Cat's off his food...
Discussion
Evening all.
My male cat, Billy, who is 16, is barely eating at the moment. He's been like it for a few weeks, just eating a few mouthfuls a day. He drinks a lot though.
A bit of history, he had an operation on his bladder about 10 years ago, as he had some trouble with some sort of crystals forming in his urine which he couldn't pass, so he wasn't allowed to eat normal cat food like Felix etc, he now lives on these urinary meat pouches which are only either beef or chicken, and he also has special biscuits, so I can sympathise that he's probably fed up.
It also doesn't help that our other cat can eat normally, so every mealtime for the last 10 years or so, we've had to try stop Billy eating the wrong food.
Anyway, we've been to see the vet, who cannot really offer much advice, but wants to run some blood tests. We think it could be some sort of kidney problem or diabetes type thing, and he's going in Friday afternoon.
He seems happy enough, always comes for a fuss, never seems in pain when we pick him up or stroke him on his back, sides or belly.
We feel so helpless. We want him to eat, he seems to have lost a lot of weight and he's now really quite boney, but no matter how much fresh food we offer, he just doesn't seem interested. He even seems to be losing interest in the so called 'nicer' food.
Has anybody encountered anything like this with their cats and can offer any advice please?
Thanks
My male cat, Billy, who is 16, is barely eating at the moment. He's been like it for a few weeks, just eating a few mouthfuls a day. He drinks a lot though.
A bit of history, he had an operation on his bladder about 10 years ago, as he had some trouble with some sort of crystals forming in his urine which he couldn't pass, so he wasn't allowed to eat normal cat food like Felix etc, he now lives on these urinary meat pouches which are only either beef or chicken, and he also has special biscuits, so I can sympathise that he's probably fed up.
It also doesn't help that our other cat can eat normally, so every mealtime for the last 10 years or so, we've had to try stop Billy eating the wrong food.
Anyway, we've been to see the vet, who cannot really offer much advice, but wants to run some blood tests. We think it could be some sort of kidney problem or diabetes type thing, and he's going in Friday afternoon.
He seems happy enough, always comes for a fuss, never seems in pain when we pick him up or stroke him on his back, sides or belly.
We feel so helpless. We want him to eat, he seems to have lost a lot of weight and he's now really quite boney, but no matter how much fresh food we offer, he just doesn't seem interested. He even seems to be losing interest in the so called 'nicer' food.
Has anybody encountered anything like this with their cats and can offer any advice please?
Thanks
A few days of any other wet food or a 50/50 mix won't hurt for a few days. It's more important to see whether he's just being fussy or genuinely not keen to eat.(sorry just seen he isn't eating nice foods well. Try foods like Applaws)
They may want to consider xrays if bloods don't show anything in case there is any abnormality in his guts.
Unfortunately this weather doesn't help.
Hope they can help him.
I hate to be pessimistic and it's just one of several possible reasons for his symptoms but my Ren had similar symptoms. Appetite ever decreasing, becoming fussy even with favourites but relatively perky. It took a few months as her bloods were normal etc but eventually a tumour was found in intestines. She eventually started getting diarrhoea.
They may want to consider xrays if bloods don't show anything in case there is any abnormality in his guts.
Unfortunately this weather doesn't help.
Hope they can help him.
I hate to be pessimistic and it's just one of several possible reasons for his symptoms but my Ren had similar symptoms. Appetite ever decreasing, becoming fussy even with favourites but relatively perky. It took a few months as her bloods were normal etc but eventually a tumour was found in intestines. She eventually started getting diarrhoea.
Edited by bexVN on Tuesday 16th July 21:37
Well I've just tried mixing a small amount normal food with his special food, and he has eaten some of it, though seems to have picked the good out from the bad. Lol. The other thing, he's had quite a few of his teeth removed, I can;t remember exactly how many, but he hasn't got too many left now, so we're wondering if his gums/teeth are soar.
I dunno, there's lots of things I guess it could be. At 16, he's had a good life, and been well looked after and loved, and after quite a few visits to the vets for various things, perhaps its taking its toll. Its just makes me sad to think he could be seriousley ill or in pain and there's nothing we can do to help as such.
I guess we'll have to see what the vet says after he gets the blood tests back...
I dunno, there's lots of things I guess it could be. At 16, he's had a good life, and been well looked after and loved, and after quite a few visits to the vets for various things, perhaps its taking its toll. Its just makes me sad to think he could be seriousley ill or in pain and there's nothing we can do to help as such.
I guess we'll have to see what the vet says after he gets the blood tests back...
I'm sorry it's not great news, special diets and tablets can help, we have had cats do surprisingly well on good treatment. It is very difficult to know which way it'll go at this stage, partly depending on how far the kidneys are damaged or how long your cat's kidneys have been struggling.
This weather won't have help.
I hope the treatment picks him up and helps him feel happier with life.
This weather won't have help.
I hope the treatment picks him up and helps him feel happier with life.
Thanks.
Just an update, he's taken his tablets without any real fuss, and he's eaten a bit of breakfast, more than I've seen him eat over the last fortnght anyway. The last 2 nights, he's hidden himself away in a dark quiet corner in the lounge. We're giving him lots of fuss and whenever he looks remotely like he wants food, its there for him.
Fingers crossed he improves over the next week or 2.
Just an update, he's taken his tablets without any real fuss, and he's eaten a bit of breakfast, more than I've seen him eat over the last fortnght anyway. The last 2 nights, he's hidden himself away in a dark quiet corner in the lounge. We're giving him lots of fuss and whenever he looks remotely like he wants food, its there for him.
Fingers crossed he improves over the next week or 2.
My poor boy. He's really weak today, as in can barely stand up. We've tried to feed him little and often, but he's still not interested. I hate seeing him like this, but I'm just guessing that these tablets may take a little while to kick in and make him start to feel better, just like humans and antibiotics. We've agreed to give him til the weekend, and if he's not showing any signs at all of improvement, then we'll put him to sleep. He's 17 and we've given him a really good life, and he's given us plenty of happy memories.
I can't help but think I've just said goodnight to Billy for the last time.
I can't help but think I've just said goodnight to Billy for the last time.
Took him back down the vets again this morning. He still hadn't really eaten anything. The vet said they can put him on a drip, but that's not a long term solution, and they can give any guarantees as to how long he'd live for, could be a few days or a month or so, and thats whilst also still having to eat special food, which he doesn't really like. If it would've been a more longer term solution, then we'd have gone for it, but we've taken the decision to have him put to sleep. He'd become so skinny and it was awful seeing him struggle to walk and looking disorientated.
He was 17, so had a good innings, and we'd like to think we looked after him and given him as good a life as we could.
RIP Billy
ETA, our other cat, Cleo, is gonna be getting a lot of fuss and cuddles. I hope she'll be ok, as we've had both cats since they were about 8 weeks old though they weren't from the same litter.
Further Edit, thanks for the input and support guys.
He was 17, so had a good innings, and we'd like to think we looked after him and given him as good a life as we could.
RIP Billy
ETA, our other cat, Cleo, is gonna be getting a lot of fuss and cuddles. I hope she'll be ok, as we've had both cats since they were about 8 weeks old though they weren't from the same litter.
Further Edit, thanks for the input and support guys.
Edited by andyjo1982 on Thursday 25th July 13:10
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