Kitten Eats Everything Except His Food

[Megsnan]

My 6 month old kitten has been eating less and less of his food. Instead he tries to eat magic erasers, scouring pads, screws, straws, sos pad...I have found qtips in his poop. I have also found a 3 inch piece of metal in his poop. I am diligent about keeping everything picked up, my husband not so much. However, this kitten moves fast. Turn your back for one second and he’s running off with something in his mouth. At first I thought him messing with this stuff was just a behavioral issue but to actually ingest it, now I’m not so sure. Does anybody else have a goat for a cat?

 

[maggiedemi]

Has he been de-wormed?

 

[Megsnan]

Hi! Yes he has

 

[danteshuman]

Have you talked to your vet about pics? I would, tomorrow in an emergency appointment! What your kitten is eating can kill him! Pics can be managed from what I have read. It might be worth looking it up and reading about it.

 

[danteshuman]

Damon auto correct p I c a , not pics!!!!

 

[Megsnan]

PICA is from a lack of a certain mineral or nutrient in their diet, right? I spoke with two different vets about it and they didn’t seem too worried but they were also trying to diagnose more pressing symptoms at the time. I should point out that my kitten has dilated cardiomyopathy and now cardiac cachexeria. He also has a palette defect.

 

[danteshuman]

It can be dietary and or behavioral. Sometimes medication helps. Becoming a organization freak who leaves nothing out helps. Play, walks, etc. Sometimes helps. I wish I had a automatic solution for your kitten! I hope he feels better and his heart stays healthy.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

My 6 month old kitten has been eating less and less of his food. Instead he tries to eat magic erasers, scouring pads, screws, straws, sos pad...I have found qtips in his poop. I have also found a 3 inch piece of metal in his poop. I am diligent about keeping everything picked up, my husband not so much. However, this kitten moves fast. Turn your back for one second and he’s running off with something in his mouth. At first I thought him messing with this stuff was just a behavioral issue but to actually ingest it, now I’m not so sure. Does anybody else have a goat for a cat?

Yikes. This would worry me to death. Are you sure he's not eating less because of intestinal obstruction/blockages??

 

[susanm9006]

What have you been feeding him? Have you tried switching his food, trying different wet and dry cat foods?

 

[Megsnan]

Yikes. This would worry me to death. Are you sure he's not eating less because of intestinal obstruction/blockages??

I’ve been concerned about that. He had an echo recently looking for any fluid around his abdomen but I don’t know if an echo would show any obstructions.

 

[Megsnan]

What have you been feeding him? Have you tried switching his food, trying different wet and dry cat foods?

His cardiologist wanted him on a “traditional diet” so I was feeding him Royal canin wet food mixed with dry food that the breeder fed him. I’ve determined he doesn’t like the RC at all so I’m transitioning him back to what he was eating before which was crave wet food with the dry food. It’s not “traditional” but he likes it and he eats it.

 

[Megsnan]

It can be dietary and or behavioral. Sometimes medication helps. Becoming a organization freak who leaves nothing out helps. Play, walks, etc. Sometimes helps. I wish I had a automatic solution for your kitten! I hope he feels better and his heart stays healthy.

Thank you so much! I think you’re right, it could very well be behavioral. I think he gets frustrated with his treatments sometimes. It’s hard because he’s just a little kitten and pretty much ever since I got him I’ve had to give him various medications. Now he has to be pilled every day and I struggle with is this the right thing to do for him. Is this a good quality of life? If he doesn’t get the pill then he’s high risk for developing clots that could cause paralysis in his hind legs. They said it would be extremely painful for him so I figure pilling him is better than the alternative. He’s sick of me sometimes though.

 

[LTS3]

What is the name of the pill? Have you tried using Pill Pockets or other pill dough to make it easier to get the pill into the cat? Can you have the medicine compounded into a liquid or flavored chew treat or transdermal gel?

 

[Megsnan]

It’s plavix. My cardiologist said that pharmacies will compound it but there’s no way to cover the extremely bitter taste. I have to put the pill in a flavored capsule because they said if he ever tastes it then he will never let me pill him again. There is an injectable option. Needles kind of freak me out but maybe that would be better for him.