Knowledgeable cat-person? Veterinarian? Please help

nikinyx6

This is Ralphie. Shes a 16 month old, spayed , domestic short hair.

She has stopped eating.

In the past 4 days, she may have eaten 1/2 cup of food.

She's still playing like mad, indulging in catnip, purring, cuddly...no change in personality or appearance.



I know, contact a vet, but just wondering if I can get advice here since my vet's not in til monday.

Thanks all

twinketta

Make sure she is drinking...food is not so important for a couple of days. Put some water/milk on you finger and let her lick it.

Keep her hydrated and then take her to vets on Monday xx

vintagedutchgirl

My cat went through the same thing, but also had vomiting to go along with! My vet said he probably just had an upset tummy from a hairball or getting into something he shouldn't have. The vet had me feeding him chicken and rice soup, and then we put him on a special food. So basically what I'm trying to say is try giving her chicken and rice soup and keep her food readily available and if she still hasn't ate by monday definitely call the vet. Hope this helps!

Oh and make sure she has lots of water around so she doesn't get dehydrated, my vet said dehydration is a much bigger issue than the non-eating.

nikinyx6

Everytime I put water down, she just tips the bowl and plays in it...I don't know how much she's actually drinking.

Fussy cat. Will not eat anything but friskies dry food. Have tried all kinds of meat, milk, cheese, canned food, tuna in the past, just turns up her nose.

It's very frustrating, and kind of weird that she doesn't seem sick...

stinkpurty

Is she, at least, drinking water?

Did you switch to a different cat food? If so, she may not like it. Cats are picky.

Also, cats don't like it when people watch them eat. Could she be eating when you are asleep or not watching her?

I realize I have asked you more questions than you asked. LOL

Call your vet on Monday, for sure. She may have digestive issues. I hope she is alright. She's so cute!

2hobbit1

Yes call your vet when available - in the mean time is she drinking and peeing? yes you will need to scoop the litter pan daily to see! Is she doing the hairball barff thing?
I have three cats and at least two of them do the periodic hairball thing - don't want to eat and will urk up if they do. Hairball meds that you can get over the counter at the local pet store will help but be aware you will get a mess when they barf the hairball up.

You can try a different chow - some cats get very picky about the taste of their chow. with my three each has a different brand that they like and they will ignore other brands/flavors that are presented if it is not to their liking.

Other option is to see if she will go for wet chow if you have been giving dry or whether she will go for her preferred treats - if not you should check in with the vet as there may be a health issue. If all she wants to do is lay around/hide and does not want to play then you really have a health issue and need to go to the emergency vet sooner rather than later.

twinketta

It is so worrying when it is a pet, like a baby they can not tell you how they feel. But if she seems healthy, then she probably is!

Put her water bowl/milk bowl on the floor and dip your finger in and let her lick from your finger, make a little game of it, does she have a little toy that you can dip in the water bowl?

As long as she is drinking that is the main thing until you can get her to the vets.

She may just feel a bit `out of sorts`

Just make sure she drinks xx

nikinyx6

Is she, at least, drinking water?

Did you switch to a different cat food? If so, she may not like it. Cats are picky.

Also, cats don't like it when people watch them eat. Could she be eating when you are asleep or not watching her?

I realize I have asked you more questions than you asked. LOL

Call your vet on Monday, for sure. She may have digestive issues. I hope she is alright. She's so cute!

^^ not sure about water

Has been eating the same food for her whole life, could she be sick of it?

I know she's not eating, because her dish never empties...I've tried 'refreshing' with a new bag of food too



Thanks for the advice though guys, Ralphie is liike a child to me :flowerforyou:

marvelousmeg422

My cat went through something similar. He's a DSH as well but he's significantly older than your cat. He would just sleep a lot.. more than normal and never eat. I got super freaked out and tried putting food by him no matter where he was in the house. I didn't want him to be dehydrated either so I left the water bowl. He munched a little. We took him to the vet on that Monday like you plan to, but aside from a small temperature, he was okay. He eventually got back to his normal habits.
I'm not saying it's nothing to worry about, but cats do feel lethargic and do have colds sometimes! I hope the babes alright !

nikinyx6

in the mean time is she drinking and peeing? yes you will need to scoop the litter pan daily to see! Is she doing the hairball barff thing?

Just changed the litter this morning....will keep an eye on it...I worried it might be a urinary track discomfort...

No hairball yurking.

zyxst

Have you tried letting him eat grass? It's the only thing I can think of that hasn't been mentioned. Let us know how it goes.

divacat80

Do not let the cat pass more than 12 hours without eating. Cats are prone to getting liver disease if they don't eat for long periods of time, or so I was told by my cat's vet. That's what happened to my cat but he had diabetes and that's what made him stop eating, he was in no way as active as your kitty is and was just lying on the floor.
So the fact that yours is fully aware of everything and playing is a good sign, keep an eye on the cat and get her encouraged to drink. Call the vet if her personality changes or if she stops drinking water. If the situation persists get her to the vet, maybe she swallowed something? Is she using the litter box for number 2? (The solid one i mean, lol)
I knew a cat that stopped eating because of constipation.

I hope she gets better in no time!

Try some new fresh things, my cat loved tuna, ham and olives unless he was feeling seriously bad he would eat any of those. It was a terrible sign if he ignored them.

Give her a hug from us,she's so cute!

nikinyx6

Have you tried letting him eat grass? It's the only thing I can think of that hasn't been mentioned. Let us know how it goes.

I did! I actually had heard that cats eat grass when they have tummy issues, so on my lunch break i brought a handful in and she was all over it.

2hobbit1

if it is a UTI then she will be in the litter an a lot trying to pee - and may even start to use corners or other places to try to go. Girls do not have ans many problems as boys with UTIs and blockage issues since the anatomy tends to be larger in girls. I had a boy that was a tiny build part Siamese that had to have a sex change op to prevent the complications of chronic blockages. He lived to a ripe old age once he was modified.

nikinyx6

Checked the litter box...1 small # 2 very dark colored... no urine clumps....

WinnerVictorious

from experience, i learned that cats often don't show any/many outward symptoms when they are sick. refusing to eat is a symptom of something. it's hard to say what just based on that, but keep a close eye on her. it might be worth contact the local emergency vet clinic which is open on weekends if you think she needs assistance before your vet opens on Monday.

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/how-to-tell-if-your-cat-is-sick.htm

2hobbit1

Grass is a good roughage option - be aware you may get the urk response from it if she has a GI issue! My crew likes fresh grass as well as the grass hay i give my guinea pigs.

One of mine likes FIberone - the original 60 cal version as a treat and it helps keep him regular as well a helping with hairballs

NormalSaneFLGuy

A cat not eating can be something minimal or something very serious. There are some symptoms that can alert to various issues, but there's no guarantees. The biggest positive is that her mood and activity is the same because a lot of the more scary possibilities result in significant mood changes. Do you know if she's having bowel movements? I ask because one of my cats had an issue where she was extremely constipated and so she wouldn't eat and eventually wouldn't drink - had to take her to the vet for an enema of all things lol. Even if cats don't like the food, they will eventually eat it so i doubt that's the issue. She may just be temporarily under the weather. My suggestion would be to try and feel if her lower abdomen is hard (from constipation) and maybe get a package of meow mix wet food (for some reason cats love this crap) and see how she responds. Most other possibilities you can't really cross out without a vet.

nikinyx6

if it is a UTI then she will be in the litter an a lot trying to pee - and may even start to use corners or other places to try to go. Girls do not have ans many problems as boys with UTIs and blockage issues since the anatomy tends to be larger in girls. I had a boy that was a tiny build part Siamese that had to have a sex change op to prevent the complications of chronic blockages. He lived to a ripe old age once he was modified.

My last kitty was on IV, catheter, the works, for a week due to a blockage. He clearly had signs of something wrong though, where Ralphie seems fine...hope that's notwhat it is!

freckles_cmj

I have a cat who will only drink out of the bathroom sink like it is his own personal bubbler...maybe she will drink then?

nikinyx6

My suggestion would be to try and feel if her lower abdomen is hard (from constipation

I poked and proded her tummy today...not hard spots, no discomfort, she just roled over and kicked and played like a little fool

2hobbit1

the small and dark stool may just be a reflection of the fact that she is not eating much. I would watch to see that you are getting urine clumps. Have you tried tuna water on her chow or in a dish? Its not something I would do on a regular basis but will give you a feel for whether she is truly ill or just has a bit of a bug. Chicken broth is also another good option to check if she will drink. Milk is not so good as it can upset her stomach more.

nikinyx6

the small and dark stool may just be a reflection of the fact that she is not eating much. I would watch to see that you are getting urine clumps. Have you tried tuna water on her chow or in a dish? Its not something I would do on a regular basis but will give you a feel for whether she is truly ill or just has a bit of a bug. Chicken broth is also another good option to check if she will drink. Milk is not so good as it can upset her stomach more.

I'll grab a can of tuna on the way home and cross my fingers

Thanks for all of your suggestions everyone, it helps ease my mind at elast til Monday

twinketta

Checked the litter box...1 small # 2 very dark colored... no urine clumps....

I repeat what I said earlier and then add, that the stools if very dark coloured dependant on the food you give her, sound like she is dehydrated...
take her to the vets but meanwhile. like I said, give her fingers of milk/water x

danaweston

you can try rubbing a small amount of butter or margarine on the top of one paw she might lick it off and that will help pass a hair ball...

EnchantedEvening

It could be an issue with her teeth too. If you haven't been to the store already, get some soft food and see if she'll eat that. My kitty Gomez (RIP) had trouble with dry food when he got older, so I switched him to soft. It's like giving an old person with dentures a bowl of creamed corn.

I hope she's better soon. If she's still not eating or urinating by tomorrow, I'd take her to the emergency vet.

nikinyx6

Thanks guys...I'll take all the advice to make sure she's hydrated, and I think I'll call the emergency vet tomorrow morning.

I will update everyone then.

2hobbit1

One of mine will drink from any container anywhere - in fact if the closest water dish is low she will dunk her paw in my mug and lick it dry - she will lick the faucets to get you to turn them on. Loves the cat water fountain I have upstairs.

One will only drink from moving water - and lets me know when the fountain is running low.

The third i have to entice with a small serving of wet chow once a day to ensure he gets enough liquids.

If she is still playful and active she is probably ok for now - but if you her mood/activity changes then you need to get her to the vet now.
If you are not getting any urine out put then she absolutely needs to go sooner rather than later.

MaryJane_8810002

I had this problem with my Yoruichi. (in the ticker!) The vet said to make sure that she was eating and drinking water (she would eat and then throw up so she tried not to eat) because they will have problems with internal organs if they go long periods of time without food. I was under the assumption that she had consumed some yarn since I found it in her litter box. Ironically they day I had to take her to the vet she felt a lot better.

rml_16

Make sure she is drinking...food is not so important for a couple of days. Put some water/milk on you finger and let her lick it.

Keep her hydrated and then take her to vets on Monday xx

Agreed.

I would think if it were something serious, she would show it in other ways and can probably wait.

I really don't know how much my cats eat. I free feed them. I have three and I fill up a feeder and it lasts about a week before I have to fill it again. Some cats just are not big eaters. A half cup a day is a decent amount (ignore this. I need to read more closely.). But definitely call the vet.

You CAN call the emergency vet and ask questions without having to take her in. They may have better advice than you will find here. I've done that in the past.

makemewannadie

My 5 month old kitten stopped eating for a couple of days but was acting completely normal otherwise, it turned out to be toothache from teething, obviously won't be the same for you (unless she has an adult tooth problem). What we did was make sure she was getting liquids- get your hands on some cat milk if you can for her to stay hydrated.
We also mashed up wet jelly food until it was smooth, mixed a couple of tablespoons of water and microwaved it until it was 'mouse temperatured' (just warm) and she ate some of it, it makes it more appetising for cats Keep an eye on her litter tray/energy levels and make sure nothing else changes.

Definitely get her to the vets asap. It might be nothing/might be just under the weather, but it could be something serious, so it's best to be on the safe side Hope she's ok!