Not coming out to eat.

[lisar]

Alright so I have two cats, that are pretty old. The eldest Isie is 17, and was recently diagnosed with CRF. Isie will no longer come out of hiding to eat. I've tried all of our calling sounds. I've tried waving the food a few meters away. I used to be able to just make a kissy noise and they would both come running. Right now only the younger one, EG, will come. Isie won't budge. Her pupils will become big and round like she understands (this is normal for Isie when she is being fed) but she will not move. In the end I either end up picking her up and putting her face in the food or bringing it to her. She wont cry for food most of the time either. However when food is presented she eats most of it with big round pupil eyes (again shes always done that). Using these two methods I've gotten Isie to eat about 1 1/2 3oz cans of wet food everyday. I gave her 2 cans one day and she didn't eat more then that. Isie is 9lbs and hasn't lost any weight thankfully.

Is this behavior normal for a cat with CRF? She did get an antibiotic shot recently for a UTI as well. Maybe that is making her feel not so good?

This is really weird and if I wasn't on top of this I'm sure EG would eat all of the food before she even got to it.

The good news in all of this is that she is eating. Still I have no idea whats going on. Her teeth were hurting and we got those polished/fixed for her. I got her the antibiotic shot for the UTI... and she will eat some of the prescription cat food. She prefers the FF naturally so I mix it up some and make sure I'm feeding the flavors with low what ever that ph word was. (Can't remember right now..)

I can only think it is that she is not feeling well. That's just really bothering me. Is there something I'm missing?

 

[carolina]

I would take her to the vet ASAP - yes, I know she has been to one recently, but her hiding signals something is wrong, and given her age and health problems, chances are something IS wrong with her.

 

[lisar]

I'll bring to her to vet today then. I'm worried its the shot because she wasn't acting like this before the shot. Keep y'all posted on what we find out.

 

[carolina]

The shot was only antibiotics, or she got an steroid shot as well? If she got an steroid shot, especially Depo-Medrol that could be it... You can call the vet before taking her in...

 

[sharky]

Glad your going to the vet ... Is this semi normal yes CRF cats do this but usually it is the beginning of something ( with my RB Kandie a uti

 

[lisar]

I didn't really have much time before my work shift today so I just brought her over there. They ran some tests and figured out she gave herself a small tummy ache by eating 2 tree roaches she'd caught. (This was a test on the poop she pooped in her cage out of nervousness.) Kind of embarrassing we actually don't have roaches but the occasional tree roach that usually ends up dead on my kitchen floor by my cats. Usually they don't eat them.. The vet reassured me that nothing else as going on and the UTI she had earlier this week seems to be clearing up some.

As for the name of the shot I forgot it but it is just an antibiotic that lasts for 14 days. I don't think any steroids were given.

We've been through a couple scares these past couple of weeks so now I kind of feel like I'm overreacting. My vet here is very helpful and understanding.

 

[carolina]

Thank goodness - that is great news!
Hey, IMO it is much better to overreact than to under-react when dealing with a 17yr old cat who suffers from CRF and is going through an UTI... You absolutely did the right thing in taking her to the doctor - you are a good meowmy

Vibes for your little girl, and for those nasty roaches to not show up any time soon!

 

[mews2much]

What treatments are you doing for the CRF
I have a 17.8 year old cat with CRF and she had a alot of UTI's.
We keep her on Baytril so the bladder infections will not come back.
Are you doing fluids.
Has she been checked for high bp?

 

[lisar]

She doesn't have high bp. In fact the CRF and the UTI are the only things wrong with her right now. I had the vet do a complete test profile on her minus the xrays. We didn't know about the CRF until the tests came back on Friday. Since then mostly feeding prescription cat food. Her CRF is really early stage according to my vet. Roughly 90% kidney function still. We haven't done fluids yet but my vet think its too little early for that.

She's been doing really well since I got home from work. Fairly active again, and acting about 70% like her old self.

That is interesting to know about the UTI's I will keep that in mind if this becomes a recurring thing.

 

[mews2much]

I am glad she is doing better.
The vet warned me whn Coco kept getting the infections that it could go to her kidneys and it did.
Sounds like you are ok without the fluids right now.
I would have her numbers checked again in a few months to see if they stay the same.