Why is my elderly cat eating dirt and not walking on carpet and shaking her paws and not eating some meals?

Answer 1

Cats, like many animals will eat dirt and other "roughage" such as grass from time to time. This is instinctive and works to clear the bowels and also clean & sharpen the teeth. It doesn't usually have anything to do with how hungry the cat is or whether it is able to find food. A cat that is neglecting its food, however, may be suffering from some kind of bowel infection or gum disease. Both are common, especially in older cats. In either case the animal should be taken to a vet for examination and treatment. Senility is also common in elderly cats, as are strokes. The latter is especially true for cats that are no longer strong enough to get regular exercise Both of these factors may cause a cat to shake its paws for no reason. The fact that your cat is refusing to walk on carpet suggests the possibility that it may have an injured paw or paws. This may be a case of a simple splinter or it may indicate an infected wound. Or it could even be a case of the cat's claws getting caught up in the carpet, especially if it is a loop-style rug, so check the cat's claws to make sure there are no jagged edges. Still, a trip to the vet is strongly advisable. Many cases such as those mentioned above are perfectly treatable, if discovered in good time. Antibiotics are often enough to put a stop to an infection. In cases of gum disease the vet may suggest the removal of decayed teeth. However... In extreme cases the vet may suggest that the animal be put to sleep. It is always a terrible decision to have to make and it will only be suggested as a viable option if the cat is clearly suffering beyond all intervention. In the event that this becomes the case you should always put the cats well-being above your feelings. Personal note from writer: I have had to make the decision to administer the lethal injection to cats of my own four times and it doesn't get any easier. It's possibly the hardest thing you will ever have to face and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. You have to look at it objectively, though. What if it were you suffering? Sometimes it just isn't fair to keep an animal alive because we love the animal. When a cat gets to be a certain age, it forgets some things that it has learned, like eating its food.

What cats do when they are hungry and they cannot find food is they eat dirt. SOMETIMES