How to Put Weight on a Fifteen Year Old Cat

An underweight cat, particularly one that is 15 years old, is more susceptible to certain diseases and will likely not live a comfortable life during the final years. However, there are steps you can take to help your senior cat gain a healthy amount of weight and improve its quality of life.

Things You'll Need

  • Supplements
  • Canned food
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Instructions

    • 1

      Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. Your vet can test your 15 year old cat and make sure the weight loss is not due to a serious medical condition.

    • 2

      Discuss ways to put on weight that are healthy for your cat. Not all options will be appropriate for your cat's health condition. Therefore, a veterinarian might give you a specific feeding schedule to try out, or maybe certain brands of products to choose that have worked better for cats he has treated.

    • 3

      Give your cat a protein-rich diet with natural, whole protein. For example, an ingredient list should mention chicken as an ingredient by itself -- instead of an altered form of chicken. Avoid meat by-products and foods with genetically modified or hormone enriched ingredients. Cats need a lot of protein to keep on weight, but unhealthy proteins can cause more harm than good.

    • 4

      Add supplements to your cat's diet. This should not be implemented unless under the supervision of your veterinarian. Some substances that can help put weight on your 15 year old cat include vitamins A, C and E, electrolytes, Omega-3 fatty acids and the amino acid taurine.

    • 5

      Increase your cat's fiber-rich diet. Fiber is an important part of the digestive process for older cats. Buying food that is enriched with extra fiber is sufficient in most cases, unless your veterinarian recommends a supplement to increase your cat's fiber intake even more.

    • 6

      Feed your 15 year old cat canned food. You can incorporate the canned food into your cat's diet or switch to canned food altogether. High calorie canned foods are available and will help your cat gain weight.

    • 7

      Keep your cat in a calm, safe and quiet place while eating meals. This will encourage your cat to eat more because interruptions and stress are minimized.

    • 8

      Heat up your cat's food in the microwave. This brings out the natural aromas of the food and makes it more enticing to your cat, increasing the chances that your cat will eat the food and put on weight.