Older Cat Depressed and Won't Eat After Meeting New Kittens

[fluffluvv]

Hello,

My aunt just left for vacation and left her older cat (which is about 9 years old) with us. It has been more than 24 hours and the cat has not came out from under the sofa or eaten. If we try to get her out, she does back in or hides underneath another sofa. We believe that it is because of the younger kitten because they have met before at my aunt's appartment where the older cat also suddenly stopped eating. She seems to be terrified of them to the point that she wont eat or even look at the food when its being placed infront of her.

We are very worried and concerned about the cats emotional and physical health and do not know what to do. We can not carry it because it would scratch.

Can anyone help out? What should we do to atleast get the cat eating?

 

[daftcat75]

Is there a room that you can close the older cat in and keep the kitten out? I think the older cat will be a lot less stressed if she has her own space to feel secure in.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Yes, try to find a place where the older cat can be secluded and not have to deal with the kittens. Frankly, I'm almost 70 now, and kinda want to go under the sofa myself when small kids are around.

 

[silent meowlook]

Definitely keep the cat and kittens separate.

Keep in mind that a cat can be hiding signs of illness and then when they get stressed out, the illness shows. Does this cat have a regular veterinarian?
You should call, or e-mail the cat's veterinarian and see if they can prescribe an appetite stimulant for this cat. Also if they can prescribe something to help the cat's stress level.

A cat not eating is a big deal. It isn't like other animals that can fast for a day or so. Cats can get something called hepatic lipidosis that is a serious often fatal condition cats get from not eating. I have linked information on it below.

Anorexia

Suggested Articles How Often Should You Feed Your Cat? Feeding Your Cat Choosing and Caring for Your New Cat Obesity Care of Obese Cats Food Allergies When Kitty Needs a Dentist A sustained loss of appetite (anorexia) is a clinical sign of many diverse feline health problems, ranging from...

www.vet.cornell.edu

Also, contact the owner of the cat and let them know what is up. How old is this cat? Can you keep this cat completely in a quiet room in the dark where the cat might feel more safe?

 

[Lillyenn]

It's most likely not just the kitten but also the cat being in a new environment suddenly, hiding is common when changes like these happen. Even if you had taken care of her at previous times, right now the cat feels like it's in an unfamiliar place with different smells without her human (your aunt) and is probably scared because of the entire situation, your home is not her territory after all. Kittens are really little energy bombs (while older cats mostly prefer to be left alone by unfamiliar cats) so I agree that the kitten is probably too much for the older cat. As others had said the best action would be to relocate the older cat to a quite room where she can be alone and undisturbed. If you can't catch her then for the time being try to not let the kitten into the room the older cat is currently in. Also don't try to forcefully remove the older cat from her hiding place because that's just even more stress for her. Just leave food (the smellier the better, if your aunt didn't give you food then ask her what is the cat's favorite food) and water out somewhere where she can smell it, leave her as alone as possible and once she's too hungry or a tiny bit more confident she might come out from her hiding place on her own. If your aunt gave her to you in a carrier or left stuff that might still have familiar smells on it (like a favorite toy or a blanket or the carrier itself) then try to leave those things close to her hiding place, it might help her feel more confident. You should tell your aunt what's happening, but hopefully the cat will soon regain some of her braveness and eat on her own. But if she continues to not eat then veterinary help might be needed.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Sorry though for the reason that's brought you here, but glad you've found us.

As others have mentioned, cats can't go too long without eating, or there's a risk of hepatic lipidosis, or fatty liver, developing which can be very dangerous, even fatal. So if she hasn't eaten anything for much longer than 24 hours, I would advise contacting a vet for advice.

Things you can try are cat treats (like Temptations), stinky foods like tuna or sardines, deli turkey, or KFC. Basically try anything you think she might like, just to get her eating.

Here's a couple TCS articles with more info:
Why Has My Cat Stopped Eating And Is It Dangerous? – TheCatSite Articles
How To Get Your Cat To Start Eating Again – TheCatSite Articles

Fingers crossed that she eats something soon.
Please keep us updated on how she's doing.