skinny,hungry,thirsty cat

[Rufus]

He is 13 yo.,lost lot of weight lately, eventhough he was eating a lot, had him wormed, now wants to drink only, but womits the water. He is a loved pet, but if he is terminaly ill i don't want to prolong his suffering.

[jason]

we can only speculate as to the real problem with your kitty and he needs immediate attention.

get your cat to vet asap and let us know what they are able to find out.

[Mona]

As Jason stated, your cat needs to be taken to the vet immediately. If you cannot get an appointment today, go to an Emergency Facility.He will need fluids and testing. These kind of symptoms indicate a serious condition such as kidney or liver problems.

Good luck and please update. Mona, HOneybun and Chloe

[Spez]

It is possible that your cat has developed diabetes. There are two kinds in felines. Do go to the Vet quickly. If it is diabetes, it is not that expensive or that difficult to treat and you may be able to enjoy many more years with him.

[rufus]

I have read a lot on diabeties, and most likely that's what Rufus has.
I am looking for natural treatments, preferably organic. Now he is eating and drinking less, does not wee allover the place.(all these are symptoms of diabeties) . He eats cooked carrots, rice and oats and a lot less (lean) meat , I trust his natural instinct will dictate his preference. Thank you all for Your concern. I don't belive in hurting an animal with needles, prolonging his life just because I am emotionaly attached to it.
This might sound cold, I don' belive I am!!!!
Cheers from downunder Hobart!

[Zola]

A cat is a full blown carnivore. Please, please PLEASE take him to the vet and get him back on a cat food diet. If you don't care for processed cat food, there are a bunch of good sites on feeding a raw diet on the web. This is really important--if he doesn't get sufficient taurine, it will make him go blind, and vegetables/grains don't have taurine.

It would be just terrible to put your cat down only to find out you were the one making him sick. Please don't ignore basic biology!

[Tina B and crew]

rufus...Zola is right...cats must have meat to survive. I am a whole hearted supporter of the "Natural" path and understand your desire to feed a natural organic diet. There are commercially prepared foods that fall into the category. Raw feeding is an "iffy" subject on this board and while I support one's decision in choosing it I highly recommend seeking a qualified animal nutritionist to help see you through the process if you choose to go that way. Zola is correct that there is much info available on the net, but I'd have to agree with Traci (when it comes to this subject it's hard to believe isn't it Traci ) that you must be careful with what you find on the net. Use good judgement and intuition. Cats must have certain nutrients to stay healthy, especially sick cats...please use good judgement.

[Traci]

Please, Rufus, you've been strongly advised several times to get your kitty seen by your vet IMMEDIATELY! You cannot diagnose your cat simply by comparing his symptoms to that of what you're reading on the net, that is not a responsible (nor feasible) approach. Only your VET can accurately diagnose and treat your kitty.

You first posted your kitty was not eating, drinking small amounts, vomiting and had lost a significant amount of weight, all red flags that should have alerted you to an emergency veterinary visit. In a 13-year old kitty, one can never take chances, as there are various conditions that can occur in older kitties.

Your second post indicated that he is eating, but drinking less. You MUST be aware that while diabetes may be a major concern here, that the symptoms you describe could also be a miriad of other conditions that need to be tested for, and ruled out by your vet. Some conditions that might fit the picture could include kidney failure, liver failure, heart disease, GI tract disease or neoplasia (cancer). Any of these conditions and other conditions can mimic and produce the same symptoms as diabetes, so you must not assume it is diabetes only. The only way to accurately diagnose is through comprehensive blood and urine testing.

IF this is diabetes, you are taking a huge risk with his health. You can't possibly attempt to treat this on your own, you need to be aware that diabetes can be a life-threatening event if hypo or hyperglycemia occurs, these can put a kitty into a coma and even death if not diagnosed and treated promptly and aggressively. Also, diet is an IMPORTANT factor in diabetic patients, feeding a raw food diet without knowing what you're doing is asking for trouble, and you are taking an extremely risky approach. Raw diets do NOT contain the necessary nutrients and vitamins needed to complete and balance the diet, supplementation is paramount, and you need a vet's direction and strict instructions on this. You are currently not feeding your kitty a balanced diet, and in the face of an undiganosed problem, you could actually be causing him more harm than good. If he is diabetic and requires insulin, you are setting him up for disaster and severe consequences with his health and life. You should also know that "organic" is not necessarily safe or appropriate, especially when you are starting with raw foods that aren't properly supplemented in the first place. Diet alone is not the answer here, least of all raw. For more detailed and accurate information on dietary info, raw food myths, etc, please see here, Reference Articles

Insulin administration, once kitty is tested, diagnosed and regulated, is fairly simple to do at home. The needles are not large nor are they uncomfortable for kitty. You cannot administer insulin without knowing what his blood glucose curve is, this is a required test in order to regulate with insulin. The initial regulation could take anywhere from a week to several months before kitty is fully adjusted to his insulin requirements.

I don't belive in hurting an animal with needles, prolonging his life just because I am emotionaly attached to it.
This might sound cold, I don' belive I am!!!!

As I stated, the insulin needles will not hurt or harm your kitty, they are designed for comfort and ease of administration. Putting diabetes aside, you need to get your kitty diagnosed properly by your vet right NOW. Your kitty is depending on you to get him properly diagnosed and treated safely, effectively by your vet. You are incorrectly assuming he is terminal, you are incorrectly diagnosing him yourself, and you are incorrectly formulating a diet that may not be appropriate for his individual needs and requirements. You don't know what condition he is suffering, and are taking a huge risk with his health.

The internet is the last place you should be searching, your vet is the ONLY person qualified to diagnose and treat your kitty.

[Susan and the girls]

I have read a lot on diabeties, and most likely that's what Rufus has.

Please don't assume that's what he has. Unless you have the bloodwork to support this "diagnosis," there's a big chance you're wrong. As Traci said, those symptoms are broad symptoms displayed with many illnesses. Please go to the vet!!

He eats cooked carrots, rice and oats and a lot less (lean) meat , I trust his natural instinct will dictate his preference.

If you're comparing a domesticated housecat's instincts with a pack of wild cats, his natural instinct is to go off somewhere and die alone so as not to hinder the rest of the "family." Cats no more "crave" certain foods because they've got some deficiency than we do.

I don't belive in hurting an animal with needles, prolonging his life just because I am emotionaly attached to it.
This might sound cold, I don' belive I am!!!!

"Cold" is letting your cat suffer with some undiagnosed illness simply because you would rather diagnose it yourself based on something you got off an internet search of the symptoms.

Several years ago, my sister's cat had chronic renal failure, which is something that sometimes can be controlled and treated to improve the quality of life, yet it was never diagnosed properly. As a result her cat died a horrible and slow death - something that didn't need to happen. Only when we took her in to be put to sleep (when her suffering became too apparent) did we learn that it all could have been avoided, yet it was TOO LATE. If we had known, things could have been different!!!

Please don't let this happen to your cat. It has given you thirteen years of companionship - doesn't it deserve to have the best care possible????

I can't understand how you can say you love your cat and that you're not inhumane and cold if you don't do something right away.

Believe me - I'm not just preaching at you. I spent a ton of money to help my cat when she needed it, so I know what I'm talking about.