High calorie cat food for old cats: helping them gain weight

A high-calorie food for an old cat is one that packs more energy into each mouthful: an energy-dense adult or all-life-stages food, a kitten food if your vet agrees, or a recovery diet supplied by the vet. Fed in small, frequent meals, these can help a thin cat regain weight slowly. Have the cat examined before you change the diet, though. Unexplained thinness in an older cat can point to an overactive thyroid, kidney disease or diabetes, and extra calories do not fix any of those.

See the vet before you change the food

Weight loss in an old cat is a symptom, not a feeding mistake. Common causes include an overactive thyroid, kidney disease, diabetes, dental pain, bowel disease and cancer. Several can be treated or managed, and an exam with blood and urine tests is how they are told apart. Read more on why an old cat loses weight and why an old cat gets so skinny.

The cause also decides which food is right:

• Overactive thyroid. The cat burns calories faster than it can eat them. Weight often returns once the thyroid is treated. See hyperthyroidism in senior cats.
• Kidney disease. Phosphorus has to be controlled, so a rich kitten food can be the wrong choice. See what to feed a cat with kidney disease.
• Diabetes. The carbohydrate in the food matters, and a diet change can alter insulin needs. See diabetes in senior cats.
• Mouth pain. The cat wants to eat and cannot. Texture matters more than calories until the mouth is treated.

Why old cats need more food, not less

Many dogs and people gain weight as they age. Cats often go the other way. It is commonly reported that from about 12 years on, a sizeable share of cats digest fat less efficiently, and some digest protein less well too.

On top of that, older cats lose muscle with age, even when healthy. So a cat in its teens often needs more calories and more good-quality protein than it did at eight. A "light" food, or a senior food built around fewer calories, is the wrong choice for a thin cat.

How to compare calories in cat food

Calorie content is printed on the label as kcal per can, per pouch or per cup, usually in the small print near the feeding guide.

Compare like with like. Cans come in different sizes, so divide the calories by the ounces in the can to see which wet food is denser. For dry food, compare calories per cup.

Whatever you pick should be complete and balanced, high in digestible animal protein, and something your cat will eat every day. Kitten and all-life-stages foods are usually denser and richer in protein and fat than adult foods. They are also richer in minerals, including phosphorus, so ask your vet before using one, especially if the kidneys are in question. General label reading is covered in how to choose a senior cat food.

What to feed an old cat to gain weight: making meals count

A richer food only helps if it is eaten. These habits help:

• Small meals, often. Four to six small meals suit a small appetite better than two big ones.
• Warm it. Wet food served slightly warm smells stronger. Stir well so there are no hot spots.
• Keep it fresh. Old cats often refuse food that has sat out. Offer small portions and replace them.
• Make eating easy. Use a wide, shallow dish in a quiet place, away from other pets and the litter box. Raise it slightly for a cat with stiff joints.
• Keep company. Some old cats eat more when someone sits with them or offers food by hand.
• Keep medicine separate. Hiding pills in the main meal can put a cat off that food. Ask your vet about other ways to give them.

A cat who walks up to the bowl, sniffs, licks its lips and walks away may be nauseated rather than fussy. Tell your vet, because nausea can be treated.

Toppers and extras

Lickable treats, broths and gravies made for cats can tempt a cat to start eating. Most are labeled "complementary" and are not complete diets, and many are low in calories. Use them to get the meal started, not to replace it. Keep them to a small share of the day's calories so they do not push out balanced food.

A little plain cooked chicken or fish on top of the meal, with no bones, skin or seasoning, is generally tolerated in small amounts. Ask your vet first, especially if your cat has kidney disease, diabetes, pancreas or bowel problems, or a food allergy. Avoid anything cooked with onion or garlic, which are toxic to cats, and avoid salty stock and gravy made for people. Milk and cream upset many cats' stomachs. Do not add oil, butter or fat to the food without asking your vet, because rich additions can cause diarrhea and are risky for cats with pancreas or bowel problems. Dog food is not a substitute for cat food.

Supplements for a senior cat to gain weight

No supplement puts weight on a cat by itself, and none replaces finding the cause.

• High-calorie gels and pastes. Concentrated calories in a lickable form. They are not complete diets, and many are based on sugars and oils, so they may not suit a diabetic cat. They are a short-term help at most.
• Vitamin B12. Cats with bowel or pancreas disease are often low in it. Vets test for this and supplement when it is low. It is not a general weight-gain aid.
• Appetite stimulants and anti-nausea medicines. These are prescription medicines, and your vet decides whether one is appropriate.

Clear every supplement with your vet, who decides the product and the amount. Never give protein powders, meal-replacement shakes or other products made for people. They can contain sweeteners, flavorings and nutrient levels that are unsafe for cats.

How fast should a thin cat gain weight?

Slowly. Expect weeks to months, not days. Your vet sets a target weight and a pace from your cat's frame, muscle and diagnosis. In a very old cat, some lost muscle may not come back, and holding weight steady can be the realistic goal.

Weigh your cat once a week on the same scale, such as a baby scale, and write it down. If the weight has not moved after a few weeks of eating well, or is still falling, go back to the vet instead of adding more food.

A cat who has eaten very little for several days needs to see the vet now, and should be re-fed under the vet's direction. After a period of starvation, a sudden return to full meals can cause dangerous shifts in the body's salts.

When to call the vet today

• Your cat has not eaten for 24 hours. A cat who stops eating can develop a serious liver condition quickly. See why an old cat stops eating.
• Your cat is eating well, or ravenously, and still losing weight.
• Weight loss you can see or feel from one week to the next.
• Drinking or urinating far more than usual.
• Repeated vomiting or diarrhea.
• Drooling, pawing at the mouth or crying while eating.
• Weakness, wobbling, or walking flat on the back legs.
• A yellow tinge to the gums, the whites of the eyes or the inside of the ears, or labored breathing. Go to an emergency clinic at once.

If your cat eats more readily from a can, see what to look for in wet food for older cats.

This article is general educational information about feeding thin older cats, not veterinary or nutritional advice for your cat. It gives no feeding amounts or supplement amounts on purpose and does not recommend any brand or product. Weight loss in an older cat needs a veterinary exam to find the cause, and the food, any supplement or appetite medicine, and the pace of weight gain should be decided with your veterinarian.