We recently adopted an older cat from our local Humane Society. The day we saw him he was covered in horrible diarrhea and looked very thin. We told them and they took him to be cleaned up and brought him back. We were told he came from a neglectful owner. He had horrible ear mites, very matted, part of him had to be shaved and he was very thin. He is a long hair orange cat, if he was healthy he would be a big boy. He name is Pumpkin and he is 8 years old. Even though he had diarrhea we decided to adopt him and try and help him. We had 7 cats, so now we have 8. When we got him home (we kept him isolated in his own room and me or my husband slept in the room with him) his paperwork showed he was at the shelter about 3 1/2 weeks. His diarrhea was just terrible and he was a rack of bones. He would not eat or drink. The next day I took him to our vet. When he weighed him, he had lost almost 3 pounds in the short time he was at the shelter. He most likely was not eating or drinking. He gave me pills for the diarrhea and gave him a appetite stimulant. He didn't want to hospitalize him right away because that can be very stressful, in hopes he would eat and drink at home. I tried offering him every type of soft food available, then went to baby food. Nothing. Then he started to throw up about an hour after I gave him the pill for the diarrhea, most likely because he had nothing in his stomach to support it. The throw up was foam. He just got worse. The following day I took him in to be hospitalized for fluids. They did bloodwork and an ultra sound. They found nothing wrong and his labs came back fine. But he was in bad shape and they said he would not have made it if he was still at the shelter. The first day they did force feed. We visited him the next day, he actually looked better more alert. They said he ate a little baby food we had brought. The following day he actually ate some soft food. We were able to take him home that Monday. He was there for 3 1/2 days. They told us what soft food he would eat. So we went out and bought that. It has been about a week now and his diarrhea is gone. But he eats so little. He may eat a couple pieces of hard food. I give him the soft food twice a day and he does eat it, but such a small amount. He does drink water, but not very often. He is so nice, but so underweight and thin, it breaks my heart. I have offered him again many types of soft food and nothing. I really need him to eat more, but don't know how or what to do. Even though he is doing better, he can't survive or gain weight on the small amount he is eating. We will do anything to help him, but don't know what else to try. I would appreciate any suggestions or things that have worked for you. Is there any human food that is ok to try. We will not give up. Thanks for any help!
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