Okay, I've decided to foster some cats and no kill shelter had me pick up a VERY old kitty who had stopped eating days ago. I noticed that her mouth or tongue was hurting while I was in there, she kept opening and closing her jaw and rolling her head to the side and she let out a few yowls of pain. I decided she wasn't eating, not due to depression as the volunteers suggested but because her mouth hurts (or her teeth, something in there) so she is here and ate 1.5 jars of meat baby food with no problems. (shelter worker couldn't get in her mouth because she was getting mad) The shelter has an arrangement with local vets and her appointment isn't until Monday but I wondered if anybody had any ideas on what could be wrong with this kitty and any ideas to keep pain to a minimum. It does seem to be more her tongue than teeth just from the way she is rolling it in her mouth while she is trying to eat. The shelter said she is just real old and probably close to dying of old age but they wanted to make her last days pleasant here at my house as I had offered to take special needs cats. Poor thing, has arthritis and is so skinny and since she isn't my cat and I signed a paper saying this I don't know what I really should be doing to keep her comfortable until a vet sees her. Anyhow, any advice is appreciated. I will keep feeding her baby food but that's all I know to do! Thanks in advance.
Cindi
Cindi