# Getting a Kitty to Eat



## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

OK. I'm cat sitting my M-I-L's kitty for her while she's in Florida. Misty had a huge bout of vomiting and is now on a hunger strike. I took her to the vet. She had xrays, got a shot of anti-nausea med and some fluids. 

She's on the hairy edge of fatty liver problems and it is imperative that I get her to eat this weekend. I've tried to tempt her with everything under the sun: Chicken, tuna, oats, banana, her food, her favorite treats, yogurt, ice cream, spinach, peanut butter, cheese, pepperoni (don't judge!), broth, goat milk and more. Oy! She walks around the tuna but ignores everything else. So right now I am force-syringe-feeding her baby food meat. (Vet recommended it.)

Not fun!

Any ideas on how to tempt her to eat on her own? I'm not sure how many more claw marks I want. ;-)


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## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

Baby food is one we reccomend a lot.

Warming the food up helps by making it smell extra strong.

I would continue force feeding... Because fatty liver is bad news.

Did they do bloodwork?

Offer dry food too.

Try canned pates warmed.

I'd stay away from dairy.

How old is this kitty?

What is her normal diet?

Any chance she got into anything?

When did symptoms start?

Where are you feeding her?/has she stayed with you before?/do you have dogs or cats?

Maybe some stress is involved. Could try some Feliway and putting her in a room by herself where she can hide and feel safe.

Any more vomiting?

How long has it been since she was eating on her own?


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## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

As a side note. Cats will make associations with food. So if she ate something she liked but then was sick she may decide not to eat that food anymore...


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

She and I know each other quite well, so she is very comfortable with my girls and I (my husband is allergic and avoids her). She is in a apartment (her usual home) attached to our house. So we can pop over and see her often.

She eats regular cat chow type food and gets treats for hairballs and tartar control. No people food, but she is a fatso - always has been!

I checked the house from stem to stern, but couldn't locate anything she might have eaten - no strings, no plants, no plastic, etc. The vet did xrays, but no lab work. Xrays showed no compactions or restrictions or foreign substances. She has no fever or other signs of illness. She's just stopped eating.

*sigh*

Mom left Tuesday afternoon and Misty got sick all over the house that night. Puked a few more times the next day, then no more. Saw the vet Friday.

I'm wondering if she got sick because she missed Mom. Then was a bit dehydrated and tummy was icky, so she stopped eating altogether. Her tummy should be fine now and she's been rehydrated. 

I got about 2 ounces of baby food chicken into her today. I think I even have fur in my ears!!!!!!!!!! (She sheds like nobody's business!) No puking since she's had the meat.

She hates me feeding her, but she loves me afterward and we spend time together getting brushed and loved on after meal time. I've quit for today, but left out 2 bites of salmon and a Tablespoon of her dry food and lots of water. We try to visit with her often during the day and leave the radio on for her when we're not there.


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## Bansil (Jul 23, 2015)

I have same problem with moms cat and dog when we have to babysit.

She says feed the x,y,z. They dont eat and just look at me...i tell them this is dinner, eat or starve.
I then walk off to another room anf sit down

After 2nd night i noticed they ate and sat with me...weird huh?

After 10+ years,they will not eat with me in the room

Good luck


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## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

Stress could definitely have contributed.

Stressed, stopped eating, which made her sick, which makes her not want to eat.

Lab work would have been the first thing the vet I work for did.

If the cat is diabetic that could have started things. Heavy cats are prone to diabetes.

The other two most common cat diseases are kidney failure and hyperthyroidism. The last would be lower on my list with diabetes at the top.

I would NOT just leave her until she eats on her own. You stated in your first post about fatty liver. You are right, It is a very serious condition and kills. Cats that go even just two or three days can get it on top of whatever underlying illness there was/is.

I know it's a pain but keep forcing the baby food. Every couple of hours. (Depending on how much you can get in safely at a time)

They really should have done some sort of bloodwork. 

If not improving I'd go to the ER tomorrow. There are four in maine... Not sure where you are. $90 to $100 emergency exam fee.

If improving but not better id take her to the vet and get the bloodwork done Monday.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

The vet mentioned blood work but didn't do it because Mom was out of state, etc. I've talked to Mom and have her OK for "whatever" for tomorrow.

Feeding this morning was a fiasco. But I just watched a couple of really good videos on force feeding techniques - very calm and gentle. I definitely should have watched them BEFORE I started this adventure. But I'm running on goat induced sleep deprivation, so I'm not thinking things through as well as I normally would. 

Going in to try again in a few minutes...She'll be back at the vet's in the morning if we're not seeing some improvement.


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## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

Sounds like a plan.

Force feeding is definitely not an easy task, good for you sticking with it on top of everything .

Hopefully there is nothing underlying and kitty is feeling better ASAP!


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

nicolemackenzie said:


> Sounds like a plan.
> 
> Force feeding is definitely not an easy task, good for you sticking with it on top of everything .
> 
> Hopefully there is nothing underlying and kitty is feeling better ASAP!


Boy, I hope so. Grampy died last July and little Misty is Grammy's right hand kitty. We're at the beginning of this, though. So hopefully the vet can do something to make her all better.


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## teejae (Jan 21, 2013)

we also have a hairy cat who constantly chucks hair balls everywhere!! not very nice getting up in the morning half asleep and treading in cold hairy vomit :roll: But we forgive her at 14 years old she rules...lol. So we also went through a no eat and I put butter on her front legs to make her lick it off,you can also use margarine . (I also do this with worming paste) plus old cats lose their sense of taste so I sometimes give her tin sardines in oil She also goes crazy over small amounts of fresh fish (husband went fishing over the last weekend and caught a HUGE bluefin Tuna,nice and oily...mmmmm) and she just about climbed up his leg when he was cutting it up,she cleaned up every scrap and the natural oil is good for them.She also likes small amounts of cooked beef and bacon which is not good for them. Cats are funny creatures,good luck teejae


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## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

groovyoldlady said:


> Boy, I hope so. Grampy died last July and little Misty is Grammy's right hand kitty. We're at the beginning of this, though. So hopefully the vet can do something to make her all better.


Oh that's rough. 

Vet medicine can do amazing things. Especially when things are caught early.

I'll be thinking of you!


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Well, they're doing blood work and keeping Misty for a few days...


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## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

keep us updated. Good luck! Praying for you, your mom, and misty.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

The vet said that her blood work is completely clear, though some levels (can't remember of what) indicate her stress level is high. They have gotten her to eat a particular canned food! And we should get her back tomorrow - hopefully with her appetite in tow. :-D


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## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

How is she doing? Glad the bloodwork was fairly normal.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

She's doing WAY better. She licks all the gravy off her canned food and then actually eats her dry food! She's also playing and talking; much perkier. She's even eating her treats now. It's like she's a brand new kitty!


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## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

Oh good! Glad to hear.


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## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

Still doing ok?

If she's back to eating normally and she is overweight I'd switch her permanently to a canned food diet. It's better for kidney health and will help her lose weight which will make her less prone to diabetes and fatty liver.

Pates are best. A 10lb cat should get 6ounces a day. Even friskies canned is better than dry food.

You want low carb and high protein.

I hope she had continued to improve!


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I second the canned food diet. It will stave off renal failure by increasing her water intake, which pretty much it seems every old cat gets eventually. And if you get gluten free (this is cat knowledge from before the gluten free phase haha) it'll help keep her insulin levels more stable. All this knowledge is available on the google for those who are interested in researching. I had a cat in full blown diabetes (numbers over 600) and 75% renal failure. He lived another 6 long happy insulin free AND sub q liquid free years based on feeding gluten free canned feed. I just checked his blood sugar levels throughout the day and adjusted feed as needed.

Almost all the friskies pate are gluten free. The pate pack at costco last I checked was gluten free, as is many of the fancy feast pates.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Cool to know! Thank you, both of you. I'll pass the info on to Grammy. Misty does NOT like the actual canned food - just the gravy. But a pate may have a different texture that she will like.


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## nicolemackenzie (Dec 27, 2014)

Yeah cats can become quite set in their ways and don't like the textures.

Try different flavors and see how it goes.


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