Sick Cat Will Not Eat Anything But Will Eat A Few Temptation Treats Is That Enough ?

Fatdream

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jan 20, 2018
Messages
31
Purraise
9
I adopted a cat on Friday and she has URI. She ate a tiny bit of kibble that day.

Didn't eat anything Saturday but drank a lot of water.--- just peed once

Sunday she drank a tiny bit and I was able to give her about 5 treat. --- she pooped and peed

Today (Monday) morning I gave her wet food, fish flavor gravy variety (warmed) , She only licked the gravy. I tried feeding her the rest of that can mix with water and used my immersion blender for more 'gravy-like ' throughout the day but it didn't work. Then I tried treats in the afternoon and got 3 in but no more.
Dinner time I tried giving her treats again and she ate three so I thought maybe I could squeeze in some food. I gave her chicken/liver pate , a tablespoon. She licked some, maybe ate some idk. but after following her around and putting the spoon up to her face I think I got her to eat about 1/2 tablespoon overall before she starts putting her head into the bed and refusing. offered water again and got rejected. Offered her treats and she ate two more before pushing me away. -- she only peed in the morning , no poop

I was reading how cats can starve if they dont eat . She's eating a tiny amount but is that enough to prevent the negative side effect.
She's going to see the vet for her first physical on Thursday and I am also taking her back to the humane shelter that same day the get the URI looked at which she probably got from there anyways

Will she be okay until then ? I dont want her to starve and die but I also have to go to class so I dont really have an hour in the morning to keep putting a spoon up to her face .

Is there any food where it's blended completely into the gravy for sick cat ? She seems to like the treat to a degree, does that count as food ?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #2

Fatdream

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jan 20, 2018
Messages
31
Purraise
9
I just found out from her paper works that she got spayed 2 days before I adopted her, one trauma after another
 

ivory

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 25, 2015
Messages
66
Purraise
11
I just found out from her paper works that she got spayed 2 days before I adopted her, one trauma after another
Try First Mate chicken, for now. Carbs are a bit high but she needs nutrition. You can also buy organic skinless chicken thighs, cook them by boiling them, then dice into small pieces. Get an ice cube trY and freeze broth, use the broth to moisten an ounce of diced up chicken, once in morning and one in evening. She may eat chicken moistened with the broth. You have to rebuild up her immune system, so order from Food Just for Dogs and get the probiotic supplement they sell. It is human grade, I give my boys who are 10 pds each one half capsule daily. This is been checked by their vet and they approve of this probiotic. You have to give a probiotic to rebuild up immune system and any destruction from antiobiotics. Even though it is for a dog it is good for a cat, my cat specialist vet checked into it for me. My guys have been on it for almost 2 yrs. if your vet is a traditionalist they don’t think much about probiotics but it’s very important. Right now her system is off and that is why she is struggling. Then this will bide you some time until you have her checked out by a good vet, I would not take her back to the shelter.
 

lisahe

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
6,150
Purraise
4,969
Location
Maine
It's fairly common for cats to get URIs right after being adopted, which makes it especially scary because you don't know the cat's habits and many cats don't eat much during their first days in the new home anyway. Plus you just want to spend time playing with your new cat. How old is your cat, F Fatdream and what is her name?

It's good that your cat is eating and drinking, even if it's only a little bit. Cats generally don't eat much when they have URIs, so even a little is good. When we brought our cats home and they got their URIs, we fed them Friskies pate: they'd been getting Friskies at the shelter, Friskies really stinks, and you want something that the cat can smell through a stuffed nose. If your cat is hiding under a bed or chair or in some other enclosed place, try putting the dish in with the cat. The smell is more likely get through that way. (One of our cats crawled inside the duvet cover when she was sick and I put her dish in there... it worked really well!) Beyond trying to feed stinky wet food, I'd also leave out some dry food and treats.

It's good that you already have the vet visit scheduled but I agree with abyeb abyeb that if you could go earlier, that would be great. If nothing else, it might be worth calling them or the shelter for advice if you feel like you're not making progress. Unfortunately, URIs can take some time to pass. One important thing: dehydration can get serious fast so if your cat seems especially listless, it's worth asking the vet to give fluids. I learned that from a friend who went through this, too, so we asked for fluids when we had a cat who had a very hard time getting rid of her post-shelter URI -- I was very worried about her but the fluids really helped revive her so she could get better.

I hope your cat starts to feel and eat better soon! :catrub:

P.S. I ivory 's food ideas are very good! Caloric foods are a good idea, as is cooking up some chicken. I wouldn't worry about what's complete and what's not at this point: the main thing is to get calories and fluid into your cat. Good luck!
 

Furballsmom

Cat Devotee
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
39,271
Purraise
53,927
Location
Colorado US
Hi! Try these; Tuna, tuna juice, goat milk, homemade Pedialyte, sardines, lactose free cow milk, kitten food, no-onion/no-garlic meat baby food, cooked or hard boiled whole egg, (both white and yolk)... Our thoughts are with you!
 

lisahe

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
6,150
Purraise
4,969
Location
Maine
Hi! Try these; Tuna, tuna juice, goat milk, homemade Pedialyte, sardines, lactose free cow milk, kitten food, no-onion/no-garlic meat baby food, cooked or hard boiled whole egg, (both white and yolk)... Our thoughts are with you!
More good ideas! Especially smelly kitten food! A good brand of baby food is Beechnut, I think it's their classic chicken (and turkey, too) that's just meat and broth. They're great for sick cats.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

Fatdream

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jan 20, 2018
Messages
31
Purraise
9
I tried the boiling organic chicken in water, she didn't eat it even when I held her mouth open and got a piece in her mouth she spit it out. However, I know its bad but I really just wanted her to eat so I tried to see if shell eat anymore temptations and she ate about 10 more pieces and drank some water. It made me a little more happy.
im gonna try baby food tomorrow

and her name is mochi, meaning rice cake in Japanese . she's kinda fat (14.5 lbs), sleeps a lot, cuddly and plump hahah
 

lisahe

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
6,150
Purraise
4,969
Location
Maine
Well, treats are better for Mochi than nothing and it's really good she's drinking water! I hope the baby food helps, though that might fall in the same category as the chicken. As I mentioned before, Friskies pate is also worth trying if you haven't already. It's so smelly!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

Fatdream

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jan 20, 2018
Messages
31
Purraise
9
I gave her the pate this morning , she vomit it up. But she's been drinking a lot of water today and moving around the house more . yesterday she just stayed in bed looking sad like the sad abandoned pet commercial . I had to wake up at 3am to see if she was alive because I dont know if she might die . this is my 1st pet so I can't tell whats normal sickness behavior
 

Furballsmom

Cat Devotee
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
39,271
Purraise
53,927
Location
Colorado US
Oh by the way there's a cat food/treat that comes in a narrow pouch that cats lick, you could try that. Is she a long haired cat? Can you brush her? I'm not a vet but sometimes my Big Guy starts drinking more water than usual when he's about to throw up a hair ball, although I don't know if you know yet what's normal for her. Hang in there, her moving around more would be considered a good sign I think.
 

lisahe

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
6,150
Purraise
4,969
Location
Maine
I gave her the pate this morning , she vomit it up. But she's been drinking a lot of water today and moving around the house more . yesterday she just stayed in bed looking sad like the sad abandoned pet commercial . I had to wake up at 3am to see if she was alive because I dont know if she might die . this is my 1st pet so I can't tell whats normal sickness behavior
It's really hard to know what's "normal" sickness behavior even when you've had cats who had the same thing! But yes, if Mochi's moving around and drinking water that sounds like a good thing. I'd definitely call the vet if she vomits again. (Weird but that's what our cat did when she had the URI and we got her the fluids... she wasn't drinking much if any water, though.)

And that's a great idea from Furballsmom Furballsmom about foods that are in pouches. Those have lots of fluids and seem to be especially appealing to cats. (They're a little like junk food but that's okay in this situation!) Weruva's Cats in the Kitchen and BFF pouches are often fishy and really smelly but if you can find anything like that at the grocery store, it's worth trying. Even if all she does is lick the gravy, that's a little progress, to get her interested in food and flavors again.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13

Fatdream

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jan 20, 2018
Messages
31
Purraise
9
I tried the baby food . I got a no. I sampled the baby food myself and it got a no from me too lol Im gonna be stuck eating the unopened cans :/ . She's short hair and I brush her everyday. I will try the pouches next. I think I've working my way at trying all the food variety because of her URI. I also wonder if when she gets better she would end up eating these food
 

aprilc

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Aug 5, 2015
Messages
116
Purraise
42
Cats not eating can become very serious very quickly. When they don't eat they can end up with a compromised liver because of the way their body breaks down the fat and muscle in their body and how their liver handles that. It isn't good, and can be very expensive.

She is drinking, which is good, because dehydration can only make things worse.

We just had a cat that wasn't eating and the results were not good. If you can move up your appointment from Thursday to tomorrow, I would do that. You need to get her eating something.

And treats are better than nothing as long as it keeps her eating, but a few simply isn't enough.
 

Furballsmom

Cat Devotee
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jan 9, 2018
Messages
39,271
Purraise
53,927
Location
Colorado US
It's quite possible that she'll eat those foods when she's better. Keeping my fingers crossed for you!!
 

ivory

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Apr 25, 2015
Messages
66
Purraise
11
I tried the boiling organic chicken in water, she didn't eat it even when I held her mouth open and got a piece in her mouth she spit it out. However, I know its bad but I really just wanted her to eat so I tried to see if shell eat anymore temptations and she ate about 10 more pieces and drank some water. It made me a little more happy.
im gonna try baby food tomorrow

and her name is mochi, meaning rice cake in Japanese . she's kinda fat (14.5 lbs), sleeps a lot, cuddly and plump hahah
Try some proplan but I agree with everyone, get her in for hydration and that may really help her and to see the vet tomorrow. Proplan healthy metabolism for starters then you can get better food. No gravy or pouches, too rich in fat this may be making her sick, like fancy feast which is almost all fat and who knows what else is in there. Holistic select grain free ma be a good choice.
 

xcourtney3

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Aug 17, 2010
Messages
483
Purraise
266
I have read cat won't eat when they are sick because they can't smell the food. Try mixing it with warm water. Find the stinkiest wet food you can
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

Fatdream

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Jan 20, 2018
Messages
31
Purraise
9
She drinking now and went to the bathroom 3 time , with poop too. Still only licked the gravy for breakfast. So I went for Petco and shake a bunch of bag to see which had to most liquid . I tried it with her and Whole hearted grain free tuna & sardine flaked was a winner. it seems that if the meat is flake she'll eat it. She's still eating very little but eating at least.

BUT now we have another problem. she puke after eating twice now and since Im new to cats I couldn't tell a difference between a gag and cough . I THINK SHE HAS THE HUGEST HAIRBALL in her tummy right now . she cough it up like her body can't control it with her neck going up and down . And when I think the hairball is about to come out it's as if she swallowed it back down . Tomorrow is Thursday so she's finally going to vet and then by the shelter .
 

Brian007

Furmate and Famulus
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 13, 2017
Messages
1,751
Purraise
2,071
Location
Edinburgh, Scotland.
:salam:

A hungry cat who won't eat or who eats only gravy or very rich treats makes me think, hairballs. A hairball can remain in the tummy for a long time and all you know about it is through your cat's intermittent rasping cough, when it coughs with its neck almost touching the ground, and the odd unproductive puke up of some froth or yellow bile. To see a hairball sicked up on the ground or hidden in poo is when you know it's gone, before then it's still inside. Definitely tell your vet about it and ask for some kind of hairball treatment (oil, paste). You could smear a dollop of vaseline on her paw to lick off in the meantime to help lubricate her insides so the hairball can pass more easily out either end. Your vet might give you some sort of tummy/digestion aid such as an antacid as well.

As for treats, if they're all a cat will eat, then give as many as possible. In the short term. Eating is better than not eating, after all. You can mush up treats with baby food too.

Make sure she's drinking. Splash water on her face and paws to lick off if she doesn't. And ask your vet for a pipette, if you don't already have one, for squirting liquid into her mouth.

And, just to say, don't give cats egg whites, they're the dodgy bit. I'd give a cat raw egg yolk if I were faced with an anorexic, weakened cat. But not the white.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

:hangin:
 
Top