Question
My cat, Ben, used to catch mice and rats all the time. I felt bad every time I had to shut the door on him as I know he's trying so hard to give me a present. Once he caught 11 in one day during the Spring of 2020. Not sure if there's any correlation but he suddenly stopped hunting rodents after he started receiving medication for hyperthyroid. He also had a kidney flush during the same visit. Or perhaps it's old age? Ben was 13 at the time. He loves watching rodents and birds on Youtube though. Wondering if anyone else has experienced similar behavior with their cat losing interest in catching rodents? To be clear, I definitely don't mind not receiving presents from him anymore.
Answer
In this individual case it's probably a sign that he's not feeling at his best right now. Catching rodents requires a certain level of fitness and very sudden, very quick motions. He might either feel pain during the pouncing and catching, or he doesn't feel perfectly well in general and prefers to rest.
Hyperthyroid can cause fatigue and muscle pain, so that's one possible cause. The medication can also have some side-effects we don't know about. Kidney stones can cause severe pain, especially during motion and urinating. Old age in general can have countless symptoms.
You should look out for any change in his behavior. As natural predators, cats hide health problems as much as possible. If they express any change like not playing or jumping anymore, hiding all the time, refusing to eat or drink or eliminating outside the litter box, you should immediately assume a health problem and schedule a vet visit. At his advanced age, a routine checkup every 6 months is a good idea for Ben.
Answered By - Elmy
