How To Get A Sick Kitty To Eat?

Ravenrogue

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My 11 year old cat stopped eating about two weeks ago, he would still meow for food and jump up to his bowl but then just sniff it and walk away. We took him to the vet and he tested positive for FIV. He was put on a drip for two days and he started eating a little bit again, they gave him some pills and I got a high calorie gel that he has to get twice a day. He looks a lot better, more alert and playful etc but he's still not eating much, he just licks the gravy off of his food but wont eat anything substantial. Ive been struggling to get him to drink water as well. He is a very fussy cat when it comes to food so its even worse when he's not feeling well. I gave him his favorite food and he purred and meowed and went to his bowl to eat but then just sniffs it and walks away, its like he wants to eat but then just doesn't/cant. He has to go back to the vet for a check up tomorrow, just wondering if anyone has any experience with this or any advice to get him to eat/drink something?
 

sarah c

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We have been going though this with our cat and what worked for the drinking is tuna water, as per a friends recommendation. I was always leary about tuna for cats what with the high phosphorus and mercury, but just the broth shouldn't be a problem. Our cat loves it and empties the bowl, which he's never done with his regular water. Today we also syringe fed him an egg yolk, he didn't love the experience but it got a few calories in him.
 

cheeser

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Until you go back for your cat's follow-up appointment at the vet's office, you might try offering baby food to your kitty, such as Gerber's 2nd Foods Chicken & Gravy. That's come in handy many a time when our cats had an upset tummy and/or felt nauseated. Just make sure you don't get anything with garlic or onion, as those are toxic to cats. Beech-Nut Classics Chicken & Chicken Broth works, too. Our cats just prefer the creamier texture of Gerber's.

Our FIV+ cat often has trouble smelling his food because he has a lot of damage to his upper respiratory tract from infections that went untreated when he was a stray. So sometimes we have to smear a bit of food on his mouth or tongue to pique his interest. If that doesn't tempt his appetite, I'll syringe feed him until the vet has figured out why he's not eating, such a low-grade URI, some lab work that's a bit wonky, a food allergy, etc.

Good luck re: your appointment tomorrow, and hope your kitty feels better soon. :vibes::vibes::vibes:
 

betsygee

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cheeser cheeser has a good point about the sense of smell. Our vet suggested heating the food slightly in the microwave for our old kidney cat, just enough to warm it and make it more aromatic.
 
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Ravenrogue

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Thanks all for the advice, I had some baby food in the house, he gave it a lick or two but didn't eat anything, will ask the vet tomorrow about syringe feeding him if hes still not eating, he did drink the tuna water though but I had to put a little bit on his mouth before he started drinking it, so I think you might be right about him not being able to smell the food. Going to try putting some of the food on his tongue first too, tried to now but I already had to give him the pill and gel etc so he had enough of me fussing around him, will try again later in the day. :)
 

cheeser

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If your cat doesn't have any dietary restrictions or other issues that might not make it advisable, ask your vet if he feels Hill's Prescription Diet Urgent Care a/d could be a good option to help him get over the hump. I'm normally not that fond of Hill's products, but this one has been a godsend to help us nurse a seriously ill kitty back to health. I jump dump the food into the blender, push the 'liquify' button, and blend the crap out of it until it's thin enough for me to draw up with a syringe, or feed with a kitten nursing bottle. Or if that's too thick for you, you can add a little water or broth to thin it down to get the consistency you want. I personally recommend some kind of broth, because I figure the more nutrients and calories you can cram into every drop, the better.

One of the problems we've run into is that the longer cats go without eating, the more nauseated they feel, which makes them even less interested in food. We learned our lesson the hard way many years ago when one of our cats developed hepatic lipidosis after her food intake had significantly dropped off. So now I'm kinda paranoid about this sort of thing, and whip out the syringes at the first sign of trouble. ;)

Hope you can figure out something to tempt your kitty's appetite, and that he's soon on the road to recovery! :grouphug:
 

carebare

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I went to the vet. The vet gave me a appetite stimulant pill after I told them he's impossible to pill LOL The other vet gave me a cream appetite stimulant. It is topical that I apply to his skin.

Dehydrated cats need to be rehydrated to feel better. They may eat more. Finding the underlying cause of the not eating is ideal. My cat turned picky when he started feeling sick maybe from medication side effect, maybe food allergy, but definitely because of a kidney infection. So I am addressing all those things, and meanwhile he seems to like prescription kibble and raw food diet.
 

Ardina

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You can try offering the food to him on your finger or hand-feed him. Other things that help are warming up the food, trying different consistencies (more/less water), and adding yummy toppers (crushed treats, shredded cheese, etc.). When my roommate's cat was nauseated from kidney disease, she found that rotating the dish helped. Say he takes a few licks and is about to walk away. She would quickly give the dish a half-turn, and it would make him think that she'd put down a new dish. So he'd sniff it again and take a few more bites. She'd keep repeating until he walked away, and he would end up eating several times the amount he would have otherwise. Elevating the dish might help too, so it's easier for him to smell it.
 

mycatmo

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Our cat is doing the exact same thing. He smells food he has always eaten and walks away. He also has a kidney infection and hypothyroidism. He also has a heart murmur. It is very frustrating figuring out what he wants to eat. We go back to the vet next month to check on the infection. Lately he has taken interest in a particular food and then two days later he does not want it. I don't get it.
 
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