My Cat Won't Eat

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Do you think this is because of the dog? Does Sam get along with the dog?

He doesn't like the dog, but his behaviour looks normal aside from the not eating. I hope it isn't cause there's no way around the dog.

Could it be possible that the dog is nosing about or snuffling at the cat's food in the dish? If so, Sam could be smelling a lot of DOG around his food dish and it is unnerving for him. I know you said you keep Sam apart from the dog, but I just thought I'd check, re: food dish or eating area for the cat.

 

[Marisa496]

Could it be possible that the dog is nosing about or snuffling at the cat's food in the dish? If so, Sam could be smelling a lot of DOG around his food dish and it is unnerving for him. I know you said you keep Sam apart from the dog, but I just thought I'd check, re: food dish or eating area for the cat.

We did that. He's been staying in my room away from the dog and our other cat (so we can control who eats what). We got him new bowls too but he seems to prefer eating off the floor. He'll come out a few times a day of his own will to hang out with the other cat but seems to prefer being in my room. We have a bunk bed and he loves the top bunk lol

 

[Jem]

I'd give the puppy back 100% but she's not mine to give away. My sister adopted her while I was away at college and didn't tell me to "surprise me". I love all animals but I don't have the patience to raise a puppy.

So is the puppy yours or your sisters? And is the reason for not finding a new home for it because your sister lives with you and it's hers?
If you are the one who is responsible for raising it, I would assume you also have the authority to find the puppy a new home where it can be raised properly.
Sorry if I sound a bit harsh, but I'm confused.

 

[Marisa496]

So is the puppy yours or your sisters? And is the reason for not finding a new home for it because your sister lives with you and it's hers?
If you are the one who is responsible for raising it, I would assume you also have the authority to find the puppy a new home where it can be raised properly.
Sorry if I sound a bit harsh, but I'm confused.

It's ultimately my sister's dog cause she pays for her food and vet bills. My sister wanted to be our dog but I don't have the time of patience to clean after her and raise her. I got enough on my plate as a student who works and I know nothing about dogs (we've only had cats before). I know it's confusing, but the sum of it is the dog isn't going anywhere anytime soon and there's nothing I can do.

 

[Furballsmom]

Getting food in your cat may or may not get him eating again but it will hopefully help to keep other problems at bay.

Have you had a chance to try the music yet? Or a fan?

Would this have anything to help?
How To Safely Introduce A Cat And A Dog

The next time you talk with your vet, ask about B12, and also ask if there's any calming products that would be acceptable. (Feliway is expensive, but there are other products...)

 

[Marisa496]

Getting food in your cat may or may not get him eating again but it will hopefully help to keep other problems at bay.

Have you had a chance to try the music yet? Or a fan?

Would this have anything to help?
How To Safely Introduce A Cat And A Dog

The next time you talk with your vet, ask about B12, and also ask if there's any calming products that would be acceptable. (Feliway is expensive, but there are other products...)

I left music on for him (one of those long youtube videos with music for cats) all afternoon. I'll keep it going to see if it helps him. He's currently staying in my room with no other pets. We are working on getting a fan that isn't too loud.
I'll definitely ask the vet about those, thank you for your suggestions.
This seems like a great community of cat lovers I'm so glad I found it

 

[Marisa496]

Getting food in your cat may or may not get him eating again but it will hopefully help to keep other problems at bay.

Have you had a chance to try the music yet? Or a fan?

Would this have anything to help?
How To Safely Introduce A Cat And A Dog

The next time you talk with your vet, ask about B12, and also ask if there's any calming products that would be acceptable. (Feliway is expensive, but there are other products...)

I read that article and I think this could have been avoided if my sister had done a bit of research before bringing a dog into our home. By the time I got home, the puppy had met the cats already. Ofc she means no harm, but all she wants to do is bite everything that moves. I don't know how to control that behaviour and neither does my sister. All I can do is keep the cats away from her and hope she grows out of this biting phase soon.

 

[Furballsmom]

This seems like a great community of cat lovers I'm so glad I found it

We're very happy that you're here! Hang in there!!

 

[1 bruce 1]

I read that article and I think this could have been avoided if my sister had done a bit of research before bringing a dog into our home. By the time I got home, the puppy had met the cats already. Ofc she means no harm, but all she wants to do is bite everything that moves. I don't know how to control that behaviour and neither does my sister. All I can do is keep the cats away from her and hope she grows out of this biting phase soon.

What kind of puppy is this, or do you have an idea if it's a mix? That might explain some things, and help prevent problems in the future.
Your sister needs to get this puppy into a training class, and stay there (even if it takes months) until the puppy is easier to live with. She also needs to exercise the puppy (not a 10 minute walk around the block, but an hour or two of good hard exercise). Puppies that play bite everything that moves is funny to some people, but when the pup is a dog and is still doing that, it's not so cute. It is so much easier to curb a puppy's behavior when they're still young than it is to fix a 2 year old dog that's been chasing the cat and play biting and jumping on people all their life. She needs to act now.
For now, I think keeping Sam confined away from the puppy is the best idea. If he becomes calmer, he might start eating again on his own but keep trying to get food in him.
Some cats just prefer eating off the floor. A few of ours do, or will drag or paw food out of their dishes onto the floor then it it from there.
If you haven't tried using a plate instead of a bowl, sometimes this helps because some cats don't like the feel of their whiskers hitting something everytime they take a bite.

 

[stephanietx]

Honestly, I'd have a heart to heart with your sister and explain the situation to her. The cat comes first since he was there first. The presence of the dog is causing undue stress on your kitty and that is leading to health concerns. If you're keeping the cat separated, look into getting a Feliway diffuser to help him de-stress. You can also look into using CBD oil, but I would only use that after trying Feliway or the pet Rescue Remedy (does not contain alcohol). You could also look into some of the calming agents from Jackson Galaxy. Really, though the source of the problems is the dog.

 

[Marisa496]

What kind of puppy is this, or do you have an idea if it's a mix? That might explain some things, and help prevent problems in the future.
Your sister needs to get this puppy into a training class, and stay there (even if it takes months) until the puppy is easier to live with. She also needs to exercise the puppy (not a 10 minute walk around the block, but an hour or two of good hard exercise). Puppies that play bite everything that moves is funny to some people, but when the pup is a dog and is still doing that, it's not so cute. It is so much easier to curb a puppy's behavior when they're still young than it is to fix a 2 year old dog that's been chasing the cat and play biting and jumping on people all their life. She needs to act now.
For now, I think keeping Sam confined away from the puppy is the best idea. If he becomes calmer, he might start eating again on his own but keep trying to get food in him.
Some cats just prefer eating off the floor. A few of ours do, or will drag or paw food out of their dishes onto the floor then it it from there.
If you haven't tried using a plate instead of a bowl, sometimes this helps because some cats don't like the feel of their whiskers hitting something everytime they take a bite.

The puppy is a mixed breed and will be a small dog. The training classes would be awesome but there aren't any in my area (small island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean). We don't have a lot of resources for animals.
What bothers me the most is the fact that my sister works 9 hours a day and with her social life has no time to walk that dog or train her in a meaningful way. The dog spends the day in our patio destroying everything she can, and she has a lot of accumulated energy by the end of the day. She has no time for that dog but won't give her back.
(I know I sound harsh. it's not like I hate dogs or anything but I didn't ask for this. We already had two cats who love each other and were at peace.)
We tried plates for Sam but he likes eating off the floor or out of people's hands.

 

[Marisa496]

Honestly, I'd have a heart to heart with your sister and explain the situation to her. The cat comes first since he was there first. The presence of the dog is causing undue stress on your kitty and that is leading to health concerns. If you're keeping the cat separated, look into getting a Feliway diffuser to help him de-stress. You can also look into using CBD oil, but I would only use that after trying Feliway or the pet Rescue Remedy (does not contain alcohol). You could also look into some of the calming agents from Jackson Galaxy. Really, though the source of the problems is the dog.

The heart to heart with my sister ended in a fight with no results. She doesn't think the dog is the cause of this since our other cat is fine and Sam doesn't look visibly scared or stressed. We've been keeping Sam away from other pets in my room and he seems to like it there. I'll ask the vet about the calming agents, but i'm kinda financially restricted. We've been putting the cat music on for him. So far he doesn't seem to react to it but i'll keep it going to see if it helps. Thanks

 

[LTS3]

Every cat is different. One cat may be fine with the puppy while another may be completely scared, stressed out, etc and just not show it visibly. Music and calming products are the same. Works for some cats and not so much for others.

Can you move to an apartment with the cats, assuming you are old enough?

 

[amandag1]

Is your kitty eating?
Even though its not the healthiest stuff try lickables Delectables, or if you have a walmart the Pure Balance brand makes a lickable treat and that gets my kitty eating

 

[Furballsmom]

My heart goes out to you, hang in there!

Just in case, maybe there's something here;

(apologies for any dead links you may encounter);
Financial Assistance – Day By Day Caregiver Support Inc.

Financial Aid for Pets

No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life

 

[Jem]

How long have you had the puppy? Did your sister/family (not sure who all lives with you) do a proper introduction between your cats and the puppy?
You could try to do a re-introduction from scratch and see if your cat will be able to adjust with a proper introduction. EVERYONE in the house will have to be on board with this and follow thru with your instructions. You can't push introductions faster than the most reluctant participant, so you have to base it on your stressed kitty. Site swapping, scent swapping, feeding on opposite sides of the door, etc...
Do you have a lot of high places that your kitty can perch on where the puppy can't reach? If not get sis to buy you a few cat trees for around the house. So that she has several places to hang out in away from the puppy but where she can still be with everyone.
Playing with your stressed kitty can get her confidence up and hopefully make her feel secure in her home again. Try to recreated the instinctual "stalk, catch, kill, eat cycle that cats have. First you play with her, then let her catch the toy, followed by a meal or treat. It will further enhance her confidence.

If the dog is staying, then you will have to care for it and provide the means to keep the puppy entertained and well behaved if your sister won't. It is not fair to the dog or your cats, and unfortunately it seems you're stuck, (although if it were me I would have a few choice words with sis).

And I agree that maybe some calming treats (or something stronger from the vet) would be beneficial right now. I used to use these and they seemed to help pretty well.

 

[Jem]

I would also like to add that my frustration that may be coming thru with my post is not directed at you. You seem like you're really trying to keep everyone happy and care deeply for your cats. I just get hot and bothered when some people don't realize what being a pet owner means, and a "certain someone" in your household seems to be showing some irresponsible behavior regarding the puppy and not taking your cats health seriously.

 

[Kflowers]

Point out that the vet said the puppy was the cause of it and said it first. Then tell your sister to get herself on the you-tube and find out
how to train that dog. Even small dogs are put to sleep when they bite people. Stranger walking into the house, or by the house won't think
getting bitten is cute. Point out that different things affect her differently from the way they affect you -- just like the cats.

Finally, if she still doesn't give a flip about Sam, tell her that if Sam doesn't recover from this stress she and she alone will have to accept total and complete responsibility for anything that happens to Sam. period, that's it, that will be between the two of you forever, no apologies will ever make it different. And why the hell didn't she ask you before she got the dog? Thank heavens it was a dog and not a human baby.

It's just the most reasonable next step up in the fight. sometimes you gotta be harsh.

 

[Furballsmom]

Point out that different things affect her differently from the way they affect you -- just like the cats.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Point out that the vet said the puppy was the cause of it and said it first. Then tell your sister to get herself on the you-tube and find out
how to train that dog. Even small dogs are put to sleep when they bite people. Stranger walking into the house, or by the house won't think
getting bitten is cute. Point out that different things affect her differently from the way they affect you -- just like the cats.

Finally, if she still doesn't give a flip about Sam, tell her that if Sam doesn't recover from this stress she and she alone will have to accept total and complete responsibility for anything that happens to Sam. period, that's it, that will be between the two of you forever, no apologies will ever make it different. And why the hell didn't she ask you before she got the dog? Thank heavens it was a dog and not a human baby.

It's just the most reasonable next step up in the fight. sometimes you gotta be harsh.

Couldn't have said it better myself.