my cat who is nearly 20 went to the vets two days ago as she was not passing urine and not being her self and not eating. the vets took blood samples and said she couldnt find anything majorly wrong other than her liver parameter was slightly larger but it usually happens in a cat her age. she said she might have tiny tumours in her liver but she couldnt feel any but wouldnt know unless she did a scan but we decided not to put her through all that stress. she only has one tooth left and so far we have tried mashing her food, gave her different types of cat food and milk but the only thing she will eat is pilchards in tomatoe sauce, now i know this is not exactly a healthy diet but shes an old cat so we are just glad of her eating anything. id like to know if anyone has any advice on what to try next? im thinking of trying minced and mashed beef, liver etc

Have you tried mixing some dry (or wet) food into the pilchards?

Have you tried dry on its own?
I am fairly sure that a cat without any teeth can still eat dry (especailly if you feed the small kitten ones), because they can eat them without crunching.

her mouth is very sore at the minute and she has had antibiotics, she needs to eat food mushed up, there is no way she could manage dry, we have tried mixing her food with pilchards. we have just got her some minced liver to try

How about trying some mashed potato with baby food mixed into it? Baby food is packed full of good stuff, so might be worth a try to build her up a little?

Not sure if this is good advice or not as I've never been in the situation before, but I do know that this has worked with my pet rats in the past when we've been struggling to get them to eat anything.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm off on the wrong tracks!!

Fingers crossed that she will go for the minced liver.

You could try some feline A/d from the vets, it is soft food and quite lickable for your cat, can also be fed by syringe from the tin to your cat if it becomes necessary, however it would be very easy for your cat to digest and no chewing required

i don't want this to sound the wrong way but 20yrs old is really old for a cat. I would personally not worry about the content of the food she likes and just let her eat what she wants if she will eat it. i think she would be happier that way it's brill she's grown to be this old and wonderful she has you to love her and care for her.

I would tend to agree with the post above.

Also, talk about the situation with your vet - what does he/she suggest?

Kitten sized dried kibble is worth a try if mixed in with the more palatable pilchards. Also, you might want to try some goat's milk.

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goats milk? *giggle* i just got a great mental picture of a cat trying to milk a goat. eek:

goats milk is the mother of all and great for weight gain. you could try it.

I only had a quick scan through, so apologies if someone has already suggested it. But if you warm the pilchards slightly, they have a stronger smell and maybe this will encourage her.

I also agree with the posts above she is an elegant old lady and she should be allowed to eat whatever she desires. My cats also love liver. Whenever I cook it for hubby, I always give them a little. I hope she is sorted soon x x x