Update On Anorexic 15 Yo Cat.

[raypinciotti]

OK guys, I wanted to update you on my anorexic kitty. Long story short she's been super picky for the past 2 years, which coincided with my move to a new place and her having access to a yard. She lost so much weight I actually freaked out and took her to a specialist, all tests came back clean. She continued to be picky. I gave her cans of royal Canine and we were ok, still struggling with her weight.

Here is what I didn't tell you : For 13 years my cat had been free fed dry food from Fancy feast in America, and a can every day, she loved that stuff and was a little overweight because of it. We retired and moved to a country where I could afford a huge property with a huge yard for her but they don't sell fancy feast dry, just the cans. She slowly dropped weight and would not touch dry food of any brand or any kind for 2 years . Literally, out of pure panic I sent for a few bags of fancy feast dry food to the US, not even knowing if it was legal to ship animal products... It isn't legal. But thankfully the bags weren't confiscated by customs so they arrived a few days ago....the cat went crazy, like seriously, crazy for the food. She is calmer now but I leave dry food out at night and it is gone by morning.
Clean plates every day.

Just in case it is useful to someone: my cat literally refused to eat anything except the very basic for survival for TWO years, that is TWO YEARS, just because I wasn't giving her her regular food that she had had all her life.

If your cat is going all anorexic on you, please don't give up, it's not necessarily a medical problem. How stubborn can cats be? TWO YEARS holding out for her food. 2 YEARS PEOPLE!!! Unbelievable !

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Wow!!
Here are a couple ideas for your future challenges in case you haven't already thought of these.
If you can get fortiflora, try that on food, it's a Purina product and i believe a large part of why many cats are so attracted to their food.
Also if available, try Purina Muse, and Purina One true instinct, these are possibly similar enough she'll eat.
Sending all sorts of good thoughts!!

 

[duckpond]

Yes, they can be very stubborn, thankfully not all cats are this bad. I like wet cat food, have tried everything to get my white cat to eat it, the meal times only, no dry in the house, hold out and let her get really hungry, she still refused. Vet finally said feed her what she wants, if you do not she is going to have some serious health problems. So i brought back the kibble. she is happy as a clam
I do still offer her wet food, daily in addition to her kibble, and a few weeks ago she picked one she likes after almost 2 years. But she still loves her kibble best.

I am glad you were finally able to get your cat a food she loves! And i hope she will continue to do well! I seriously hope you can continue to get the food?

 

[maggiedemi]

Oh, I believe it. I took dry food away from my cats for a week and fed only canned food. Maggie was fine with it, but Demi cried every day until he got his kibble back. They never forget and they won't give up. Stubborn. Like the others said, not sure what brands you can get in your country, but if you can find other Purina products that might work, since Purina makes Fancy Feast.

 

[raypinciotti]

I'm glad to get a few ideas for switching her to a different food but honestly I tried everything available here from Purina and she just plain gave me the "what the. ..." look. My main concern now is smuggling the stuff for her. Idk what we are gonna do , I guess try another shipment and see if it goes through ?.... I certainly hope I don't get arrested.

I once read somewhere that cats were evil animals that can brainwash you and mind control you. I didn't believe it before but here I am, not even a ticket all my life and now breaking the law !!!!! And international law !!!

 

[raypinciotti]

I'm glad to get a few ideas for switching her to a different food but honestly I tried everything available here from Purina and she just plain gave me the "what the. ..." look. My main concern now is smuggling the stuff for her. Idk what we are gonna do , I guess try another shipment and see if it goes through ?.... I certainly hope I don't get arrested.

I once read somewhere that cats were evil animals that can brainwash you and mind control you. I didn't believe it before but here I am, not even a ticket all my life and now breaking the law !!!!! And international law !!!

 

[duckpond]

Well, hopefully you will not get into any problems. Its just cat food after all, i would imagine customs would have more important things to worry about than someone importing commercial cat food. I would imagine the worst that would happen would be that they confiscate a shipment now and then?

One thing you may do is buy another brand, maybe a purina brand if you can find one, or any brand you can get locally that you think she might like. Start mixing just a few pieces in with her regular food. Maybe only 4 or 5 pieces in the bowl of the stuff she likes. do this for a while, adding another piece of the new dry food every day or two. If she continues to eat then keep mixing until its all dry food that you can get locally. If she acts fussy then pull back on the new. This may work, but it may take months and months of slowly mixing. Or she may be real stubborn and it will not.

Beast of luck to you, and her!