Cat Lethargc & Not Eating

[wvcatguy]

Lex is about 5 years old and has been in good health. He's a little overweight but nothing too bad. His only bad behavior is he has a tendency to sneak outside and hide. In January he snuck outside and got in a fight with another cat and had a bad bite on his neck. It eventually got very swollen and burst. The vet gave him a shot of antibiotic that was good for 6 months. That's his only incident. His neck has a slight scar under the fur but he's been fine.

Three days ago he stop eating. I have other cats so I didn't notice at first. He still wants water but he looks at food & doesn't eat. He's vomited twice in very very small amounts. Lex seems lethargic and sleeps more than normal. He looks fine walking with his tail up. I just bought a catnip toy and he responded to that. Not eating though.

We'll go to the vet this coming week but I wondered if these symptoms are something someone is familiar with. Thank you.

 

[stephanietx]

It's not good for him to go without food for much more time. If you can, get him to the ER vet. It could be anything from an upper respiratory infection to an obstruction. Is he still pooping? Have you changed his food recently?

 

[MrPawthorne]

I agree with stephanietx - try to get him to a vet as soon as you can, an emergency vet if necessary. Cats can develop serious liver problems within a day or two if they're not eating anything. It could be caused by a number of underlying issues, but the first and most important thing is to get your cat to a vet ASAP if he has not eaten in more than a day.

 

[wvcatguy]

I'll take him to the vet tomorrow and hope for the best. He is going to the litter and he's very responsive. Just lethargic & not eating yet. Thank you for the kind comments.

 

[stephanietx]

W wvcatguy how's he doing today? Has he eaten? If not, you might try offering some plain meat baby food, no garlic or onions.

 

[wvcatguy]

He drank water and I gave him some milk. I bought some tuna and he was very interested in it. Took a few bites actually but was very cautious. Makes me wonder if something outside has made him afraid to eat. I know that sounds crazy but at his best he'd hardly put his head in a bowl of water. He'd put his paw in the water and lick it off. After doing that a few times then he'd drink. His sister is similar. Very picky and very cautious. My other cat eats anything. If I offered scraps to the two tabbys they'd look at it like it was something from space. Very picky.

 

[stephanietx]

If you think it's something like that, you might consider getting some Feliway diffusers and running them to help them both de-stress. He still needs to eat something though.

 

[wvcatguy]

He's doing much better. The one factor I didn't consider was the cat that's "visiting". There was a mother and two kittens outside and I worried they were in danger. Not a cat friendly neighborhood. I brought everyone in until I can take them to a vet and try to find them homes. They Love Lex! They curl beside him all the time. He seems ok but then goes somewhere to hide. My other cat doesn't mind them but Lex clearly doesn't like the company. He won't eat with them but if I feed him in another room he's fine. Crisis over for now.

 

[stephanietx]

So glad you figured it out! He might get fed up with all the newbies and just retreating for some sane, alone time.

 

[harrys mom 02]

Was your cat vomiting? Mine did over the weekend. Pink tinged.She has had this problem about once a year since she was born. After several hundred dollars and two trips to the vet this week+ two hydration injections,shot for nausea,femodine and sulcrafate meds,she is not vomiting.Just won't eat more than a few bites of Kitten food..Blood work was good.Vet has no idea what it could be..Any suggestions appreciated.