Our beautiful Gypsy is 14 years old. While volunteering for a free roaming cat shelter a couple years ago, I saw this extremely underweight older girl who was absolutely miserable. I was told that she most likely had cancer and nothing could be done. Thinking to give her some respite so she could die in peace without being surrounded by 40 other cats, I took her home and promptly weighed her -- the scale barely registered three pounds.
I quickly figured out that she didn't have cancer but rather had obviously never eaten dry food before (the only thing served at the shelter) and had no idea what it was. In other words, she was literally starving to death. Providing her with food she could eat restored her to health and happiness. She is still with us today, but now as a permanent resident, and weighs in at nine pounds (and often bounces around like a kitten!).