Hard food for cat - Page 2

Shawnie · ‎03-10-2010

@Goldengate8361 wrote:
@Shawnie Very bad advice. I hope you don’t have cats.

What is it with nasty people here? yes I have cats and one of them will yell at me for treats. If she has had her quota that's it. And oh by the way they get the best food.

Elom · ‎06-15-2010

Thank you all for the good thoughts and suggestions. This cat has been so spoiled by my son and I know she misses him. She meows lots. I know that she is just testing me because she knows how to wear me down and loves those treats but I realize I must limit. He will be back soon to claim her she is a sweet calico that he rescued.

NickNack · ‎03-10-2010

@Limbo4now wrote:
Thank you all for the good thoughts and suggestions. This cat has been so spoiled by my son and I know she misses him. She meows lots. I know that she is just testing me because she knows how to wear me down and loves those treats but I realize I must limit. He will be back soon to claim her she is a sweet calico that he rescued.

@Elom It's very dangerous for a cat not to eat for several days. It does something to their liver and can cause liver failure and kill them. If she goes more than two days without eating you should buy her a different brand of dry food or better yet some canned food. Cats seem to really like Fancy Feast canned food. If you buy dry food, I would buy a better quality food. Meow Mix is a really low quality food.

It's wonderful that your son rescued her. I'm sure she really does miss him. Cats have a hard time when they're taken out of their own environment, too.

The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau

summerwind · ‎09-28-2013

I am a dog person, but anything with fur and 4 paws....

Just a thought, sounds as if you've had her a week or more. If she won't eat her kibble and the treats are softer, you might consider a visit to the vet, with your son's approval. Could be a tooth problem. Please let us know how this resolves.

Years ago, I had 2 dogs, and boarded them for 2 weeks, kennel owner kept them together. One was perfectly normal, the other pined, despite being with her friend, and only ate enough to keep going. Was fine once I got her home. Gotta love'em.

GCR18 · ‎07-03-2013

I would try the treats mixed in with the dry food. If that doesn't work, I'd get a can or two of wet food with gravy to get the cat to eat. Since your son is coming home soon, I wouldn't try to switch the cats dry food.

summerwind · ‎09-28-2013

Just a thought, my current puppy has a condition that, for a while, left her too weak to chew hard food. Not wanting to waste her kibble (a LID, forget the name), I ground it up in my Ninja, put a dollop of honey in (the vet had suggested honey for her lethargy), and mixed it up with low-sodium chicken broth. She still eats it in the morning, and kibble later. I just enjoy her excitement when I get the ingredients out. Yes, she's spoiled.

Goldengate8361 · ‎01-27-2014

@Shawnie My reply was not “nasty.” I find your attitude to be most unfortunate for cats. This is a thread and opinions are voiced as they should be. I’m rooting for cats above all else.

candys mine · ‎08-20-2012

If she is pining for her owner maybe she would eat with a litle company. sit with her and give her pats and good conversation while you tempt her to eat. Some cats just want a little reassurance.

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

@Elom - if Meow Mix is what your son has chosen to feed his cat, so be it. If the cat has eaten for your son w/o a problem, then leave it down for her and she'll eventually eat. No one will voluntarily starve themselves. If you have any fish oil, you can take poke a hole in the softgel and squeeze it over the dry food to help entice her to eat. Be careful not to overdo it. Here's a chart below for some guidance. I don't recall seeing an age for the cat. If she's old and her teeth are starting to bother her, you might try wetting the food to make it easier for her to chew. You could also try a little canned cat food, but I'd get the OK from your son about that first. You may be inadvertently be setting him up for a new routine he wasn't planning on if the cat likes the canned better.

Daily use for cats over 2 pounds

Weight	EPA	DHA	Total Long Chain Omega-3
2-4 pounds	35 mg	21 mg	71 mg
5-9 pounds	69 mg	41 mg	143 mg
10-14 pounds	104 mg	62 mg	214 mg
15-20 pounds	138 mg	83 mg	285 mg
20+ pounds	173 mg	104 mg	356 mg

Lapdog · ‎12-18-2012

I Googled "What happens if a cat does not eat"

It just so happens my cousins cat is also not eating. (she is away too)

This is what I found:

Feline hepatic lipidosis.

Unlike people and many other animals who can safely go without food for a period of time, cats cannot. When a cat stops eating or his normal daily caloric intake drops dramatically, it’s a very short matter of time before the potentially fatal disease known as hepatic lipidosis takes over his liver.
The cats most likely to develop hepatic lipidosis are middle-aged, overweight, and have recently lost a considerable amount of weight.
In fatty liver syndrome the cat’s body, starved of sufficient calories, starts sending fat cells to the liver to convert to energy. However, feline bodies aren’t designed to metabolize fat in that manner, so the buildup of fat cells compromises liver function – a potentially fatal complication.
Treating the condition usually means force-feeding, and a kitty with severe disease will need to be hospitalized.
Preventing the condition should be the goal of every cat owner, which means as soon as a cat’s appetite falters, it’s important to keep a very close watch on the situation and know when to make an immediate appointment with the veterinarian.