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Why is my senior cat barely eating, losing weight, and had nose discharge?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 3 lbs

An elderly spayed female cat, about 15 years old. Last week, she suddenly began vomiting. Since then no more vomiting, but while she is drinking water, she is barely eating. Her eyes are clear most of the time, she purrs when petted, but she's lost a lot of weight, and I wiped some "icky" from her nose. Thank you.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA

Veterinarian

Published on December 17th, 2016

These are concerning signs in an elderly cat, the reduced appetite may be related to nausea which can occur with declining kidney function in older cats. I strongly recommend you get her assessed by a vet as soon as possible, especially with the weight loss you report

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Poor Mama! In an older cat, there are a couple of diseases that can cause her to vomiting, lose weight despite eating, and eventually not want to eat. These include diabetes, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and cancer. I would take her into the vet today for an exam. The vet can do a physical exam, a geriatric blood panel, and a urinalysis to diagnose what is causing her symptoms. Once a cause is found, the vet can discuss treatment with you.

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