Lethargic Cat, Not Eating Much

[solowars]

I’ve actually already made an appointment to see the vet later tonight but I’m a new cat owner so if anyone has seen similar things with their cat I would be keen to hear about it!

So my girl Hammy is 3 years old, and I recently adopted her from a rescue in September. She was doing well the whole time, and she’s quite an affectionate, active cat.

Last night when I got home after work she was not her usual self - she was lying on the couch, looking sleepy, but reacted to me petting her and was alert (but uninterested) when I tried to dangle her favourite feather toy in front of her. I got worried when she only ate a little bit of her canned food dinner (chicken) and when I switched to another can of her favourite tuna she only took a few mouthfuls. I gave her her favourite tuna paste treat too and she only took 1/3 of that.

Checked her over and she isn’t reacting abnormally to me touching any parts of her body, but she isn’t interested in any play, and keeps going back to the same corner of the couch to lie down.

She definitely used the litter box sometime in the day yesterday, normal poops, and she ate all her breakfast yesterday too. It’s just night time when she suddenly started behaving like this.

In the morning today she was still lying in the same part of the couch, looking sleepy, but she’s alert when I touch her and spent some time staring out the window at passing birds. Refused to eat any of her usual morning kibble but was eager to eat the entire tuna paste treat I gave her. She purrs when I pet her and seems to still be grooming and scratching .

Noticed a little shallow scratch near her ear, but she’s not scratching at it and it doesn’t look inflamed, so I don’t think it’s that, but I will raise it with the vet.

Some context is that I was also on vacation for a week until Sunday, and she stayed with a trusted boarder I know, but she was completely fine at the boarding house and from Sunday to Wednesday morning she was still energetic and active. Is it possible that she may have picked up something while at boarding that is only manifesting now?

She is tested negative for Felv and Fiv. She is also spayed.

Has anyone seen this sudden change in behaviour in their cats before? I couldn’t get out of work today to stay at home with her but I’m taking her to the vet immediately after.

 

[Furballsmom]

I don't know but I'm sending many good thoughts your way! Let us know what they say

 

[jcat]

Is it possible that she may have picked up something while at boarding that is only manifesting now?

Yes, it's possible she picked up a bug that's put her off her food, though the timing could also just be a coincidence. Even indoor cats are exposed to things we inadvertently bring in on our clothing. Your being away and her being in a strange environment would have meant some stress for her, making her more vulnerable to illness.

Please let us know what the vet says.

 

[solowars]

So an update after the vet:

When I got home from work tonight Hammy hadn't touched any of her kibble but had used the litter box once to pee. Was still lying in the same spot since morning, still looking lethargic so I was getting really worried and we went to the vet immediately.

She got pretty alert and awake when we arrived at the vets, and the vet gave her a physical checkup. Turns out she has a fever of 40.9C (but all other physical signs normal), which is pretty high, so we did a blood test and x-ray. The vet was really nice and said she wouldn't charge me for the x-ray, so the total cost of this visit wasn't nearly as bad as I feared.

Blood values and x-rays all came out normal. Vet said her liver is a little big on the x-ray, not indicative of any problem so far with her blood values normal but told me to keep an eye on her liver in the future. I must say this vet was really much better than the previous one I went to, she explained every value on the blood test to me slowly and clearly, and went through the x-ray with me too. Now I know my girl has a cute little layer of fat on her belly. It's my first time at this vet and I'm really pleased with them, I went there because they had much better facilities and I wasn't happy with the previous vet.

Vet said given that her blood values are fine so far its likely to be a viral or bacterial infection, possibly picked up when she was at the boarders. She gave me an anti-inflammatory for her fever, to be taken just once tonight because it's not good for their livers if taken often. Also got Hammy B12 to increase appetite and another medicine to reduce any nausea she might be feeling (because I mentioned Hammy had been licking her lips a few times before this even though she wasn't eating). I have Lysine at home as well and the vet says its fine to give her that once a day with the other meds. No antibiotics because the vet thinks that it's still too early to tell if she needs it and she doesn't want Hammy to build up resistance needlessly, but that I should come back immediately if she gets worse or if her poops are wet, stinky or slimy.

What really relieved me is that the moment we got home and I let her out of the carrier, she immediately went to her food bowl and finished pretty much all the kibble I set out today (I was gonna try to give her canned at night but she didn't even give me a chance to set that out). This was without taking any meds yet, so I'm hopeful she will continue to eat tomorrow as well. Gonna wait for a bit for her to calm down before giving her her meds, I'm a little worried she may vomit because she was eating the kibble quickly.

Vet told me to come back if she's not better in 3 days, or if her condition worsens, to call or take her in immediately. It's fortunate that here Christmas isn't a huge holiday so the vet is only closed on Christmas itself, at least they aren't closed for a week or more like I've heard in some countries.

Hopefully it was nothing major and she'll be back to her usual self soon!

 

[Stinky15]

I do hope it resolves!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Your update sounds very promising! And, your vet sounds wonderful!! Keeping my fingers crossed that she is on the road to recovery, without further issues!!!

 

[Furballsmom]

Wow, this is terrific, what a great vet! and hopefully your baby continues to get better Thank you so much for the update

 

[Erinlinkcappy]

That is a really high temperature for your poor cat. If it comes back make sure you get some antibiotics quickly as temperatures can be dangerous if they worsen. Have had a similar experience with fever.

 

[solowars]

That is a really high temperature for your poor cat. If it comes back make sure you get some antibiotics quickly as temperatures can be dangerous if they worsen. Have had a similar experience with fever.

She's felt alot less hot these 2 days than the night I had to take her to the vet - I can't take her temperature myself as she's a strong squirmy kitty and my thermometer is too slow, but I'm looking out for other signs.

She is still uninterested in any play, but spends some time walking around and sniffing/rubbing things instead of just lying in the same spot all day. I've caught her grooming and her fur still feels silky soft so I'm glad she's keeping to usual habits.

Eating-wise I've coaxed her to take about 2/3s of her usual yesterday and today morning. She is licking her lips often, so I've continued giving her medicine for nausea and she hasn't thrown up any of her food so I hope it's a good sign. Vet told me her lack of appetite might be related to mouth ulcers (that she can't find for the moment, but could be there), so I've been mashing her canned food into the tiniest bits and she will eat a good bit of that.

Litterbox behaviour is normal, she has healthy poops and urinates at her normal frequency.

I think I will call the vet tomorrow and describe how she is doing to see if she needs a follow up appointment.

 

[solowars]

I feel like Hammy has some pain in her mouth, as she is eating food (will take about 2/3 of a can on every feeding now), but the way she is eating is quite unlike her usual self. Right now she takes small licks of food into her mouth and is only willing to eat the soupier/mashed up bits, and will avoid larger pieces. After a few mouthfuls she will take a break and lick her lips for a bit before going back for more.

However, she will eat a bit of any dry food I leave out so I'm not too sure whether the issue is with how hard the food is, or something else... I've looked at her mouth the best I can but nothing obvious stands out to me so I'm not sure if she has gotten any mouth ulcers or sores.

She seems better than the day I took her to the vet, as she is moving around to different places to rest instead of lying in one spot the entire day (which she did on vet day). She is pooping and urinating as per normal, as well as grooming and using her scratching post. Still completely uninterested in play though, and she spends most of the time sleeping or resting.

I don't expect her to bounce back immediately of course, was just thinking if it might be helpful to take her back to the vet for another checkup, or if I'm just overreacting. Think I will call the vet tomorrow anyway just for peace of mind but right now its 11pm and I can't really sleep out of worry for my baby.

Anyone have any experience with cat recovery from possible viral infection? I'm not too keen on antibiotics unless it is clear she needs them as her appetite is already affected and the vet tells me antibiotics might make her appetite much worse. I can tell medication is stressful for her as she get quite angry and hides from me for a bit afterwards, so I don't want to do anything that ruins her appetite even more.

It's my first time as a cat owner and I'm just really concerned for her health, as I want to give her a good home (she was found abandoned and had to be rescued from a drain she and her siblings were stuck in - siblings didn't make it). Sorry if I sound overly anxious, I know myself to be quite the worrier!

 

[solowars]

Okay, finally managed to hold her down for a minute and get her mouth open and she does have a tiny ulcer on her tongue and on her lip. The vet mentioned that if she does develop mouth ulcers she might have caught FCV.

Will call the vet first thing in the morning to see if this might need more treatment or a vet trip.

 

[di and bob]

There is a vaccination that is given for FVC, it doesn't prevent infection, but makes the virus more manageable. The main thing to do now for your little girl is to keep a humidifier going and watch for signs of pneumonia or secondary bacterial infections. I really think she will get better but it can take several weeks. Any change and contact your vet. It sounds like you are doing all you can, you caught it early and since it is a virus most treatments are aimed at the symptoms she develops. What you are doing is exactly right, soft foods with lots of gravy, pouched foods might be ideal right now, mash them and warm them slightly. As long as she drinks, is eating, and is using the litter box, she is doing good, i'll pray for her continued healing, sending healing vibes your way!

 

[Erinlinkcappy]

Hello,
I’ve only had experience with my cat who developed a high fever which wouldn’t go down. In his case he needed strong antibiotics but it is possibly different with The ulcers. Is it possible they are infected? Your vet can test for FVC specifically.

My cat did struggle to eat and would only eat bits of his favourite food. He would barely move. You should go to the vet and have his temperature taken I think. Ours was around the 40 mark and he ended up needing to stay at the vet and have constant fluids to avoid dehydration. Once it reaches around 41 your cat is at risk of organ damage.

A fever in a cat has an underlying issue. If it is a bacterial infection it would be best to get antibiotics and get it out of the way.

Our cat had a fever for 5 days while they did every test under the sun and literally everything the vet guessed was wrong so you can’t assume it’s FVC. Eventually they worked out it was toxo and he needed weeks of specific antibiotics and giving them sucked but he got better.

 

[Erinlinkcappy]

I should add that they refused to give him antibiotics because they were afraid it would ‘mask’ the cause in their tests. The fluids and anti inflammatories meant his fever went down but it always spiked back up until we treated the cause.

 

[solowars]

Called the clinic in the morning and their Sunday vet had time between appointments so I just brought her in.

Vet checked her temp and its normal (39.0C), and he taught me how to take her temp so I can check it myself at home. He says her ulcers aren't bad at all, there's nothing on her gums, just the one along her lip and on her tongue, so they don't need specific treatment. He advised me to feed her soft foods, which I've already been doing anyway. The kibble I put out just in case she's feeling peckish in between her meals and he's said it might help to wet the kibble before putting it out so it's softer.

Prescribed one course of antibiotics (amoxicillin) to prevent any bacterial infection from setting in on her ulcers. The vet doesn't think she needs any more specific testing since her other behaviours (litter box, grooming etc.) are normal and she seems to be improving. Told me to bring her in again if she runs a fever again or any of her symptoms get worse.

I hope she gets better soon, as my baby really hates medication time and while I can get most of it into her, she runs away and hides from me for a bit after until she's sure I won't come after her with the syringe again.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Is it possible to squirt a portion of the antibiotic in a very small amount of wet food to see if she would take it that way? If so, then you could continue to do that until she has the antibiotic all gone. You would have to be there to monitor what she is eating to ensure she takes all of the food in. Also, if there are pates, etc. that she really likes you could try the same with one of them.

 

[solowars]

Is it possible to squirt a portion of the antibiotic in a very small amount of wet food to see if she would take it that way? If so, then you could continue to do that until she has the antibiotic all gone. You would have to be there to monitor what she is eating to ensure she takes all of the food in. Also, if there are pates, etc. that she really likes you could try the same with one of them.

I tried that at first but the smell of the antibiotic is pretty strong so she's completely avoided the wet food (even her favourites) and won't even take a lick! I decided to just tough it up and syringe feed her to make sure it all goes in. She wasn't happy about it, but I got it all into her. She calmed down a few minutes after the meds and was quite happy to eat some of her favourite tuna treat after.

Some of her meds are before food and the antibiotic after, so right now it's 4 times a day of feeding her meds. Checked twice again today and no fever, so I hope she's on the mend! Antibiotics are for a full course of 3 weeks, so she won't be free from the syringe anytime soon.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Ugh - I feel for you - 4 times a day!!! Yowz. Feeby is pretty cooperative, but even after 10 days of antibiotics - only once a day - she started to run from me!! Thank goodness for the fact she is older, slower, and a little chubby - I can catch her pretty easily.

 

[solowars]

Ugh - I feel for you - 4 times a day!!! Yowz. Feeby is pretty cooperative, but even after 10 days of antibiotics - only once a day - she started to run from me!! Thank goodness for the fact she is older, slower, and a little chubby - I can catch her pretty easily.

Hammy's course of nausea meds are almost done and she eats well without the appetite boosters now so it'll just be the antibiotics soon! My girl doesn't run from me, but she recognises the syringe and towel now so she will run from the sight of those. She doesn't really struggle if I hold her firmly, but angry meows throughout the whole process until I let her go.

As long as she recovers, all the struggle will be worth it

 

[Furballsmom]

As long as she recovers, all the struggle will be worth it