Outdoor-only Cat Will Not Eat At All...

[oyster]

So this cat has been with us since 3 years. He just showed up one day and I have been feeding him ever since. He went to the vet twice eighteen months ago because he had an upper respiratory infection due to underlying feline herpes as the vet explained to me. She gave him antibiotics and everything went back to normal.
(Now he is not my pet cat but he kinda' is because he hangs out in our area most of the time. I cannot bring him indoors as my two fur boys will not tolerate another cat. And one of my own fur babies has lung cancer and a suppressed immune system so I want to avoid bringing this outside cat into the house.)
Well, Seashell (our outdoor cat) has this URI again and I managed to get him into the carrier and took him to the vet. He is still not a pet cat so not used to being handled much but I was desperate and took the risk of being bitten and scratched. He got a shot of antibiotics and fluids to rehydrate him. It has been two days and he is still not touching any food. He is drinking bowls of warm water. I have tried homemade chicken broth--won't touch it. Tuna--nope. Regular canned food, cheap canned food, dry food....nothing. I cannot force feed him since I am unsure if he'll allow me. He has a bed outside but he won't enter it anymore. He still lets me pet him and scratch under his chin so he is not afraid of me.
What can I do to encourage him to eat? The vet said they could run tests on him but they might cost $300 and up depending on what they find.

 

[foxxycat]

If you can trap him again-bring into your bathroom and run the shower as hot as it can get-he probably won't eat because he can't smell which is part of the URI. Have him sit in there for 20 minutes...Also ask the vet about fishmox-it's amoxicillin and they can tell you how to add to wet food. This is what other TNR groups do when they have a cat they can't pill. It is a pain to measure out but they put a tiny bit in food daily. The injection they gave the cat is not always good for URI but when there's an infection it's better than nothing-that particular one is better for urinary infections or skin infections-it treats skin prone bacteria.
The better med to use for respiratory infections are Zithromax but that would involve pilling- ALTHOUGH I wonder if they can send you home the pills already cut in appropriate dose- take that section-put in a dish and crush it with the back of spoon then add to some wet food-BUT if the cat isn't eating-that's a problem..

So here's a list of foods you can try to get him to eat:
Meat baby food- ham seems to be the best- turkey is next or with my cats-those two flavors they go nuts for

KFC hot chicken-pull skin and bones off- classic fried chicken-use the breast sections-it's kitty crack

Freeze dried treats from Petsmart etc= blue buffalo has salmon flavors and others- you can try other ones too- I get Orijen on chewy.com or other brands-freeze dried fish ones stink really bad-got to get soemthing smelly

plain yogurt=no artificial sugars added!! No fruit flavors- just plain jane yogurt

goats milk

KMR kitten milk replacement-they have it in premade cans or powder- you can mix the powder in the goats milk to give thicker shake like consistency-if he will lick it-this will get calories into him

plain meat stock-no onions or garlic chicken-beef-turkey= whatever flavor meat is fine.

plain cooked chicken- no skin/bones I find white meat to not be as flavorful as dark meat. thighs are better.

maybe one of these will work.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Also, try warming up the food. That helps bring the smell out, so if his nose is really plugged up and he can't smell well, warming will help. Try finding the stinkiest canned food you can get your hands on...fish is best for this

 

[oyster]

Thank you for your advice. I tried a lot of your recommendations. I trapped him again (he is so weak from not eating) and put him in the steamed up bathroom for 20 min. He yowled a lot but seemed to be fine. I have him locked in an unused room for the night as temps have dropped in the teens for the night. I have left him freshly made broth with tuna (warmed everything as usual). I also cut up some ham and he ate 2 bites of that.
I am going to try and take him back to the vet tomorrow because I just can't stand seeing him suffer. Hope he doesn't run out of patience with me by then.

 

[foxxycat]

maybe they can give him a puff of albuterol or nebulizer to open up those airways. He's probably tired too and strung out. THANK YOU for bringing him inside!!!

 

[maggiedemi]

I would ask the vet about Amoxicillin.

 

[Tobermory]

Hi oyster . I know you’re hesitant to try to force feed Seashell and risk your life and limb and his animosity. I wonder, though, since he lets you pet him and scratch his chin, if he’d eat if you could only get him started. Here’s a pic of the extremely large syringe I used when Max was so sick and wouldn’t eat. The vet gave it to me. It has a large bore “nozzle” to start, and I made it even larger by cutting it shorter. I filled it with a Fancy Feast chicken pâté/water slurry. Max felt so awful that I was able to quickly insert the nozzle into the corner of his mouth and give a quick squeeze. After that first taste, he lapped it right from the syringe as I slowly squeezed. I understand that you have a young feisty outside kitty and mine was an elderly geezer so this may not be an option for you. But if he’s weak enough, it might be a possibility. Poor guy. And wonderful you.

 

[LeonieLunatic]

One of ours had the exact same issues when she was sick with a URI.

You could try warming up the food in the microwave, that'll help him smell it. But I know that didn't work on Pebbles, so it might not work here either. You might HAVE TO force feed him, we had to force feed ours. For what it's worth though, once she had some food in her belly and regained some strength she soon started eating and drinking on her own again. We only force fed her for two or three days.

 

[oyster]

Thank you everyone for all the suggestions. I am trying to do my best but feel like this is a losing battle. I finally force fed Seashell last night. It was mostly broth with some of the solid pieces but not much. He drools them out the side whenever he can. I have him trapped in my utility room which is not as cold as the outdoors at least.
How often and how long should I force feed him? I did about 4-5 syringes last night.
I took him to a different vet today and they wouldn't give him any other antibiotic because of the Convenia the other vet had pumped into him earlier this week. His body temp is very low so they suspect hypothermia as well. They gave him some fluids and a shot for a tummy ache but told me that his chances are slim. They have no idea what he has and can only determine after running tests. Moreover, the results won't be back till Mon. so he will just have to wait anyway. They gave me two choices: run the tests ($$$) or put him to sleep next week. Until Mon. force feed him and see how that goes. So upsetting.

 

[Tobermory]

Oh, oyster, I’m so sorry. You’re keeping him warm, dry, safe, and as comfortable as he can be. Did the vet say anything about how often to syringe feed him or the best thing to put in it? My vet gave me some Hill’s a/d which is an emergency/urgent care food. It’s a pâté and easy to turn into a slurry for syringe feeding. I don’t know how often but the vet should tell you.

We’re here for you for emotional support if nothing else.

 

[oyster]

Thank you so much.
The vet didn't tell me how often to feed him. I am trying every 45 min. However, he is miserable indoors. He is yelling his heart out. His voice is sore now. I feel like I am torturing him. The temperatures will be mild this weekend. Should I let him out? He has never been an indoor cat. My husband feels he should live what's left of his life on his own terms. I am caught between duty and guilt. I was thinking of keeping him in tonight and letting him out tomorrow morning.

 

[Tobermory]

That’s such a tough call, isn’t it. I’m going to tell you what I would do and why, but that’s just me. I’m of the “do everything I can to try to save them” tribe. My husband belongs to your husband’s tribe. Maybe that’s the more pragmatic course and I don’t think less of them, but I’m just not made that way. I would keep him indoors. Cats don’t like to be shut up, even if they’re indoor cats. I had to confine one of mine once for 24 hours and she cried almost the whole time. It was hard to hear, but it was for her own good. If Seashell was feral and terrified, I might feel different about it.

If I let him out and he disappeared, I would always wonder what happened to him. I’d know, but I’d wonder how it happened and if it was bad. If I kept him in and kept him comfortable and he died, I’d be a wreck but I’d feel less guilty. And I’d know.

I think your idea of keeping him in until tomorrow and then reassessing is a good one. If you do let him out, you might make him up a box with blankets somewhere protected and out of the way so he has that option.

You know, right, that there’s no perfect answer to this. It’s just hard. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the syringe feedings will perk him up...or that he passes peacefully with your loving care whether that’s indoors or out.

 

[oyster]

He is deteriorating. He can barely walk and his voice is sore. Should I take him in tomorrow and have him put to sleep? I don't want to do it hoping he will turn the corner but it's hard to see him suffer.

 

[duckpond]

I don't know what to tell you, that is such a hard choice too need to make. My heart goes out to him, and you!
sending peaceful thoughts your way!

 

[Kitten70]

Thank you so much.
The vet didn't tell me how often to feed him. I am trying every 45 min. However, he is miserable indoors. He is yelling his heart out. His voice is sore now. I feel like I am torturing him. The temperatures will be mild this weekend. Should I let him out? He has never been an indoor cat. My husband feels he should live what's left of his life on his own terms. I am caught between duty and guilt. I was thinking of keeping him in tonight and letting him out tomorrow morning.

If the weather is nice, YES, I think you should let him out. Outdoors cats have their way, they should always be free, they know when their time is coming and they know how to deal with it. We domesticate a few, but most of them are wild and they should follow their instincts.

 

[ArchyCat]

I would not let him out until he is healthy and eating well. An item I have seen suggested on this and other sites, is Vietnamese fish sauce. It has a very strong smell that may penetrate his nose. Put it on his food as a toping. Good luck! I appreciate your efforts.

 

[Tobermory]

I read somewhere that after the fact, we feel like we make the decision to let our fur friends go either too soon or too late. I’ve certainly experienced this with my cats over the years. Sadly, I know that there’s no way to know when it’s the perfect moment, and it tears me up. The morning of the day I took Max to his last visit to the vet, he ate his breakfast. Whew, I thought. By 10 a.m., he could barely walk (I had to lift him into the litter box and out again) and could neither eat nor drink. He was suffering. We took him in that afternoon and let him go. See, now I’m getting teary. It’s just so d***d hard.

We’re not there with you so we can’t know what you’re seeing. But know that we’re all thinking of you and Seashell. I’m glad he has you caring for him.

 

[llewyn]

What about eggs? I have heard that cooked eggs are good for cats? Maybe make a hardboiled egg and mash it up?

 

[oyster]

Thank you all for all your suggestions and helpful advice. He lost all strength and I had to lift him into the carrier. He was put to sleep today. Very sad for me and he wasn’t even our pet! He just crawled into my heart and made a huge space for himself there. I will never forget him.

 

[oyster]