Diet for older cat.

Question
Our cat "Princess" turns 16 this spring.  She has become increasingly finicky about her food.  When she does eat she seems to chew on only one side of her mounth.  We suspect that she may be losing some teeth.  (She won't let us look.)  Is there a liquid diet that we could put her on?  She also refuses to drink from her bowl. going instead to the fish tank or the toilet.  This behavior has been increasing for the past year or so.  Any help would be appreciated.  Thank you.  Chris and Linda

Answer
Well, she may be losing teeth but what I think is much more likely is that she has got gingivitis big time and it is making it painful for her to chew. Most cats need to have their teeth cleaned by the time they hit 7 or so. If you have never had this done, it's no wonder she is having trouble.

On the other hand, considering her age, your vet may not want to recommend it. There is always some concern when anesthetizing an older cat, and this really has to be done in order to clean the teeth proper. So you should talk with him about this procedure. It's not cheap -- I live in a high priced area and I had my 10 1/2 year-old's teeth done this spring, it was about $300. (Think I might have had a rabies shot then as well. . .)

What are you feeding her? There are a number of good dry foods tailored for senior cats that are softer and easier to chew. Do you feed her any canned food? If not, you should -- it will help to keep her hydrated, which in turn is better for her kidneys.

With regard to the water, I recommend that you get her a Drinkwell fountain. They are about $20-$25 at Petsmart and cats love them. Mine almost never try to drink from anywhere else. You might want to consider filling it with bottled water, too. . . I have a water filter on my sink so my guys get filtered water in the fountain and I think they can tell the difference.

Hope this helps -- and good for you for taking such good care of your cat that she has made it this far!  She is lucky to have you.

iris