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- Aug 7, 2018
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I'm looking for help for my 15 year old "baby" who has bladder stones. She was originally a stray that I found living with her mom under a shed behind the museum I work for. She and her mom were both feral but with love, patience and food I was able to tame her enough to bring her home.
She has always been tiny with her highest weight at 7.5 pounds. Now that she is older her weight goes up and down around 4 pounds so I give her anything I can get her to eat. When I found her and she was so tiny, I only wanted to make sure she had a regular source of food, so I started feeding her Meow Mix, Kitten Chow. At that time, I never dreamed I would be able to tame her I just wanted to make sure she survived. But within a month, she decided she liked people, came home with me, became the Prissy Princess she always knew she always was, and our entire home started revolving around her.
I don't know if it is because it is the first "cat food" she started eating or what but she has only ever liked wet and dry Meow Mix. I have tried many times to switch her to other brands of food, especially when she started having bladder issues a few years ago. I have tried many kinds of the prescription foods that are supposed to help with bladder issues, but she will not eat any of them. And no, it doesn't matter how many times I try, she will just go hungry. If she doesn't want to eat it, she just won't eat it!
In reading past threads on this website, I saw that others have had the same issue with their cats not eating the prescription food. I would like to know if there is any raw food I could try to feed her that has worked for other cat moms? She is so little that every calorie counts. Right now she is feeling fine, but I know that if one of the stones moves, she might have to have surgery to remove them. With her small size and age, she is not a great candidate for surgery. So, I am torn with feeding her the food she likes and getting her to eat as much as I can so she keeps her weight up versus trying to get her to eat food she doesn't like just because it is supposed to be 'better" for her. She gets wet food twice (or more) a day with supplemental dry food out all the time as well. I have a water fountain that I do think has helped get her to drink more water.
I saw in one of the older threads from 2014 that one person fed their cat chicken and turkey. Does anyone know if those will help and if so, what would be the best way to prepare them? I know she likes turkey as I do give her turkey lunch meat occasionally as a special treat. Should I cook her turkey and if so, should it be light or dark meat? The same with chicken, light or dark? Best way to prepare it?
I also noticed that a few posts mentioned not to feed them fish products. Is that correct? She loves tuna and it is one thing I can get her to eat when she is being particularly picky and not even wanting to eat her regular cat food. She doesn't get it very often but if it is bad for her, I don't want to give it to her.
I will try one of the suggestions to add water to her wet food to make it like a runny broth, that shouldn't effect the flavor, so I can probably get by with it.
I am really worried as she is my "baby" and I will do anything to help her through this without surgery. I would really appreciate any insight from others who might have experienced this same issue or any professionals that can give me more suggestions as well.
Thank You!
Prisscilla's Mom
She has always been tiny with her highest weight at 7.5 pounds. Now that she is older her weight goes up and down around 4 pounds so I give her anything I can get her to eat. When I found her and she was so tiny, I only wanted to make sure she had a regular source of food, so I started feeding her Meow Mix, Kitten Chow. At that time, I never dreamed I would be able to tame her I just wanted to make sure she survived. But within a month, she decided she liked people, came home with me, became the Prissy Princess she always knew she always was, and our entire home started revolving around her.
I don't know if it is because it is the first "cat food" she started eating or what but she has only ever liked wet and dry Meow Mix. I have tried many times to switch her to other brands of food, especially when she started having bladder issues a few years ago. I have tried many kinds of the prescription foods that are supposed to help with bladder issues, but she will not eat any of them. And no, it doesn't matter how many times I try, she will just go hungry. If she doesn't want to eat it, she just won't eat it!
In reading past threads on this website, I saw that others have had the same issue with their cats not eating the prescription food. I would like to know if there is any raw food I could try to feed her that has worked for other cat moms? She is so little that every calorie counts. Right now she is feeling fine, but I know that if one of the stones moves, she might have to have surgery to remove them. With her small size and age, she is not a great candidate for surgery. So, I am torn with feeding her the food she likes and getting her to eat as much as I can so she keeps her weight up versus trying to get her to eat food she doesn't like just because it is supposed to be 'better" for her. She gets wet food twice (or more) a day with supplemental dry food out all the time as well. I have a water fountain that I do think has helped get her to drink more water.
I saw in one of the older threads from 2014 that one person fed their cat chicken and turkey. Does anyone know if those will help and if so, what would be the best way to prepare them? I know she likes turkey as I do give her turkey lunch meat occasionally as a special treat. Should I cook her turkey and if so, should it be light or dark meat? The same with chicken, light or dark? Best way to prepare it?
I also noticed that a few posts mentioned not to feed them fish products. Is that correct? She loves tuna and it is one thing I can get her to eat when she is being particularly picky and not even wanting to eat her regular cat food. She doesn't get it very often but if it is bad for her, I don't want to give it to her.
I will try one of the suggestions to add water to her wet food to make it like a runny broth, that shouldn't effect the flavor, so I can probably get by with it.
I am really worried as she is my "baby" and I will do anything to help her through this without surgery. I would really appreciate any insight from others who might have experienced this same issue or any professionals that can give me more suggestions as well.
Thank You!
Prisscilla's Mom