Appetite often softens rather than disappears
An aging Selkirk Rex commonly keeps an interest in food but eats more slowly and in smaller amounts, leaving the end of a portion he once finished and returning to it later. A less keen sense of smell, dental discomfort, and a body that digests more slowly can all contribute. Serving his usual food in smaller, more frequent meals, slightly warmed to release its scent, suits many senior cats better than expecting him to clear one large bowl in a single sitting.
Some aging Selkirk Rex cats show the reverse pattern and remain enthusiastic eaters throughout. Enthusiasm alone does not settle the question of health. An aging Selkirk Rex who eats heartily while his weight slides downward over successive monthly weighings is showing a combination that should always be reported, because good appetite rules out the simplest explanation and points the conversation elsewhere.
A stocky breed loses and gains under its curls
The Selkirk Rex is a solid, well-muscled cat, and aging commonly trims muscle from over the spine and hindquarters while the cat's overall outline, wrapped in dense curls, looks almost unchanged. Feel is the reliable test in an aging Selkirk Rex: run your hands along his ribs and over his hips weekly, and learn what his normal covering feels like so that sharper hips or a more prominent spine register early. Muscle loss can also show in function first, in a shorter jump, a slower climb, or reluctance to be picked up.
Gain is equally easy to miss in an aging Selkirk Rex. If his activity falls with age while his bowl stays the same size, weight creeps on under that plush coat and adds load to ageing joints, and he may groom less of his back as reaching gets harder. A monthly home weight, taken the same way each time, settles both directions honestly. Neither panic over one reading nor reassurance from one reading is justified; the trend across three months is the evidence.
Eating behaviour worth writing down
Note how an aging Selkirk Rex approaches food, not just how much disappears. Dropping pieces, chewing to one side, pausing over hard textures he once managed, or sniffing and retreating can all accompany mouth discomfort in a senior cat who is still hungry. Accepting soft food eagerly after refusing a firmer texture is a clue to record and repeat at his check-up, because it narrows the story considerably.
Record drinking beside eating in an aging Selkirk Rex. A bowl emptied faster than it used to be, paired with weight loss or a busier litter tray, is a combination a veterinarian will want to hear about promptly rather than at the next routine visit. Dated notes of meals finished, textures refused, and water habits take seconds to keep and turn a vague worry into a timeline.
Changes beyond normal aging in a Selkirk Rex
Seek veterinary advice promptly if an aging Selkirk Rex loses weight across two monthly weighings, loses weight quickly, stops eating for a day, eats far more while thinning, or shows vomiting, increased thirst, litter changes, or withdrawal alongside appetite change. A new lump felt under the curls during your weekly hands-on check should also be raised without waiting. Senior cats decline quietly, and in a heavily coated breed the written weight record is often the first objective proof that something has shifted.
Keeping his monthly weights, texture notes, and appetite observations together in KinsLe Pet Passport gives his veterinarian that proof in one packet when you ask about his eating.