re here to help!

Chat soon,

Dr Claire