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Why is my old cat vomiting, losing weight, and breathing fast?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 5 lbs

Hello, my cat is 16 years old. He is basically skin and bones but he eats! But almost everytime he eats he vomits whole non chewed up food, he is missing some teeth. He also pees and poops right outside of his litter box. He drools sometimes and his breathing is very quick and shallow. Sometimes he has these episodes where he is making weird noises like he can’t breath. But they only last less than a minute. He pulls out chunks of his hair also. But he acts likes his normal loving self.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on July 16th, 2019

Morris needs to be examined by the veterinarian. It sounds like he has multiple issues and these can only be addressed by the veterinarian. He needs bloodwork to look for kidney disease, hyperthyroidism or cancer. It's possible he has a heart condition and dental disease as well. The drooling likely indicates tooth problems and this can indicate pain. Have him examined soon. Just like humans, if these conditions are diagnosed and treated earlier, they have a better prognosis. I hope this helps.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 16th, 2017

    I am afraid they might find a serious condition such as kidney failure or a tumor, those would be the most common reasons for those symptoms in a 17 years old cat. another "better" option would be hyperthyroidism, the symptoms seem to fit as well and it is usually treatable with medications. if it is kidney failure or a tumor, treatment options are very limited and the prognosis is very poor.

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