I don't think I can care for my 10 year old girl anymore

[louisstools]

Here's a photo of my girl doing her after breakfast nap next to me on the couch.

 

[neely]

Awww, she's beautiful and looks very content.

 

[FeebysOwner]

She is very pretty! And as said above, she looks totally content. Thanks for the pic!!!

 

[louisstools]

I guess if I had to really think about why I worry so much it's that she'll get the fatty liver thing or starve herself to death b/c supposedly cats will NOT eat if they don't like their food and I don't want to lose her. As you can see she is too cute to lose!

 

[FeebysOwner]

If she is eating at least a reasonable amount, fatty liver disease is not likely. That generally is more common when a cat goes more than a couple of days of not eating at all.

If she ends up refusing both her dry and wet foods, you can give her anything else she will eat to help avoid that from happening - human turkey, chicken, tuna, etc. Baby food meat (Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut) is another thing to try when she is totally against eating her own food. None of these are long term solutions because they are not 'complete' cat foods, but they can be used for a while. Forti Flora - I think I mentioned before - can be added to wet food to help entice her to eat it. I suppose you could try to sprinkle some on her dry food too.

If I recall correctly, she is on Rx food for renal care? If so, there are at least 4 that I know of that are on the market - two prescription, two not prescription - Hill's, Royal Canin, Purina and Wysong all have dry renal care foods. You could try to switch in between a couple of them and see what happens.

If it would get to where she is not eating for you - it is vet checkup time - with those tests the vet didn't see a need for previously. At that point, there would seem to be an underlying reason for the lack of interest in food. A physical exam alone isn't all that reliable in determining all the possibilities of what could be going on.

Are you sure you are not over-reacting? Remember what you've been told before, you are not going to get this matter resolved "overnight".

 

[louisstools]

If she is eating at least a reasonable amount, fatty liver disease is not likely. That generally is more common when a cat goes more than a couple of days of not eating at all.

If she ends up refusing both her dry and wet foods, you can give her anything else she will eat to help avoid that from happening - human turkey, chicken, tuna, etc. Baby food meat (Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut) is another thing to try when she is totally against eating her own food. None of these are long term solutions because they are not 'complete' cat foods, but they can be used for a while. Forti Flora - I think I mentioned before - can be added to wet food to help entice her to eat it. I suppose you could try to sprinkle some on her dry food too.

If I recall correctly, she is on Rx food for renal care? If so, there are at least 4 that I know of that are on the market - two prescription, two not prescription - Hill's, Royal Canin, Purina and Wysong all have dry renal care foods. You could try to switch in between a couple of them and see what happens.

If it would get to where she is not eating for you - it is vet checkup time - with those tests the vet didn't see a need for previously. At that point, there would seem to be an underlying reason for the lack of interest in food. A physical exam isn't all that reliable in determining all the possibilities of what could be going on.

Are you sure you are not over-reacting? Remember what you've been told before, you are not going to get this matter resolved "overnight".

Ok, so as long as she's eating something. I think we'll be ok then she's always eating at least a bit of the kibble. Phew. The thing that causes me heartburn with the fatty liver is there's no real clear definition of just little much a cat needs to eat to avoid it. The lowest kcal amount I found was like 160kcal and I'm like that's about what my cat consumes on a normal good eating day...and that's me working my tail to ensure that gets into her...and she's not losing weight with that little kcal.

She's on the RX for chronic UTI and crystals that caused blockages. In the past we tried them all and she only really liked the Purina one and it's only the kibble. She won't eat the wet version...I have some and haven't figured out how to get her to eat it lol and that stuff is $$$.

Over reacting? It is highly likely I am over reacting. Hell I'd put money on it. That could be my whole problem, just worried about losing her again b/c she isn't "eating enough" or isn't "eating like she did 10 months ago." Thank you for your patience...you are clearly a good cat parent.

 

[FeebysOwner]

and she's not losing weight with that little kcal.

That is a good thing! What does she weigh? I don't remember you ever saying.

 

[louisstools]

That is a good thing! What does she weigh? I don't remember you ever saying.

12.420 lbs today on my baby (cat) scale. It's pretty accurate compared to my vet's scale. In early October 2021, before the cancer storm started with her brother, she weighed 11.0 at the vet.

 

[FeebysOwner]

12.420 lbs today on my baby (cat) scale. It's pretty accurate compared to my vet's scale. In early October 2021, before the cancer storm started with her brother, she weighed 11.0 at the vet.

12.42 lbs probably would require a bit more than 160 calories a day in the long run. If you use the standard average - which is nothing but a really very basic guide - and you wanted her to stay at her current weight she probably could use to eat more like 250 calories a day. At 11 lbs, probably around 220. (Based on 20 calories per pound of body weight). However, I think you also said before that Missy was holding her weight when she was eating 200 calories a day - so that just might enough for her.

But, if your vet is anything like the last one I just saw, she told me Feeby is overweight at 11.5 and she felt she shouldn't be eating more than 200 a day. I guess she is basing that on a 10 pound cat! Given Feeby once weighed 17.5, I am good with trying to keep her at 11.5!!

 

[louisstools]

12.42 lbs probably would require a bit more than 160 calories a day in the long run. If you use the standard average - which is nothing but a really very basic guide - and you wanted her to stay at her current weight she probably could use to eat more like 250 calories a day. At 11 lbs, probably around 220. (Based on 20 calories per pound of body weight). However, I think you also said before that Missy was holding her weight when she was eating 200 calories a day - so that just might enough for her.

But, if your vet is anything like the last one I just saw, she told me Feeby is overweight at 11.5 and she felt she shouldn't be eating more than 200 a day. I guess she is basing that on a 10 pound cat! Given Feeby once weighed 17.5, I am good with trying to keep her at 11.5!!

Yes she is a bit overweight. She gained about 1.5 pounds during the cancer storm from diagnosis to his death (Oct to early December).

I remember laughing at the vet when she gave me Missy's calorie needs because it was considerably higher than what she was eating and the goal was for weight loss lol. Laughing both at the amount and that it would be impossible to get that much food in her.

I would say 200 calories is slightly gaining weight...not just holding weight...but is the daily target to account for hunger differences each day. Shw is ans had been very sedentary...

 

[Robyn5678]

Hmm. How frequent will they do that? Missy is essentially done eating until the evening. And she usually eats more in the morning than evening and next to nothing over night.

Depends. Today it took them about 5 hours to eat all their food. There will never be a black and white answer. Cats are cats and just when you think you figured one out, they do something else

 

[louisstools]

Depends. Today it took them about 5 hours to eat all their food. There will never be a black and white answer. Cats are cats and just when you think you figured one out, they do something else

Ha, ain't that the truth! For half of this year all Missy wanted was the wet food and now all she wants is the kibble. I offered her wet food at breakfast and she ate half of it before walking away and not showing any interest in it for the next hour or so. During that time she kept going to her kibble bowl (and asking me to come with her) and within two hours she had eaten most of her AM kibble scoop and needed to be topped off with the PM one to avoid running out lol. I'll offer her some wet food this evening but I was just asking myself if she will even want it and if she doesn't when does it make sense to just stop offering it.

Was this 5 hour period just their "breakfast" or was this their entire day's food allotment? Just curious how you do it to get another data point on how someone feeds their cats and help my own understanding of what might be normal for cats. And thank you for taking the time with my questions and helping me we both appreciate it.

 

[Robyn5678]

Ha, ain't that the truth! For half of this year all Missy wanted was the wet food and now all she wants is the kibble. I offered her wet food at breakfast and she ate half of it before walking away and not showing any interest in it for the next hour or so. During that time she kept going to her kibble bowl (and asking me to come with her) and within two hours she had eaten most of her AM kibble scoop and needed to be topped off with the PM one to avoid running out lol. I'll offer her some wet food this evening but I was just asking myself if she will even want it and if she doesn't when does it make sense to just stop offering it.

Was this 5 hour period just their "breakfast" or was this their entire day's food allotment? Just curious how you do it to get another data point on how someone feeds their cats and help my own understanding of what might be normal for cats. And thank you for taking the time with my questions and helping me we both appreciate it.

I feed mine 2 times a day, around 6am and 6pm. I have 4 cats so I use either 4 3 ounce cans or 2 5.5 ounce cans at each feeding. 3 of them (all under 1 year old) eat out of the same pie plate and my 17 year old eats in my bedroom. She typically will only eat half 1.5 ounce of the wet food so my little piggy vacuum kitties get the rest of it. My 17 year old tends to like dry food better so that is always out for her and she eats it when she wants. I don’t keep track of how much she eats because some days is more, some days is less.

 

[maggie101]

Hmm. How frequent will they do that? Missy is essentially done eating until the evening. And she usually eats more in the morning than evening and next to nothing over night.

My cat Maggie eats the most in morning. She goes back and forth 2 more times. Same way a wild cat eats

 

[FeebysOwner]

Was this 5 hour period just their "breakfast" or was this their entire day's food allotment? Just curious how you do it to get another data point on how someone feeds their cats and help my own understanding of what might be normal for cats.

I know you want to hear from members than just me - and, you just did. But, there is no normal for a cat. And, what can be considered normal with any one cat can change over their lifetime. There are so many factors that no matter what any one of us says, all we can do is give you glimpses into our own cats - which many times means absolutely nothing for your own. Mutiple cat homes take on a whole different perspective/function than singular cats.

All I can say, and I personally think, from my own experience, as I have said before, it would seem many long- term dry food cat grazers tend to repeat that habit when they are introduced to wet food. Generally, they don't understand the idea of 'eat it all now and wait for the next feeding'. It's a balance, and I think you are really working on finding that balance for Missy. It just takes time and patience. Hang in there!

 

[louisstools]

My cat Maggie eats the most in morning. She goes back and forth 2 more times. Same way a wild cat eats

That's interesting, I did not know wild cats eat more in the AM. That does match what my Missy tends to do...load up in the AM and then kinda graze the rest of the day.

 

[maggie101]

That's interesting, I did not know wild cats eat more in the AM. That does match what my Missy tends to do...load up in the AM and then kinda graze the rest of the day.

I don't know if it's morning they eat more. I always assumed Maggie eats so much because she has been with out food for 9 hours. I do have a wet food timer set for a snack at 5 am

 

[louisstools]

I know you want to hear from members than just me - and, you just did. But, there is no normal for a cat. And, what can be considered normal with any one cat can change over their lifetime. There are so many factors that no matter what any one of us says, all we can do is give you glimpses into our own cats - which many times means absolutely nothing for your own. Mutiple cat homes take on a whole different perspective/function than singular cats.

All I can say, and I personally think, from my own experience, as I have said before, it would seem many long- term dry food cat grazers tend to repeat that habit when they are introduced to wet food. Generally, they don't understand the idea of 'eat it all now and wait for the next feeding'. It's a balance, and I think you are really working on finding that balance for Missy. It just takes time and patience. Hang in there!

You're right and I'm extremely appreciative for all the help you and others have given. So much has changed for us and it's about finding what is normal going forward that will work for both of us because it seems to keep shifting on me lol. God willing we'll find something solid and reliable like we had for a decade. I know I've learned so much about cat behavior it's been insane lol. Never knew cats were this crazy lol and I had them for a decade! ha.

 

[louisstools]

Possible stupid question for the group - if a cat doesn’t like it's food and is refusing to eat but is otherwise hungry it'll still beg for food right? Or maybe pee or poop outside the litter box...something to get attention. Or basically a hungry cat will make it known they're hungry, right? They won't suffer in silence right?

I ask because I was thinking I'm wrong in how many calories Missy was actually eating before her brother passed and it might have been less than I assumed. We've had 3 vigorous (for her) play sessions today(45 min) and she's at 150 calories and is content.

 

[Robyn5678]

Mine make it known. They annoy me, follow me, meow at me, keep walking by their food bowl, lick an empty bowl