Elderly cat and milk

[Deleted User]

We have an elderly cat - he's about 23 years old (he came from CPL in 1998 as a youngster)

He is surprisingly agile for an old boy but is allergic to milk, as I believe the majority of cats are ?

He disappears out of the cat flap every morning, returns temporarily at lunch time - then again every afternoon, back by 5:30 every evening

Recently - he has been drinking milk at a neighbours - we can tell because he vomits it up as soon as he returns

This is clearly not doing him any good - so we try to keep him in - he likes the outdoors and whines and claws until he is let out

What can we do to stop him from drinking milk ?

We have tried speaking to neighbours but they all deny that he is visiting them - he could be going several hundred yards - so we cannot track him

We tried the "Paper collar" trick but that was ripped off by him as soon as he left the house

He doesn't wear a normal collar - never has done

Robin9

Ideally he shouldn't have milk - but he's survived very well to get to 23 - let him have the milk - perhaps give him some Anti - Hair Balls biscuits to aid his digestion.

coffeehound

Could you give him his fill of lactose-free milk before he goes out?  Kind of pre-emt him wanting any more

[Deleted User]

Robin9 said:

Ideally he shouldn't have milk - but he's survived very well to get to 23 - let him have the milk - perhaps give him some Anti - Hair Balls biscuits to aid his digestion.

I agree - but he does not have hairballs - wouldn't that make him vomit more? 

[Deleted User]

coffeehound said:

Could you give him his fill of lactose-free milk before he goes out?  Kind of pre-emt him wanting any more

No - we tried cat milk on him a few years ago and he wouldn't touch it! 

coffeehound

Could maybe try him with supermarket lactose-free -- it tastes like normal milk but slightly sweeter

[Deleted User]

coffeehound said:

Could maybe try him with supermarket lactose-free -- it tastes like normal milk but slightly sweeter

He is a wise old cat and won't do anything that he doesn't want to do - so I doubt it!!
He has my wife wrapped round his little claw - she has to let him out at 2 or 5 am EVERY morning! 

Mnoee

You could try a poster or two in the street? "Have you seen this cat? He's fine, but please don't feed him milk." sort of thing. 

It might not work, but little harm trying. 

[Deleted User]

He has now started to smell rank - it is not his "rear end" that is clean - it seems to permeate his whole body

Could it be his anal gland is blocked? 

Silvertabby

Deleted_User said:

He has now started to smell rank - it is not his "rear end" that is clean - it seems to permeate his whole body

Could it be his anal gland is blocked? 

Could be - has he been 'scooting'? (rubbing his bum on the carpet)

yksi

When you say rank, is it like urine smell all in his skin? Because that's kidney failure. It's incredibly common in cats of advanced age, I'm afraid.