My old cat isn't eating, is wobbly. Should I take her to the vet?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | 16 years and 8 months old | 6 lbs
My cat is nearly 17yrs old and she has not eaten for a couple of days. She is still drinking water and using the litter tray but she is a bit wobbly on her feet
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on December 15th, 2018
Your kitty needs to be seen by a vet. These are concerning symptoms in an older cat. They can become dehydrated very easily. Not eating can be caused by numerous things including things with the gi tract itself and diseases of any other organ system (kidneys, liver, etc). Your vet can perform an exam and then likely will recommend starting with bloodwork +/- xrays. This is the best plan to figure out what is going on and to get your kitty feeling better. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on March 9th, 2017
If she is not eating much than she won't be defecating much either. There are many reasons why a cat could have a decreased appetite including dental disease, infections, parasites, liver/kidney disease, gastrointestinal issue, constipation, palatability of the food, etc. You could try a different food and see if that helps. Otherwise, have your vet to an examination to help determine the cause and treat the problem. Your vet can do an oral examination to make sure she doesn't have dental disease causing pain and run lab-work and take an x-ray, if needed, to help diagnose.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on December 13th, 2019
It could be a sign of a health problem, unfortunately it is a very general symptom that could be a part of almost any disease, if it doesn't resolve soon or if it gets worse i would recommend a vet visit and a blood test to start with.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on February 10th, 2020
Hi there. Possible causes of weight loss and decreased appetite in an older cat like this could include chronic kidney or liver disease, a GI problem such as inflammatory bowel disease or pancreatitis, a thyroid problem, dental disease, or even some type of cancer. Further diagnostic testing such as additional blood work, abdominal x-rays and ultrasound, and possibly intestinal biopsies would likely be needed to get a diagnosis. If this isn't possible, there are medication options that could be tried depending on his lab results so far, so I would recommend discussing the situation with your veterinarian to see what he/she recommends as the next step from here. Altneratively, you could seek a second opinion from another vet in your area, or request referral to an internal medicine specialist for more advanced diagnostic and treatment options.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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