So I found this site while researching higher quality cat food, and now one of my kiddos seems sick. There seem to be a lot of really knowledgeable people here so maybe I can get advice.
My Mac is 7 years old, indoors only, has feline herpes but no outbreaks for a year and a half. He and our female free feed dry food (both just grab a nibble here and there throughout the day) and rotate between Trader Joes cat food, Fancy Feast, and a third food. The last spot went from Friskies to Blue Buffalo to Whiskas pouches, which Mac loves but I want to replace with something better quality. He's been eating the Whiskas for a couple of months.
Six days ago, Friday, Mac seemed very lethargic but ate and drank normally. He just wanted to sleep in my lap nonstop. I didn't notice any bowel movement. Ditto the next day: eat, drink, sleep, but no playing or running around (he's VERY busy usually). Then that night, Saturday, he had a bowel movement and suddenly began running around like a nut as usual again.
Things were fine until Monday, I noticed the Whiskas were a different variety in the cabinet. Mac are it all but threw it all up. He kept playing and acting normal the rest of the day, and tueseday. Then this morning, Wed, he had Whiskas in the morning and three hours later had terrible gas and diarrhea. I withheld food for twelve hours (he was crying like I was killing him) and I boiled up some chicken. He hates people food and ignored it. I broke down after an hour of struggling with him and gave him some fancy feast and he had diarrhea yet again.
So I'm concerned that he either has a hairball, is having diarrhea because he was constipated over the weekend, or that Whiskas is starting to bother him now. He has no herpes symptoms but could it be his herpes? He won't eat chicken so I don't know what to do and I'll be out of the house for much of tomorrow because it's Thanksgiving. Any advice appreciated.
My Mac is 7 years old, indoors only, has feline herpes but no outbreaks for a year and a half. He and our female free feed dry food (both just grab a nibble here and there throughout the day) and rotate between Trader Joes cat food, Fancy Feast, and a third food. The last spot went from Friskies to Blue Buffalo to Whiskas pouches, which Mac loves but I want to replace with something better quality. He's been eating the Whiskas for a couple of months.
Six days ago, Friday, Mac seemed very lethargic but ate and drank normally. He just wanted to sleep in my lap nonstop. I didn't notice any bowel movement. Ditto the next day: eat, drink, sleep, but no playing or running around (he's VERY busy usually). Then that night, Saturday, he had a bowel movement and suddenly began running around like a nut as usual again.
Things were fine until Monday, I noticed the Whiskas were a different variety in the cabinet. Mac are it all but threw it all up. He kept playing and acting normal the rest of the day, and tueseday. Then this morning, Wed, he had Whiskas in the morning and three hours later had terrible gas and diarrhea. I withheld food for twelve hours (he was crying like I was killing him) and I boiled up some chicken. He hates people food and ignored it. I broke down after an hour of struggling with him and gave him some fancy feast and he had diarrhea yet again.
So I'm concerned that he either has a hairball, is having diarrhea because he was constipated over the weekend, or that Whiskas is starting to bother him now. He has no herpes symptoms but could it be his herpes? He won't eat chicken so I don't know what to do and I'll be out of the house for much of tomorrow because it's Thanksgiving. Any advice appreciated.