topic Help! How can I get this cat to eat? in Community Chat

Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

sciencegeek_1 — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 00:25:43 GMT

Hi everyone! I'm in desperate need of advice.

A few weeks ago, I adopted a pair of kitties from a shelter. They are litter mates who had been adopted together and were surrendered together when their human went into assisted living. They are 4 and a half years old.

They were at the shelter for 3 weeks, and didn't adjust well there. The female, who I've named Clover, ate a small amount of wet food there each day. The male, Shamrock, didn't eat until his very last day there. He had lost 2 pounds in the 3 weeks he was there.

After a couple of days here, he nibbled his crunchies but showed no interest in wet food. Then he stopped eating again. I tried pate and chunky wet food in a variety of flavors and brands. I tried that refrigerated soft kibble. I've tried 3 different kinds of crunchies. I tried chicken baby food. I've tried lactose free dairy foods. I even tried tuna, and roasted chicken breast.

After 3 weeks here not eating, it was obvious he lost more weight and is ill. I took him to the vet, and found he'd lost another 2 pounds. So much weight loss has resulted in his liver being flooded with fats as it converted body fat to energy.

So I've been syringe feeding him prescription food, and giving him a prescription appetite enhancer. He hates the syringes, and so do I. Sometimes we end up wearing more than he swallows.

He drinks plenty of water on his own. But he just won't eat.

Each morning I put him in front of his food dish and put out fresh food. I keep trying different things hoping he'll eat. The vet even recommended Fancy Feast, calling it "kitty crack". But nope, he just won't. He wanders off, but I give him an hour to eat on his own before breaking out the syringes and prescription food.

We've got another appointment with the vet in a couple of days. I've noticed he's not grooming for the past 2 days either. Whether that is depression or something physical, the vet can help clear up.

I'm desperate for suggestions. What and how do I get this guy to eat?

Thanks for any help you can give!

PS--His sister is thriving. Eating, running, playing, and fully settled in.

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

Cyndog — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 01:12:47 GMT

Did the vet check his teeth? I would think he eliminated that for a cause, right?

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

okBlonde — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 01:49:18 GMT

He is heartbroken about his former owner . Now he has fatty liver disease from not eating. You MUST get the food into him. I assume you're feeding him A/D. My cat, no longer here, had a sinus infection, couldn't smell her food and it took 2 months for the vet to figure it out. In the meantime, I fed the entire can of A/D to her over the course of the day. Every few hours. I even came home from work at lunchtime to feed her. I put it on my finger and shoved it into her mouth. I had to do this for 2 months straight as I was determined to prevent her from getting this disease. Some cats don't survive it. Finally the vet found out she couldn't smell so she didn't want the food. She survived due to my force feeding her and lived another 10 years.

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

Jeremiah 2911 — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 01:56:51 GMT

Here's some suggestions to get your cat to eat:

Heat the canned cat food slightly. I agree with the vet, Fancy Feast (Pate) is very flavorful. I've had good success with the Tender Beef flavor.

There is a product called Fortiflora made by Purina -- it's a cat probiotic but is in a mix of powdered entrails which cats love. Sprinkle a little of this on top of the heated canned cat food. Pet supply stores carry this or it can be ordered online.

Give no-salt chicken stock to the cat in a separate bowl in addition to water bowl. Adds calories and nutrition.

Baby food, chicken, slightly heated might entice him.

Nutri-cal will add calories to his diet. It's at the Pet Supply store. Just put about a 1/2 inch on the roof of his mouth. Some cats will lick this off your finger.

Slightly cooked egg yolk will help him gain weight. If he won't eat a soft egg yolk on his own try putting some tuna juice on top of it. Make sure egg yolk is slightly warm.

You can also heat tuna juice slightly and pour that over his food. (Tuna juice saved from human grade tuna canned in water.) Dilute tuna juice 50% with chicken stock or plain water. Warm the tuna juice slightly.

TREATS: If you can get your cat to eat treats -- give him treats. They aren't the best nutritionally but have lots of calories and will help him develop appetite.

Also (Temptations) treats can be crushed between your fingers and be put on top of canned cat food to get the cat to eat the canned food.

Sometimes when a cat is this disturbed by the shelter experience -- it's best to keep him confined in a bedroom (with his littermate) for a few weeks so that he feels more secure.

PLAY: Playing will get his mind off of his troubles. There is a toy called a TURBO SCRATCHER at Walmart that might help him. He can play with that toy unattended & without expending too much energy. You can also play with him with feathers on a wand mild amount of playing) and that might help to stimulate his appetite.

Hope this helps. BTW, it's AWESOME that you adopted these two adult cats.

I pray that your cat responds to the food & the love you have for him and the he will begin to relax and adjust to his happy new surroundings.

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

Jeremiah 2911 — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 02:07:02 GMT

Does the cat have a respiratory infection?

Just wondering if he has any nasal congestion because that could be causing him not to be able to smell his food.

Here's a tip: In addition to treating the respiratory infection with antibiotic, if your cat has any nasal congestion -- ask your vet about prescribing an antibiotic eye drop that can be used as a NOSE DROP to help clear up the nasal congestion as well.

Our cats were recently sick with URI's and nasal congestion and they couldn't smell their food very well. Our vet prescribed an antibiotic eye drop which we were instructed to use as NOSE drops for our cats. The antibiotic nose drops helped clear the nasal congestion which helped to restore our cats appetites.

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

Jeremiah 2911 — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 02:11:04 GMT

Forgot to add: Get a FELIWAY plug-in diffuser. Helps to calm down anxious cats.

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

sue52 — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 03:06:40 GMT

I remember you posting when you adopted these two and was so happy for you. Please try all the suggestions that Jeremiah2911 has suggested, as she is an expert. Try baby food, especially ham. I am wondering about his teeth, also. If he is not grooming himself, there is definetly a health issue going on. Would he allow you to groom him with a small brush? It would make him feel better, if nothing else. Cats love to be clean. Keep us posted.

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

sciencegeek_1 — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 03:22:17 GMT

Hmm, I haven't tried heating the food. Sounds like a great idea! I'll also check into things to sprinkle on it to make it tastier, thanks for the suggestions.

His sister loves every flavor of Temptations I've tried, but Shamrock isn't interested.

Yes, it is a/d food that I'm using. I syringe feed him every 2 to 3 hours during the day, and get a can into him (minus what we end up wearing) each day. It helps that I'm disabled and home during the day, so we can keep to that schedule.

Yes, the vet checked his teeth--no problems at all. I've seen no evidence of a respiratory problem, but I'll ask my vet when we see her.

I can get him to play with a feather wand, for short times, and I make sure to do that several times a day. I spend time stroking his head and chin, and he purrs and pushes his head into my hand. I'm hoping he'll learn that the meanie forcing him to eat loves him.

He and his sister aren't the curl up together sort. Sometimes I'll find them with one in a cat bed and the other laying next to it, sharing the edge as a pillow. But they each do their own thing most of the time. I keep hoping that she'll teach him to eat again.

I've got a couple of cushioned hidey holes for him, and he likes those, where he feels protected all around. Unfortunately, I have to drag him out to eat, so he know they're not completely safe. When I pull him out of one, feed him, and let him go, he generally moves over to the other and stays until the next feeding.

Thanks for all your input, please keep it coming!

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

catlvr — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 04:02:56 GMT

Have his glucose checked...he may be diabetic. I just had that experience recently. Good luck with those cuties.

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

Tinkrbl44 — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 04:11:30 GMT

What is A/D ?

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

sciencegeek_1 — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 04:37:27 GMT

Science Diet a/d is a formulation of wet food, available by prescription.

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

1MrsT — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 16:00:27 GMT

Stage 1 baby food. My cat LOVES the chicken and gravy. I add a little warm water to thin it a little. My vet had recommended this when she wasn't eating. I now give it to her in addition to her dry food. I tried every brand, every price point of wet food for 9 months, and she just wouldn't eat any if it. She went from 9.9 lbs down to 6.4. She now is a steady 7.8 lbs and is doing really well. She turns 17 in May. :-)

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

Topaz Gem — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 16:41:23 GMT

Have you tried plain old tuna fish or any other type of human food?

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

sciencegeek_1 — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 21:23:01 GMT

Thank you all for your kind help and encouraging words.

Sadly, Shamrock died during the night. I know that fatty liver disease is very serious, but I was sooo hoping that syringe feeding him would get him through it.

Clover woke me up this morning as usual, herding me into the kitchen to feed her. She did her usual dance to get me to hurry up, and ate with her usual vigor. I discovered Shamrock a little later--she hadn't done anything to bring him to my attention. When I left to take Shamrock in for cremation, I expected to come home and find her withdrawn and hiding. But she was in her window seat, soaking up the sun. I've removed his litterbox, and she's since used hers normally. Now she's in her bed sleeping, all cute with her head upside down the way cats do when they're really comfy.

It's weird, because I thought animals knew these things? Do cats go into denial like humans? Or is she somehow hiding it in plain sight?

So now I have another question--what should I expect from her, and how do I help her with her brother's loss?

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

lolakimono — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 21:48:27 GMT

Oh no! I'm sorry for your loss. I know how excited you were to find this stunning brother/sister duo.

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

lolakimono — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 21:51:25 GMT

Pet loss and grief can be difficult and heartbreaking for people, but it can be an even greater challenge to help the surviving pets deal with pet loss. Cats do, indeed, grieve.

They cannot tell us how they feel. And the owners in the family may overlook behavior changes while dealing with their own sense of loss. Not every pet will react at all, while a percentage seems to suffer greatly. When pets grieve, they usually show their sense of loss with behavior changes. In fact, separation anxiety is one form of grief--your cat only understands someone she loves is gone.

Pet Loss and Kitty Considerations

The surviving pets often begin to act differently when the cat or dog first becomes sick or starts to decline. For people, this can be a time of preparation, and some of our grieving may be done well in advance of the pet’s actual death. Dr. Barbara Kitchell, a veterinary cancer specialist, says that grief counseling often is part of what caring veterinarians naturally do.

We can't know if surviving pets realize their companion animal friends will soon die, but they certainly do act as though aware a change has--or will--occur. In fact, many sensitive cats (and dogs) react to their owners’ emotional upset and grieve in response to our own changes of behavior over the heartache.

Pet Grief

The surviving pet may seem withdrawn and depressed. Often the personality changes and a shy cat could become more demanding of attention, while a demanding cat instead hides.

One of the most heartbreaking situations occurs when the surviving pet cries and looks everywhere for the missing loved one. I have known of cases where this futile, heartbreaking search went on for weeks.

Although it sounds macabre, sometimes it can be helpful to allow the surviving pet to say “goodbye” to the body after a furry friend has died. They may sniff and examine the body, cry or ignore it all together--and any reaction should be considered normal. That’s the only way we can explain to them what has happened to their friend, and why a beloved cat- or dog-friend has disappeared from their life. Viewing the friend's body allows them to understand he's not coming back. They still grieve, but aren't driven to look for their missing buddy.

Stages of Grief

People go through several stages of grief--denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance--but not necessarily in this order. While anthropomorphic to think pets might “bargain” (I’ll let you have my catnip toy if only you come back!) it’s certainly within the realm of possibility that they might feel anger or depression over the loss. Pets do in fact seem to finally work through the situation to acceptance--it takes some pets much longer than others just as people get over a loss in different time frames.

Many of the same things we do for each other can help our pets. Dr. Wallace Sife, a psychologist and author of “The Loss of a Pet” says to allow the grieving and even validate it with each other by simply offering compassion and support.

Helping Grieving Cats

How do you help your pets manage grief? Simply being with them for extra one-on-one time can help.

Talk to them. Try to be positive around your grieving pets. They may not understand the words but will pick up on your emotions. Simply say, I’m sad, and I feel awful, but it’s not your fault--and I know you feel awful, too. You’ll want to avoid babying, though, because that can reward the pet for acting depressed.

Play music, particularly uplifting, faster tempos to lift depression. Harp music can have a soothing effect. But any music that your pet associates with positive times could be helpful.

An herbal remedy also helps a percentage of pets. The Bach Flower remedy called Star of Bethlehem is said to be particularly helpful for relieving sorrow and grief. You can find Bach remedies at many health food stores, or online.

Also, the herb Saint-John’s-Wort acts as a natural antidepressant but must be dosed according to a veterinarian’s advice. If the depression doesn't lift and lasts too long, your veterinarian may be able to prescribe an antidepressant drug.

Give your cat the gift of time to grieve. It hurts terribly--for you as well as your surviving pet. Still, the capacity to grieve honors the memory of the departed, and is a measure of the depth of our love. And that truly is a legacy to celebrate.

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

okBlonde — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 00:00:48 GMT

I'm so sorry about Shamrock. I just went back to your other thread and looked at his photos. So sad.

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

Tinkrbl44 — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 00:08:29 GMT

SO sorry to hear about the loss of your dear sweet kitty!

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

Tallgal — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 00:52:47 GMT

I am sorry about the loss of your cat Shamrock.

Re: Help! How can I get this cat to eat?

sue52 — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 01:10:45 GMT

Oh, my dear, I am so sorry to hear this. You were so happy to adopt these two and we here on the forum were happy for you too. Shamrock was a beautiful kitty and you did the right thing when you adopted them both. He did know that he was loved and in a safe home and you did take very good care of him. God bless you and take care.