Young Cat Has Stopped Eating Moist And Occasionally Eats Dry.

[its tom the cat]

This started a few days ago. My cat, a male about 3 years old was crazy about moist food. Could not get enough. Then as a treat I gave him some dry. Now he won't touch the moist and I have tried different brands and is not as keen on the dry as he was before.
His weight seems to be stable and he acts normal, grooming, playing and sleeping like always.
He used to eat 4 times a day but now its not the same. The other night I left the moist out and he ate during the night. But last night and today he has not.
I checked his teeth/gum but they seem normal albeit a bit more pink at the gum line. He has been eating Royal Canin Dental as he did have gum issues a year or so again. I brushed his teeth at the time and am reconsidering starting again. I have a tentative vet appointment in 3 days.
This cat was a rescue, is blind and came from Cuba. I have no concrete history on him but rumour is he was feral until he was about 3 months old and placed in a sanctuary. He was believed to be 9 months when I got him. He lives indoors and I have another 17 year old rescue who stays away from him as she hates all cats!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! I think I'd definitely make that vet appointment you have set.
Can you try making some kitten glop? It works for adult cats as well, there are recipes on the internet.
Good luck!!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Are you free feeding the dry food? What about your other cat? Do you free feed her? If he's not losing weight, I'm thinking he's eating something, and I can't quite tell by your post if he's still eating the Royal Canin Dental or if that's what he used to eat. But, again, if he's not losing weight, it would seem that he's eating something, some where. Sometimes cats get tired of the same old food, and same cats are picky eaters. I've got one who is quite picky. I give him his wet food, and if he doesn't eat it within about 1/2 hour, I pull it up and tell him he's going to have to wait until his next meal to eat. Then at the next meal I serve it to him again, and sometimes he'll eat it and sometimes he won't. Since I don't want him to go too long without eating, I might give him something else if he doesn't eat again for the second time, and occasionally he STILL won't eat without a whole lot of toppers. It's like pulling teeth to get him to eat . Other times he eats like a champ. But he doesn't have any dry food to turn to, and I never leave his food out for too long because I don't want him to have access to it for too long. I want him on scheduled meals.

I understand you have tried several different wet foods and your boy isn't very interested. It may simply be that you just haven't found new food that excites him. With my picky boy, he normally likes Nutro Chicken Loaf. But he doesn't like ANY other chicken cat food that I've ever tried! Weird, right . And sometimes he'll eat Fancy Feast Turkey and Giblet Classics, but I bought another brand that had almost the identical ingredients but no artificial flavors, and he wouldn't touch it! My point is, sometimes you just have to keep trying.

 

[its tom the cat]

The two cats live separate lives. The old cat hates all cats and lives in her room with her food and litter box. She will go outdoors but only with me being there. The problem guy does not have access to any food but his own. The dry food was bought for the other cat and occasionally I would give problem cat some. He seems to like that but has stayed away from it now. He has the Royal Canin Dental which he loved but again is not crazy about it. I have tried to keep him off fish but I may have to try. So far it has been Whiskas, Friskie and Fancy Feast. I think he would rather go without before trying them again.
I mixed up some of his Whiskas chicken with the dry which he liked and some RCD with a bit of water. But nothing happened.
I am going to the supermarket now to get another choice or two. And he will be going to the vet in 2 days.

 

[Furballsmom]

Let us know how things go, and what they say.
Thinking of you!

 

[its tom the cat]

I bought all the different brands of food they had which was not many. I first gave him the "store brand" although the store brand in human food is awful inferior. I also bought some thin slices of chicken breast. He had some of the store brand and a couple of small pieces of chicken but he left them. Very strange because he can smell chicken from another room when I open the package and begs for it. The dry food is kept in a hinged Rubbermaid tub and if he gets into it you have to pull him out. Not tonight. He got into it, had a few pieces and left it.
He is acting very normal apart from that and still meets me at the door expecting food. He is bathing and is active and I know his tummy is not empty because he does pick up a piece now and then.
This little guy means the world to me. He came into our house when my wife was very sick and she did not want me to keep him. My feelings were he would be great and loving company when my wife passed. I know it sounds strange but I needed him. And now that she has gone he is my closest friend and I can't lose him too. I have rabbits as well which are close to me but as this little guy has to live indoors because he has no eyes I am his only friend.

 

[Furballsmom]

All my sympathies to you regarding your wife.
For your kitty's food, maybe something in my post in this thread will help;
Cat Found In Garage W/o Food Or Water 36 Hours.

 

[its tom the cat]

Sad story. I wish I knew how it turned out. It really infuriates me that when someone loves an animal and gives it a good home but is short of cash the animal gets the worst of it. I know vets have bills but how many do you know who show compassion for a sick animal? Happens all the time and when the owner cannot pay the animal is put down. Its criminal.
I have not tried to see if my guy is dehydrated as I notice his water bowl is down somewhat. I had never seen him drink and each day I change the water and it was full. I have can administer sub-q fluids if needed but I think/hope we are far from that. I am wondering if Critical Care might help but again I think we are not there yet.
At the moment I am downstairs in my office and I can hear him running around upstairs. Incidentally the little guy's photo is in my "media". He is the orange/white cat.

 

[Furballsmom]

Yeah, me too.

Anyway, if needed maybe some of those items I listed might help...to try and keep from the sub-q.

You said his weight is stable, are you using a bathroom scale? Baby scales are more accurate for cats, and that of course will take a lot of the guesswork out as to his condition.

If it were me, I'd be offering some of the things from that list anyway, it sounds to me that he needs to be consuming a lot more than he is.

What a gorgeous, proud kitty.

 

[Furballsmom]

I apologize, too, --I truly didn't mean to upset you. I was on my phone and wasn't sure I could do a copy/paste that would carry all of that text and the links over here.

It's really concerning me that you're commenting about a little bit of food here, a little bit there - that isn't enough nutrition. Try a kitten glop recipe, try tuna, try bonito, see if he'll eat some eggs, or ham baby food (with no onion or garlic) - you need to work to entice him to eat, especially since you're indicating that he seems to be asking for food.

He's dealing with enormous changes as well as your stress. If he's not eating enough, it's going to effect his health. He can't see you, and I would think that for him he's even more sensitive to the emotional atmosphere in the household.

If I didn't know better I'd say he's worried about you.

Get a Lickimat for him - he might really like it, and also, along with easing his stress, you could try playing some low volume music. I'm getting a LOT of feedback that classical harp music, George Handel compositions, or the app Relax My Cat, really does make a difference

Along with the music, for both of your cats as well as yourself, try some chamomile tea. Don't use loose leaf use only the bags, a couple of cooled teaspoons a couple of times a day can help to ease everyone's stress a little bit.

So, let me post the list here so that you can refer to it without having to go to back that thread;

Try making this;
tent test for dehydration and home-made pedialyte recipe - The Daily Kitten

Also, try making one of these;
Kitten Glop Recipes - Supplementing Cats and Kittens with nutritious formula you make at home: presented by Bengal Cat breeder Foothill Felines. --This website has a number of kitten glop recipes, with ingredients that you may very well have in your house.

These can be used on their own or combined with food. Also, if you heat the food a little - stir it so there aren't any hot spots from the microwave. Or you could heat some water, about a tablespoon, and add that to canned food. A shot glass works to stir it all up.

• Chicken, beef or ham flavored baby food such as Gerber Stage 2 - make sure there is no garlic or onions in the ingredients

• Tuna and/or the juice, a low mercury/low/no sodium brand is called SafeCatch

• Salmon, mackerel

• Sardines (make sure there are no bones)

• boiled cut up chicken or turkey with no seasonings

• canned kitten food any brand - it's usually smelly. See if it's eaten on its own, then maybe mix it in or put on top

• Try mixing in Kitten Milk Replacer - there are recipes on the internet or store bought

• Fish, tuna or BBQ flavored canned wet food (I personally have never seen BBQ flavors, but...)

• Lickable cat treats or pouch treat 'gravy' poured over the food

• kitten glop (recipes in website link above)
• Bonito flakes
• fortiflora
• fish oil
• green beans, asparagus mushed up

• goat milk, or no lactose cow milk
• whole cooked eggs (the white must always be cooked) or raw egg yolk now and then
• broth with no salt and no garlic or onion or seasonings of any kind
• There are also commercial toppers, Applaws is a brand that can work well as a topper
  
• Some good treats would be freeze dried Purebites, Orijen, Meowtinis, Meowables

• There are also Lickimats that you could spread types of soft food onto, even plain unflavored yogurt, and even freeze it. Licking something can help a cat to feel better emotionally The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats
• shredded cheddar cheese
• chamomile tea, made from the little bags only, a couple cooled teaspoons a couple times a day in water or food, can helpcalm a stressed cat

 

[its tom the cat]

Thank you for that well detailed response. I had used baby food in the past but the idea escaped me this time. I won't say he is not eating as he does eat some dry. But as I have four dishes of food on the floor he might be getting confused. When I bought the new food yesterday I opened the cans and placed them on the floor to see if he would bite. He licked to lick the juice from the top of the food and take a nibble. The big bother for me is how he ignores his Dental food. He loved it before and I would play treasure hunt with pieces, tossing them around the house. He would spend lots of time sniffing them out. Now he just hears them go by and doesn't move.
I weigh him and myself together and then me alone. He seems to be holding his 10 pounds but this morning it showed an 11 pound difference. Its just a digital bath room scale so the accuracy is debateable.

 

[Furballsmom]

Its just a digital bath room scale so the accuracy is debateable.

I use the same method - for a while there when my big guy started getting finicky with his favorite, and practically only, food I was getting a bit frustrated with the inaccuracy (I didn't know about using a baby scale then), but we finally found some foods he's eating, and he gained the weight he'd lost.
Scary times, no doubt.
Hang in there!!

 

[its tom the cat]

I am a member of a cat rescue sanctuary and spoke to one of the "experts" who recommended I get some B.F.F. food which contains a lot of gravy. I gave him 2 large spoonfuls and he ate it. He is eating kitty treats but as a rule I never give too many. But today I think its important to get something inside him.

 

[Furballsmom]

But today I think its important to get something inside him.

Good for you - whatever works for your furbaby

 

[its tom the cat]

Tuesday the 11th I go to the vet. I am always anxious whenever I go. He is not much different. He had some of the BFF but would not take the balance. I tried a second flavor and again he had a bit but nothing else. This morning I bought a can of tuna in water and drained the water out. He drank it all in two goes.
He tried a bit more moist and left most of it. When he was sleeping I put 20 pieces of dry beside him and it was all gone. He acts normal but I can see something is bothering him. He grooms himself and chases toys and likes to curl up on my lap. I was talking to a friend who suggested that maybe there is a hairball because I do not groom him and he is always washing. But if it was a hairball would it not affect his eating dry food? I don't know and I have to wait and see. It will be a long night.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

It definitely could be some sort of blockage. Maybe he's constipated? We'll be anxiously awaiting the results of the Vet visit.

 

[its tom the cat]

The vet is somewhat baffled. All of the cat's vitals are good. No blockage. He has gained a bit of weight since his last visit there but I know he has gone from 10 to 11 pounds this week. Its probably the dry food which he does eat. The vet said he does not look like a sick cat at all.

The biggest thing we could find were his gums and possibly a bad tooth. He had bad gums when I got him and I cleaned his teeth everyday and fed him R-K Dental. When I watch him eat the dry food he just chugs it down without chewing whereas the larger dry he has to bite and now he is refusing those. That could be a clue to the teeth but why won't he eat moist.

Now the vet has taken a blood and urine sample ($400) and I should get the results tomorrow. She thinks him being feral that there could be something going on which happens to a lot of ferals she says.

I just put down two samples of moist and when I was out of the room he started eating one. He did not finish but its better than nothing. I tried chicken broth too but he won't touch it.

 

[its tom the cat]

Still awaiting test results. Little guy had very little to eat this morning. Seems to have gone off dry food. He is urinating more frequent than before this all started. If it is his teeth I am wondering if they can't give him some sort of pain killer. Am very anxious.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

If its his teeth, he'll need a dental and probably need any bad teeth pulled vs being on pain killers. But if that IS the issue, it does seem strange that he's off his wet food.

Definitely not constipated? I'm guessing the Vet checked for all those type of things?

Hopefully the bloodwork will be back shortly. Usually it's back within a 24 hour period, so you may get a phone call any minute now.

 

[its tom the cat]

I am leaning towards dental. The estimate for the work is between $600 and $1500. How long before they can do dental work is also my concern. Hence the need for pain killers.
Not its not constipation as he uses his litter box regularly.