Cat stopped liking wet food and treats!

[jahzara]

I don't get it. He straight up will barely touch wet food anymore. And won't eat any of the treats I have for him. This has been going on for months now, even though he used to be the least picky eater between my two cats.

He was at the vet recently and we were told he was constipated. We gave him some laxatone and switched out his dry food with one with a higher fat content.

What can I do to get him interested in wet food and treats again??

 

[Tobermory]

Check out this thread for a variety of ideas!

Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

 

[maggie101]

Check out this thread for a variety of ideas!

Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

Yes! My favorite thread. Have you tried different textures and brands? My cat no longer likes pate unless it is shredded chicken or pieces of meat. One of my adult cats needs an elevated bowl because she is tall and a whisker free bowl

 

[maggie101]

I just gave my cat a very unique weruva cat food. Chicken and shrimp pate! She loved it. She was excited for the food before I put it down

 

[Furballsmom]

He was at the vet recently and we were told he was constipated. We gave him some laxatone

Is he pooping normally now? Constipation is a very serious situation.

 

[lisahe]

Is he pooping normally now? Constipation is a very serious situation.

Yes, it can sometimes get very serious. It's the constipation that needs to be solved to bring back the appetite.

We have a cat who tends toward mild constipation and for her the only way to get her to eat consistently is to ease the constipation. Constipation seems to make her slightly nauseous and uninterested in food. Lots of things can help: Egg yolk, pumpkin puree, psyllium among them. Almost any of these need to be started in small amounts. We used those things and more for Ireland but the most helpful has been Vet's Best anti-hairball tablets, which she loves. They've been working very well for her for five or six months now. (And she has never had hairballs! I gave them to her because someone else had mentioned them helping a constipated cat.)

Good luck, I know this is not an easy problem to solve.

 

[Alldara]

jahzara If it's available to you, you could consider speaking to your vet about using unflavored Miralax or Restorilax. It seems some posters here have issues with laxatone, including it not working to solve the constipation and/or low appetite.

However, many of us have solved this issue long-term with regular dosages of Miralax/ Restorilax. There are many posts on the subject on this website. My vet said to start with 1/4 tsp twice a day and then lower to 1/4 tsp once a day after a few weeks. I would not provide laxatone at the same time as Miralax.

Some other home remedies like psyllium and pumpkin can cause discomfort or further blockages to some cats. That's because it's added fibre and the amount of fibre is not always a cat's issue.

Since it's so safe, I like that I don't have to worry if my other cats have some too Nobel is now on a maintenance dosage of 1/4 tsp every other day.

The active ingredient in the ones I mentioned is safe for long term use and is not likely to cause dehydration if used properly. You MUST fully mix the crystals until fully dissolved in water. Those crystals then carry the water through the system and hydrate the colon without taking water from the rest of the body, allowing poos to pass without being too large or causing discomfort.

 

[jahzara]

jahzara If it's available to you, you could consider speaking to your vet about using unflavored Miralax or Restorilax. It seems some posters here have issues with laxatone, including it not working to solve the constipation and/or low appetite.

However, many of us have solved this issue long-term with regular dosages of Miralax/ Restorilax. There are many posts on the subject on this website. My vet said to start with 1/4 tsp twice a day and then lower to 1/4 tsp once a day after a few weeks. I would not provide laxatone at the same time as Miralax.

Some other home remedies like psyllium and pumpkin can cause discomfort or further blockages to some cats. That's because it's added fibre and the amount of fibre is not always a cat's issue.

Since it's so safe, I like that I don't have to worry if my other cats have some too Nobel is now on a maintenance dosage of 1/4 tsp every other day.

The active ingredient in the ones I mentioned is safe for long term use and is not likely to cause dehydration if used properly. You MUST fully mix the crystals until fully dissolved in water. Those crystals then carry the water through the system and hydrate the colon without taking water from the rest of the body, allowing poos to pass without being too large or causing discomfort.

This is actually a great idea. Cause giving laxatone to him is very distressing for both of us. And I have this on hand.

I just got him some probiotics as well and am getting Science Diet Perfect Digestion for him too.

he has no issue eating his dry food in the morning. It’s the wet food he is snubbing. He takes a few licks of the gravy and that’s about it. Which has never been an issue before. He’s always eaten anything he is given.

he was super interested in coconut oil so I’m gonna be giving him more of that as well.

 

[Alldara]

jahzara lovely steps so far!
If a cat isn't feeling well, it can be easier to blend the cat's food rather then cuts. I use a baby bullet for mine.

If she's already constipated, do your best to limit the dry food and encourage wet food You can try seeing if she will eat the dry food soaked in water to get some better hydration, if she struggles with wet still.

To get the Restorilax into her, you can try a Churu or another tube treat mixer in. The lower quantity might ensure she gets the full dosage.

 

[jahzara]

Update:

Dissolved a 1/4 tsp miralax with 1/8 cup water and added it to 1/4 dry food for dinner last night.
He ate it.

Husband did the same thing this morning.
He wouldn't touch it..

He DID take some treats today that he'd previously liked and then snubbed. Probably cause he missed his breakfast.
Got him to eat SOME of his wet food this evening. He gets half of a 5.5 oz can but only ate about 1/4.

Probiotics seem to be neutral on. He was super interested in the container when I got it home. But I don't know if it's really getting him to eat much more.

Snubbed the coconut oil.

Checked his poops last night and today and both were normal. Good consistency and uniform color. His butt hole doesn't look red or strained or anything either.

SD Perfect Digestion arrives tomorrow.
Going to get some pumpkin and pure meat baby food tomorrow, and will try mixing the miralax with a churu/lickable, but I don't think constipation is the issue anymore really.
Will also look more at the links suggestions.

 

[lisahe]

I'm glad to hear the litter box looks better -- that's a very good thing -- but sorry he's still not eating as much as usual. I know it's hard to have patience (I'm not very good at it myself!) but it can take time for a cat's digestive system and appetite to adjust. We also notice big appetite swings during changes of season... including right now since our cats are eating less than usual as the weather cools and they're feeling lazier.

 

[maggie101]

Update:

Dissolved a 1/4 tsp miralax with 1/8 cup water and added it to 1/4 dry food for dinner last night.
He ate it.

Husband did the same thing this morning.
He wouldn't touch it..

He DID take some treats today that he'd previously liked and then snubbed. Probably cause he missed his breakfast.
Got him to eat SOME of his wet food this evening. He gets half of a 5.5 oz can but only ate about 1/4.

Probiotics seem to be neutral on. He was super interested in the container when I got it home. But I don't know if it's really getting him to eat much more.

Snubbed the coconut oil.

Checked his poops last night and today and both were normal. Good consistency and uniform color. His butt hole doesn't look red or strained or anything either. Glad is

SD Perfect Digestion arrives tomorrow.
Going to get some pumpkin and pure meat baby food tomorrow, and will try mixing the miralax with a churu/lickable, but I don't think constipation is the issue anymore really.
Will also look more at the links suggestions.

My cat did not like fortiflora but did the advita. Unfortunately most vets do not have it. It cost less.

 

[Alldara]

jahzara sometimes all the movement Miralax makes can be uncomfortable. Every other day is usually best for some cats OR just once a day. I usually don't do in the night and then again the next morning if Nobel's refusing it.

Alternatively, you could try an 1/8 of a tsp instead of 1/4.

I would recommend continuing to give it at least at 1/8 every other day until the new food arrives, OR until he gets liquid poos. It won't be good for him to risk being very constipated again.

 

[jahzara]

So this is the dry food he was on when the constipation developed:

Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain Grain-Free with Roasted Venison & Smoke-Flavored Salmon Dry Cat Food, 14 lbs.
It says 42% protein, but only 3% fiber

Prior to that, he was on this one:
Hill's Science Diet Adult Indoor Chicken Recipe cat food
which has 9.3% fiber

But.. I just started him on this one:
Adult Perfect Digestion Chicken, Barley & Whole Oats Recipe Cat Food
which has only 2% fiber??

I'm really confused now...

I haven't retried the miralax on him since, so I'll try again tonight.

He did successfully eat a spoonful of Soulistic chicken wet food last night along with half a can of fancy feast 3oz chicken pate, which is probably the most wet food he's eaten in a while. Night before that, he ate about 1/4 can of 5.5 oz Soulistic Salmon.

I did have to try 3 different times throughout the evening to get him to finish all of that. He like, takes a few bites and then walks away. (Whereas my other cat finishes his meal no problem.)

 

[Furballsmom]

He did successfully eat a spoonful of Soulistic chicken wet food last night along with half a can of fancy feast 3oz chicken pate, which is probably the most wet food he's eaten in a while

This is terrific! Keep trying, it sounds like he just might get the hang of it

 

[daftcat75]

When was the last time he had his teeth checked? It's entirely possible that with kibble, he knows how to avoid a painful area in his mouth that may not be so easy to avoid with a softer food. I had a kitty with tooth resorption and every time her eating declined, I had to argue with my vet over having her teeth checked again. She had chronic tooth resorption. I knew "but we just looked at them" didn't mean anything with that disease. If your guy hasn't had his teeth examined with X-rays (because a lot of problems like resorption begin below the gum line) since this started, I would make that dental appointment. You can always cancel it if you sort it out between now and then. But it could take a few weeks to get a dental appointment. It's not a bad idea to make it now while you are exploring the other suggestions that were given to you.

 

[jahzara]

When was the last time he had his teeth checked? It's entirely possible that with kibble, he knows how to avoid a painful area in his mouth that may not be so easy to avoid with a softer food. I had a kitty with tooth resorption and every time her eating declined, I had to argue with my vet over having her teeth checked again. She had chronic tooth resorption. I knew "but we just looked at them" didn't mean anything with that disease. If your guy hasn't had his teeth examined with X-rays (because a lot of problems like resorption begin below the gum line) since this started, I would make that dental appointment. You can always cancel it if you sort it out between now and then. But it could take a few weeks to get a dental appointment. It's not a bad idea to make it now while you are exploring the other suggestions that were given to you.

Oh wow, did not know that was a thing!

He's actually fine with dry food. It's the wet food he started snubbing.

Was changing the dry food cause I thought that was constipating him.