My 4-years old cat eats very little...

fenya7

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My Fenice is an indoors cat, she cannot get any bacteria or infection and I bring her to the clinic every year.

She never was a big eater and is very picky, so I buy her a variety of flavors in FancyFeast. We tried a lot of healthier stuff, but she gets bored with other stuff, so FancyFeast offers a lot of choices and I know what she likes. This summer, she became even pickier, she would not finish a half of a SMALL FancyFood can for her first meal in the morning. Quite often, I come back from work and her breakfast is still almost untouched.

Sometimes she would finish it very late at night - her FIRST food... she would eat SOME of dry food (Dr Hills) but very little, like 1/3 of her bowl.

Prior to this summer, she would eat half of can wet food in the morning, normal portion of dry food at day time and she would eat her second wet food - the remaining half of can late in the evening. She now eats less and less!

I add a little water to her wet food, I know she prefers it like that, I mince a little of fresh grass with her wet food, she always liked it... but now, she barely eats. I won't say she lost weight, she is a slim lady. She runs, she plays, she does not look slower than her usual self, but it bothers me that she barely eats!

When it was on HOT days, I thought maybe heat affects her appetite.

She poops and pees OK. During last month however, I found her vomit on the floor on two occasions. It never happened before, even her hairball is a very rare find...

Please guys, you helped me with Fenice's and my sponsored FIV cat who now lives in a special "resort for cats" facility and I hope you could give me some clarity with this concern.

I plan to take her to the Vet in the course of next couple of weeks, but I need to hear from you in the meantime. 

Thank you all for reading this.

Fenice's Mom :-))   worried...
 

missmimz

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Any time a cat isn't eating much is a sign something is wrong. When was the last time you weighed her? You need to take her to the vet and get a work up. I don't really buy into that whole "my cats just picky" thing because pickiness often means nausea which means something is wrong. FF isn't really great food. It's okay in rotation with some higher quality food but ultimately it's not great to feed exclusively. Yes cats like humans get bored with their food, which is why you should rotate brands and flavors to keep them interested in their food. It's not uncommon to feed 5 or more brands/flavors. Look at something like Tikicat, Weruva cats in the kitchen, nutro matural choice, Merrick LID or maybe some freeze dried raw like Primal. 
 

Anne

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@fenya7  how old is she? I agree with @missmimz  that this change in appetite could indicate a problem. Since she's playing and using the litterbox, it could be something that will only show up in blood tests. It's great that she's inside only but many diseases are not infectious, so it can be any number of things. It's great that you're paying close attention to her eating habits and can get her to the vet to look into this.

Your vet can run some simple lab tests and give you concrete answers. Hopefully, they'll give you the all-clear and you can then see about dietary changes. If you can, I would consult with a nutrition specialist. Some of them provide phone consultations too. I'm sure they would need you to get the test results from your vet first. You can find a list of qualified specialists in this website

Generally speaking, for cats who tend to eat less and aren't overweight, feeding at least some dry food may be a better option. Wet food - especially diluted with water - fills up the stomach and makes the cat eat less. It's great if the cat  needs to lose some excess weight or generally tends to be overweight. However, it can be a problem with cats who are naturally underweight. Quality low-carb dry food may be better for her, if she agrees to eat it. I wouldn't stop the "fancy feast soup" altogether (the extra hydration is good for her) but I would try to up her caloric intake with some quality dry too. All that said, what I really suggest is seeing your vet sooner if you can and not making any changes until you know more.

Word of caution: I would definitely not try raw - not even frozen raw - with a cat who might be sick. The pathogen overload may be too much for her system. Raw can be fine for healthy young cats but carries some risks with kittens, older cats and cats with a weakened immune system. 
 

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your cat can get a wide variety of bacteria (and fleas) from the soles of the shoes of her humans and their visitors, not to mention the pants cuffs and clothes of anyone who visits and who has a pet.  grass, btw, made a couple of my cats throw up as they got older.  have you tried the food without the grass? 

btw. one of our vets has 3 cats over 20 who all eat fancy feast, and our cat eats fancy feast as we were told not to change foods when he developed several issues.  have your cat checked for IBS, among other things - that can make them queasy and throw up.
 

tarasgirl06

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Heat does affect my cats' appetite, to the point that I joke about them being on food strike in summer.  But it can be serious if they don't eat at all, of course.  I would opt for a vet appointment ASAP.  *PRAYERS* and good luck!  It sounds as if you take excellent care of her, which is why I would want a vet to see her if she was my beloved cat. 
 

sebnari96

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You feed her wet food, right?

Your not leaving it out for long periods of time, are you? You can only leave wet food out for a good 20-30 minutes. Then, jus throw the remains away. Both my cats LOVE wet food. They are eating Rachel Ray.
 

missmimz

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You feed her wet food, right?

Your not leaving it out for long periods of time, are you? You can only leave wet food out for a good 20-30 minutes. Then, jus throw the remains away. Both my cats LOVE wet food. They are eating Rachel Ray.
It's safe to leave wet food out for long periods of time. It's already cooked, the only thing that happens is it dries out, and to prevent that you can add extra water. I leave raw food out for more than 20 mins with no ill effect. 
 

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I have always left out canned food. My angel Floey only eats catfood that has sat out. We just add water to it and she loved it.

how is your kitty? Sometimes the heat can bother them. I found that wellness dry food has more calories than canned food..around 650 a cup so if you are looking to add calories kitten chow is another option in addition to the wet slurry. Some kitties love slurry.

Often picking at meals indicts something amiss=dental/stomach/pain. A vet can help you determine the root of the cause. They may suggest over the counter acid reducers if they think this could be a problem. Angel Floey had to have her food dishes raised up otherwise she always puked. And the Pepcid was a godsend for her but she had episodes of pancreatitis. I suggest basic bloodwork for starters and exam.

How is her poo/pee habits? Any changes in behavior? Any changes in your routine like different hours work or people over that don't normally come over? Sometimes heat and stress can be part of the problem.
 
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fenya7

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hi Foxxy, I see you are calico too?[emoji]128513[/emoji] Thank you for a very good advice. We are going to the vet shortly. Mom does not see any changes in my behavior. I poo and pee normally, and I love to run around and play. Maybe, I need to see a dentist? We wll know soon. I did not lose any weight, why mom always worries?
Thanks Foxxy, say hello to you mom[emoji]128513[/emoji]
 

foxxycat

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How did you make out with your vet appointment? I am glad you are doing well. Maybe you are a shy eater. Pumpkin face-my calico-doesn't like anyone watching her eat or poo/pee. she is my closet kitty. She is very skittish. I know she eats because I notice food disappears but my other cat will be sleeping on my all night so I know it's not her eating it.
 

leen and alice

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My Fenice is an indoors cat, she cannot get any bacteria or infection and I bring her to the clinic every year.

She never was a big eater and is very picky, so I buy her a variety of flavors in FancyFeast. We tried a lot of healthier stuff, but she gets bored with other stuff, so FancyFeast offers a lot of choices and I know what she likes. This summer, she became even pickier, she would not finish a half of a SMALL FancyFood can for her first meal in the morning. Quite often, I come back from work and her breakfast is still almost untouched.

Sometimes she would finish it very late at night - her FIRST food... she would eat SOME of dry food (Dr Hills) but very little, like 1/3 of her bowl.

Prior to this summer, she would eat half of can wet food in the morning, normal portion of dry food at day time and she would eat her second wet food - the remaining half of can late in the evening. She now eats less and less!

I add a little water to her wet food, I know she prefers it like that, I mince a little of fresh grass with her wet food, she always liked it... but now, she barely eats. I won't say she lost weight, she is a slim lady. She runs, she plays, she does not look slower than her usual self, but it bothers me that she barely eats!

When it was on HOT days, I thought maybe heat affects her appetite.

She poops and pees OK. During last month however, I found her vomit on the floor on two occasions. It never happened before, even her hairball is a very rare find...

Please guys, you helped me with Fenice's and my sponsored FIV cat who now lives in a special "resort for cats" facility and I hope you could give me some clarity with this concern.

I plan to take her to the Vet in the course of next couple of weeks, but I need to hear from you in the meantime.

Thank you all for reading this.

Fenice's Mom :)) worried...
Hello there!
I know this thread is about a year old but can you tell me how things turned out? because Alice my cat has almost the exact same eating habits as your cat! .. did you take Fenice to the vet or did the problem fade away by its own ?
thank you
 
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fenya7

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Hello there!
I know this thread is about a year old but can you tell me how things turned out? because Alice my cat has almost the exact same eating habits as your cat! .. did you take Fenice to the vet or did the problem fade away by its own ?
thank you
Hi there,
Sorry to hear about Alice's bad eating habits. I see, we are in a good company. I did go to the Vet with Fenya after i posted here. She is totally fine, but just got too picky, I think. I always try to diversify her food "portfolio" but what she liked two weeks ago, she all of sudden hates. Her stomach is a little too sensitive, too - she loves GRASS, if I allow it, she probably will only eat grass. I allow it occasionally and very little of it. At times, she has diarrhea. When it is very hot, she eats even less. But - when I am strong enough and we skip a meal, she is NOT that choosy. In any rate, I suggest you take Alice to see the vet. All the best and regards from Fenya to Alice :-))
 

abyeb

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Hello there!
I know this thread is about a year old but can you tell me how things turned out? because Alice my cat has almost the exact same eating habits as your cat! .. did you take Fenice to the vet or did the problem fade away by its own ?
thank you
Have you tried different textures and flavors? Shredded vs. Pate vs. Chunks and Chicken vs. Beef, for example?
 
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fenya7

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Have you tried different textures and flavors? Shredded vs. Pate vs. Chunks and Chicken vs. Beef, for example?
Yes, I did. All shapes and flavors. My Vet say she is a picky eater , she is healthy. Take Alice for a check up. Good luck
 

leen and alice

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Have you tried different textures and flavors? Shredded vs. Pate vs. Chunks and Chicken vs. Beef, for example?
Yes I tried most of these .. she mostly likes to like the flavor off them without eating a whole lot .. but I asked some cat lovers where I live and they say that there is this cat food brand called Schesir that every cat adores so I m going to give it a try..btw thanks for replying and I if you want to stay updated and answer my questions here s the thread I madehttps://thecatsite.com/threads/picky-picky-eater.347720/#post-4383154 because I don't want to hijack fenya7 fenya7 's thread:)
 

leen and alice

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Hi there,
Sorry to hear about Alice's bad eating habits. I see, we are in a good company. I did go to the Vet with Fenya after i posted here. She is totally fine, but just got too picky, I think. I always try to diversify her food "portfolio" but what she liked two weeks ago, she all of sudden hates. Her stomach is a little too sensitive, too - she loves GRASS, if I allow it, she probably will only eat grass. I allow it occasionally and very little of it. At times, she has diarrhea. When it is very hot, she eats even less. But - when I am strong enough and we skip a meal, she is NOT that choosy. In any rate, I suggest you take Alice to see the vet. All the best and regards from Fenya to Alice :))
Hello there!
thank you so much for replying !
I see the Alice and Fenya have a lot in common when it comes to eating habits! sometimes Alice just gets bored of the flavor and wants her human slave to spend a fortune on her just for a new flavor XD I will soon take her to the vet for checkup ..
best of luck to you and Fenya :hearthrob::kneading:
 
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