Welcome

Jamie0616

My friend has a 6 year old male cat who has always been in pretty good health, aside from the fact that he's fairly overweight. She is very careful though about feeding him low-calorie food in smaller quantities to help with his weight problem. He never had any problems due to his weight either. A few days ago she noticed that he wasn't eating his food. He is still drinking and using the bathroom normally, and his stool looks normal. He is still playful and active too, just not really eating. She gave him some tuna, which he ate one day and was fine. The next day she gave him tuna, he threw it up within an hour. She bought him new dry food, which he picked at a little, but still isn't eating normally at all. Any ideas as to what the problem could be? Is it something serious? She's worried about taking him to the vet because he gets extremely upset and stressed out in the car. She'll take him of course if that's what needs to be done, but would like to make sure it's the best thing to do before she puts him through all that stress. Any ideas/suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

Jewelybear

he could be sick. cats, all animals really, like to hide their sickness. believe it or not cats can become anorexic due to not feeling well. it happened to my kitty but after he got better it went away. a checkup at the vet would not hurt.

KenS7447

If he is eating some and is playful then he is probably fine and no vet appointment is needed. However about what she is feedingNutrition since there are so many bad things out there is very important to your cat’s healthContrary to what you may have heard; dry foods are not a great thing to feed a cat. Please read the label on what you are feeding? What are the ingredients? Do you know what they mean? Is the first ingredient a muscle meat like chicken or meal or other things?http://www.catinfo.org/#Learn_How_To_Read_a_Pet_Food_Ingredient_Labelhttp ://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring04/Perhach/PetFood/InterpretingLabels.htmDry foods are the number 1 cause of diabetes in cats as well as being a huge contributing factor to kidney disease, obesity, crystals, u.t.i’s, constipation, and a host of other problems. Male cats are especially prone to blockagesfrom dry food. Food allergies are very common when feeding dry foods. Rashes, scabs behind the tail and on the chin are all symptoms The problems associated with Dry food is that they are loaded with grains and carbohydrates which many cats (carnivores) cannot process. ( Have a fat cat?)Also, Most of the moisture a cat needs is suppose to be in the food but in Dry, 95% of it is zapped out of dry foods in the processing. Another thing, most use horrible ingredients and don't use a muscle meat as the primary ingredient and use vegetable based protein versus animal. Not good for an animal that has to eat meat to survive.http://www.catinfo.org/#My_Cat_is_Doing_Just_Fine_on_Dry_FoodYou want to pick a canned food w/o gravy (gravy=carbs) that uses a muscle meat as the first ingredient and doesn't have corn at least in the first 3 ingredients if at all. THE BEST CAT FOODS CONTAIN NO GRAINS NO BYPRODUCTS Cats are meat eaters not cereal or rice eaters Fancy feast is a middle grade food with 9lives, friskies whiskas lower grade canned and wellness and merrick upper grade human quality foods. I would rather feed a middle grade canned food then the top of the line dry food. Also, dry food is not proven to be better for teeth. Does a hard pretzel clean your teeth or do pieces of it get stuck? http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/bpo_ch4a.php Please read about cat nutrition.http://www.catinfo.org/ http://www.catinfo.org/feline_obesity.htm http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm#Dry_Food_vs_Canned_Food.__Whi ch_is_reall Vetinarian diets The reason your vet thinks so highly of the pet food they sell probably has more to do with money than nutrition. In vet school, the only classes offered on nutrition usually last a few weeks, and are taught by representatives from the pet food companies. Vet students may also receive free food for their own dogs and cats at home. They could get an Iams notebook, a Purina purse and some free pizza. http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring04/Perhach/PetFood/Vets.htmNutritional Education Program website page for the American College of Veterinary Nutrition. Notice who they are receiving grants from for this program http://mypetcarnivore.com/educational_grant.htm

Shadow

I guess, its a question of how many days. Are you SURE he isnt getting food elsewhere? I had a cat open the bottom of a bag of cat food one time. The food in the bowl didn't never moved. You need to be sure he is not eating, and if not then a trip to the vet may be required. there may be some type of obstruction, or he could be just very constipated. carefully monitor his demeanor. Could be he ate something that is binding him up. string, rubber bands etc.good luck

allicat12

There are so, so many reasons why a cat slows down on eating or stops eating all together. According to the Cornell Online Consultant, A Diagnostic Support System for Veterinary Medicine, there are 454 Possible Diagnoses for Feline Anorexia.You may have the best vet in the world and still may not be able to discover the "why." Keep trying. While your veterinarian is trying to diagnose your kitty, you must provide supplemental nutrition if your cat is eating a little on his or her own, or full nutrition if your cat is completely anorexic. By assist feeding, you will give your vet and your cat the gift of time. Until you do discover the reason, assist feed your cat with diligence.Listed below are some of the problems associated with kitty anorexia:Acid StomachAnemiaAnorexia - This is a "Catch 22." You cat won't eat and become anorexic. Once a cat stops eating, they lose the desire to eat again. We have to help them remember to start eating again.Antibiotics - Some cats get nauseated and lose their appetite while taking antibiotics. It is important to make sure eating continues so that your cat does not become anorexic. There are specific antiobotics for different conditions, so if your at stops eating and you suspect the antibiotic, ask your vet what the antibiotic options are. Nancy and Jazz write "Jazz started not eating within 48 hours of being on the antibiotic Clavamox. I wasn't concerned too much at first, but by the 3rd day I was. I tried everything... Nothing worked. After 5 days, my vet changed him to Baytril 20, and the change was dramatic. Within 2 hrs of the first dose, he was begging to eat."CancerDiabetes - Controlling the blood sugar levels will often bring the appetite back.Heart Disease - Example:Cardiomyopathy - When the heart cannot pump blood efficiently, oxygen is not delivered as it should be and weight loss occurs. A cat with heart disease may have fluid build up around the heart and lungs making the cat very uncomfortable and not feeling like eating. As the cat leans forward to eat, all the pressure from the excess fluid around the heart and lungs push forward, causes discomfort and may even make it hard to breathe. If your vet has not done a chest x-ray lately, ask for one as this will show any fluid build up, enlarged heart, etc. Chronic ConstipationHepatic Lipidosis (Fatty Liver Disease) - When a cat stops eating for even just a few day, Hepatic Lipidosis can occur. This is especially true if the cat was overweight. If caught early enough, this is usually a treatable disease... the cure mainly being getting enough calories in on a daily basis. There is an underlying reason why the cat stopped eating, so assist feed your cat to provide strength and give you time to run more tests.Here are links that have good discussions abaout Hepatic Lipidosis:http://www.healthypet.com/Library/illness-15.html http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&articleid=217DehydrationDiabetes Hyperthyroidism - Generally a ravenous appetite is associated with hyperthyroidism, but there are some cases where the cat becomes anorexic.Jaw - cracked, broken, tumor?Kidney Disease (Chronic Renal Failure "CRF")- Cats with kidney disease often feel "yucky" because their kidneys cannot filter the toxins in the blood. They also often have a "sour" stomach, which turns them off of food.Mouth/Throat - Are there any sores, injuries or foreign objects?Sinus Infection - Sinus infections often cause the sense of smell to be lost. Even people who have lost the sense of smell do not want to eat.Teeth - Bad tooth? Cavity or impacted tooth? Do they do dental x-rays?Throat Problem - Ulcers, tumors or a sore throat. If a sore through, try a little Slippery Elm Bark (SEB) for it's soothing properties. SEB capsules can be bought at health food stores. You'll open the capsule into cold water, bring to a boil, cool and then syringe into the mouth. I'll look for the exact instructions.Upper Respiratory Infection (URI)Ulcers: Mouth, throat or stomach - What can be done? Try carafate for 4 to 6 weeks, even if symptoms have vanished to ensure healing is complete.

ainawgsd

Yes, the vet would be the best answer in this case. Cats can go off food for a variety of reasons, from foreign bodies (like string or rubber bands) to kidney disease (and even though 6 is not old for a cat there are many cats who can develop kidney disease that early, plus there are a number of toxins that can cause kidney disease if the cat is exposed to them) to gastric (stomach) ulcers to respiratory infections to rotten and/or infected teeth. Constipation can also cause this, although that seems an unlikely cause in this case since the stools are still normal. The biggest danger in cats that don't eat for several days is hepatic lipidosis...or "fatty liver disease." This is always fatal if not treated promptly by a veterinarian. If it's been a few days and your friend's cat is not eating well, his appetite has not picked up at all, and he is starting to vomit after eating then the best thing your friend could do is to take this cat to the vet for an exam, blood work to look at organ function and possible evidence of infection, and possibly x-rays to rule out a foreign body or constipation.