Is being slightly overweight the only reason my cat doesn't eat sometimes?

[cloa513]

My cat (Fluffy) is 12 year old Norwegian Forest Cat. He has been lately some days not eating. My wife worked more lately so he had less time with her. My wife took him to the vet and he checked his blood and physical and only found he was overweight- no signs of stress or kidney or liver problems. Before he was cutting to two meals then none and just lately he refused his dry cat food for only treats and wet cat food for one- other days he eats fine with his reduced quantity. Is there anything I should do? I work 6 day and so does my wife and we have a Year 2 elementary school son. I tempted him with tuna before when he didn't eat. My cat seems the same happiness level and activity- never been a big "play with humans" cat. We were sad but not miserable. My wife's parents lived upstairs and my cat goes upstairs often. My father-in-law got taken to hospital and died not long ago and his wife kept his corpse upstairs for a few days before the funeral home took him. Fluffy has been eating badly before seeing the vet and afterwards too but not all the time. Fluffy is an indoor cat with plenty of raised areas to hide in. I hoped the vet checked him for all common cat issues.

The vet said he was overweight but now he is 8.6 kg and still eating poorly. In the last few days only eating about 30 grams a day. He was eating three 20 g meals a day plus treats for about two weeks. after the vet visit. He doesn't like the vet visit and it is expensive so I want to be sure there is serious problem. Is there an issue?

 

[cmshap]

A lot to unpack here as I try to understand...

He has been lately some days not eating.

Please specify exactly how many days, and if they are consecutive days. How many days in a week? Like, for example, is it every other day? Or if not, how often?

Before he was cutting to two meals then none and just lately he refused his dry cat food for only treats and wet cat food for one- other days he eats fine with his reduced quantity.

Please clarify the above. I'm not sure what you mean by "cutting to two meals then none." Give as much specific information as you can, about what you are feeding him daily, and how much.

My wife's parents lived upstairs and my cat goes upstairs often. My father-in-law got taken to hospital and died not long ago and his wife kept his corpse upstairs for a few days before the funeral home took him.

This sounds like an extremely traumatic event. Cats can react to the loss of a human they bonded with, but also can react to your own reactions to a traumatic event.

I've heard stories of cats whose behavior changed drastically after the death of a human whom they knew well. There are always strategies to help them recover (which I am not well-versed in, but perhaps other forum members are)... but initially, the behavior can definitely change.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. I am sorry for the loss of your family member. I am thinking English is not your native language or your auto correct is being difficult.

A cat being overweight will not cause the cat to stop eating or have a less than normal ( for that cat) food intake. Cats that are overweight have a high chance of developing a life threatening disease called hepatic lipidosis when they either stop eating or reduce the amount of food they eat.

When a cat’s appetite changes it is usually caused by an underlying issue. I know your cat recently saw the Vet. Thing can change very quickly with a cat and not all problems will show upon routine bloodwork. Also, not all vets are knowledgeable about cats. Some are much more geared towards dogs. But, anytime there is a report of a cat not eating as well as normal, it shouldn’t be dismissed.

I hope this answers your question. If not, let us know.

 

[cloa513]

A lot to unpack here as I try to understand...



Please specify exactly how many days, and if they are consecutive days. How many days in a week? Like, for example, is it every other day? Or if not, how often?



Please clarify the above. I'm not sure what you mean by "cutting to two meals then none." Give as much specific information as you can, about what you are feeding him daily, and how much.



This sounds like an extremely traumatic event. Cats can react to the loss of a human they bonded with, but also can react to your own reactions to a traumatic event.

I've heard stories of cats whose behavior changed drastically after the death of a human whom they knew well. There are always strategies to help them recover (which I am not well-versed in, but perhaps other forum members are)... but initially, the behavior can definitely change.

We live in Japan.

How many days in a week? Depends on the week
Fluffy was like now only eating two meal a day. Currently the intake reduction has gone on for two days.

If it was so traumatic, then why is Fluffy mostly eating fine. No clear event leads to the limited eating or not at all.





We feed him Royal Canin Urinary Care dry cat food. We were feeding 25 grams whenever he eats it. Unicharm hair ball care treats.

 

[cmshap]

If it was so traumatic, then why is Fluffy mostly eating fine. No clear event leads to the limited eating or not at all.

I was merely providing a suggestion of a possibility.

You mentioned that someone died who lived in your home, and whom you and your cat interacted with. You mentioned that in your original post, so I figured there was some reason you brought it up.

I don't know what amount of grief your family went through (and I am not asking for you to explain any more, if you don't want to), but cats can react to grief. It's just one possible contributory factor to a change in behavior, including sometimes eating habits.

I'm still not totally clear on the details. Since you are worrying about this, start keeping a log. Write down exactly how much food your cat eats, and when. That can be very helpful to tell what's going on.

 

[cloa513]

While he has been eating fine most days, two meals on 27th May, 28th, 29th, 31st, June 1st. On June 2nd, I gave him 38 g for breakfast because he would alone for longer. He didn't eat so I gave him a small can of cat food. Yesterday June 4th, he really only ate 1 meal plus treats. He was disturbed from his sleeping place by my son who wanted to fix his cardboard cat house I had to carry him downstairs after sleeping most the day upstairs and he barely ate when downstairs. In the evening, I carried him to the stairs and we played and cared for and he come down but still didn't really eat.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Did Fluffy spend a lot of time around your father-in-law? Could he be reacting to his death? Cats do grieve and may eat less because of it. It can take some time for Fluffy to adjust. Does your mother-in-law still live in the same place, and does Fluffy spend time with her? If so, she can help Fluffy to get over the loss of your father-in-law.

If you and your family are in mourning, Fluffy can sense that. If so, he is just going through what the rest of you are.

Try to spend more time loving on him. And try to get him to spend more time with those who will give him the most attention and affection. His eating doesn't sound bad, so keep trying to get him to eat what you can.

If we are wrong on what we think from what we know, please tell us.

Keep us posted and tell us what is going on so that we can help any way we can as things change.

 

[cloa513]

Not as far I know. It seems strange that that is only a few days a month that he is behaving like this when the father-in-law disappeared first to go to hospital for two months. Then of course his remain returned and disappeared (talking from the cat's prospective). Father-in-law wasn't that much around for the last year or so before his untimely stroke (even though he lived in the same house). Sure it hit us a bit when father-in-law was basically a vegetable (slightly responsive) from the time he left the house for hospital and final passing away but we are over his passing now. Nothing particularly unusual happens at the times when Fluffy tapers off his food intake. Fluffy doesn't even behave that much different. He is as loved as ever. It is hard for him being nervous with children cat to live with my son but it not like it is all the time that my son annoys him (certainly not real abuse). Can a cat periodically have reduced sense of smell and taste?

 

[FeebysOwner]

The on and off of his eating may just be when certain things bother him. If he is a bit nervous because of your son, perhaps there are days where he is more exposed to your son and that just creates some anxiety that makes him less hungry. As long as he is not losing weight, and continues to eat OK for the most part, I would just watch him.

I have never heard of a cat periodically losing their sense of smell or taste, but it is possible that there are environmental factors affecting this. Allergies, like pollen among many others, can affect a cat's eating, and it could be from a change in their senses as many allergies do that to humans as well.